Thermaltake Tower 100 Black Edition Mini Tower CA-1R3-00S1WN-00

This is the end of end of cases. The tower 300 is truly a spectacular engineering marvel.

I cannot stress how impressed i am with this case. The build was so simple and easy to do I am SO thrilled. Ive been making PCs for 15 years. This is by far the highest tech case ive ever seen. Brilliantly made.

The Tower 900 is a very unique case that is really not designed for everyone. If you are not planning a water-cooling setup (best with a dual loop configuration), do not bother. Its air cooling is not bad, but there are other cases that will do that much better. If you are considering a single loop and do not require many physical drives, I would suggest the Thermaltake Core P5; another stunning case designed for a showcase system. The Core P5 and Tower 900 are display cases. Keep that in mind.

Cons: I’ll start here as most people want to know the headaches. There are very few.
• They ship directly from Thermaltake with no outer box, save the display packing. Mine had obvious damage to the box, including a big hole where something definitely went through it. Carefully, inspect the box before you accept it. That being said, to spite the box damage, the case was not damaged, packed between 2 large styrofoam protectors and weighed about 61 lbs.
• The case screws should be better machined. I found that their thumb-screws required a screwdriver and I was under a constant concern of cross-threading them. Also, not all of the thumb-screws are the same; but similar enough to confuse them at a glance.
• I really do not like the top cover. It is plastic, where the rest of the system is metal. It uses force-fit pegs to hold in place; I wish it had a catch mechanism instead. It is difficult to remove and replace.
• You will, most likely, need longer cables for your peripherals, inside and out. Think ahead of where you will display your case and realize that all of the inputs are on the top. I needed about $70 of new cabling for the outside (my 3rd monitor is a very long run). I need to redo my inner works because the standard cables are stretched to their limits. Thermaktake included 2 short USB extension cables, I think about 1 foot long, which they describe are for your mouse and keyboard.
• It’s HUGE(and I love that!)! It took me a while to find a pedestal to display it on. Its dimensions are 17×19; however, the feet are set in a bit and it could sit on a smaller platform if you don’t mind the overhang
• I had a minor/insignificant defect in that one of the glass retaining screws, which as a result, goes in at an angle. Because this would require a new case to fix and is hardly noticeable, I can forgive this; however, for a $250 case, they should have inspected this more closely.
• The back panel screws are short and very stiff. They are retained in the panel when you remove them (I like that). You must unplug the power to remove it. Again, I wish this had a spring loaded catch, like the side panels do. I think the screws will wear out rather quickly.

That is it. I have a few wishes; but these are not complaints. I wish the doors were also articulated, another external drive bay would have been nice. Perhaps some fan mounts on the bottom to increase intake. It comes with only 2x140mm fans (installed in the top). I wish it included another hard drive bay and the other 2 SSD trays (Yeah, I’m a data hoarder)

Pros:
• This is huge and everything comes apart. This is the first case where I had no issues squeezing my huge hands (XXXL) into the case. Wiring was a dream. If I felt cramped, I simply, disassembled the area of the case I was working on (easy because of the thumb-screws) and did what I needed. It is very modular. I am hoping to score an extra drive cage and 2 more SSD mounts. I’ll try to update this review with a report on how easily this was achieved.
• This is a big case (am I saying that enough?). You can cram a lot into it and still look spacious; which is different from the P5 and why I chose this. I am not custom water-cooled yet, so I have 2 huge holes in my setup. But at a glance, it is clear that there is significantly more space in the cooling reservoir areas than is needed. This means loads of space for weird cool moding ideas. Currently, I’ve had to slim down my storage to 6×3.5 hard drives (internal: 4 in the back and 2 in the front), 1×3.5 Blu-Ray (yeah, I still use one a lot… there were 2 in my last build), and 2x 2.5 SSD. Stock, I can see mountings for 2 more 2.5 drives. Eventually, I’ll put the 2 Blu-Ray and hot-swappable drive bay in an external ESATA tower near my chair.
• It is important to mention that factory sealed water-coolers may have fit issues. I fit my Corsair H80i without an issue; however, larger ones will (like the H100) not fit.

It comes assembled, with various extra parts and all screws needed for a complete install. All extra parts are bagged separately (4 bags: the manuals, general hardware, extra case items and standoffs, and Zip-ties and USB Extension Cables) and stuffed into the drive bays. The 3.5 drive bays are fitted with tool-less drive caddies that work rather well (the side tabs pull off and snap back in to retain the drive). It also has an additional radiator cage, if you want to remove the drive bay and use 2×480 radiators. It comes with 2×2.5 drive trays that mount in the front of the case, either on the back wall, or the sides of the center consol. There are tons of pre-drilled holes for reconfiguring the case to your needs. All of the metal is painted with a durable paint (mine is black, the faster color), and has finished edges; so no cut fingers on raw sheet metal.

This case is beautiful! Pictures and videos cannot show you how nice this looks. The tinting is very dark. With no lights on, I can barely see my components. When I start illuminating, the tinting helps keep the bland areas of the case shaded, while the lighted components seem to pop out. This is literally a showcase for your gear. I consider this as a wonderful canvas for a functional piece of art, rather than a box to contain My Precious.

I think this is an amazing case that I would only recommend to people that love their computer enough to spend un-Godly amounts money on it and want a case that can show off their cherished baby (yes you can fit a few babies into this… probably about 8). Its aesthetics will really show off your gear without dominating the system’s look. I’ve seen some mods where the case is so outrageous that the system was superfluous; not true here. Its beauty is only dwarfed by its functionality. This is not just a pretty box; its design had function in mind.

Personnellement, je suis toujours super ravie de ce boîtier acheté en début d’année 2020.

Les + :
– Boitier pratique & élégant :
En blanc et avec ses panneaux en verre, il a de l’allure et permet d’accéder aisément partout sans le moindre tournevis. L’alimentation et les câbles sont cachés à l’arrière. Pour le montage et pour ranger proprement les fils, il est extrêment pratique !
– Entretien facile :
Ses grilles magnétiques stoppent bien la poussière et sont aussi faciles que rapides à nettoyer.
Les trois panneaux en verre se retirent vite (avec des vis à main), ce qui simplifie les opérations de maintenance et de nettoyage.
– Qualité :
Tout est toujours impeccable après quasi 3 ans d’utilisation. Le matériel est solide et de qualité.
Depuis le début, j’ai eu à remplacer qu’une pièce : un des ventilateurs. Celui-ci devait avoir un léger défaut de soudure et le nettoyage sans souffleur a fini de l’endommager.

Les – :
– Sa taille et son poids : Pour l’entretien, je vous conseille vivement de remplacer ses 4 pieds plastiques par 4 roulettes.
Je regrette toutefois que les roulettes ne soient pas dans le modèle de base (ou au moins proposées en option) car c’est un peu galère de trouver les bonnes références et tellement plus pratique avec des roulettes !
– Les branchements (ports USB, vidéos, audio etc…) sont en haut et non sur le côté. Ils prennent donc davantage la poussière. Je vous recommande donc des caches anti-poussière ou un souffleur.
– Son prix : il était moins cher en 2020 qu’aujourd’hui, en novembre 2022…

I recently built my new PC using the Tower 300 Snow Micro-ATX Case, and I’m thrilled with the outcome, which deserves a full five-star rating. The standout feature is the excellent airflow facilitated by the included 2x140mm CT fans. These fans keep the system cool, even under heavy loads, which is crucial for maintaining optimal performance. The case also supports up to a 420mm radiator, providing ample cooling options for even the most demanding setups.

The design of the case is another high point. Its compact size makes it ideal for smaller spaces without compromising on functionality or the ability to house powerful hardware. The build quality is solid, with a robust structure that feels durable and well-crafted. Aesthetically, the snow-white finish gives it a sleek and modern look that stands out in any setting.

Additionally, the case is very user-friendly. It provides easy access for upgrades and maintenance, and there’s sufficient room to work with, which is often a challenge in smaller cases. Cable management is a breeze, thanks to well-thought-out design touches that keep everything neat and tidy.

In conclusion, the Tower 300 Snow Micro-ATX Case is an excellent choice for anyone looking to build a compact, efficient, and visually appealing PC. It combines functionality with style and delivers on all fronts, making it worthy of a perfect rating.