Final Thoughts

The Tuniq 3 Mid-Tower case is overall, a nice functional case. The black brush aluminum front panel is elegant and free of any oddities that might make your friends chuckle at you if they come over to borrow it. The multiple configurations of the Core Fan-Bracket allows you to create a more customized cooling system by allowing you better control over airflow through and over your internal components.

While your mileage may vary I did come across a few issues while setting up my computer with the Tuniq 3. The first thing was that in order to install a motherboard I did have to remove the Core-Fan bracket which I found out was not an easy task. You disassemble quite a bit of the case to successfully configure and then reinstall it. The second issue I encountered (and again your experience may vary) is that my previous IDE LG DVD burner stuck out of the front bezel just enough to stop the front door from closing fully. This was an annoyance and since I did not want to have to modify the plastic insert that fits around the drive, I went out and bought myself a new SATA LG DVD burner that fit.

Last but not least the case that I received had it’s power switch cable (the one from the motherboard to the switch) malfunction due to the outer sheath being stripped, exposing the aluminum wire. This caused the computer to start up improperly and shut itself off. To fix this I used the reset switch cable instead and now I am able to power up the computer, but it can be a bit quirky. This is clearly a quality issue that needs to be addressed as carting cases back and forth from the computer store can clearly be a pain. It’s an even bigger pain if you had this shipped to you via mail order and now had to pay for return shipping. This could be solved with some sheathing similar to the type on most higher end power supplies to protect the cable.

The overall design of Tuniq 3 case is innovative but does display a good deal of thought. The addition of the feet with blue cold cathode lights is nice eye candy especially in a dim to darkly lit room, as are the blue LEDs that are set in two of the three 120mm Fans. The Core-Fan bracket can be a bit troublesome to work with but produces enough air movement to keep the guts of your computer cool even under full load without increasing the noise factor. With the Core-Fan bracket and all the components installed the case was fairly heavy; at about 32 lbs after all items installed. I would not want to lug this around if I were to attend any LAN parties

If Sunbeamtech does come out with a new Tuniq series case I would like to see perhaps a different way of mounting the fans so that I would not have to dismantle most of the case just to get the motherboard in. Perhaps make use of a removable motherboard tray that slides out from the back. Then I would only need to worry about the length of the video cards fitting properly. The other issue is quality assurance and a stripped power cable is no laughing matter especially since it isn’t an obvious problem to troubleshoot. I would have to call this case an innovative concept with a need for improvement in quality and execution. I hope Sunbeamtech steps up to the challenge for the next round.

Pros

• A classy and timeless looking exterior
• Clean front panel hides external drive bays
• Multiple configurations for 120mm Core-Fan placement

Cons

• Heavy
• Impractical placement of various mounting screws
• Need to remove multiple components for motherboard installation
• Might not work with some front device bezels (door might not close properly)
• Quality issues with stripped cables

Overall Rating: 6.5 / 10.0

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