Thermaltake Core V21 Review
Category : Cases
Published by Luca Rocchi on 06.01.15
The Core V21 is a higly interesting mATX case from Thermaltake. It offers lots of interior space. For example you can install no less then three 240 millimeter radiators, which is very unusual with cases of these dimensions. Apart from that there is a modular cable management, which will allow you to build perfectly neat watercooled systems.
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Today, we will be checking out one of the latest cases from Thermaltake, the mini tower Core V21.
| Page 1 - Introduction | Page 5 - Installation |
| Page 2 - Preview | Page 6 - Ventilation options |
| Page 3 - Bundle | Page 7 - Conclusion |
| Page 4 - Product overview |
Preview
Specifications
| Model | Core V21 |
| Case Type | Mini Tower |
| Dimensions | 336mm (H) x 320mm (W) x 424mm (D) |
| Material | SPCC, plastic |
| Color | Black |
| 5.25'' drive bay | 0 |
| 3.5'' drive bay | 3 |
| 2.5'' drive bay | 3 |
| Expansion slots | 5 |
| Form factors | Micro ATX, Mini-ITX |
| Cooling |
Front: 2x 120mm, 2x 140mm, 1x 200mm (Included) |
| Page 1 - Introduction | Page 5 - Installation |
| Page 2 - Preview | Page 6 - Ventilation options |
| Page 3 - Bundle | Page 7 - Conclusion |
| Page 4 - Product overview |
Bundle
Overview |
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| The Thermaltake Core V21 bundle is pretty straight-forward. The actual box is made out of cardboard with all the basic information printed on it. Inside, we found the Core V21 wrapped up in a plastic bag, and safely placed inside two big pieces of styrofoam, so that even the roughest shipping can not break it. Along with the case itself, the bundle also includes an instruction manual, which is always helpful, as well as a few other things like the plastic bag with enough screws needed to assemble your system and a couple of zip-ties, which should help you get a better cable management. | |||
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| Page 1 - Introduction | Page 5 - Installation |
| Page 2 - Preview | Page 6 - Ventilation options |
| Page 3 - Bundle | Page 7 - Conclusion |
| Page 4 - Product overview |
Product overview
Overview |
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The Thermaltake V21 Core is a mini tower PC case which is able to accommodate mini-ITX and micro-ATX motherboards and big cooling solutions. The entire top and front is made of mesh with a different texture while the top also features a removable dust filter. All panels of this case share the same size and attachment system so it is possible to exchange them without any problem. Since the bottom panel is also removable and replaceable, it is also possible to change the orientation of the internal components. Overall, this model features two mesh panels, one with big window made of plexiglass and one with four plastic feet. At the front left area you can find the I/O panel with 2x USB 3.0 and 2x audio jacks, as well as two buttons for power on and reset. The rear panel is also very standard, as you can find an opening in the top for the 120 or 140mm fan and the motherboard I/O panel. The Core V21 features five expansion slots and one rubber grommet openings meant for the pass-through of liquid cooling pipes. In the lower part you can find an opening for the ATX power supply. The bottom of the case is equipped with four plastic feet that raise and stabilize the rigid case. |
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| Page 1 - Introduction | Page 5 - Installation |
| Page 2 - Preview | Page 6 - Ventilation options |
| Page 3 - Bundle | Page 7 - Conclusion |
| Page 4 - Product overview |
Installation
Overview |
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| For some
people, the Core V21 could be just another small cube PC case since it is compatible with
micro-ATX and mini-ITX motherboards, but thanks to the rather large dimensions,
there is some more space than what you usually get from these mini
cases. The motherboard tray does not feature pre-soldered standoffs and there is a big opening behind the socket, so that you can install aftermarket cooling systems without taking the whole motherboard off. The internal layout of the Core V21 is similar to many other models with cube shaped
design, so the lower part allows you to install storage devices and the power supply while
the rest of the components, including the motherboard, are located in
the top part of the case. The Core V21 allows you to install up to a maximum of three 3.5" HDD and three 2.5" SSD. The maximum length for the power supply is 200 mm,
so all models currently on the market are compatible. For our test we used an micro-ATX motherboard with a 240mm radiator. As you can see from the pictures the interior space is quite adequate and even with the Radeon R9 290X graphics installed there is still plenty of place inside. Like other Thermaltake Core models, the small V21 also offers modularity options, as it is possible to combine the case with another model of the same series in order to increase the space available for installing more components. |
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| Page 1 - Introduction | Page 5 - Installation |
| Page 2 - Preview | Page 6 - Ventilation options |
| Page 3 - Bundle | Page 7 - Conclusion |
| Page 4 - Product overview |
Ventilation options
Overview |
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| From the cooling
point of view, the Thermaltake Core V21 provides plenty, as well as
various, options for cooling. The bundle only includes a singel 200mm fan (TT-2030, 800rpm and 123.6CFM) with 3-pin header. Overall, the case is able to accommodate up to a maximum of four 120 mm fans at the top and two fans on each side. Bear in mind that the top and the front fan mounts also support 140mm fans. Since this model is practically designed for an LCS setup, it is quite important to note that it supports up to four 240 millimeter radiators. |
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| Page 1 - Introduction | Page 5 - Installation |
| Page 2 - Preview | Page 6 - Ventilation options |
| Page 3 - Bundle | Page 7 - Conclusion |
| Page 4 - Product overview |
Conclusion
| General | + | - | |
| Thermaltake created a really good product with the Core V21, however, we did find some small flaws. The Core V21 is a very interesting case, with good features and with a reasonable price. The design is always a subjective aspect, but we appreciate the choice of a simple and easy design. The interior space is quite big and allows the use of rather generous size cooling systems. The modularity of the side panels is definitely impressive and very interesting, which also allows you to change the orientation of the case. |
- Price
- Cooling |
- Bundle | |
| Manufacturing quality / Ergonomics | + | - | |
| The Core V21 is made of SPCC and ABS painted black, both outside and inside, and both in good quality. The sidepanels are rather light, but we did not find any sharp edges. Due to the size of the case and thanks to the modular design, we have not found any problem during the assembly process. The space devoted to the CPU heatsink, as well as the graphics card and the power supply are very good. We appreciate the choice made by Thermaltake for dust filters since they are practical and easy to remove. On the Core V21, all the magnetic filters are placed externally to the case, therefore these do not require any particular effort for removal. |
- Build quality
- Tool-less - PSU space - GPU space |
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| Design | + | - | |
| The design is always a subjective aspect, however,
it's a fact that
the Core V21 from Thermaltake is designed for systems that require a high level of cooling. As mentioned in the preceding pages, the space inside the Core V21 is more than enough even for high end configurations with mATX
form factor motherboards. We particularly enjoyed the upper zone dedicated to the installation of radiators and heatsinks, since it offers plenty room for both solutions.
As far as the cooling, the Core V21 is a bit lacking as it only comes
with a single 200mm at the front. We would liked to find at least another 120 or 140 mm fan installed
at the rear of the case. This case offers numerous fan slots for 120, 140 and 200 mm
fans. In other words this model is perfect for liquid solutions with
240mm radiators. The Thermaltake Core V21 is designed for use in either a vertical or horizontal orientation on the motherboard thanks to side panel attachment system. |
- Design - Water cooling solutions - Vertical or horizontal orientation - Stackable |
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| Recommendation | + | - | |
| If you are looking for a small cube case, which is compatible with micro-ATX and mini-ITX motherboards and allows you to build powerful gaming systems, then the Core V21 from Thermaltake is definitely a case that you should consider. At Geizhals.eu, the Thermaltake Core V21 is listed with prices starting at 53 euro excluding shipping costs. In our opinion this price is definitely reasonable and in line with features and the quality of the product. | -
Gaming-PC - Modding - Watercooling - Price |
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| Rating | |||
| The Thermaltake Core V21 gets good 4.5 out of 5 stars. | |||
| Page 1 - Introduction | Page 5 - Installation |
| Page 2 - Preview | Page 6 - Ventilation options |
| Page 3 - Bundle | Page 7 - Conclusion |
| Page 4 - Product overview |