INTRODUCTION

   PC cases based on tempered glass panels and RGB fans may not be meant for every consumer out there but they are currently enjoying high popularity levels (especially among gamers) so it's no surprise that in less than 2 years since their appearance many of the leading manufacturers have already released a large number of those in the market. Now the good news is that although at first such models did cost quite a bit today there are many reasonably priced ones in the market and although such cases usually only feature but a single tempered glass panel, they are still much nicer looking (not to mention of higher quality) compared to models with acrylic side windows/panels. Thermaltake probably has the largest selection of tempered glass RGB illuminated PC cases in the world currently and today we'll be taking a look at yet another from the recently introduced ones, the V200 TG RGB Mid Tower model.

   The beginning of every myth and legend is about dreams and desire: the challenging, creative and combative features of Thermaltake Group create an exciting and fascinating user experience to share with everyone, while allowing users to enter a selfless state in terms of function and potential. Thermaltake Group's 3 main brands: Thermaltake, Tt eSPORTS and LUXA2 have been merchandising throughout the world, and have successfully established 6 business footholds in areas such as Europe, America, Oceania, Japan and China, with 95 regional distributors and over 4000 premium retailers. All product planning is orientated by observation of global PC peripheral market and understanding of consumer demands. Thermaltake creates direct contact opportunities with resellers and consumers by participating major global ICT exhibitions and trade shows every year, and develop innovative marketing strategies for the promotions of new products. Meanwhile, Thermaltake incorporates the composite marketing system by making branch offices and regional distributors both the distribution channel and technical support or service center to provide instant support; by maintaining close contact with end users, we manage to strengthen corporate competitiveness and create the momentum for the growth of accomplishments. With its outstanding wisdom and strength Thermaltake Group is recruiting creative talents to build a cultural brand for the enjoyment of entertainment, e-Sports, technology and lifestyle!

   Just like the Versa J4 TG RGB model which we reviewed a while back the V200 TG RGB Mid Tower by Thermaltake is also available in a non-RGB version (plain V200 TG) for consumers who care not about RGB and are looking to shave off a few bucks. In terms of looks the V200 TG RGB features a 4mm thick tempered glass side panel, acrylic front fascia and three pre-installed 12V 120mm RGB fans (1000RPM/16dBA/4 Basic Manual Lighting Modes - compatible with Asus AURA Sync, Gigabyte RGB Fusion, MSI Mystic Light, ASRock RGB LED and Biostar Vivid LED DJ sync-enabled mainboards) so it's quite impressive. Thermaltake has also equipped the V200 TG RGB with a steel PSU shroud/cover and enough room for two 3.5" and three 2.5" drives, 6 fans (6x120 or 5x140mm) and/or a single front radiator (240/280), top magnetic air-filter, removable bottom air-filter, 160mm tall CPU coolers, 170mm long power supply units and 380mm long graphics cards.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

The V200 TG RGB is packed inside a plain cardboard box that has a product drawing at the front right next to the model version selection.

Printed on the right of the box is the specifications table whereas on the left side we find the main product features in 12 languages.

Two Styrofoam spacers and a plastic bag keep the V200 TG RGB secure during transport.

Along with the V200 TG RGB Mid Tower you are also getting 3 cable ties, 8 HDD mounting screws and a small plastic bag with several screws and standoffs.

THE V200 TG RGB EXTERIOR

The 7.1Kg heavy V200 TGB RGB Mid Tower measures 446mm in height, 439mm in depth/length and 204mm in width and is quite good looking if i might add.

A 4mm thick tempered glass panel held in place via thumbscrews is located on the left side of the case.

At the front Thermaltake decided to go with an acrylic fascia which looks ok i guess (still a tempered glass fascia would look a lot better).

As usual you can remove the fascia by pulling it outwards to access the three 12V 120mm intake fans.

The I/O is located just over the fascia and it includes the on/off, reset and RGB mode buttons, power/HDD activity LEDs, 2 USB 2.0 ports, USB 3.0 port and the typical microphone and headphones 3.5mm ports.

At the top we find a removable magnetic air-filter placed right over the fan area (up to 3x120mm or 2x140mm fans).

Turning the tower around we see a "plain" 120mm exhaust fan, 7 PCI expansion slots and the PSU area.

The V200 TG RGB sits on four tall round feet and has a slide in/out air-filter right beneath the PSU area.

THE V200 TG RGB INTERIOR

Compared to the Versa J24 TG RGB the interior of the V200 TG RGB looks quite a bit roomier.

There's enough room at the front of the case for 240/280 radiators (unfortunately because of the 3.5" drive area you can mount 360mm ones) regardless of thickness (that however will depend on the graphics card you will use).

The PSU shroud/cover has 4 openings for cable routing, one large opening at the front (to showcase your PSU model) and a large one at the front right over the 3.5" drive area.

There are 7 openings on the mainboard tray for cable routing, one large cut out beneath the CPU area and three vertical 2.5" mounting spots on the far right (it may seem as 4 but it's actually 3).

Moving at the rear of the mainboard tray we find the RGB switch board for the fans, two 3.5" drive slots and the PSU area.

BUILDING THE SYSTEM

As always, the purpose of this section is not to build a functional system but rather to showcase what you can expect from the case at hand in terms of interior space.

The 3.5" drive area doesn't feature trays so you just have to slide your drive inside.

With enough room for up to 170mm long power supply units you should have no problem installing up to 1KW models.

As you can see even after mounting a ATX sized mainboard all of the surrounding holes used for cable routing are accessible.

If you decide not to use the bottom 3.5" drive slots you can actually install a very thick 360mm radiator at the front (however you will not be able to secure all screws).

Just like with the Versa J24 TG RGB unlike what Thermaltake states on the specifications sheet the V200 TG RGB also has enough space at the top to mount a 240mm radiator with fans (just not a thick one).

Let's not forget that you can also mount CPU Air Coolers up to 160mm in height.

Without a front radiator the V200 TG RGB has enough room for 380mm long graphics cards but even if you do decide to mount a very thick one you still have around 310-320mm left.

NOISE LEVEL TEST

After giving it much thought we decided on performing noise tests with each PC Case we receive by placing our ExTech HD600 vertically on top of each case to measure the noise levels emanating from the pre-installed fans at both 50% and 100% with the help of a fan controller (if the case doesn't have one, we use our own).

CONCLUSION

   It's somewhat clear from today's review of the V200 TG RGB Mid Tower that it has quite a few similarities with the Versa J24 TG RGB with one however very important difference, it's slightly larger. Sure, to many people this may actually not be a big deal but if you're looking for a spacious mid tower to fit all your hardware components (new or old) every bit of extra space helps and the V200 TG RGB clearly has that advantage. On top of that add the acrylic fascia from where you can clearly see all three 12V RGB fans in all their glory and the V200 TG RGB also leads in terms of looks. Still although larger the V200 TG RGB doesn't have a removable drive cage which in turn means that you can't add a 360mm radiator at the front (at least not the way you would if you could remove the drive cage) and that for some people could be a deal breaker. On the bright side as mentioned above the V200 TG RGB is a spacious mid tower which means you can outfit it with up to 5 drives (3.5/2.5"), 6 fans (6x120 or 5x140mm), 2 radiators (240/280), 160mm tall CPU coolers, 170mm long power supply units and 380mm long graphics cards.

   Currently the V200 TG RGB Mid Tower by Thermaltake retails for just USD74.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for just 76Euros inside the EU (Amazon.co.uk) a price tag which is quite competitive. This of course also means that we’d probably choose the V200 TG RGB over the previously reviewed Versa J24 TG RGB but that comes down to personal preference. Leaving out the radiator compatibility of the top and front mounts the V200 TG RGB delivers everything consumers on tight budgets would look for in a mid tower and for that it gets our Golden Award.

PROS

- Overall Build Quality
- 4mm Tempered Glass Side Panel / Acrylic Fascia
- Interior Space (380mm GPUs/160mm CPU Coolers/170mm PSU’s)
- Room For Up To 6 Fans (120/140mm) Or 2 Radiators (240/280mm)
- PSU Area Shroud/Cover
- Top/Bottom Removable Air Filters
- 4 Preinstalled 120mm Fans (1x120mm / 3x120mm 12V RGB Software Controlled)
- RGB Switch Board (Available Modes)
- Price (For Some)

CONS

- Top & Front Radiator Area Compatibility