A Closer Look - Outside

Out of the box, the Thermaltake S100 TG looks very much like its larger brother from a general design perspective. It comes with the same type of black-framed and hinged glass side panel and black dust filter on top, but upon closer inspection, there are some subtle differences as well. The paint job seems to be a slightly colder white than on the S300 TG, but this could be my brain playing tricks on me.


The steel front no longer covers the whole front all the way, which included the feet with the S300 TG. Instead, there is now a little air gap on the bottom edge. You may remove the front, which reveals fan placements for two 200 or three 120/140 mm fans, a similar setup as its bigger brethren. In the rear, things are laid out as you would expect from a modern mATX enclosure with the PSU bay on the bottom.


Looking at the main side panel, the glass is shaped quite nicely, with two extended bits on the front edge, which is where Thermaltake placed two fairly strong magnets to keep the panel shut. If you look closely, you will find a tiny, deliberate dent in the side mesh of the front panel to make grabbing the glass panel easier, which is quite the nice little touch. On the opposite side is just a solid metal panel, so the S100 TG lacks the more intricate layout of the S300 TG.


In the rear, the PSU bay comes with two sets of mounting holes, so you may install your PSU any way you like. Above that, you will find the standard four expansion slots. Thermaltake chose not to use black metal-mesh covers, instead opting for break-out ones in white. While this is unfortunate and a slight deviation from what we have seen with other S series cases, it is alleviated by the inclusion of two separate covers in the accessories bag. In the very top is a black 120 mm fan set to push hot air out the back of the chassis. Just like the S300 TG, this is the only included active cooling unit.


In the top is another air vent that is covered by a magnetic dust filter. Here, you may install two 120/140 mm or a single 200 mm fan. For those wanting to install a radiator, this area can take a 280 mm radiator without issue. In the front of the top, you will find the usual power, reset, and audio I/O alongside one USB 3.0 and two 2.0 ports. I would have liked two USB 3.0 ports and no more of the aging USB 2.0 instead. Once again, there is a slight difference in the design, with square buttons and the lack of rubber grommets.


A basic mesh dust filter covers the underside of the Thermaltake S100 TG to keep any bigger dust particles out of your case, and, in turn, the PSU as well.