Final Thoughts
Price
The Thermaltake Core X31 is available from most major retailers for +/- £5 from £100, which isn’t cheap, but given the durable build quality and level of features on offer, it’s certainly competitive for those looking to build a high-end workstation or gaming system.
Overview
Thermaltake haven’t exactly pushed the level of innovation with their X31, but then again, they don’t really have to. The design is familiar to those who’ve seen any of the other modern Core series of chassis, with its boxy exterior, straight edges, and industrial-looking front panel design. Throughout the range, you’ll see the same finish, albeit in a range of sizes to suit different types of builds. I don’t mind this, it means that you can stick with the design you love and keep your builds looking uniform easily enough.
The industrial design is partly a style choice for this chassis, but it’s also a byproduct of practicality. The huge and rather flat looking front panel is mostly ventilation, allowing for uncompromising airflow to the extensive fan and radiator mounts that reside behind it and its dust filter. The same goes for the top, bottom and rear of the chassis, which have as many cooling mounts as is physically possible for a chassis of this size. If you’re looking to install an extreme workstation or gaming rig, where massive amounts of radiators or fans are preferred to keep everything running ice cold, then this is certainly the way to go.
Hardware compatibility is just as high as cooling support too, with room for huge graphics cards, ATX motherboards, plenty of storage and more. What I do love is that you can mount the 3.5″ drives behind the motherboard, keeping them out of sight and freeing up more room for radiators and longer expansion cards. There’s also some 2.5″ mounts on the PSU shroud, which is great for displaying them, and the shroud does a great job of improving cable management and keeping the build looking clean.
Build quality is rock solid too, so even if you’re loading thick radiators in, I wouldn’t be concerned about structural integrity here. Sure the design is a little bland on the exterior, but it’s practical and with that huge side panel window, it’s what you fit on the inside that is really going to stand out here, giving you a huge display case to show off your new water cooling, graphics cards, SSDs and more.
Pros
- Durable build quality
- Huge amounts of airflow
- Extensive fan/radiator support
- Removable HDD bay/ODD bay/PSU Shroud
- Huge and clear side panel window
- Flawless cable management
- 2.5″ drive mounts on PSU shroud
- 3.5″ drive mounts behind motherboard
- Dust filters on front, top and bottom of chassis
Cons
- None
Neutral
- The exterior design is a little bland, but it is very practical
“The Thermaltake Core X31 is one of the most capable chassis in its class, ideal for a modest gaming rig right up to an enthusiast-grade extreme gaming PC or workstation. It may not have the most exciting design in the world, but it’ll still look great at home or even in the office.”
