Big is apparently the new small when it comes to case design
On the face of it, Thermaltake’s new Core X2 case is a rather absurd beast. It’s been designed to house small form factor motherboards of the micro-ATX and Mini-ITX variety and yet is itself most definitely not what you’d call small.
It’s wider than the Cosmos Ultra chassis that’s home to one of our review rigs, and almost as tall. Given that we’ve long been extolling the performance virtues of today’s mini motherboards, is its size really an issue?
You’re not sacrificing any component speed by opting for either mATX or Mini-ITX, and with the squared-off mATX design you’re not even having to really sacrifice anything on the feature side either. You’re still getting the full compliment of storage options, back panel configurations plus you still get access to dual-GPU solutions too, if that’s your bag. So, flipping it around, why would most of us need full ATX motherboards or chassis anymore?
We built the Core X2 up with a powerful X99 mATX motherboard from ASRock and it was a joy to work with. The removable motherboard mounting plate allows you to get board and cooler in place with the absolute minimum of fuss and means you can fit both the PSU and storage drives in first with unprecedented access to both.
And both drive cages, situated vertically and horizontally beneath the motherboard, are removable too, as are the 5.25-inch drive bays. This means you can configure the Core X2 with a huge amount of space inside for good airflow. And, while we’re talking cooling, the mounting points for fans and liquid chip chillers are manifold. Should you feel the need you could fit three 360mm radiators in this thing. Name us a standard ATX chassis where that’s possible. We’d wager there aren’t many.
Targeting airflow may be a slight issue though given the entire case is vented, aside from that large Perspex sidepanel. Every other surface is peppered with cutouts and backed by magnetically attached dust filters. So yeah, this probably isn’t going to be the case you decide to build your ultra-silent rig into…
That lends the Core X2 an industrial aesthetic, most definitely leaning on the function-over-form side of chassis design. The cuboid stylings are unlikely to get anyone’s juices a-flowing, but the Core X2 isn’t about being showy or about being cute and ickle. This is a chassis that’s all about building powerful, cool-running PCs into it. Its size, combined with the support of small form factor motherboards, is what allows this to be possible.
And you’ve also got to factor in Thermaltake’s attention to detail when putting this case together. Its steel frame is matte black throughout and there are no sharp edges to catch either your fingers or erode vital cables over time. With all sides being easily removable it also means you can get at every part of your PC, during or after the build process, without having to contort into strange positions.
But it ain’t small, so if you’ve got your heart set on a Mini-ITX board and want to build a wee gaming rig then the Core X2 is not for you. If you’re serious about putting together a well-featured, overclocked system, sporting a powerful mATX motherboard, then this latest Thermaltake chassis is going to be a great case to build that into. It may seem a trifle oxymoronic at first, but this massive SFF case makes for a quality setup. Dave James
SPECIFICATIONS
Form factor mATX, Mini-ITX
Dimensions 465 x 320 x 541 mm
Fan(s) 2x 120mm front and rear
Drive bays 3x 5.25in, 4x 3.5in/2.5in, 3x 2.5in
Expansion slots 5
Max. graphics card length 330mm (480mm without 5.25in bay)