Thermaltake Chaser MK-1 Case Review

Final Thoughts of the Thermaltake Chaser MK-1

The Chaser MK-1 has a style a little out of the norm for Thermaltake. Most of Thermaltakes gamer cases in the past had a smooth look to them, here of recent the rugged look is starting to come out in the Armor series cases. The Chaser MK-1 has the most aggressive look thus far. With its features, size, and styling, one would assume the Chaser MK-1 is to compete with the likes of the Cooler Master HAF series.

The Chaser MK-1 has plenty of room. Being able to accommodate video cards up to 13 inches and CPU coolers under 180mm in height there shouldn’t be an issue fitting parts in the case. There is even space to house a dual 120mm radiator, triple if you can give up a 5.25 drive bay. If you’re sticking with air cooling the Chaser MK-1 comes with a pair 200mm Color Shift fans and a single 140mm fan, with room to add another pair of 200mm fans and another 120mm fan. So air flow through the case should not be an issue for even the most extreme systems.

To help give the Chaser MK-1 a little flair Thermaltake includes Color Shift fans. They allow for adjusting the system’s LED color to your preferences. With all the blue accents on the case it might look a little funky with green or red LED fans. With the system setup with all blue LED it looks nice, but the ability to shut the LEDs off is the biggest plus. The LED accent around the power button, by design, pulses. I would have preferred the LED be solid, and just have the ability to turn it on and off along with the fan LEDs.

The biggest issue I have with the Chaser MK-1 reared its head after I had built the system and was moving it around my work bench. In picking he case up I had a hold on the lower front and upper rear of the case. As I was moving the case my hand on the back of case slipped up on to the top bezel and as soon as my grip slipped from the back of the case to the top bezel, it come off in my hand and the case landed on my foot. The top and front bezel’s come off with ease, maybe too easily. Moving the case around you’re going to want to make sure of where your grip is.

In trying to find the Chaser MK-1 for sale I didn’t have much luck finding it at a retailer I would buy from. In asking Thermaltake the Chaser MK-1 has an MSRP of $169. In that price range it will be competing with the likes of the Cooler Master HAF-X and HAF-932. Both are very popular with those who like this style of case; the Chaser MK-1 has a couple of extra features that neither HAF case has: the internal USB3, the integrated hard drive docking station and a 3 year warranty.

Legit Bottom Line: The Galaxy Episode Chaser MK-1 from Thermaltake is a feature packed case, with plenty of room for the biggest parts. With the $169 price tag and 3 year warranty Cooler Master has some competition for its HAF series.