Interior
With all the side panels removed, you can see that the Core V1 is split into two main sections. The lower section is used for the PSU and some storage components, while the top section is used for the motherboard, graphics cards and cooling solutions.
The bottom section is quite large, which is great news for those wanting to use a longer PSU and it should also mean there’s space for extra routing excess cables.
There are two removable hard drive brackets on the Core V1, each with support for a single 2.5″ and a 3.5″ drive.
Each bracket is held in place by metal clips and a single screw.
There’s a 200mm fan pre-installed in the front, but you can easily remove it and use the universal elongated screw mounts for a 120/140mm fan or radiator.
With the bottom panel removed, you get easy access to the underside of the motherboard. This could prove very handy when trying to install your CPU cooler, routing cables or when modding the chassis.
Behind the front panel you’ll notice a tall cut-out on the left, this allows even more clearance for long graphics cards; every little helps.
As I said before, all of the external panels are removable and interchangeable, a nice beginner friendly mod to customise the chassis to your liking.
The front panel is fitted with a soft foam dust filter, so you’ll have to clean this out regularly with a soft brush to prevent dust build up.
I’ve been eyeing this little case for a HTPC/server, I just love it. My only gripe is I wish it had a 5.25″ slot option, even slimline would be ok, oh well for $40 what can ya say. I’ve also noticed the “big sister” to this case is a lot longer, but it does have a 5.25 slot even thought it is slightly *shorter* than this case. Bizarre.