Lamptron Case Handles Review

My personal opinion on casemodding is not so much that is has died, more that it has slowed down. This could be that the older kinds of modders (me included) didn’t have all the luxurious items that are available today.  We used to make our own LED-fans and CCFLs.  We bought those things at specialty electronics stores; back in the day when the blue LEDs were brand new (and sold for 8 dollars).  Blue was THE color back then.  Although things might have slowed down in that way, the big modding forums still reign supreme and will laugh at my comments here ;) although I’m guilty I too am still on those forums lurking getting ever to hungry to mod on my own again.

Every now and then we get companies like AC Ryan that break the mold of how to trick out your PC.  Their products give your case a little some extra other than a plain LED, and now you have another choice: Lamptron.

Lamptron was so nice to send me a pair of their second version of case handles.

Features & Specifications

• CNC milled from blocks of 3/4″ thick solid aluminum
• Available in black or silver
• Dimensions: 153.1 x 53.6 x 22 mm
• Weight: 320 g
• Package: Sold in Pairs
• Includes: 4 Stainless Steel Fasteners and Nuts

The first thing we notice is a nice flashy high-tech box, with the most amazing Engrish ever, not that I don’t make mistakes but this is downright funny to read. However when I told the people at Lamptron (who are Chinese) they were aware of the spelling and told me the new boxes are in proper Engrish ;) sorry but I just had to crack a joke ;)

Looking over the spelling the general idea of these handles are there to be read and anyone with some common sense will know what they are….. case handles remember, we can read that there currently are to versions of the case handles both different styles, and come in either Plain Aluminum, and Black Anodized Aluminum, with all the mounting / fitting accessoriess included. Obviously you need to make your own holes using a drill, so make sure you ask your dad if you can play with his power tools before dismembering yourself, even if it makes cool war veteran scars to brag about.

Upon opening the box we see 2 shiny case handles packed in foam to protect them from scratches, and keeps them nicely seperated.  Also included is a small ziplock bag with the mounting hardware.  But no manual.

OMG what am I going to do with no manual, Now I’m just going to imagine that every person buying a pair of case handles having the intention to drill 2 holes in the correct spot and attached the handles to their PC.  But just in case you resemble something more towards Forest Gump, then an manual could come in handy.  Our review sample was apparently rushed to us so fast that I guess they forgot to slip one in.  I have been assured that the retail boxes come with a manual, however.  if you are feeling a bit like to our good Sir Gump, then fear not! We got the manual right here as well, kindly emailed to us by Lamptron.  Click here to download the manual.

Now I can talk a whole lot about how beautiful these handles are, that the black anodized finish on it is flawless and that it is very well machined from a solid block of aluminum, but you can see that on the images provided by us as well. When buying yourself a pair of Lamptron`s Casehandles it will set you back roughly $40 dollar (and probably cheaper if you look around on the web a bit) but it is worth each and ever cent, you get a great looking set of very sturdy handles that will set you apart from the rest.

My only side note is that the handles might be a little too wide for some users as it will take the entire with of the case which on some cases might cause problems mounting it, also from my Dutch point of view I think $50 dollars is a bit much.  A quick search on google gave me prices from 55 to 42 US, which  is a little steep and I can imagine the younger generation modders would think twice of pulling out 50 bucks for a pair of case handles.

If money is not an issue when considering these, then you might just get what you pay for: a pair of very nice handles.

	REPORT CARD : Lamptron PC Case Handles category rating comments Quality 5 Beautiful anodized finish is flawless Aesthetics 4 Look awesome on your rig, but may be a bit too big Installation 4 Not too complicated, but you’ll have metal shavings to deal with when you drill Performance 5 Solid.  Picks up your entire case. Value 3 $40 doesn’t make it a “must have” item FINAL VERDICT: 4 out of 5 stars