A Closer Look - Outside

Thermaltake has previously released the A500, which comes with an aluminium outer shell and a few more visual and functional features. The S500 TG is a more affordable version utilizing steel for the exterior panels. While this makes the chassis a bit heavy, the visual result is just as great. So from a purely visual perspective, the S500 TG is already a great, but more affordable alternative.


In the front, the solid panel is completely clean and just sports the Thermaltake logo on the bottom edge. In the rear, the layout is quite traditional, with the PSU bay on the bottom. That said, the S500 TG is rather tall due to the additional space above the motherboard area.


Thermaltake has included a slightly tinted glass panel on the main side of the chassis. While it is not quite as elaborately shaped and does not come with swing-open hinges as on the A500, it still looks extremely clean and goes well with the overall design. On the opposite side, the steel panel is completely solid and also held in place by traditional thumb screws.


One of the unique elements of the S500 TG is the ability to rotated the expansion slots to allow for vertical GPU installation. Naturally, the default setup offers eight slots, each of which is protected by reusable covers that are secured by thumb screws. You may rotate this assembly 90° by removing several screws and detaching the two pieces. The S500 TG may hold up to two vertical GPUs in this configuration. While all the metal mounting elements are present, the required PCIe ribbon cable is sold separately.


The PSU bay below comes with a frame that allows you to slide a unit in through the back of the case, while the very top is taken up by a 120 mm exhaust fan set to push air out the back of the chassis. You may adjust its height to perfectly align it with your motherboard as there are elongated mounting holes.


In the top, you will find four USB ports consisting of two 2.0 and two 3.0 variants. On the other side of the power button are the classic two audio connectors and a reset button. All ports are covered by rubber plugs to keep dust and grime out, which is a nice little touch. A large dust filter covers the entire underside of the Thermaltake S500 TG. It may be pulled out through the back for easy cleaning.