Early Verdict
The View 71 from Thermaltake offers unrivaled performance among glass-paneled cases, for users with the strength to lift it, the money to pay for it, and the patience to deal with its minor manufacturing flaws.
Pros
- +
Exceptionally low temperatures among glass-paneled cases
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Eight standard expansion slots
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Additional double-slot supported by optional riser cable
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Supports triple-fan radiators on top and front
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Effective dust filter placement on top, front, and bottom
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Hinged side panels help prevent dropped glass
Cons
- -
Top and front filters are a pain to install
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Bottom filter is rear-only accessible
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Minor flaws in panel peg placement and threading
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Weighs 42 pounds empty
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Features & Specifications
8/25/2017 Update: The value analysis in this article was updated to reflect a last minute price reduction by Thermaltake.
The market rush towards tempered glass cases often puts form ahead of function, with some models suffering dire thermal consequences after hours of heating up. But case designers also know that tempered glass does a good job of reflecting noise back into the case, and that good airflow can more than make up for the poor thermal properties of glass. The trick has always been figuring out how to configure the vents to achieve maximum airflow with minimum noise.
As we often see in the gaming case market, Thermaltake builds onto the outside of its 19” chassis to create full-tower external dimensions from mid-tower internals. Yet a 19”-tall chassis is really at the limit of what’s traditionally been labeled a mid-tower. The case does make some practical use of the extra height after all, placing just over 1.1” of fan space above its top-panel radiator mount, while still leaving 2.3” of space beneath that panel for a radiator and fans. If we look at a sandwiched radiator configuration as today’s alternative to a top-mounted drive rack, Thermaltake might have even earned its full-tower label. Or maybe we’re just being a little bit charitable.
Regardless of how Thermaltake reached the View 71 TG’s full-tower height, it certainly has full-size depth. Around 19.8” of internal depth makes enough space for an EATX motherboard and a drive rack in front of it and even a 42mm radiator in front of that. The included 140mm front fan is mounted between the front of the chassis and the front panel glass, inside the plastic fascia.
Front-panel connectors are located neither on the front or top panels, but on a corner filler section that goes between these facades. Two USB 3.0 ports, two USB 2.0 ports, headphone and microphone jacks are all tilted forward to ease access from under a desk. Oh, and if it’s not apparent, the white plastic edge of the power button lights up when the finished system is powered on.
The right panel is glass, just like the left, and both are hinged to ease access to internal components. This is particularly useful since both panels are extra heavy 5mm glass that would have easily been dropped, though if you need to remove the panels you can carefully lift them off their hinge pins. The only question the design left us with was where to hide our cables.
A full-length, slide-out filter covers the power supply inlet and a slotted bottom grill large enough to hold up to two 120mm fans if you’re power supply is short enough (up to around 7” with the second fan), or a single fan in various fore-to-aft positions. It’s not as convenient as a front-pull filter, however.
The front and top faces have filter sheets with magnetic surrounds and tabs. The magnets stick, which probably means there’s at least some metal within the plastic panels, but the tabs that are meant to prevent pealing also complicate installation. It took me at least three minutes to get the filter pictured above/left under its last three tabs without putting creases in the filter sheet.
With the outer panels removed, we can more easily see the front fan mounts, the top fan bracket, the two removable/repositionable hard drive cages, and the riser bracket designed for Thermaltake’s flexible PCIe x16 riser cable (not included).
Plastic trays within the drive cages are designed to hold both 3.5” and 2.5” drives, with the connectors facing out the opposite (motherboard tray) side.
Even without the riser cable, the View 71 TG has an eighth slot to support both XL-ATX motherboards and the installation of a double-slot graphics card in the bottom slot of an ATX motherboard. This is a key feature for buyers seeking the ultimate installation flexibility, and mandatory for those who want to run four large graphics cards within the motherboard’s slots.
Also visible from the rear ¾ angle are the View 71’s three dual-drive 2.5” trays and 1.5” recess for cable and drive clearance. Each metal tray alternatively supports a single 3.5” drive turned lengthwise, and a side-panel spacers extends total internal clearance to 1.75”.
Being slightly longer than the front-panel height, the top-panel radiator mount supports both 3x 120mm and 3x 140mm models. Four thumb screws provide easy removal, while open sides make it easier for builders of “fan sandwich” radiator configurations to place cables.
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