Reviewed: Thermaltake Core V1

Pricing

The street price for the Thermaltake Core V1 is only $59 making it an absolute bargain. When you factor in that you can use standard components like power supply, graphics card, hard drive and the stock cooler, downsizing to the Core V1 could be cheaper than other mini ITX cases.

As an aside, the Gigabyte Z97N Gaming 5 board we used in our test build sells for $189 which isn’t cheap but is significantly less costly than other mini-ITX gaming motherboards. It overclocks like a full sized board, has upgraded sound, killer LAN and dual band WIFI with Bluetooth making it a worthy partner to the Core V1 for a LAN gamer on a budget. 

Final Thoughts

This isn’t going to be an ideal home server case due to the hard drive bays and although it could still house a high end workstation, there are other options out there that I’d consider first. The Core V1 is absolutely perfect for a LAN gaming rig or HTPC/Steam Machine and it’s a downsizer’s dream as well.

Thermaltake has created a great range with the Core series and also been able to scale it from a mini ITX form factor to the massive Core V71 without compromising the styling. The Core V1 is a highly practical but surprisingly inexpensive option for mini ITX configurations. 

The only compromise to be made is the height of compatible CPU coolers which isn’t a deal breaker by any means. Ideally, I’d install a 120 or 140mm AIO cooler instead of running with a low profile air cooler. One of the best things about the Core V1 is that you can upgrade components easily later on without pulling the whole rig apart – being able to remove all panels except the rear one is brilliant.

With the new graphics cards that we are seeing this month, downsizing from a full ATX build to a smaller gaming PC that can still run eye candy at 2560×1440 is a realistic option for many gamers. I’m expecting to see the Core V1 well represented at LAN events next year.

	Thermaltake Core V1
PROS	Compact form factor Very quiet and effective at low fan speed Front, side, top and floor panels all come off quickly for easy access when building Great for High End Gaming, Steam Box, HTPC Very affordable Able to fit a full length power supply and 285cm graphics card with room to hide the cables.
CONS	– None
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