Silverstone Temjin TJ08-E Evolution Case Review

The TJ08-E features a very unique layout that is designed to handle all modern systems in the MicroATX form factor.  A removable HDD cage is located directly in front of the 180mm intake fan and can hold up to 3 hard drives.

At the top of the case you'll find that both the PSU and 5.25" drive bays are blocked in.  We believe this has been done out of convenience but also plays a vital role in overall strength of the chassis.  Cable routing is handled thru a single hole near the top of the motherboard tray which then allows you to route the cables around and to the front of the motherboard.

By nature microATX systems have always been plagued with not having enough room in the right places.  This lack of space typically limits overall cooling and expandability in terms of expansion cards and storage.  The TJ08 Evolution addresses these issues rather well thru the use of creative placement.  Overall Cooling is enhanced by the 180mm air penetrator fan that channels air around the HDD cage to cool the entire system including the CPU and motherboard heatsinks.  

The case design also opens up airflow across the expansion cards and in doing so also allows you to install extremely long video cards, up to 13 inches in length.  As you will see in the photo our GTX 580 does fit in this chassis with room to spare.  The HDD cage does double as a video card support giving you a little peace of mind when transporting your system.  

The TJ08-E supports up to five 3.5" harddrives and comes with two 5.25" and one 3.5" external drive bays which gives you plenty of room for storage expandability.  Given the speed and size of modern storage options we'd be surprised if you would ever need them all.

Case construction is quite good with the inner frame being constructed from quality heavy gauge steel.  All of the corners are rivet reinforced with very clean locking joints telling us that the Silverstone manufacturing process has only gotten better.  You will notice extensive venting along a few of the panels.  While these don't seem to provide any particular purpose the fact they are there gives the case a refined look and likely reduces heat transfer from the system components to the main chassis.

The side and top panels are made from light gauge steel and do tend to rattle a bit if they are not firmly attached.  Lighter material does reduce overall weight, which is a welcome addition for this particular case.