Introduction

I'd like to thank Thermaltake for supplying the case for this review.

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<th colspan="2" style="font-size:larger;text-align:center">Specifications</th>
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<th width="100">Case type</th>
<td>Middle Tower </td>
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<th>Side Panel </th>
<td>Transparent Plexiglas side panel </td>
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<th>Net Weight </th>
<td>3.8 kg </td>
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<th>Dimension</th>
<td>435.0 mm x 190.0 mm x 485.0 mm </td>
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<th>Cooling System </th>
<td>Front (intake) <br>
120x120x25 mm blue LED, 1300 RPM, 17 dbA <br>
Rear (exhaust) <br>
120x120x25 mm, 1300 RPM, 17 dbA </td>
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<th>Material</th>
<td>Aluminium</td>
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<th>Color</th>
<td>Black</td>
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<th>Motherboards</th>
<td>ATX, MicroATX </td>
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<th>PSU</th>
<td>Standard ATX PSU </td>
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<th>I/O Ports </th>
<td>2x USB 2.0, 1x IEEE1394, Audio & Speaker </td>
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The Package

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Front and backside images of the package. Frontside gives a good overall view of how the case looks. On the backside of the package you can find a very good list of different features of the case.

The Case

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Plastic foam is used here so the case will not take any damage on its journey.

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Pictures from all the needed perspectives, front, back, left and right sides. The Matte-black painted case is looking very good. It does not take any fingerprints.

A Closer Look

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It is time to take a look inside the case and see what features it has to offer. Before installing any hardware, I went over the entire case with my fingers looking for any sharp edges. After doing so, I was unable to find any sharp edges, which is a good sign of a quality build.

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Thermaltake provides a screwless slot attachment which is very useful for a smaller graphic cards that have light weight cooling solutions. For Graphic cards such as X1800 or X1900 or if you are using an after market cooling solution it is safer to use screws, especially if you buy the case for LAN purposes and you have to move case around a lot. On the second picture you can see the slot covers which are very easy to remove and install, so if you don't need an extra PCI card in future you can always cover the slot so extra dust doesn't get inside.

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The backside of the case is known TT style. Wide and open holes for hot air to exhaust. Considering the fan noise, wider holes for exhausting air keeps the fan noise lower.

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Four fast assembling clips for CD/DVD-Drives and three for harddrives. Other accessories (screws) can be found inside the white box shown on the picture. For both devices, CD-drives and harddrives the assembling clips are fully plastic which reduces resonance noises.

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The cables for HDD-LED, Power-LED, Power button, Reset button and for the front I/O -panel are long enough which makes installation easy.

Front Panel & Side Cover

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The front panel is really impressive! It's nice to see how Thermaltake managed to make covers for the 5.25" bays. The panel on front side is made of very thin aluminum mesh and inside its blocked with very thin foam. In one word, perfect for preventing your case from getting dusty inside while maintaining good airflow. For the 120mm fan hole, there's aluminum mesh and a washable dust cover for a 120mm fan which is attached to the case itself.

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The side cover includes large transparent Plexiglas. The idea itself is very common and some of the people may think "not again", however, this case is definitely looking better with glass on the side cover than without. If you take a closer look into plastic door handle, you may first think there's a spot to place a fan there but unfortunately I have to tell you there's not. It would be a good idea for TT to add a fan mounting here. Especially if you think from a little wider point of view, this would be the perfect place for a memory cooling fan for the users of DFI NF4 Expert or DFI CrossFire boards where memory slots are on the left side of the CPU.

System Installation

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There's a sticker on the chassis which helps you with motherboard installation if you're a first time builder. The screw holes are numbered which provides information which holes you need for your type of motherboard.

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The area for the power supply is very impressive. There is lots of space available even for a larger power supply unit such as the PC Power & Cooling 1000W, two metal tabs on the both side of the case will guarantee that your power supply will not fall down and will stay in its place.

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When it was time to install motherboard I ran into one major problem. DFI's Karajan module is too tall which prevents using DFI's integrated audio module. If the case would be about 1 cm wider, this problem would not exist. It's possible to install DFI motherboard with Karajan module by using a little force but I will not suggest it since it will bend the motherboard down and therefore it may break.

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System installed and running. After setting up the system into the case I don't have anything major things to note about. It is a little small to work when all the components are installed but that's about it. Everything else it offers is absolutely fantastic for a case in this price range. If you take a closer look at the picture you can see that the cables can be put aside so the airflow inside case will remain good.

Value & Conclusion

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Matrix VX will have a price tag around 90 USD.

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Very stylish, clean look
Screwless drive bays
Large window on side panel
Aluminum
Very light-weight
Easy installation

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Not compatible with DFI boards if Karajan Audio module is being used
Not so much space if you need to change hardware often

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<tr><th>9.2</th><td>The Thermaltake Matrix VX offers everything you need from a case for a low price. It is a cool looking and very light weight case with lots of features from more expensive cases such as two 120mm fans for keeping your components cool, screwless harddrive and CD/DVD-drive installation.<br />
If you are not interested in spending a lot of money just for the case, I recommend you put the Thermaltake Matrix VX to the top of your list. Considering all the features and the sub-$100 price range this case is nearly perfect.</td></tr>
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