Thermaltake Element G VL10001W2Z Black Steel / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

Pros: As I previously have stated this is a great case and I would still recommend.

Cons: The 140 mm rear case fan is trash. I have 5 of these cases and 1 fan has seized and after inspection the other 4 are about to. The other fans seem to be doing fine. I ended up replacing with Item #N82E16835242033 which seems to move great air, is quieter, and seems like it will last longer.

Other Thoughts: Even with the fan issue I would still order this case and just replace the fan up front.

Pros: I've had my case now for just over 3 years.

-Spacious
-Good airflow
-Multiple oversized fans can move more air at a lower RPM which keeps noise low but airflow high
-Main side panel is pre-wired with open electrical leads for the side fan - super convenient. This means you simply slide the side panel on and the leads on the panel line up with the leads on the chassis and the fan turns on. In traditional cases with a side panel fan, you need to close the panel most of the way and then squeeze your hand inside attach the fans 4-pin power connector which often leaves that power wire dangling or even worse - rubbing up against the fan forcing you to re-open and fix it.
-lights are neat and the color can be easily changed
-Hard Drive mounting trays are nicely designed - they can be turned 90 degrees to either face the side panel(easier user access) or to face inside the case(better airflow from front intake)
-good wire management

Cons: -Rear exhaust fan crapped out after about 2 years - it stopped spinning freely. I removed it and I can barely make it turn manually. Since the case is pre-wired with a fan controller, it makes it difficult to replace this fan since it's not connected with any kind of standard connector. Instead, it simply has two exposed leads that are soldered on. I'm not sure how I'm going to replace this.
-The case has this "mesh" fabric that lived behind the mesh metal intakes on front and side. However, there is no way to easily remove and replace the mesh fabric to clean it. I ultimately just ripped it out of my case since the metal mesh is enough of a dust filter for me.

Other Thoughts: This thing is pretty big. Think of a minimalistic case, and this one has a lot of extra plastic around the edges that make it seem kind of bulky - not necessarily a bad thing but make sure you have room to store this bad boy.

Pros: Moves Lots of Air.
Lots of slots for hard drives.
Sturdy.
Looks nice.

Cons: Fans. Lights.

Other Thoughts: I bought this case when I built my custom computer from iBuyPower (i don't recommend using that company to anyone).

LED was all sorts of messed up when it arrived. I don't know if it was faulty construction from ThermalTake or if it was messed up at iBuyPower head quarters. But since the fans worked, I never looked into it.

The case only started falling apart about a year after I got the computer. I replaced the rear fan exhaust fan because it started to rattle and make lots of noise.

Now that it's been lil past 4 years, my 230mm fan on the side is slowly dying out. Sadly, I can't seem to get in touch with Thermaltake (230mm replacement fans on their website is all sold out) and I don't know if other 230mm fan is going to be compatible because of the power connector is different on the sliding side panel.

I think it pushes too much air though. It gets REAL dusty inside real fast. I have to clean my CPU fan, GPU fan at least once a month.

Pros: We have about 12 of these cases throughout our business. They are easy to work with and well built. Would highly recommend. Well ventilated as well.

Cons: Not nessissarily a con but you can't force lights to stay off after a power cycle.

Pros: large fans, lots of room, decent expansion options, multi-colored LED adds a bit of flair (solid blue, green, red... then rotating flashing (like going in a circle)... and then 2-second delay color change). color is easy to control by pressing the fan speed control knob.

Cons: bought the case early-2010, and had to replace the rear fan mid-2011 because it started making a buzzing sound. spent some $20 to replace it, and within the last month or so it's starting to make noise again.

this case is a DUST MAGNET EXTRAORDINAIRE!!! large fans do not make it easy to keep this thing (and my components) clear of dust. not a big deal, but not exactly convenient to have to keep cleaning it out.

Other Thoughts: for what it's worth, it's a good case. the LEDs add a nice accent to lighting, but I usually leave them off.

as good as the case is, I'm looking to replace it... no point in trying to find another $20 fan to fit a 3 year old case when I can get a better new case for $60. I find it odd that the other - larger - fans have never had a problem.

Manufacturer Response:

Hi,


Our cases have a 3 year warranty and that includes coverage for defective fans. Please contact our customer service dept to assist you with completing the eRMA forms and we will replace the whichever fans you need replaced at no cost on your part.

Thank you!


Thermaltake Customer Service
1-800-988-1088
Mon - Fri
9am - 5:30pm PST

Pros: This is a great case with good cable routing options. The fans are quiet and the side fan connector is built into the cover so you don't have to deal with disconnecting/reconnecting when you take the side panel off.

Cons: Out of the last 5 of these we have ordered the latest 3 seem to have an issue with the hole lining up for the power supply. I tried a couple different power supplies and am convinced it is the case that is the issue. A little TLC with a drill helped make it so we could mount a power supply.

Other Thoughts: Other than the minor tweaking to fit the power supply this is still a good case and well built. I would recommend. Hopefully the manufacturer fixes the holes in the future.

Manufacturer Response:

Hi balamt,
We at Thermaltake apologize for the inconvenience this may have caused you.
Thermaltake USA Customer Service
email: ttsupport@thermaltakeusa.com
Toll free: 1-800-988-1088 M-F 9:00AM ~ 5:30PM (P.S.T)

Pros: Great looking case with plenty of room...

Cons: 2 of the USB ports on the top never worked, and the others would often short my MoBo and cause a restart on my computer (yes it was wired correctly to my MoBo.) then one night, in the middle of a raid, I hear a pop, and out of the corner of my eye i see a fire in my case. DO NOT BUY!

Manufacturer Response:

Hi Lunacy,
We at Thermaltake apologize for the inconvenience this may have caused you. If that is problem of defective USB module. We can replace it through warranty service. Please contact our customer service team for RMA instructions.
Thermaltake USA Customer Service
email: ttsupport@thermaltakeusa.com
Toll free: 1-800-988-1088 M-F 9:00AM ~ 5:30PM (P.S.T)

Pros: - Big case
- Lots of fans
- Looks very cool
- Fan controls work well
- Overall very nice case

Cons: - The wire running to the large side fan was pinched and showing through the sleeve when I unboxed the case. The fan actually wouldn't spin and the LED wouldn't light up at first. I taped it up with electrical tape and it's been fine ever since.
- A rear fan seized up after about 3 months. HOWEVER, tech support was very good. I emailed them, explained what happened, and asked if they could send me a new fan so I could replace it myself. A few days later, I had a new fan.
- A few LEDs died over the last year.

Other Thoughts: Good case. Only subtracted 2 eggs due to the fan issues and the dead LEDs

Pros: Super quiet, keeps CPU at 36 degrees and at peak about 54. This is with a stock Intel heatsink and overclocked. CPU has even been at 29 degrees at times. Can't say enough how great the case is. I was a little hesitant due to some of the reviews but I think some of them may not have realized that the fans needed to be connected to the power. LED lights work good and look cool.

Cons: 2.5 ssd mount is pretty bad and does not allow you to connect the sata cables, had to use a velcro tie and flip the drive. Also the Fan control knob is useless does not make any diffrence on fan speed.

Pros: I'm a man who enjoys lights on his computer. You can never have too many LEDs on a case, and this is great for that reason. I also like all the fans, the layout of (most) of the internals, and the quality of the case construction. Nothing is broken off or damaged, there's no chipping plastic, even all the attachments for the drive bays are solidly intact.

Cons: The fans are primarily there for looks and effects. They're functional but don't push nearly as much air as you'd think. The exhaust fan, the only one without LEDs, is also surprisingly cheap and quit on me after a year. This isn't a deal-breaker by any means as this case has a top-mounted exhaust fan and the fan on the rear exhaust is easily replaceable with an aftermarket fan. In fact I highly suggest getting an aftermarket fan to replace it whether or not it breaks just for the peace of mind.

The other complaint is it's not very good with space inside when it comes to the drive bays. The bracket for the drive bays is needlessly large and infringes on the size video card you're able to fit in there. I was able to get in a HD 7850 with no issues and a second certainly wouldn't be a problem but anything *longer* than that might encounter issues with the drive bays.

Other Thoughts: Overall this is a great case if you're looking for a sturdy home for your entertainment or gaming PC. It might have trouble with some of the truly massive video cards out there but there's plenty of room for cables, lots of air flow, and it will keep looking great for years.