Thermaltake Core G21 Chassis Review

Final Thoughts

Price

The Thermaltake G21 Dual Tempered Glass Mid-Tower Chassis is available from all the usual big name retailers. Right now it’s just $69.99 on Amazon.com and here in the UK you can pick it up for just £67.99 at Scan.co.uk. That’s incredible value for money for a dual tempered glass equipped chassis. Keep in mind it does only have a single 120mm fan installed. However, those planning a high-end build are more likely to want to install their own aftermarket fans. Not keep the more affordable stock models that often come pre-installed.

Overview

This is a great looking chassis that is sure to compliment any high-end gaming PC build. There are some signs that it’s been designed to be a bit cheaper than most, but that’s certainly reflected in the price tag. There’s no shortage of similar chassis on the market, but often their price is closer to or over £100. Those wanting a chassis with this much tempered glass will struggle to find a better deal.

Build Quality

Some of the metal panels are a little thinner than I would like, but they’re far from being a problem. There are some rough edges to the design too, such as the top fan mount which looks a bit unsightly even with a dust filter installed, and not having it may have actually been better. The dust filters, in general, are super cheap too. Don’t get me wrong, they’ll get the job done, but the simple mesh inserts are an obvious cost saving on this chassis. What’s good is that any cheaper bits like the filters are out of sight and unlikely to ruin the aesthetics.

Cooling

This is pretty much a basic setup out of the box, with just a single extraction fan on the back. If you’re building a rig with a custom loop cooler or AIO cooler, then you’ll likely use the fans that are appropriate to that kit. Those upgrading their chassis will likely already have a few fans they want to use too, so this isn’t much of a problem. If you’re like me, you strip the stock fans anyway, so it’s fewer bits for me to remove. There room for a big radiator up front though, so you could easily get a CPU/GPU loop in here with ease.

Style

From the tempered glass side panels to the on-show 2.5″ and 3.5″ drive mounts, the G21 is all about showing what you’ve got. Your cable routing will need to be perfect or it will be an eyesore, but the chassis has enough routing holes and cable tie loops to help you achieve the clean look you desire with relative ease. Throw in some LED lighting and some sexy looking hardware, and you’ll have one of the best-looking builds in town, without spending big money on the chassis.

Pros

• Dual tempered glass side panels
• PSU shroud
• Good radiator support for front panel
• Good HDD mount placement
• Incredible value for money
• Dust filters
• Room for large expansion cards
• Easily support large air coolers

Cons

• Dust filters are the cheaper cut-mesh design
• Top fan mount looks a bit tacked on

Neutral

• Only one fan pre-installed