Thermaltake CTE T500 Air Snow Full Tower Case Review

How Much Does it Cost?

Honestly, I was expecting this case to cost around £200, maybe even a little more than that. However, much to my surprise, it’s actually just £129.98. Now, I know that’s not exactly spare change, but given how much inflation has gone up in the last few years, this case would have basically been £99.99 pre-covid, so really, it’s remarkable value given its size and features. Furthermore, there’s an ARGB version available and that’s only £20 more, so well done Thermaltake for nailing the price on this one.

• Thermaltake CTE T500 Air Snow Full Tower PC Case – £129.98
• Thermaltake CTE T500 Air Black Full Tower PC Case – £129.98
• Thermaltake CTE T500 TG ARGB Snow Full Tower PC Case – £149.99
• Thermaltake CTE T500 TG ARGB Black Full Tower PC Case – £149.99

Overview

The CTE form factor is a great concept, and while not an entirely new idea, it’s certainly building on a solid foundation. It’s a rotated motherboard design, and while that does look cool, there are clear advantages here. Having fans blowing directly to the CPU from the front or to the GPU from the rear makes sense. Having more fans in the bottom blowing up makes sense. Having heat exhaust out of the top, since heat rises anyway, that makes sense too. Plus, with up to 9 intake fans and 2 exhaust fans, getting a positive air pressure inside the case is easy.

There are dust filters throughout the case, all of the panels fit with satisfying precision, and anything you need to open, remove or move, can be done with thumbscrews and takes little effort, making generally using and maintaining your building the CTE T500 very easy, despite its feature-packed and somewhat unique layout.

The build quality is exceptional too, and there’s no doubt Thermaltake are using lots of thick steel in its constructions because it’s bloody heavy! It weighs over 15 kg before you put any hardware. If you’re putting large radiators in this, expect the build to be extremely heavy by the time you’re done. It’s got a reasonably small footprint too but does stand quite tall, so make sure you can accommodate 615 x 275 x 516 mm (WxHxD mm) and still have room for reasonable airflow on all sides of the case.

Should I Buy One?

The build quality, design, and hardware support in this case score top marks all-round. I’ve never seen cable routing that was so easy or so tidy, and there’s ample room for the latest and greatest hardware, massive fan or liquid cooling configurations, and still room left over. For those who want a build that can be put on show as well as be put to work, the Thermaltake CTE T500 is a real winner.