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Gamers love their fans, and the bigger they are the more impressive they are. PC chassis manufacturers are starting to add more and more fans to gamer cases and the only time they add less is when they are using the new monster 230mm fans. The new 20mm fans push an incredible amount of air through your case ensure that it stays nice and cool and your components last for years to come. The Thermaltak v9 Black Edition Gamer Chassis is one such case with a serious amount of cooling pumping through it. Let’s get a closer look:
Provided by: Thermaltake
Price: $119.99
Closer Look:
Specifications:
| Case Type | Mid Tower |
| Material | 0.8 mm SECC |
| Front Bezel Material |
Plastic |
| Color | Black |
| Side Panel | Solid |
| Motherboard Support | 12″ x 9.6″ (ATX) 9.6″ x 9.6″ (Micro ATX) |
| Motherboard Tray | N/A |
| 5.25″ Drive Bay | 4 |
| Ext. 3.5″ Drive Bay | 2 |
| Int. 3.5″ Drive Bay | 5 |
| Expansion Slots | 7 |
| Front I/O Ports | USB 2.0 x 2 HD Audio |
| Cooling System |
– Front (intake) : |
| Liquid Cooling Capable | Yes |
| Liquid Cooling Embedded | No |
| Power Supply Supported | Standard ATX PSII |
| Power Supply Included | No |
| Dimension (H*W*D) | 16.97 x 7.52 x 18.5 in 431.0 x 191.0 x 470.0 mm |
| Net Weight |
13.87 lb
6.29 kg |
| Security Lock | No |
| Application |
Testing Setup:
- CPU: Q6600
- Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-965P-DS3
- Memory: 2 x 2GB OCZ SLI Ready
- OS: Windows XP Home SP3
- Video Card: ATI Radeon EAH 4550
- Power Supply: 550 W PSU
Testing:
For the testing I will be taking the average temps of the CPU, the GPU, the HDD, and the internal ambient case temp. I will be recording the temperatures for both Idle and load. To get things heated up inside the case I will be using Prime-95 burn-in test. I will be pitting the Thermaltake V9 against the Nexus Clodius. The ambient temp will remain a constant 23°C to ensure fair testing.
|
Case |
Nexus Clodius |
Thermaltake v9 Black Edition |
||
|
State |
Idle |
Load |
Idle |
Load |
|
CPU |
24°C (75°F) |
37°C (98°F) |
15°C (59°F) |
21°C (70°F) |
|
GPU |
39°C (102°F) |
39°C (102°F) |
33°C (91°F) |
35°C (95°F) |
|
HDD |
29°C (84°F) |
31°C (88°F) |
24°C (75°F) |
25°C (77°F) |
|
Case |
27°C (80°F) |
29°C (84°F) |
23°C (73°F) |
21°C (70°F) |
I was very surprised at how well 2 230mm fans could do in a mid-tower case. The ambient temp in the case was cooler then the ambient temp in the room! Some might find this hard to believe but we used the same temperature gage for testing both the room temps and the ambient case temps. This drop in temperature for those of you that don’t know is caused by air blowing across a surface. The multiple blades on the fans as well as the large metal surface area of the case combine to make an incredibly cool environment for your PC components. This is definitely great for proving that having a large fan with no side panel window improves overall case temperatures.
Conclusion:
Overall the Thermaltake V9 Black Edition Gamer Chassis is the best mid-tower case I have ever seen and in my time as a gamer and a reviewer I have used well over 50 cases not including other friends cases. This little case for its price dominates the competition and have all of the features you could ever want with a few exceptions I didn’t like the expansion slot tool-less and the lack of eSATA on the front was a bummer. Everything else was spot on the drive bay expansion tool-less was awesome and the abundance of fans is very impressive.
Would I recommend this product? Absolutely, if you are looking for a mid-tower case that impressed me just as much as the AZZA Solano then the Thermaltake V9 should be your next gaming chassis bar-none.
Pros:
- Price
- Style
- Big Fans
- Tool-less ODD and HDD
- Very Impressive Cooling
Cons:
- Expansion Slot Tool-Less
- No eSATA
