As a graphic designer or a gamer, when it comes to upgrading a computer, a computer casing is one of the most important factors you consider. For office people, they don’t have to think about looking at a computer casing since they do not need multiple RAM slots or an extended graphic card.
However, for a heavy computer user like a gamer or graphic designer, you have to go for a case that accommodates your needs.
Of course, the casing you go for depends on the type of motherboard you are using, or you intend to buy.
Two recent computer cases that are gradually gaining popularity are Thermaltake Core P3 and Thermaltake Core P5. These two computer cases look quite similar, but they do have their differences.
We are going to review both the cases and later see how they compare and whom they suit. Let’s get started with the P3.
This computer case features a tempered glass that allows you to see all its components. With this casing, you can position it any way you like- vertically or horizontally, or even wall-mount it thanks to its tempered glass panel. However, the horizontal orientation may not work great as it may end up taking a lot of space.
Although considered a mid-tower chassis because of its relatively smaller size, in reality, the Core P3 from Thermaltake is one of the most spacious mid-towers you will find with more potential than most standard casing designs on the market today. Standing at 512mm tall, this casing has a width of 333mm and depth of 470mm.
This chassis features a transparent side window that allows you to admire your hardware, while the rest are made from SPCC steel and bits of rubber and ABS plastic. There are also pieces of stainless steel on some components.
You can install multiple components into this chassis, including storage drives (a pair of 3.5” drives or three 2.5” drives), that can be visible. There are two other drive trays, although not visible from the transparent window, that can house two 2.5″ or 3.5 drives. This case offers eight expansion slots in the back, where you can orient your drives vertically or horizontally.
This Core P3 from Thermaltake is designed to house either Mini-ITX, Micro-ATX, or ATX motherboard. The front panel offers a pair of USB 3.0 ports, a pair of USB 2.0 ports, HD audio jacks, and a reset button as well as a large power button.
You can install three cooling fans of either 120mm or 140mm to support water cooling or an AIO.
What’s more, this chassis also comes with loose parts that allow you to shape it as per your needs; you don’t have to worry about how it looks on the manual.
Let’s briefly look into its features;
That’s all for Thermaltake Core P3. Let’s now talk about Thermaltake Core P5.
This is an open-frame chassis that lets you map out and design your hardware components. For adventurous individuals, you can print custom parts for the case using a 3D printer to make your build unique.
It features a modular design that allows 3-way placement layouts (Horizontal, Vertical, and Wall-Mount). However, for wall mounting, you will need to buy special brackets.
In terms of build quality, the Core P5 from Thermaltake has exceptional quality, and a lot of thoughts were put to make this case as customizable as possible. The tempered glass features a solid-thick metal that prevents it from being wobbly.
Now that we have reviewed the two chasings, let’s briefly see how they compare;
In reality, the Thermaltake Core P3 is a smaller version of the Core P5 open-frame computer chassis. The P5 is intended to showcase a system with multiple hardware components and full-loop water cooling systems thanks to its spacious nature. It is designed to house motherboards with large reservoirs such as E-ATC motherboards. This case will look quite empty if you don’t install a 480mm radiator on its left.
On the other hand, the Core P3 is quite similar to Core P5 but in a smaller package. It can house mini-ITX and ATX boards. This casing can support radiators of up to 430mm. The radiator mounting points are near the motherboard to support closed-loop water coolers.
In other words, the Core P3 borrows most of its features from P5 but in smaller proportion.
Here are other ways in which P3 compares to P5
From the above reviews and comparison, you can see that the two cases are quite similar, but one is larger than the other and thus suited for relatively larger motherboards.
We can recommend both chassis to anyone who is looking for a stylish, simplified, and impressive chassis that can accommodate the needs of heavy computer users such as graphic designers and gamers.
We can recommend Thermaltake Core P3 to beginner gamers who do not have a lot of components and those with relatively smaller motherboards.
Core P5 is for pro graphic designers with larger boards that have larger reservoirs. In terms of quality and build, Thermaltake has done a great job. You can rest assured they will give you service for a long time.