Thermaltake Core V51 Review
Category : Cases
Published by Luca Rocchi on 08.10.14
The V51 is the latest mid-tower case from Thermaltake, which belongs to their Core series. First shown at first at Computex 2014, Core V51 is a case able to accommodate big water cooling systems and high-end components. This model is compatible with 360mm and 420mm radiators. The strength of this model is definitely the airflow but V51 features is also tool-less system, features a modular design and much more.
Today,
we will be checking out one of the latest cases from Thermaltake, the mid tower
Core V51.
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Preview
Specifications
| Model |
Core V51 |
| Case Type |
Mid Tower |
| Dimensions |
540mm (H) x 236mm (W) x 560mm (D) |
| Material |
SPCC, plastic |
| Color |
Black |
| 5.25'' drive
bay |
2 |
| 3.5'' drive bay |
5 |
| 2.5'' drive bay |
5 |
| Expansion
slots |
8 |
| Form factors |
EATX, ATX, Micro ATX, Mini-ITX |
| Cooling |
Front: 3x 120mm, 2x 140mm, 1x 200mm (Included)
Top: 3x 120mm, 3x 140mm, 2x 200mm
Rear: 1x 120mm (Included), 1x 140mm
Bottom: 2x 120mm
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Bundle
Overview |
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| The Thermaltake Core V51 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 V51 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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Product overview
Overview |
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The Thermaltake Core V51 is a mid tower case
which is able to accommodate up to E-ATX form factor motherboards and big cooling solutions. The entire top and front is made of different mesh with a different texture
while the top also features a magnetic dust filter. Both side panels are solid, well finished and free of any openings or mesh. Only the left side panel
has a huge plexiglass window that shows almost the entire area inside the case.
The front features an I/O panel with two USB 3.0 ports, headphone and microphone jacks
as well as standard power and reset buttons. 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. In addition, the Core V51 features eight expansion slots and
three rubber grommets 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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Installation
Overview |
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The inside
of the Core V51 is quite big thanks to the fact that the case is almost 60 cm high. 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. Around the tray, there are three openings for routing cables
and there is a lot of space between the motherboard tray and the right panel. We particularly appreciate the choice made by Thermaltake about the rubber grommets since they are extremely difficult to remove once
the cable is inserted. The HDDs and ODDs can be fitted without any problems, thanks to the tool-less system used by Thermaltake. The company uses modular slides that can be positioned at different heights for 3.5" and 2.5" peripherals. This aspect should be not underestimated because it allows a good management of interior space especially if you want to install radiators
at the front or in the lower part of the case. In addition, even in the
presence of long graphics cards it is possible to place the cage at a
different place/height rather than have to completely remove it.
For our test we used an ATX motherboard with a heatsink of medium size. As you can see from the pictures, the interior space is very good and also the distance from the top to the upper edge of the
graphics card is remarkable. In our opinion, it is possible even to install radiators
at the top in push-pull mode.
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Ventilation options
Overview |
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| From the cooling
point of view, the Thermaltake Core V51 provides various and plenty of cooling solutions. The package includes two fans,
200mm and 120mm, with 3-pin headers. Overall, the case is able to accommodate up to a maximum of three 120 mm fans
at the top and the same amount of fans at the front. In addition, in the bottom you can install up to two 120 mm fans and one 120mm on the rear
panel. Bear in mind that the top and the front fan mounts also support
200mm fans. |
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Conclusion
| General |
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+ |
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| Thermaltake created a really good product with the Core V51, however we
did find some small flaws. The Core V51 is a very interesting case with good features and without a
hefty 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 HDD cages is definitely something
impressive and very interesting which also allows you to obtain a clean cable management. |
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- Bundle
- Price
- Cooling
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| Manufacturing quality / Ergonomics |
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+ |
- |
| The Core V51 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 assembly. The space devoted to the CPU heatsink,
as well as the graphics card and the power supply is very good. The numerous rubber grommets are of excellent quality and are almost impossible to remove accidentally. In our opinion, the front panel and the lower dust filters are very difficult to remove, especially considering that you have to lift the case. |
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- Build quality
- Tool-less
- PSU space
- GPU space
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- Front panel and bottom filters hard to remove
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| Design |
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+ |
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| The design is always a subjective aspect, however, we believe that
the Core V51 from Thermaltake is designed for systems that require a high level of cooling. As mentioned in the preceding pages, the space inside the Core V51 is more than enough even for high end configurations with E-ATX
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 fans are concerned, you get three 120 mm installed on the rear and on the front. This case can accomodate numerous 120, 140 and 200 mm fans. Like many other cases,
the Core V51 offers a huge plexiglass window on the left side panel, which we believe might be
a bit too big. A side panel so large requires a great cable managment that might not
be affordable or doable by everyone. |
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- Design
- Water cooling solutions
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| Recommendation |
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+ |
- |
| If you are looking for a mid tower case, which is compatible with E-ATX motherboards and
allows you to build powerful gaming systems, then the Core V51 from Thermaltake
is definitely worth having a look at. On Geizhals.eu, the Thermaltake Core V51 is listed with prices starting at 82 euro excluding shipping costs. In our opinion this price is definitely reasonable |
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Gaming-PC
- Modding
- Price |
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| Rating |
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The Thermaltake Core V51 gets good
4 out of 5 stars. |
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