There’s big, really big, and Only-in-Texas big. The Thermaltake Core X9 falls into the latter category. This ridiculously large case is larger than many Sydney apartments, providing a wealth of space for all of your components and then some. Yet how has Thermaltake kept the price so low on such a large case? The answer is an unfortunate one.
Before we delve into the problems with this case, let’s get a grip on just how large it is. Measuring a ridiculous 502mm x 380mm x 640mm, it’s easily one of the largest cases to ever bend the desks in the PC and Tech Authority labs. Yet it only tips the scales at a relatively light 17kg – we say relatively, as it’s still quite the behemoth. It’s defi nitely not the kind of case you want to move more than once every few years, if that, and lugging it upstairs in a three story townhouse is about as much fun as moving a small fridge.
With such large dimensions it’s easy to see how it can accommodate an extralarge E-ATX motherboard inside. The huge chasm that is the case’s interior is divided into two main cavities; the top is built for the motherboard and add-on cards, while the bottom is for drives and a power supply… or two. The concept is that each has its own airflow, ensuring the ultimate in cooling prowess. Yet we can’t recall the last time a PSU or SSD pumped out more heat than a light bulb – it’s not like anybody uses those little heat bricks called high speed mechanical drives any more. The entire chassis is designed to be stackable, just in case you want to have two or three of these monstrous cases taking up all of your living space.
The first issue presents itself in the case’s overall construction. Each side, apart from the giant window, is made from SPCC metal. However, it’s a grilltype construction, which means it’s very flexible. As far as audio isolation goes, it might as well not be there, as all the fan noise will come straight through the grill. We believe it’s possible to have excellent cooling and a quiet case here at PCTA, but the Core X9 indulges in the former while totally disregarding the latter. That’s fine if you don’t mind the annoying hum of fans while you work all day, but we’d rather not, thank you very much.
Then there are the drive cages. Twin cages are included within, with room for three drives each, but they’re barely attached to the chassis. Just two screws
affix each cage to the case, so they bounce and flop around at the slightest touch. It just doesn’t feel very well built, which is a complaint that extends to the rest of the case. When you’re building a case this large, we’d rather a few more kilograms were spent on sturdier materials than those found here, but it’s a compromise that obviously had to be made to keep the price down.
The other issue is that the case feels like it was built big, simply for the sake of being big. Even with a large radiator and more spinning blades than a heliport within, there’s a huge amount of wasted space inside. Compared to the likes of the CoolerMaster Cosmos II, which is a huge case yet feels incredibly well built, while managing to deliver whisper-quiet performance and excellent cooling, the Core X9 feels like an odd exercise in space disposal.
There will be those with certain size deficiencies who feel the monstrous dimensions of the Core X9 make up for their inadequacies, but for most of us this is simply too big, yet built too fragile. Lacking any of the aesthetic grace of Thermaltake’s better cases, it’s simply a big square steel box, and that’s just not good enough in today’s highly competitive case market. Bennett Ring