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New PC case maker Tryx goes in a special course than many of the mid-2020s subject. The primary providing of a typical new case model inevitably will get labeled a knock-off by some fans, however the $239.99 Luca L70 is completely different sufficient from something we’ve seen to be its personal providing. That is no design with a mere reworked face panel to suit an current low-cost physique. The Tryx group shot instantly for the high-end market; the corporate solely clipped the sting of the goal, nonetheless. The Luca appears good, however it’s dear, lacks followers, and has a couple of issues round Tryx’s construct and engineering decisions. Our favourite value-minded “aquarium”-style showcase mannequin stays the Corsair 3500X ARGB, and on the greater finish, the Lian Li O11 Dynamic EVO.Design: A Surprisingly Versatile AquariumWhile aquarium-style instances that don’t have any nook assist between the glass face and aspect panels have been round for a few years, the design nonetheless seems contemporary. The identical will be mentioned for the side-mounted entrance fan bracket and the entry holes for putting in Asus Again to the Future (BTF) or MSI Undertaking Zero reverse-connector motherboards. As a substitute, it is one thing that isn’t fairly obvious—but—that makes the Luca L70 stand out: Its energy provide bay will be repositioned to sit down both above or beneath its motherboard tray.
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A sturdy aluminum deal with (topped by quirky, semi-redacted area gibberish) that sits on the similar degree because the left and rear edges of the highest panel additionally separates the Luca L70 from equally marketed instances. So does the style through which the highest panel slopes. It runs from again to entrance or from left to proper in the identical method a bathe pan declines towards its drain.
(Credit score: Thomas Soderstrom)
4 USB 3.x Sort-A ports and a Gen 2×2 Sort-C port sit subsequent to a headset combo jack on the entrance panel. A bit off to the left is the plastic gentle diffuser of a hidden power-on indicator LED, and to the left of that could be a flush energy button that, at a look, seems to be a portion of the remainder of this forward-facing aluminum edge.
(Credit score: Thomas Soderstrom)
The L70’s backside panel hosts a triple 140mm/120mm fan mount coated by a full-length mud filter. The latter slides out from below the sting of the entrance panel for simple cleansing comfort. Additionally seen close to the middle of this picture are the Luca L70’s adjustable graphics-card brace and a detachable cable-concealment panel.
(Credit score: Thomas Soderstrom)
Moderately than being supported by the standard set of 4 case toes, the Luca L70 rests on a crisscrossed platform beneath its backside panel. A number of air gaps of round 1 / 4 inch thickness assist air stream extra successfully between the assorted sections of this uncommon stand design.
(Credit score: Thomas Soderstrom)
The totally vented rear panel incorporates a detachable energy provide mounting plate, a 120mm fan mount, and a vented spacer for extra bottom-panel radiator clearance. It’s vital to do not forget that these are the elements that may be moved round to create a special case configuration.Additionally seen is the thick aluminum panel of the precise aspect, which is vented on the entrance for its corresponding radiator mount.
(Credit score: Thomas Soderstrom)
The highest panel has much more radiator area than the underside panel, although a lot of that area is blocked by the ability provide bay you possibly can see on this default configuration. A sheet-metal field on the rear that acts as a secondary high deal with makes it potential to raise the case from both aspect, together with your left hand holding a high deal with and your proper hand below the opposing (backside entrance or backside rear) nook.
(Credit score: Thomas Soderstrom)
Tryx tells us that the Luca L70’s energy provide bay helps a 190mm unit at most, however our commonplace check unit from Cooler Grasp is somewhat greater than that. We measured a depth of 235mm, although builders hoping to take full benefit of that area should additionally think about how tightly they’d wish to bend their cables to get across the entrance plate.The 2 knurled screws that seem free within the picture are those that safe the ability provide to the mounting plate, whereas the opposite two safe the plate to the detachable energy provide bay. As for the bay’s removing, it’s secured by that tiny screw seen to the precise aspect of these knurled screws.
(Credit score: Thomas Soderstrom)
The L70’s detachable motherboard tray is held on the entrance by two extra knurled screws and on the again by its I/O panel. Tryx fills 10 of the usual 9 mounting holes with standoffs, because the tenth standoff (close to the third growth slot) has at all times been optionally available for ATX boards. Motherboards that lack a gap on this location will typically endure a floor fault that forestalls power-up if put in over that standoff. Take away it if yours does not have a gap there.There’s sufficient area behind the graphics-card brace to suit oversize motherboards as much as 11.8 inches deep: Whereas most such motherboards are labeled EATX, the case’s incapability to correctly assist the whole vary of EATX (as much as 13 inches deep) ought to disqualify it from carrying that label.
(Credit score: Thomas Soderstrom)
An old school, swiveling expansion-card-bracket clip resides over the slot cowl screws on a swivel. Moderately than having tabs to interact the screw holes, nonetheless, it merely has holes that clear the heads of the screws, not really locking something down by itself. The springs and latch make it really feel like a top quality half, however we query its utility.
(Credit score: Thomas Soderstrom)
Two hinged panels situated behind the motherboard tray are designed to assist as much as 9 2.5-inch drives or two 3.5-inch drives, plus 5 2.5-inch drives whereas nonetheless leaving room to cross cables.
(Credit score: Thomas Soderstrom)
Designed solely to carry three 2.5-inch drives, the ahead hinged panel you possibly can see beneath has magnets on each side to safe it flat in opposition to both the again of the motherboard tray or the again of the aspect radiator mount. The rearward panel holds each 3.5-inch and a couple of.5-inch drives and may slide upward off its hinge pins.
(Credit score: Thomas Soderstrom)
Constructing With the Tryx Luca L70The Luca L70’s {hardware} package features a #2-Phillips-to-standoff hex adapter socket, a number of varieties of screws, three standoffs, a pack of zip-style cable ties, three Velcro-brand cable straps, an set up information, a canopy for the view gap on that’s on the aspect of the ability provide bay, and an ornamental property tag. The case ships with the property tag hanging from its outstanding high deal with.
(Credit score: Thomas Soderstrom)
As soon as our {hardware} is put in, we’ll join the case to our motherboard utilizing its one-piece F_PANEL connector to serve its energy button and LED; to the HD Audio connector to serve its headset combo jack; to twin 19-pin USB 3.x connectors to feed its 4 Sort-A ports; and its Gen 2×2 (Sort-E) connector to energy its Sort-C port.
(Credit score: Thomas Soderstrom)
So, about that shiftable power-supply mount. Leaving the Luca L70’s energy provide bay up high would have pressured us to mount the radiator of our closed-loop cooler to the case’s backside, to the aspect, or to the entrance portion of the highest. As none of those permits our cooler’s followers to correctly cool our motherboard’s CPU voltage regulator, and for the reason that effectiveness of our energy provide as a motherboard cooler is undetermined, we determined to take the most secure path and put our CPU cooler the place the ability bay had been. PSU on the case backside, then.
(Credit score: Thomas Soderstrom)
(Credit score: Thomas Soderstrom)
The choice configuration used for our check appears a lot because it has for many of our different exams, which ought to a minimum of make this a good comparability.
(Credit score: Thomas Soderstrom)
We beforehand talked about that the rearward drive tray helps a few completely different drive configurations, and right here’s what half of that appears like: The area presently occupied by a 3.5-inch drive can as a substitute be outfitted with two 2.5-inch drives, and the opposite (empty) half of the cage helps two or three extra drives in the identical two configurations.
(Credit score: Thomas Soderstrom)
Although we didn’t use any of the above drives, you wouldn’t see them if we had. The elements you possibly can see look pretty good lit up (beneath), however finishing the aesthetic would have required us to fill its front-right and rear mounts with matching followers.
(Credit score: Thomas Soderstrom)
We do have one caveat that emerged from the construct. The aspect panels are held on solely by snaps and lack any secondary technique of securing (resembling screw tabs) for transporting the completed system. In our expertise, the aluminum aspect panel slid off and the hinged glass entrance panel popped open nearly at a suggestion (i.e., with little or no stress utilized). That is a priority particularly if you’re coping with glass.Testing the Tryx Luca L70We’re testing the Luca L70 with the ATX variant of our most up-to-date case testing package:
Relying solely upon the followers of our CPU cooler for air flow, the Luca L70 nonetheless achieves fourth place in CPU, motherboard, and GPU cooling. We are able to attempt to think about how significantly better it might need cooled with extra followers, however the temperatures seen listed here are a minimum of cool sufficient to maintain the system working at full velocity.
The shortage of extra chassis followers additionally retains the Luca L70 quiet: Disturbed solely by the noises of our inner elements, the L70’s quietness is a metric the place solely the single-fan Cougar FV270 can compete. In fact, you may most likely add a number of followers of your personal, so take this with a grain of salt.
Verdict: Poised for a Value CutWith the construct full and efficiency confirmed to be a minimum of ample, our solely remaining concern is whether or not or not the Luca L70 is constructed like a $240 case. Ours arrived with every little thing completed nicely (some reviewers, observe, acquired samples with QA points), other than the less-than-secure panels we noticed. However that degree of high quality is desk stakes for half the asking worth, or somewhat extra. The key push behind the Luca’s excessive worth is probably going the gathering of precision fitments that make the ability provide bay, the motherboard tray, and the decrease filter panels movable, and the 2 fundamental glass panels meet good at their seam. We’re doubtful of what number of of us want the 2 PSU placement choices. Anybody in search of a great deal will most likely save their cash by buying a case that helps solely their desired configuration, and depart it at that.Although the Luca L70 appears adequate constructed out, anticipate the premium followers you may need to set up inside to push the case-and-fans complete as excessive as $300. You will not need to shell out that a lot until you are eager to indicate off your construct. You may must possess sufficient attraction to attract an viewers to see this showpiece…and have the necessity for the precise type of flexibility it delivers to make it price the additional bucks.
Professionals
Elegant frameless entrance nook glass
Three 420mm-format radiator mounts
Helps reverse-facing motherboard connectors
Straightforward-access backside panel filter
View
Extra
Cons
Expensive for the function set
No pre-installed followers
Aspect panels do not safe nicely
PSU bay blocks half of a radiator mount
Backside-mounting the PSU blocks rear holes
No filter on aspect radiator vent
View
Extra
The Backside Line
Although it appears each bit a high-end PC case, some construct quibbles and the added expense of its reconfigurable energy provide and motherboard positions make the Tryx Luca L70 a tough promote.
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About Thomas Soderstrom
Contributor
Years again, when a small web site referred to as out for product-review editors. I leapt on the alternative: I’d simply wrapped up a four-year stint as a methods provider. That have offered the credentials I’d want for the transition from trade provider to trade observer. For one factor, I’d been the primary supply for an exposé on capacitor plague (“Acquired Juice”) at EDN. By that point, I’d already self-published some tips on hardcore PC stuff: pin-modifying processors to defeat compatibility checks and overclock non-overclockable methods. I noticed an opportunity to receives a commission for my data, and have since written greater than a thousand items (a lot of them for the seminal tech web site Tom’s {Hardware}) earlier than discovering my newest alternative: with PCMag.
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