Review: Thermaltake Element Q Mini ITX Case

[Oneslowz28]

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[drupal=502]Review: Thermaltake Element Q Mini ITX Case[/drupal]

By: Charles Gantt ( Oneslowz28 )

PCs are getting smaller every day. Take for example Nvidia

[x88x]

Looks like a nice little case. It's great to see more manufacturers making tiny miniITX cases with a full 5.25" bay...makes it a lot cheaper to add in an ODD.

Is the PSU a standard mATX size PSU? It looks like it from the pics, but I can't tell for sure.

In terms of materials quality, how would you rate this in relation to, say, a Cooler Master or Antec? I haven't paid much attention to Tt's cases recently, so idk if this was a fluke or not, but I was rather disappointed with the material quality of the V9 that I picked up recently..thin metal, sharp edges, and whatnot. It was put together well though, which is more than I can say for some cases I've had..

EDIT:
Also, lol at the single zip tie.

[Oneslowz28]

Well the front is plastic but it feels very solid. The weak point would be the little fold down flap that covers the front I/O.

The frame is stiff and does not flex at all unless I try to twist it which would not be a normal force the case would see.

This is the first SFF case I have had my hands on so I can not compare it to any other SFF cases but in relation to the mid towers and full towers I own its about as solid as it can be. My Cooler Master Storm Sniper is a very sturdy case with no sharp edges or cheap flimsy plastic and the Element Q feels just as sturdy. There are a few sharp edges around things like the support tabs that the ODD and 3.5" drive rest on. Another one would be where the 5.25" bay opening is stamped out.

If I were in the market for an Atom or Ion based system I would not hesitate to buy this case.

The V series cases from TT are pretty low budget cases and their quality reflects that. Could they be better? IMO they could. We have reviewed the entire line of Element cases from TT and they all seem to be high quality. Even the low end one (Element T) got a good review from SoC. I have the new Armor A90 on my bench now and it is a very well made case. No sharp edges, solid feel and even a metal on metal hinged door. The last TT case I have is the Armor + I am using in my CoD MW2 mod. It was so well built that it took me 15 minutes to drill out all the rivets and even then I missed a few.

IMO Thermaltake, Cooler Master, and NZXT are leading the pack with pre modded cases. Of course we have not had an antec, lian li or silverstone on our workbench yet. Maybe they will see this and send us some.

[x88x]

Ok, good to know. For some reason I was thinking the V9 was one of their better cases (it does retail for $120, after all...no way would I pay that much for it, but hey)...putting that in proper perspective gives me a lot more faith in their other cases.

[tlmaclennan]

It's almost the exact same as the Apex MI-008 and MI-100 cases with the exception of the PSU manufacturer and front face plate.

I think the Apex MI-008 has a better looking face plate, this one is a bit ugly.

[BASINAR]

I just bought the Element Q case, and while I liked your review, I'm really disappointed with the case, for the following reasons:

1) It's heavy
2) My CPU fan makes it impossible to mount the PSU
3) The HDD installed horizontally bumps into the CPU fan
4) There is wasted space where there should be another drive bay

Granted, I opted for an Intel duo core on a Zotac board instead of the crappy atom board with the substandard cooler, but come on! Another 1/2" of height and length, or a reconfigureable drive bay would have solved this problem. As it is, I'm going to have to drill off the rivets, cut and bend the sheet metal, and modify the entire case.

If they wanted to make the case smaller they should have omitted the 5 1/4" bay, since optical drives are so last century. I'd also suggest going to a laptop style brick PSU instead of the massive one installed - this approach is standard in many other mini boxes.

Next time I'll get some lucite, 4 bolts and some spacers and build my own.

[Oneslowz28]

I do not see those as cons because Thermaltake clearly states on their site that this is case was designed for the Atom and Ion platforms which both use very small cpu coolers. They included the 5.25" bay for those of us who will use it for a HTPC and wish to go with a Blu-ray drive which you can not get in a slim drive other than some expensive laptop drives

There are a number of low profile coolers that might make your board work though. Check out some of the coolers designed for blade style server boards.