Element V Elements
Several large holes allow easy ingress and egress for hiding power cables behind the motherboard tray, while the largest of these holes permits access to CPU-cooler support plates without removing the motherboard. A variety of threaded standoff holes are also available to rigidly support motherboards up to the Extended ATX form factor.
A total of 11 5.25” external bays are reduced to five through the placement of three triple-drive racks and triple-bay cover panels. Anyone who really wants an extra three (or six) external bays could remove these parts without modifying the case.
Thermaltake’s hard drive cages are designed for optimal airflow, rather than the greatest number of drives, supporting only three 3.5” drives in three 5.25” bays. Anyone who wants to add even more drives can find four-drive horizontal backplanes that fit within the same three-bay space, but smooth-sided five-drive vertical backplanes won’t fit due to tabs that separate each of the case’s half-height bays.
Our biggest concern for long-term use is Thermaltake’s unique side fan, which is wired directly to a set of spring-loaded contacts. Replacements are only available from Thermaltake, which is why we wish there had been a three-pin connector between the contact pad and fan cable.
