Thermaltake V150 TG

Tt continues to offer solid budget cases that still look sharp.

We’re really liking Thermaltake’s current commitment to budget cases with high-end looks, and that appreciation is continuing with the V150 TG, a mighty micro-ATX chassis with not one but two tempered-glass panels that lets you show off your PC’s interior in style.

Out of the box the case has an elegantly austere look, with curved sides on the front fascia softening the design somewhat. But it’s those glass panels – one on the side, and one on the front – that will bring the case to life once some shiny RGB hardware is installed. That said, if bright lights aren’t your first concern, the V150 TG might not be the ideal choice.

The top panel features a removable dust- cover secured by magnets, along with the usual I/O array, including a single USB3 port. Air intakes run vertically down either side of the front panel, and while there is a strip of mesh along each intake, it’s rather flimsy and likely will not block all dust ingress. Still, at this price point, it’s better than nothing, but if you do install any kind of intake fan, be warned. There’s another filter on the bottom of the case, though this one simply slots in rather than being secured magnetically. The case’s feet are well-secured with soft rubber pads, which is a nice touch.

Access to the interior is wonderfully simple thanks to the hinged glass panel, so you can get to your PC’s innards without having to worry about thumbscrews. The panel also features drop-hinge design, so you can easily remove it entirely while building and upgrading to ensure it doesn’t get in the way or pick an annoying scratch. Two screws secure the other panel, and there’s a handy amount of room behind the motherboard plate for cable management. The case also includes a PSU shroud, with even more room to tuck away cabling.

Stock cooling is about what you’d expect, with just a single 120mm fan mounted on the rear panel to valiantly suck away hot air. You can add up to two more 120mm or 140mm fans on the front panel, and up to a 140mm fan on the top, but if we were building into this case, we’d choose an AIO liquid cooling solution and mount a radiator in the front panel.

In Terms of storage, you won’t be building a massive RAID array into the V150, but there’s room for two each of 2.5-inch and 3.5-inch drives, plus whatever’s built onto your motherboard, which isn’t shabby. There’s room for video cards up to 350mm in length, and power supplies up to 220mm long. There are ample cutouts to manage cables, and the metal edges have been smoothed and rounded to prevent wear and tear on both your fingers and your cabling.

DAVID HOLLINGWORTH