Thermaltake Versa H18
This tiny box comes with a tiny price.
Aimed at builders, this delivers a very simple, basic case for entrylevel buyers at a mere 50 bucks. Yet Thermaltake hasn’t had to cut too many corners to deliver this case at such a price, with a surprising amount of functionality.
Shaped like a regular tower but at half the size, measuring 39 x 20.5 x 38cm, it’s compatible with both micro-ATX and mini-ITX motherboards. Four expansion slots allow you to make the most of the latter, but the amount of storage options is quite limited. There are just four drive bays, two for 3.5-inch drives and another two for 2.5-inch SSDs.
There’s room for eight fans in total, but only one is included at the rear, in the form of a 120mm 1,000rpm fan. However, you can fit a full 280mm radiator in the front, or a 120mm version at the rear, with no option for top mounting. You get 35cm of graphics card space; more than enough for today’s most powerful cards, though the 15.5cm clearance for the CPU cooler isn’t exactly massive.
As for aesthetics, personally, we don’t think it’s the most attractive case on the block, with a very simple steel design and transparent window on the left-hand side. The front is a mesh finish, allowing for excellent air-flow, but also allowing sound to easily escape. There’s no option for an optical drive — like most cases these days — and the inclusion of a USB 3.0 port alongside twin USB 2.0 ports on the front is a welcome inclusion.
It might not be as versatile as other cases, but the Versa H18 does offer excellent value for money.
Verdict
If you’re looking for a rock-bottom price with a decent feature set, this case offers great bang for buck.