A Closer Look - Inside

Upon removing the side panel, I have placed it on the flat floor. Note that one corner is raised by about one centimeter. It looks like the side panel construction is mediocre at best, as there seems to be an uneven strain on it.


Before going further, I just want to show you why the side panel did not fit well on the chassis. It seems like Thermaltake cut corners - literally speaking - when it comes to the case construction. Both rear support beams have a cut in them right below the case ceiling. As you can clearly see these are not nearly strong enough to support any additional pressure on the case. Why Thermaltake is not securing this area of the case with a proper corner piece is beyond me. In fact, they have done so on case flooring. This chassis is starting to remind me of a very cheap OEM case. The kind you get on Ebay for 20 Euros - with a cheap power supply.


Well then, let us continue to take a look at the interior. Thermaltake has opted for a two part mainboard support instead of a full tray. This still allows you to install normal mATX and ATX boards, but further reduces cost and case stability. Once again, this is nothing other reputable case manufacturers do at this price range.


Upon closer inspection, I actually found the one thumb screw. It was floating around in the front area of the chassis. Do not ask me how it managed to unscrew itself, fall into the case and get lodged in this area. Another downside of the chassis are the used mainboard spacers in form of small bumps on the mainboard support beams of the chassis. While these do work, they may also cause shorts with boards which have longer metal leads coming out of the rear of the board. Such bumps are generally found on cheap OEM cases which system builders use for their standard PCs. I would suggest taping each of these bumps off first, as I know from my extensive experience as a system builder in various companies, that such bumps tend to cause problems from time to time.


Every drive bay has a cheap plastic lock, which aims to hold the respective hard drive or optical drive in place. These are made of cheap black plastic, so I am quite sceptical if they work properly. Also noteworthy are the two external 3.5 inch bays, of which only one is accessible on the outside. This is another hint, that Thermaltake has only designed the outside of the WingRS 301 and has chosen an OEM design for the interior.


Turning our focus around the back, the seven expansion slots along with the external locking mechanism are nothing out of the ordinary. Above that you will find a single 120 mm exhaust fan. It is not directly secured by the four screws. These just hold a tray in place, in which the fan has been inserted. I have no idea why Thermaltake has done this. It only adds to the total cost of the chassis. Once again, the focus seems to be a bit off. The power supply bay has not special features as mentioned before. I find it important to note that all of these area have sharp edges. So you have to watch your fingers when installing parts and reaching through any of these openings.


You may remove the entire front with a firm tug. One of the 3.5 inch bays is inaccessible from the outside. Looking at the bare front, we see that the top, external 3.5 inch bay is covered by the I/O of the chassis. All the cables to connect the power, reset and LEDs, as well as the front I/O with the usual cables. One noteworthy difference is the grey audio cable. Sure, it is probably cheaper and works just as well as any other cable, but boy - does it look ugly.