A Closer Look - Outside

Thermaltake hase placed protective material on all shiny plastic parts of the V3 Black. The case itself makes a good but somewhat too compact impression. This may limit you in your choice of CPU coolers for example. The paint job is very good and the case does feel sturdy enough for daily use. It does not compare to the construction quality of more expensive units, but does not seem to cut corners as was the case with the WingRS 301.


The front of the V3 Black is visually divided into two areas - the drive bays and the air vent for the front intake fan. Thermaltake has opted for a metal mesh to cover both areas. In the middle you will find a power and reset button on the right along with a pair of USB 2.0 and the usual audio connectivity. There is no eSATA or Firewire port anywhere in sight. Turning the case around, it becomes apparent as to how compact the V3 really is. The rear exaust fan - which is the only unit to ship with the case - fills the entire width of the chassis. This means that 120 mm tower coolers will not fit inside the V3 Black and there is no use in trying. Thermaltake has painted the interior of the chassis black as well which is certainly a nice touch for a 39 US Dollar unit.


You will find a window shaped in a "fat S" on the one side of the chassis. This window has been placed in the top left corner, so you should be able to see a bit of the mainboard and CPU area through it. An air vent below it allows for fresh air to reach the expansion bays. Turning it around, we find a solid side panel with no openings at all.


Thermaltake has created two openings for fans on the case ceiling. The spacing should allow you to install a dual radiator right there or simply fill them with a pair of 120 mm fans.


Taking a closer look at the front, one can clearly see, that the bottom air intake structure is reinforced with a plastic web behind the metal mesh. Thermaltake does not ship the V3 Black with a cooling unit in this area, but you may place a 120 mm fan there if you wish. You may install a 3.5 inch device right below the case I/O and there are four 5.25 inch drive bays at your disposal.


In the rear we the PSU bay on the bottom, which is another nice touch for such an affordable case. Above that are the seven expansion slots. Thermaltake has placed removable covers on the top and bottom slots, while the rest are of the break out type. As you can see, due to the compact size of the chassis, the cards have to be secured on the outside of the case. On top is the fan I mentioned before. Below it are two openings to pass water cooling tubes through, but Thermaltake does not ship any rubber rings to cover the sharp edges. Another punch out is intended for a serial port or any other connector of that shape.