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Thermaltake Element S Review March 04, 2009 Tom YodaBlues Colarusso |
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Summary: Looking for a midtower case that's easy on the eyes and your wallet? If so, you may want to check out Thermaltake's latest chassis, the Element S. With a stylish design and innovative cable management system, we were highly impressed by this chassis, and it isn't priced like a Ferrari. Read on to see how the case performed in today's review!
 Thermaltake Element S Case Review | Page:: ( 1 / 6 ) |
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The Element S is a mid-range case that sports some interesting design features, such as front panel fan filters and a huge 230mm exhaust fan on the top. Comprised of a plastic and steel construction, the Element S features rounded edges on its internal metalwork to help cut down on slashed fingers. Let's take a look at some features and specifications of the Thermaltake Element S.
| Thermaltake Element S Case | |
| Case Type | Mid-Tower |
| Material | SECC Steel/Plastic |
| Color | Black |
| Motherboard Support | ATX; MicroATX |
| Front Panel | 2x USB 2.0 1x eSATA Intel HD Audio |
| Fans | 1x 230mm Top Exhaust 1x 140mm Rear Exhaust 1x 120mm Front Intake |
| 5.25" Drive Bays | 3 |
| 3.25" Drive Bays | 7 (All Internal) |
| Expansion Slots | 7 |
| Dry Weight | 19.49lbs |
| Dimensions | 21.3 x 9.1 x 19.9 in |
| Warranty | 3 years |
| Price | $149.99 |
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As we said, the Element's main construction material is SECC steel with a lot of plastic covering the side, front, and top panels. Despite this, the Element does not have a cheap build quality; contrary to the notion, the Element actually feels pretty durable in its construction. It is available only in a black exterior and the front door has a real slick red trim that helps it stand out. Overall build quality is top notch throughout the Element, as the side panels feel sturdy and slide easily on and off. The Element supports ATX and MicroATX and has a dry weight of just over 19lbs. There are three fans that come pre-installed, 1 120mm intake on the front, 1 140mm rear exhaust and a big 230mm exhaust on the top. We've seen quite a few Thermaltake cases sporting these big 230mm fans lately and, for the most part we are impressed with their ability to cool efficiently without causing too much of a ruckus. We'll see how well the Element cools later on in our review, but for now let's take a closer look at the exterior and interior of the case.
| Exterior | Page:: ( 2 / 6 ) |
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Nothing makes a fashion statement quite like a computer case. Of course, it hasn't gotten me many dates over the years, but that still doesn't detract from the fact that cases of old were boring. For the last few years, quite a few case manufacturers seemed to be overcompensating for those boring enclosures with garish lights, LED's, and exteriors that looked straight out of a manga comic. While they may have had some success with the pre-pubescent crowd of PC enthusiasts, the older generation (RE: ME) have been asking for some designs that don't look like the doodlings of an Anime-obsessed troglodyte. Please note, I've known quite a few nice troglodytes in my time, I've just never understood the need for a case that doubles as a night time landing beacon for 747's.
The Element, thankfully, does not fall into that category. Instead, Thermaltake has designed the Element with a really nice, smooth, slick exterior that seems 'jazzy' due to its nice black finish and red trim. While a majority of the components are plastic, the few steel parts are also painted in a nice matte black that matches up perfectly with the rest of the case. The front of the case features a 90 degree door that opens to the right. Behind the door is the 3 5.25" external drive bays, which are hidden behind the front bay covers. The bay covers are easy to remove by pushing on the left side notch and then pulling outward. The backsides of the bay covers reveal how they also function as fan filters for the intakes.
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The front panel is easily removed by depressing a small release latch on the bottom of the case and then pulling forward. This gives you access to the 2 120mm fan positions that pull air in from the front. Fans screw into the small plastic enclosures and then the enclosures themselves snap into place. Everything is held firm and we had no problems with how it all worked. Thermaltake only ships with one front fan by default on the Element, but you can see how easy it would be to add an additional fan if you saw fit.
The front panel connectors support 2 USB 2.0 ports, Intel HD Audio, and a single eSATA port. The top is also where the 230mm fan exhausts to with its red glow from the build-in LED fan. The side panels are held in place via 3 thumbscrews and are easily pulled in and out of place. At the back of the Element, you can see the power supply is mounted at the bottom of the case and the 140mm rear exhaust fan.
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The add-in card slots do not use reusable covers, instead they are press-cut steel that has to be bent and twisted to be removed. Normally this is not a problem, but Thermaltake does not include replaceable covers. So should you remove an add-in card down the road, you will have a gaping hole pulling in dust thanks to the negative air pressure created from the two exhaust fans. It's an annoying oversight on Thermaltake's part, even if the Element is a mid-range case.
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| Interior | Page:: ( 3 / 6 ) |
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On the inside, you can see the removable hard drive cage that supports up to 7 devices. The Element uses an interesting system for easy HDD removal and installation. They have included proprietary screws that attach to the side mounting holes on a hard drive, which then slides easily into place in the cage. A plastic catch at the back of the cage holds them firmly in their spot. This makes it easy to swap drives in and out of the cage, without actually having to remove the cage. The cage also orients the SATA and power connectors to the back, giving you easy access to run cables behind the motherboard tray. Thermaltake has engineered in a nice cable management system behind the motherboard tray to run the majority of your cabling, helping reduce case clutter and keep air moving. We had no real problems running most of our cabling this way and we applaud Thermaltake for including it in a mid-range case.
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You can see here that the power supply actually rest under a small divider that helps segregate the main chamber. Power supplies can be oriented however you wish, with the exhaust fan pulling from below the case or from the main chamber above. The divider is easily removed and has an ample amount of access holes for running power cables to your mainboard and GPU plugs. There is also a small adjustable tab that sits firmly against the power supply to help stabilize it in place. All the edges are rolled on the divider, which is a nice bonus to help reduce accidental finger slashes.
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The backside of the motherboard tray reveals the small built-in snaps that can be used to route your cables effectively. These snaps are easy to open and hold quite a few cables, even under pressure. There are two small access holes towards the lower half of the motherboard tray for routing your SATA cables, as well as one big one for cabling by the power supply. There is also a small hole on the rear half of the tray to allow for your +12V CPU connector, although you will probably need an extender or long power supply cables to use it. The motherboard tray itself features pre-tapped stand-off holes for both ATX and MicroATX and there is even a small guide stamped into the steel back plate, making setup a breeze.
| Sound and Temperature Levels | Page:: ( 4 / 6 ) |
System Setup
AMD Phenom II 810 AM3
Sapphire PC-AM2RS790G AM2+ 790GX
4GB OCZ Reaper DDR8500 DDR2
ATI Radeon X1800XT
Western Digital 300GB SATAII Hard Drive
As always, our audio levels were monitored using an Extech Sound Level Meter Model 407732 at a distance of 1 foot. Temperatures were read using a Raytek Minitemp gun. We ran 3DMark06 on a continuous loop for 15 minutes to allow for system temperatures and noise levels to normalize, then took readings. To ensure accurate results, we did this 3 additional times and took the average results.
Notes
On both fronts, the Element faired pretty well, keeping our system both cool and relatively quiet despite the Radeon X1800's known history of high noise levels. The 230mm top fan only runs at 750RPM's, but moves more than enough airflow to keep cool air moving over all the components. The chipset area was kept nice and cool and the GPU fan never ramped up past 40%, helping to keep noise down. Overall case noise was at excellent levels and we did not hear any instances of rattling or hard drive prattle.
| Ballistics Report | Page:: ( 5 / 6 ) |
Pros
Elegant Design: We love the sleek, sophisticated exterior of the Element. Heck, I'm just excited to be able to use the word sophisticated in a case review, without it being prefaced by the phrase, "This case is the complete opposite of. " The matte black plastic and red highlights are a welcome change from the normally eye-strain inducing case designs we can be bombarded with. The red LED fan is an added touch of "cool" without being too overbearing. The lack of excess badging by Thermaltake is also worth mentioning and the meshed fan filters not only add some attitude to the exterior, but function as well to keep internal case dust down to a minimum.
Cable Management: Routing the cables behind the motherboard tray is a great way to cut down on case clutter. While mostly a draw for cases with windows, it also aids in enhanced cooling since there are less obstructions to block airflow.
Price: Although its retail price is $149.99, we've confirmed the Element can be purchased at Newegg for $129.99, making it a great deal. It is one of the only cases at this price point to feature a behind the motherboard cable management system. Add-in the excellent cooling and thermal properties, as well as its sturdy construction, and you have a steal of a case.
Cons
No Replaceable Add-in Covers: This is a major oversight by Thermaltake, especially considering that the Element is based around negative air pressure cooling. To be honest, we can't remember the last time we reviewed a top-tier case without replaceable covers. We can only imagine the levels of dust your components are going to gather without slot covers should you remove an add-in card. Also, the break-away slot covers are just asking for a cut finger on an otherwise finger safe internal design.
| Verdict | Page:: ( 6 / 6 ) |
Overall, we really like what we saw with the Element S. From its sleek exterior to masterfully designed cable management, the Thermaltake Element S is a great example of a mid-range case for the mainstream user.