By: Dave Montez
Introduction
Thermaltake is old hat when it comes to designing feature-rich gaming enclosures. Their success with the Xaser line and their vaunted Armor series demonstrate Thermaltake’s commitment to providing the very best chassis solutions to gaming enthusiasts. However, Thermaltake has upped the ante with a new addition to their mid-sized ATX lineup, the Element series. Boasting enough features and innovation to curb even the most jaded enthusiast, the Element line is designed to be an affordable, gamer oriented chassis solution.
Today, PCGamingCorner will take a closer look at Thermaltake’s new Element G enclosure. Designed from the ground up to incorporate features not seen in more expensive cases, gaming enthusiasts will no doubt find a lot to like in the Element G. Or will they? Will Thermaltake’s newest addition to their mid-ATX chassis lineup be met with resounding success or dismal failure? Prepare yourself as we take an in-depth look at Thermaltake’s newest gamer-oriented enclosure!
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Specifications
- Accessory Bundle
- Front
- Maintenance
- Side Panel and Exterior Appearance
- Rear
- Top and Fan Control
- Interior Appearance
- Expansion Card Area
- Motherboard Area
- Hard Drive/SSD Space
- Our Experience and Recommendations
- Conclusion
- Pros
- Cons
Specifications
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Material |
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Dimensions |
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Drive Bays |
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Motherboard Size |
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Expansion Slots |
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Front I/O |
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Cooling |
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Accessory Bundle
Thermaltake Element G Accessory Bundle
Thermaltake, realizing that accessories are nearly as important as the chassis itself, has put together a very nice and highly organized accessory bundle. Most manufacturers are content with throwing their accessories in a box and calling it a day, but not Thermaltake. As you can see, all hardware is individually separated in zip-lock baggies which makes a system build so much easier. It also tells you that Thermaltake is paying attention to details and really listening to the gaming enthusiast community.
In the accessory bundle, you will find hardware baggies with motherboard standoffs, a myriad of screws for the motherboard, 5.25”, 3.5”, and 2.5” bay devices, along with a thumbscrew, a security bracket to lock your keyboard and mouse to your case, and a handful of zip-ties. In addition are two plastic fan brackets which hold two optional 120mm fans at the front of the enclosure. Taking a look at the documentation of the Element G, I found it to be extremely thorough, complete with photos and clear instructions.
Front
Although the front bezel of the Element G is made of black ABS plastic, the design offers a contemporary feel while remaining slightly edgy for the gamer enthusiast crowd. Sporting three external 5.25” bays, enthusiasts will no doubt appreciate the simplicity in installing these devices by popping off the front bay covers, slipping them into place, and securing them with screws. My only consideration with the number of external bay devices is the lack of a dedicated 3.5” bay. Granted, floppy drives have all but been deprecated, but enthusiasts with 3.5” external media readers or fan controllers will no doubt feel slighted. In any case, the inclusion of a 3.5” bay transfer bracket would have been a nice touch.
Maintenance
Removal of the front bezel from the enclosure is accomplished by simply pulling forward on the handle at the bottom edge of the case. With the front façade removed, we can see that Thermaltake has outfitted the Element G with a dust filtration system by utilizing dense black mesh. This mesh covers the entire front of the bezel, including the three 5.25” external bays and the 200mm front intake fan. Unfortunately, this mesh is not easily removable, which can make it a pain when it comes time to wash it.
While some might criticize Thermaltake’s decision for implementing only three external 5.25” bay devices in the Element G, there is justification for this. Beneath the black plastic façade is a massive cooling solution in the form of a 200mm intake fan (800RPM at 14dBA, 65CFM). For gaming enthusiasts that wish for more cooling variety, Thermaltake has made it possible to remove the 200mm front fan and install two 120mm fans instead. Using the provided fan brackets in the accessory bundle, optional 120mm fans snap into their bracket housing which are then snapped into place at the front of the chassis in a stack formation.
Side Panel and Exterior Appearance
Thermaltake Element G Side Panel
The magic that is the Element G is readily apparent when one takes a look at the left side panel. Sitting behind black metal mesh, an absolutely monster 230mm intake fan (800RPM at 14dB, 76CFM). This solution provides terrific cooling opportunities, especially for gamers utilizing the latest SLI or Crossfire technology. This side panel fan also incorporates an important feature not seen in higher end chassis solutions, what Thermaltake is dubbing “fan plug and play”.
Curious? So was I. In lieu of connecting and re-connecting molex power plugs when removing and re-installing side panels which contain fans, Thermaltake uses a direct contact pin system that automatically engages the connection to operate the 230mm fan when the side panel is installed. I found this feature to be a very unique and elegant solution to the age old problem of fighting with molex adapters in a confined space.
Perusing the outside of the Element G, Thermaltake uses a flat-black powder coating on the exterior of the chassis. To give the enclosure a bit more pizzazz however, they also utilize red plastic piping along the edges of the side panels. This gives the Element G a decidedly customized appearance which gaming enthusiasts will appreciate as it differentiates their system from others at LAN parties.
Rear
Looking at the rear of the Element G, Thermaltake utilizes a single 140mm fan (1,000RPM at 16dBA, 50CFM) for exhaust cooling. Also included is the optional placement of two 60mm fans for additional VGA cooling, benefitting gamers who overclock or have multi-GPU setups. This is the first time I’ve seen consideration paid for this type of application in a 60mm fan form factor, although I will point out that Thermaltake offers a 60mm fan on their website (TT6025).
The Element G also caters to those enthusiasts with aspirations of water cooling by offering two water cooling cutouts at the bottom of the enclosure. Each cutout is approximately 3/4” in diameter and while big enough for the largest tubing, this tubing is not protected from chafing as the cutouts are not rimmed in Teflon or other suitable anti-chafe material. Seven PCI slots round out the rear of the chassis with a bottom mounted power supply area.
Top and Fan Control
Thermaltake Element G Top - Fan Control
Gracing the top of the Element G is a 200mm exhaust fan (800RPM at 14dBA, 65CFM), an array of four USB 2.0 ports and jacks for a headphone and microphone. Audio is backward compatible as the chassis offers support for both legacy AC’97 and high definition (HD) devices. A power button, which lights up blue via an LED, and a red HDD activity light are also featured, along with a recessed reset button. One thing I found oddly missing was eSATA capability which has now become standard on most chassis offerings these days.
With all the fans that are included with the Element G, how does a gamer manage to control them all? The answer lies with Thermaltakes’s Colorshift fan controller knob. This knob allows a gamer to control two aspects of the fans in the Element G: fan color and fan RPM. Depressing the knob cycles through the various colors of the fans (red, blue, green, and a RBG combo), while rotating the knob increases or decreases the RPM of the fans. During testing, I found that once powered down, the LEDs reset and must be changed to their desired color upon power up.
All the fans that come included in this chassis, with the exception of the 140mm rear exhaust fan, feature Thermaltake’s Touchcolor technology. Touchcolor is the ability to globally control the RPM and color of the fans via a control knob. Unfortunately, you are not able to individually select which fan you want to change the RPM or its color as all fans are linked to one another as one single unit.
Interior Appearance
Thermaltake Element G Interior
Carrying over the black exterior theme, the interior is also dressed in a sexy black motif. This offers gamers who like “blacking out” their enclosures one more reason to consider this chassis for a system build. Little touches abound in the interior of the Element G. Chief among them is the side panels being dampened against vibration with rubber strips inlaid along panel edges. Additionally, great pains were taken by Thermaltake where wire management is concerned, with plenty of cutouts offered in the motherboard tray area.
The frame of the Element G is incredibly strong and sturdy due to its all-steel construction and liberal use of rivets. Needless to say, I was unable to compromise the frame by twisting it or applying a shearing force. Build quality is typical Thermaltake, as all joints and rivets are solid and the overall fit and finish of the chassis is exceptional. The feet of the Element G are made from a hard plastic, and easily support the chassis even with a full build installed. While the feet are not padded, inexpensive felt can be purchased to protect hardwood floors or other surfaces.
Expansion Card Area
The PCI area of the Element G is not tool-less, which is not necessarily a drawback. In my experience, I’d rather fiddle with old-fashioned screws than fight with a poorly designed retention system. One thing I do not like about Thermaltake’s design in the PCI area however, is that they resorted to punch-out blanks for the PCI bay covers. The problem, once the blanks are punched out, is that you cannot re-use them when the bays are not being used. This can leave unsightly, ugly holes in a system which allows admittance of dust, debris, and EMI.
Additionally, while Thermaltake painstakingly ensured that vibration from the side panels was addressed, they elected not to do the same for the PSU or HDD mounting areas. In an effort to fight vibration in enclosures, padding the PSU and HDD areas is one of those de facto items manufacturers address first. Why Thermaltake did not with the Element G is a very curious omission. Since the chassis offers a bottom mounted PSU area, Thermaltake provides for PSU airflow with an opening that is covered with mesh to prevent dust and debris buildup.
Motherboard Area
Thermaltake Element G Motherboard Area
The meat of the Element G’s features is contained in the motherboard area. The first thing that pops out is the two-chamber design commonly seen in expensive, higher end chassis solutions. The idea of a chambered design is to reduce interior clutter, reduce operating temperatures, and allow for an easier system build. In the case of the Element G, Thermaltake really pulled out all the stops by incorporating a two-chamber design, a CPU cooler area in the motherboard tray, and a bevy of wire management cutouts.
The two-chamber idea deviates from traditional design in that an enthusiast can easily convert the Element G from a two-chamber to single chamber configuration within the case. Removing two thumbscrews allows the removal of the divider which an enthusiast can choose to either leave out or replace once the power supply is installed. A metal partition on top of the divider can be used to manage wayward power supply and excess wiring for a neater, more professional build appearance.
One item of note that may stymie gamers from an Element G purchase is the length of their video card. Measuring from the PCI area to the hard drive cage, the longest video card the Element G appears to support is 11.5” in length which will easily accommodate nVidia’s GTX 295 (10.5”) but not ATI’s new HD 5970 (12.2”).
Please note that the PCB of the HD 5970 is actually 11.5” in length but the cooling shroud that covers it adds an additional 0.7”. Therefore, this may cause problems for some enthusiasts lucky enough to own ATI’s flagship video card and looking to install it in this enclosure. However, this potential shortfall may be negated for gamers that utilize video card water cooling setups in their system.
Hard Drive/SSD Space
Thermaltake Element G Hard Drive Area
The Element G is no slouch when it comes to storage space. A total of seven 3.5” hard drive bays are offered in this chassis, with an additional area to install two 2.5” SSD’s, located on the chamber divider. With nine bays to install storage devices in, this is more than enough for even the most hardcore gamer looking to install their dozens of games, or the audio/video enthusiast with terabytes of data. The seven 3.5” HDD bays are not tool-less, and as mentioned before, I would rather use old fashioned screws than a sloppily designed tool-less HDD solution.
To facilitate the installation of hard drives in the cage, Thermaltake uses a removable hard drive cage system. Removing two thumbscrews and depressing two plastic tabs allows the cage to slide smoothly out and away. Doing so can make routing wires and cabling much easier when performing wire management duties. A 200mm front intake fan (800RPM at 14dBA, 65CFM) offers plenty of cooling for hot-running hard drives, and which can be swapped out for two optional 120mm fans instead.
HDD installation is easily performed by installing screws on the hard drive which then ride on guide rails that are in each bay. Hard drives can be oriented to have their data and power connections facing outward or inward, a nice touch by Thermaltake. The HDDs slide smoothly on their rail system and are automatically locked in place by a beefy locking tab on the left side of the HDD cage. Each hard drive can be secured in a more permanent fashion by installing set screws into the sides of the hard drive cage.
Our Experience and Recommendations
Thermaltake Element G w/ Components
My experience with a system build in the Element G was superb. The spacious interior allowed for a very quick build, and I was impressed with the fit and finish of the chassis. All edges were rolled, filed, or milled, and I completed the build, including wire management, in a scant 20 minutes. The real draw of the Element G is in its ability to effectively route wiring out of the way so that it does not impede airflow. After all, what’s the point of utilizing massive fan solutions if errant wiring obstructs the fans from doing their job?
If I absolutely had to make a recommendation for the interior of the Element G, it would be to relocate the SSD mounting area, currently on the chamber divider. Gamers with multi-GPU configurations which require powerful PSU’s will find that their longer power supplies will overlap the bottom SSD mounting area, preventing users from installing an SSD in that location. While this likely won’t affect a great number of enthusiasts, the maximum power supply length recommended, if utilizing the bottom SSD location, is 8.0”.
For gamers on the go, the Element G is quite light on its feet. At about 15 pounds without components, a full system build will likely increase the total weight to around 25-30 pounds which is still very manageable. Therefore, this makes the Element G an ideal LAN gaming chassis, as it offers a nice balance between weight and overall footprint. It also helps that the enclosure offers maximum bling in the form of red side panel piping matched with a myriad of LED lighting options on the cooling fans.
Conclusion
In every sense of the word, the Thermaltake Element G is a highly competent chassis aimed at gaming enthusiasts and those looking for that little extra in their enclosures. The Element G delivers an astounding array of features at a price point that makes more expensive chassis solutions look woefully inadequate. We’re talking about enough air cooling to freeze Death Valley over, enough lights to make New Yorks’ Times Square look chintzy, and an accessory bundle that just about includes everything but the kitchen sink.
However, the lack of eSATA is inexcusable, a serious transgression as eSATA devices have now become mainstream. I also did not like the fact that there is no 3.5” transfer bracket for external bay devices or that the PCI bay brackets, once removed, cannot be reinstalled. Additionally, the prospect that ATI’s newest videocard, the HD 5970, may not adequately fit in this enclosure is a bit anticlimactic. Serious gamers intending to install ATI’s flagship graphics solution will be sorely disappointed and rightly so.
Nevertheless, the Element G is a great looking and highly functional enclosure inside and out. Balancing the needs of the consummate gamer with the needs of everyday computer users, Thermaltake has designed a chassis that is sure to appeal to both target markets. At a price point just south of $130, the Element G is a serious contender for those enthusiasts looking to invest in a quality enclosure with features usually reserved by the high-end offerings of other companies. Because of this, PCGamingCorner recommends the Thermaltake Element G chassis.
Amazon: Thermaltake VL10001W2Z Element G ATX Mid Tower Gaming Case with 3x TouchColor Fan (Black)
Pros:
- Air cooling friendly; RPM adjustable fans a plus
- Spacious interior a boon to system builders
- Excellent fit and finish; superb build quality
- Many wire management opportunities
- Convenient two chamber design
- Plenty of hard drive storage opportunities
- Exterior looks great; fan LEDs add pizzazz
Cons:
- No transfer bracket for 3.5” devices
- Lack of e-SATA support is disappointing
- PCI bay panels cannot be re-used
- PSU and HDD areas not dampened against vibration
- May not accommodate videocards longer than 11.5”
December 29th, 2009 at 11:43 pm
Excellent review, Dave, as always.
I really like what Thermaltake has done with this case. The interior is beautifully designed; I have built many systems and the two-chamber setup is the way to go. The construction looks to be top notch as well. My #1 issue is the use of non-120mm fans, though some can be replaced with 120mm. As long as the stock fans are decent, which they appear to be, it’s not much of an issue.
And *finally*, someone figured out how to do a side fan without annoying molex connectors.
Generally I stick with full tower ATX cases because they are easier to cable manage, but this case looks to do cable management quite well. It would be on my list if I were building a desktop right now.
December 31st, 2009 at 1:05 pm
Thanks for the comment Chaz.
I have to agree, this case is sure to become a fast favorite with gamers concerned with performance, looks, and ease of use. With the amount of air cooling provided by the Element G, enthusiasts not sold on water cooling or are restricted by its cost will find this enclosure to do very well in lowering interior operating temperatures.
The Element G has a lot going for it and I have no doubt that it will exceed all expectations.
April 13th, 2010 at 8:54 pm
I like the case and bought one for my newest build. It was quiet until two weeks later when the rear fan starting making a grinding/screeching noise on startup. The noise would come and go. I emailed Thermaltake about the problem and they will replace the fan if I send it to them which costs about $6.00 shipping which is close to the cost of the fan so I will just unplug it and wait for now. The case has a 3 year warranty and it runs pretty cool even with the rear fan disconnected.
August 7th, 2010 at 3:44 am
Side Fan stopped working after about a week. Thermaltake wants to do an RMA, I’m gonna shop around for a fan that does better than 800rpms as noise is not a factor for me. Great case. Going to go ahead and use a molex with extention on the side fan if I can find a powerful enough one.
As with any Thermaltake product, edges can be a little rough. Will be going with CoolerMaster most likely on next build.
No reason why the big fans can’t do 1200RPMS, they are absolutely silent as is, and since I OC and don’t prefer to use water-cooled, I would definitely appreciate it.
Also, there isn’t a reason to design IN fan slots and then not put anything there, I can ALWAYS use more fans (the 2 VGA 60mm are optional).
I might end up switching out all the fans because I don’t like how the LED’s reset on start-up and they set to BLUE and the case is RED trimmed.
And another thing, why would you want to turn down your fan RPM’s at any time? 120mm at 1200+ is pretty much whisper quite as is.I would have preferred the eSATA over this knob-thing.
Other than these mild things, great case for the price!