At CES 2015, Thermaltake launched its new Core X-Series cases, consisting of the Core X1, Core X2 and Core X9. Respectively, these are Mini-ITX, Micro-ATX and E-ATX cases. The main selling point of this series is that they are modular and stackable.
When we walked into the suite at CES 2015, the first thought that sprung to mind when we saw the Core X9 was that it is huge. Just for fun, though, let's start with the smallest case — the Core X1. This Mini-ITX case measures 426 x 280 x 471 mm and weighs 9 kg when empty. Meanwhile, the biggest of the lot is the Core X9, which measures 502 x 380 x 640 mm, and weighs in at a staggering 17 kg.
Don't be intimidated by their sizes yet, because one of the key features of these cases is that they're stackable. Not just stackable by placing them on top of each other like we've seen before. Instead, you can remove the top of the bottom case and the bottom of the top case, then screw the two together to form a single huge case.
Now imagine that with the X9 — that's over one meter tall. Feeling ambitious? Make it three! Or four! Or more!
Stacking also goes hand-in-hand with their modular design. For example, removing the motherboard tray is especially useful when stacking two cases because it allows you to turn one into the system box, and the other into a radiator box for liquid cooling. Thermaltake also demonstrated a dual-case system with a 540 mm (3x 180 mm) radiator, simply because it doesn't fit in a single case. When we asked Thermaltake why it made a 540 mm radiator despite it not fitting in any cases, the answer was something along the lines of "just because." "We created the problem [a 540 mm radiator] so we made the solution [the Core X-series]," Shannon Robb said with a big smile on his face.
You don't necessarily need to get multiple cases though, because as we mentioned, they are already enormous. These cases aren't intended for those of us looking for a sleek case that we seal. It's for those of us who constantly tinker with our systems and want to maximize the room to do so. It's been a long time since we saw a case this flexible, and while it might not be the most sensible case, it doesn't matter, because that's not what this case is about.
If you're interested in the Core X-series cases but not sure whether your existing hardware will fit, we'd like to reassure you that it probably will, one way or another. Pricing for the cases isn't bad at all either. The largest Core X9 carries an MSRP of $169, while the smallest case, the Core X1, will go for $99, and the Micro-ATX Core X2 will go for $139.
Follow Niels Broekhuijsen @NBroekhuijsen. Follow us @tomshardware, on Facebook and on Google+.
