Thermaltake Core X5 Cube Chassis Review
Thermaltake Core X5 Exterior
The Thermaltake Core X5 comes in a pretty standard cardboard box. This particular case was shipped multiple times before it arrived at my doorstep. There is minimal damage to the packaging, maybe it got lucky and the shippers were extra careful with it. Thermaltake has provided a quick glimpse of the case, along with the model and some information, and an exploded case view on the other. On the two smaller sides, Thermaltake has placed the features and specifications. The case itself is packed in a pretty standard method, placed in side a plastic bag and surrounded with Styrofoam. With the case removed, we can begin our inspection of the exterior.
The front of the Thermaltake Core X5 is pretty plain, featuring a fully vented panel. There are three 5.25″ drive bays in the top half of the case.
Turning to the side, Thermaltake has installed a large windowed side panel which will provide a nice view of the system components. One of the features of the Core X5 is it’s ability to be customized to your particular situation. If the window is on the wrong side, you can swap it for the other side panel.
Along the front edge of the side panel is the front I/O cluster, it features the usual components. Here we can see the power and HD activity LED at the top, followed by a large power button. Next we find four USB connections, two of which are SuperSpeed 3.0, and two older 2.0 connections. Finally, we have the headphone and microphone jacks, and a reset button. Like the windowed side panel, this I/O cluster is designed to be swapped to the other side if that is your preference.
The back panel has some very important features if you are planning on customizing the interior layout. Starting at the bottom, there is room for two power supplies, one slot is ready, the other has a cover. Above the power supplies is some additional venting, which we will see what it’s for later. On the left side is a cable security slot if you take your case to different events. The top half of the case includes the motherboard, which is indicated by the standard motherboard I/O key slot, and the eight expansion slots, which are tool-less using thumbscrews. Thermaltake has included a theft deterant cover over the thumbscrews. Here we find the rear exhaust outside, which is pre-populated with a 120mm fan, that is rated for 1,000 RPM at 16dBA. Finally, an oversize water line / cable pass-through hole which is large enough to support up to 1/2″ diameter water lines.
The back side of the Core X5 has a solid panel, which is well ventilated to provide plenty of airflow potential into the case
The top panel looks similar to the solid side panel being well ventilated. Which is good as the Core X5 supports up to 2x 360mm radiators or fans in this location.
Along the bottom panel are three filters that cover the vast majority of this side. I appreciate that Thermaltake has include simple mesh filters on this side, however they are not easily removable for cleaning; magnetic filters or filters on rails would have been preferred. The four case feet raise the case by 1.25 inches, and have rubber on them to keep the case from sliding around; these are easily removed if necessary. At the front section, there is a large removable panel if you are stacking cases to allow items to pass through to the next case.
For most, an installation guide is going to be overkill, however with the unique options of the Core X5 there is some good information to be found in here. Thermaltake supplies a good accessory pack with the Core X5. Included in the accessory pack are cable ties, fan screws, E-ATX standoffs, expansion slot covers, thumbscrews, speaker and all the necessary screws to install the motherboard, drives, and radiators.