Value and Conclusion
- The Thermaltake Commander MS-I with USB 3.0 sells for 37 Euro incl. taxes or 50 US Dollar excluding taxes.
- USB 3.0 connectivity
- Cool and detailed design
- Real 3.5 inch bay
- Excellent, solid front for the price
- LED equipped fan in the rear
- Tool-less on three HDD and two ODD bays
- Simple cable management possibilities
- Bottom mounted PSU
- Completely detachable case front
- All black internals
- 2.5 inch bay on the floor
- Dust filter for the PSU bay
- Big CPU coolers like the Super Mega fits
- Locking bar for expansion cards holds surprisingly well
- The USB 2.0 version costs just as much and thus will not sell
- Plastic locks do not hold too well
- Top vents not usable for a radiator
- Bottom air vent has no dust filter
- No space behind the mainboard tray for easy cable hiding/management
- USB 3.0 with external connector
The Thermaltake Commander MS-I chassis is the perfect example of how small things in cases could make all the difference. If you look at the USB 2.0 version, then the market offers many other enclosures from various manufacturers which tend to offer the same or better level of quality and at least an identical feature set at the same price point. One such example is the AeroCool XWarrior Red Devil Edition which offers a red interior, cool looks and more fans for example. In such a scenario, the Commander MS-I USB 2.0 will not be the first choice of the vast majority and some may end up spending a few Euro or Dollars more to get more bang for their buck.
Now let us add the Commander MS-I with USB 3.0 to the mix. Suddenly the pool of comparable cases with USB 3.0 at this price point shrinks down to a handful and the Commander MS-I USB 3.0 leads the pack in terms of price. So the result should be obvious: with cases in this price class, looks and a basic compatibility with the hardware are the two most important aspects, add the requirement of USB 3.0 and the Commander MS-I is a solid and most affordable choice. If all you need is a USB 2.0 equipped chassis, then you should take a good hard look at what else there is out there - unless you fell for the design of Commander MS-I USB 2.0.
*These Awards are only for the Commander MS-I USB 3.0! *NOT* for the USB 2.0 version