Thermaltake Core P5 Wall-Mounted ATX Chassis Review @ [H]

FrgMstr

Just Plain Mean
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Thermaltake Core P5 Wall-Mounted ATX Chassis Review - The main element that Thermaltake wants you to be able to accomplish with it new Core P5 Chassis, is for you to be able to show off your awesome PC system configuration that you have spent weeks working on so that it is near-perfect. While the P5 checks off more feature boxes than that, it surely does a good job of showing off your rig.
 
Slightly disappointing but I suppose that is to be expected from an open air case with a distinct lack of airflow.
 
I saw one pretty slick build in it the other day. It does look cool...but I bet it'll need constant cleaning.

Would be interesting to see a smaller one, like an ITX version.
 
Good looking case, and for specialized hardware, the cost isn't that bad. Disappointing re the lack of simple adapting brackets, as that seems like it would be VERY cheap to offer and a good gesture towards customer support.
 
I saw one pretty slick build in it the other day. It does look cool...but I bet it'll need constant cleaning.

Would be interesting to see a smaller one, like an ITX version.

Lian-Li made a similar but smaller (ITX) wall-mountable, glass-sided case (it looks quite a bit different) called the PC-O5. I think they might be discontinued but you might be able to get one somewhere.
 
Pretty cool case! Open air wouldn't fly in my house but pretty cool! I like the PCIe riser option for upright video card mounting.
 
Its an amazing case I'll say, I'm really in love with mine: [/URL]

Awesome build! That is just the type of system we had in mind when we said:

The Thermaltake Core P5 is a very unique case that gives the end user a great opportunity to flaunt their system building prowess. This chassis truly is a showstopper that turns your PC into a conversation piece and any work space into a showcase for your system build.
 
Lian-Li made a similar but smaller (ITX) wall-mountable, glass-sided case (it looks quite a bit different) called the PC-O5. I think they might be discontinued but you might be able to get one somewhere.

Ooh, I had no idea. Well if Lian-li has cases shaped like boats, then they most likely have those. ;)
 
Way to expensive for my tastes, but that bracket cable combination turning the graphics card sideways made me do a triple take, it looks so strange / different placed that way. If that cable works, why aren't other case manufactures using it? I can easily see better case layouts for micro itx systems using a cable like that.
 
An interesting concept, but I'm not sure the coolness factor offsets the extra effort involved in assembly/swapping parts. Not sure I'd want to remove from the wall every time to do proper cable routing for a new component, or installing a new cooler bracket.

Also, I'd think a cat would be looking every which way to exterminate those open fans with extreme prejudice.

Nice review, in any case (pun fully intended).
 
More of a rack, less of a case.

Niche audience with no pets, small children, or dust.
 
More of a rack, less of a case.

Niche audience with no pets, small children, or dust.

Cases really don't stop pets, small children, or dust.....it just hides the truth on the inside. Sorta like a heartless person who only sees the negative of things.
 
Say, is that a Dell 21+30+21 PLP setup?

What monitor arms are you using (links?)? They look awesome.

yeah it is but the 30" is a crossover not a dell, the 2 20" dell are on some arms I bought few yers ago on amazon, they don't really have a brand, and the 30" is also on a no brand slim wall support, that I bought from amazon.
 
Excellent article as usual. Throughout I was looking for you to cover the issue of mounting on the wall. And then you did it in the conclusion. Tease! :D Seriously, though, this does not seem to be a major failing of the case - you don't expect your TV to come with a wall-mounting unit, do you? I would have liked you to go into slightly further detail on this - is that a VESA mount on the back, for instance?

The position of the USB ports and power and reset buttons seems a little dubious to me. While they're in the standard place for a standard tower system, they seem awkwardly placed for something that's put on a wall. Would the front USB ports not be better placed on the bottom facing down? And the power and reset buttons better placed in the bottom right corner?
 
I saw this case at Fry's the other day. Dust is not a problem, just haul it into the backyard once in a while and hose it off with the shop vac, but that Ribbon video card thing... I don't know.
 
Cases really don't stop pets, small children, or dust.....it just hides the truth on the inside. Sorta like a heartless person who only sees the negative of things.

Dust can be managed with good magnetic filters, as the happy owner of 2 25lb fluffy cats, 1 85lb dog and another 67lb dog. I have a range of dust mitigation strategies and hardware but for keeping the crap out of towers filters have worked well.
 
You know, every time I see a Tt case now, I see another nod to CaseLabs, which is a good thing. This time around, no rivets and flat-packing the case.
 
I prefer my builds perfectly silent, and tucked away under a desk where they can't be seen.

IMHO, the important part is what's displayed on the screen. I have no need or desire to show off the hardware.
 
I saw this case at Fry's the other day. Dust is not a problem, just haul it into the backyard once in a while and hose it off with the shop vac, but that Ribbon video card thing... I don't know.

That ribbon cable concerns me as well, its what stopped me from buying. I wish the review touched on it more.
 
That ribbon cable concerns me as well, its what stopped me from buying. I wish the review touched on it more.

I'v been using mine since December and so far no issues whatsoever, it works as intended, even tho that assembling the card support can be confusing and a bit annoying but after its put together works fine.
 
make a case similar to this without the 90° expansion slots+breakout cable, and i'd be down for this.
 
make a case similar to this without the 90° expansion slots+breakout cable, and i'd be down for this.

I thought it was up to the user to mount it with or without the cable.

Did I misread that?
 
What concerns do you have about the PCI-e X16 3.0 riser cable?

Personally I'd probably opt to not use it.

I've played around with flexible risers in the past, and I have found them to typically be a bit unreliable. The stiff, straight or 90 degree risers tend to be pretty good, but the flexible ones have caused me problems in the past.

Then again, this might just be because of the difficulty of finding well made ones. The market for flexible risers is flooded with cheap untested china junk, and it is very difficult to tell which ones are high quality and which ones are garbage.

One might have better results with a riser coming from a company like Thermaltake. I mean, they probably still source it from a third party, but at least they are likely to have done some quality testing on it, unlike the stuff you find separately online.
 
OK, so don't use it. I have never seen options become a negative about a product.
 
Zarathustra[H];1042131157 said:
Wasn't planning on it :p

Steve asked what the concerns might be, so I opined :p

I was not really talking to you, but rather the guy above that said that is the reason he did not buy the case. That just seems crazy to me.
 
Cases really don't stop pets, small children, or dust.....it just hides the truth on the inside. Sorta like a heartless person who only sees the negative of things.

You must not have pets or small children, they are infinitely resourceful.

A little child cannot stick his/her finger inside a solid case.
My cat or dog cannot get a paw inside a solid case.

These things are pretty self-evident.

The thing is pretty to look at when done up right, but not practical under the above circumstances unless in a private room where said individuals/animals have no access.

I have a heart....which is my concern for those who could stick an appendage into the side of this open "case".
 
You must not have pets or small children, they are infinitely resourceful.

A little child cannot stick his/her finger inside a solid case.
My cat or dog cannot get a paw inside a solid case.

These things are pretty self-evident.

The thing is pretty to look at when done up right, but not practical under the above circumstances unless in a private room where said individuals/animals have no access.

I have a heart....which is my concern for those who could stick an appendage into the side of this open "case".

You could mount it high enough on the wall that children/pets would have a difficult time reaching it!
 
Zarathustra[H];1042131478 said:
You could mount it high enough on the wall that children/pets would have a difficult time reaching it!

Yup.

You have a cat? They can defy gravity.:eek::eek: If they want something, they will get it.
Similar to most three year olds.

You mount it high enough on the wall some dumb-ass adult will stick their finger in where it doesn't belong......
 
yea ya think by now someone would sell a round ribbon cable for that purpose...i guess its easier said than done
 
Zarathustra[H];1042131478 said:
You could mount it high enough on the wall that children/pets would have a difficult time reaching it!

i-beg-to-differ-cat.jpg
 
Thanks for the review. This was posted just after I had ordered mine. I haven't had any issues with component temperatures. The radiator fans move quite a bit of air around the case. PCH temps stay around 40C, MB 31C, GPU VRMs 35C. I was planning to take some spot temps on low fan settings.

I really liked all the extra space in the back of the panel. Really no complaints. It was a fun build. The water pump/reservoir plate sags a little bit. I also found a good place to mount my bay-style fan controller, which you can see below.

Here's my build, "Formula Won", to go with the racing sim setup I built a few weeks back. :)

  • 6700k @ 4.7ghz
  • Gigabyte Gaming 7 Z170
  • G.Skill CAS 16 DDR4 3200mhz - 16GB
  • Samsung 950 Pro M.2 drive - 512GB
  • EVGA 780Ti Kingpin - 1400mhz
  • Thermaltake Core P5 Case
  • Various water cooling parts


Finished_zpspzxrasb5.jpg


FinalTop_zpsd28ud76q.jpg


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RearPanelWireMgmt_zpsioc1dbnu.jpg


Sunlit_zpsvzwfeu00.jpg


Faceless_zps6b7j7w2u.jpg


Installed_zpsoj1oypjo.jpg
 
Getting ready to start a new liquid cooled build using the P5. Since I have never used hard acrylic tubing before I did a 3D render in Google SketchUp to get a better idea of how things would be installed, and what kind of bends I will need to do. Figured I would share the 3D model I made, in case it can be of use to anyone else. No guarantees that it is 100% accurate, but the primary dimensions were taken from the case I have, helped me lay everything out correctly.

Thermaltake Core P5 Open Air PC Case (Google SketchUp File)
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Still deciding on a few components, and acrylic lighting methods. Testing both RGB LED light strips and EL Wire at the moment, along with different acrylic panel options. Here is an idea of what my tubing will look like.

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Until I get started on the actual build log, here is a short video showing the 3D render from a few different angles.

Project Open Core - Thermaltake P5 Build (SketchUp Render)


[VIDEO][/VIDEO]


For those that have done hardline bends, do any of the ones I am showing look too difficult to pull off? Thanks.
 
I picked up this case as well and am in the process of doing a build with it. Here are some random pics as I'm playing around with it:

build-01.JPG


build-02.JPG


build-03.JPG


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build-05.JPG


build-06.JPG


office-02.JPG


office-03.JPG


I'll be using all EK blocks. Swapping the HERO for an EXTREME as I need to be able to drop in a 10G NIC. Reason the HERO won't work is that I'm adding a 2nd Strix 980 Ti OC GAMING. :)
 
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