Thermaltake S100 TG Snow Version evaluate
Here is a very price range PC case, and one which has impressed me with simply how good it seems to be, contemplating its price. This right here is the Thermaltake S100 TG Snow Version, and that is only a fancy manner of claiming it is a white PC case with a tempered glass facet panel.
With its value being one in all its greatest options, let’s be aware that early. The S100 will price you $70/£40. It has been much more inexpensive from time to time, however that appears to be the value tag you possibly can anticipate for this one month to month. One factor to contemplate with that value is that you’ll possible want to purchase a set of followers for the entrance of it. There’s one included within the field, a primary black fan match to the rear exhaust, although it is solely rated to 1000 rpm. Even with a set of three followers, you possibly can nonetheless anticipate to pay much less for the Thermaltake S100 TG Snow Version than our greatest price range case decide, the Phanteks G400A, although the latter nonetheless has its deserves.
Thermaltake describes the S100 as a ‘micro case’, which implies it’s going to solely match Micro-ATX or smaller motherboards, moderately than a full-size ATX unit. That does imply you are a bit extra restricted than some, however inexpensive motherboards are, as a rule, Micro-ATX, so you will not battle to search out one thing that matches for reasonable. Although usually I would not suggest going for a Mini-ITX with this case—I did for my take a look at construct as I had no Micro-ATX mendacity round, however usually you will pay extra for Mini-ITX than even ATX, and you are not getting the advantages of a very mini machine. Seize a Fractal Design Terra for that.
As I discussed beforehand, there is a tempered glass facet panel on this case. To my shock, nonetheless, it is held on with two hinges. That makes for very quick access to the innards, particularly because the panel might be lifted off the hinges simply. For all of the PCs I am constructing in the mean time, I nonetheless like a hinged case the perfect for normal use. The Corsair iCUE 5000T I exploit for my very own gaming PC, which additionally has hinges, and I am continuously swapping elements out of that factor. Not like the Corsair, nonetheless, the Thermaltake has no manner of securing the panel on the hinges, solely gravity, which implies you must be a bit extra cautious transport it—the panel may slip off if the PC is completely the other way up. I’ll cease saying hinges now.
S100 TG Snow Version specs
Motherboard compatibility: Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX
Dimensions: 441 x 220 x 411 mm (17.36 x 8.66 x 16.18 inch)
Weight: 6.1 kg / 13.45 lbs
Followers: 1x 120 mm in rear
Entrance IO: 2x USB 2.0, 1x USB 3.0, 1x 3.5 mm audio, 1x 3.5 mm microphone, energy, reset
Radiator help: As much as 280 mm (entrance), as much as 280 mm (rear)
Fan help: As much as 3x 120 mm/2x 140 mm (entrance), As much as 2x 120 mm/2x 140 mm/1x 200 mm (prime), 1x 120 mm (rear)
Max size (GPU): 330 mm
Max size (PSU): 160 mm
Value: $70/£40
The construct course of with the S100 is a breeze. There’s ample room in entrance of the motherboard tray, and it is surrounded by cutouts for cables on the highest, backside, facet, and even above the PSU shroud for neater cabling to your graphics card. The PSU shroud extends nearly all the rear to entrance of the case, providing heaps of room beneath, and leaving solely a small cutout on the entrance for any followers you may mount there.
The case presents respectable clearance in your graphics card at 330 mm, although you’ll eat into that a bit of with the followers mounted within the regular entrance place. The XFX Swift RX 9070 XT is a bit of too large, talking from expertise, because it measures 325 mm and collides with the entrance followers. You may, possibly, match some followers on the surface of the mount, behind the entrance panel, however because the entrance panel makes use of facet air flow and has no mesh on the entrance, you’ll possible severely scale back the airflow. Higher simply play it protected and follow the same old configuration—a Gigabyte GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Eagle OC Ice SFF match snugly with out situation for me.
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Although you do need to pry off the growth slot covers to put in a graphics card, and you’ll’t refit them afterwards. That is not an enormous situation for those who’re solely ripping off two of them, as most GPUs solely want two, however for those who use one other add-in card or use a triple-slot card, you will take away extra. That is solely a difficulty for those who then swap one thing for a smaller unit or do away with it completely, leaving an unpleasant hole as a replacement.
There is no area for any side-mounted followers right here, as is commonly the pattern with right this moment’s circumstances, however the S100 retains issues easy. In the event you’re utilizing a liquid cooler, you’d greatest follow the usual configuration together with your consumption on the entrance, exhaust out the again, and a liquid cooler’s radiator up prime. Or, you possibly can attempt to squeeze the radiator within the entrance, however you’d ditch the perfect spot for consumption followers and restrict your GPU clearance additional.
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There are a number of dimension limitations to concentrate on in the case of cooling. Thermaltake suggests a most dimension of 280 mm for the entrance and prime radiator mounting positions, regardless of with the ability to match 3x 120 mm followers within the entrance. That is possible as a result of it is a bit of a good squeeze across the prime of the case with the entrance IO, which was a little bit of a trouble to work round, even with the handy three-fans-in-one I used for this construct, Cooler Grasp’s Sickleflow Edge 360.
Purchase if…
✅ You desire a white construct that does not break the financial institution: You possibly can nab your self an ideal base for a white PC right here, and with the crumbling prices of white elements nowadays, you don”t need to spend the world to get it.
Do not buy if…
❌ You need one thing that can final few PC builds: The core case may final a very long time right here, however the non-replaceable growth slots and awkward cable administration choices will make upgrades, particularly large ones, a little bit of a ache.
In the event you choose to stay with air cooling, otherwise you simply need to avoid wasting money on an inexpensive air cooler, there’s ample room for that. I put in Cooler Grasp’s Hyper 612 Apex into this case, which is a large cooler by most metrics, and it match with ease. I did, nonetheless, transfer the rear exhaust to take a seat above the air cooler, moderately than straight behind it, simply to extend airflow.
With all the pieces in place, I’ve been most impressed with this case’s gorgeous attractiveness. It is fairly easy, clean-cut, and would not stand out too a lot, however the white is a uniform color all through the case and the delicate entrance panel seems to be good on or underneath almost any desk. The black highlights on the facet panel, hinges (darn, mentioned it once more), and fan truly assist to create a glance that appears purposeful with each white and black elements inside it—you needn’t splash out on a white PSU. Altogether, it is one in all my favorite builds from the previous few months, regardless of constructing others with rather more costly elements.
For a $70/£40 case, there’s loads to love. Certain, there are some telltale indicators of nook slicing to cut back prices, such because the non-replaceable growth slot covers, lack of cable administration choices within the rear (you must make do with a number of steel loops and zip-ties), and solely Kind-A ports on the entrance IO (2x USB 2.0, 1x USB 3.0), however the core case necessities are executed very nicely.
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