Tool-less installation... anyone actually like these things?

T

Tudz

Supreme [H]ardness
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Jun 15, 2008
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G'day all, this is just a random rant (I know some case manufacturers read these forums, but its still just a rant).

I'm wondering why case manufacturers keep trying with these damn tool-less setups, does anyone actually like them? The case I have at the moment is tool-less, and reviews said it was decent, but I reckon its crap still. Flimsy plastic clips that at the best of times allow devices to wobble slightly, and at the worst of times need to be removed because a particular device wont mount properly.

Why dont manufacturers just include thumb screws? They're tool-less but actually secure things properly as well. By the time you figure out how the little plastic clips work you could have installed everything with thumb screws.

Ok rant over. :p
 
The only tool-less design I despise is the various varieties of locking mechanisms to secure the 5.25 drive bays; like the ones on the 800D, HAF, Lian Li cases. Especially when you're trying to install a single bay fan controller or card reader because they're shorter than your typical optical drive. Resulting only one of those little notches being inserted into the screw hole on the short bay device, making them 'wobbly' and loose. Another thing is these locking mechanisms don't give you any freedom to adjust the position of the bay devices. And often these cases don't allow any alternative ways to secure the short bay devices (you know, like using screws).
 
If possible, I prefer a clamp rather than tool-less pins holding devices in the 5.25 bay. No matter how the drive is installed, it will be secured by a clamp/vice of some sort. Lian Li has the right idea for the Expansion slots using their new clamping bracket and the same should be done with the 5.25 bay.
 
I like tool-less features when they are done well. The mechanisms in my Coolermaster cases work quite well for the most part, and definitely save me time when I have to change something around.
 
Yeah I don't really care for them - its not like a screw driver is a hard tool to use. I spend most of my time try to clean up wiring.. So I look for cases with alot of wire management. Its much more important then tooless.
 
Interesting. Maybe there's some more high end cases that have better tool-less features than I've used. The ones I've used, well it took me a couple of minutes to figure out how to get the expansion slots open wide enough to fit another card in (more time than it would have taken to simply tighten some thumb screws or even just pick up a screw driver).

One of the tool-less 5.25" drive bays wasn't compatible with one of my devices, luckily it is removable, but the time it took me to remove basically removed any time saving from having them.
 
Put together a new PC for my parents with a tool-less Coolermaster case. First time using one too, I kinda liked it.
 
Personally, I don't like them. I already have the screwdrivers out to secure the motherboard, why shouldn't I use them to secure the rest of my components into my computer case?
 
Some cases are better than others. I tend to like them better on the Form factor pc's.
 
I prefer thimb screws, which are still tool-less.

Tooless rear slots are a nonononononono. In the world of todays heavy graphics cards,a flimsy shoddy piece of plastic is not going to cut it.
 
I actually like them. The tool list hard drive clips for my 800D works well, and haven't had any complaints about the 5.25 clip either. But I haven't tried putting something other than a DVD drive in yet.
 
Tudz said:
Flimsy plastic clips that at the best of times allow devices to wobble slightly, and at the worst of times need to be removed because a particular device wont mount properly.
Click to expand...
Worst case would be short device not mounting firmly in any way (even if you stripped that plastic crap away) because of lack of full complement of screw holes.
And then there's this Chieftec's system... splendid sabotaging!

Why dont manufacturers just include thumb screws?
Click to expand...
Must be that modern urbanized human has butterfinger in the middle of palm...
If that conditioned to play dead brain could in the first place figure it out which end to put first into screw hole.


Wazooty said:
Tooless rear slots are a nonononononono. In the world of todays heavy graphics cards,a flimsy shoddy piece of plastic is not going to cut it.
Click to expand...
Lian Li has metal clamps so they don't break up automatically like plastic.
But those prevent possibility of installing PCI cooling kit so thumbscrews still win.
 
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