“Stiff as a board, light as a feather, stiff as a board, light as a feather…” Ever play that game when you were a kid? I didn't, but I've always wanted too…
Anyway today I've got a PC case where its motto is similar to that: 'Light as a Feather, Solid as a Rock' and it's very true. When I got the Thermaltake Matrix VX from the UPS guy I wasn't sure there was anything in the box, this case is the lightest case I have ever had the pleasure of reviewing. The fact that it's light doesn't mean it's not sturdy, it really is, I was pleasantly surprised by the quality and construction of this PC case.
Review: Thermaltake Matrix VX Mid Tower PC Case
Author: Kristofer Brozio
Sponsor: Thermaltake
Tech Specs,Features or the Basic Info:
Thermaltake Matrix VX Mid Tower PC Case
'Light as a Feather, Solid as a Rock'
Model: VD3000BNA
Features:
-Super light 3.8 kg, solid constructed
-Perfect for LAN party
-High efficiency ventilation: 12cm silent fan in front & rear
-Tool-free kit for 5.25” drive bays
-12 cm cooling fans in rear (exhaust) and with fan holder in front (intake) plans for great heat dissipation
-Dual USB 2.0, IEEE 1394 Firewire, Audio & Speaker ports
-Tool-free installation for all drive bays
-EMI protection spring
-Thumb-screws for easy open side pane
-Tool-Free installation for add-on card
-All mesh design front panel for maximum ventilation
-Washable dust filter
-Security chassis intrusion detector alerts when the side panel is unexpectedly opened
Specs:
Case Type: Middle Tower
Net Weight: 3.8 kg
Dimension: (H*W*D) 435 x 190 x 485 mm
Transparent Side Panel: none
Front Blue LED Fan: none
Cooling System: Rear (Exhaust) : 120 x 120 x25 mm, 1300rpm, 17dBA
Drive Bays: 10
– Accessible :4 x 5.25", 2 x 3.5"
– Hidden: 4 x 3.5"
Material: Aluminum
Color: Black
Expansion Slots: 7
Motherboards: Micro ATX , Standard ATX
{mospagebreak title=
A Better Look at Things
-Outside}
A Better Look at Things
-Outside:
The Thermaltake Matrix VX comes in a very attractive box with lots of pictures and information all over it. The case itself is packaged very well and should arrive anywhere in perfect condition.
The Matrix VX is primarily black in color with silver accents. On the left side are two sets of ventilations openings, one allows for the installation of an 80mm fan if need be.
The top of the front bezel is where the USB, Firewire and audio ports are located, and on the bottom is where you'll find the power and reset buttons along with LEDs for power and hdd activity. You can also see the pre-installed front cooling fan as well.
The back is obviously where you'll find the PCI slots, I/O plate, PSU compartment and another 120mm fan pre-installed. Included are removable and replaceable PCI slot protectors also.
On the bottom of the case we find basic plastic feet, nothing special there…
{mospagebreak title=
A Better Look at Things
-Inside}
A Better Look at Things
-Inside:
Moving to the inside, both side panels are secured with thumbscrews for nice easy access. Most companies only use thumbscrews for the main side of the case and regular screws for the opposite side, why I'm not sure, but it's nice to have thumbscrews on both side. The side panels are extremely lightweight as is expected. Looking at the right side of the case inside we can see it's all essentially one piece and there's not much room over there either.
The first thing that struck me upon opening this case is that it's really bright, I had to take many pictures from numerous angles to get them correctly and avoid the wash of the flash.
Looking at the back we can get a look at the installed 120mm fan and the tool-less PCI locks as well.
Inside we also find an accessory box with screws, zipties and the back I/O plate. There are four 5'25” bays and six 3.5” bays. Two of the 3.5” bays are accessible from the front of the case, one is located under the USB ports and the other under the 5.25” drive bays. Inside the hard drive cage is where the drive rails are located for storage.
To install you 5.25” devices you'll need to remove the entire front bezel, to do this you'll need to remove both side panels as well. The bezel is held on by plastic clips that are fairly hard to get undone.
Once the bezel is off you'll have access to the included fan filter as well. This design is a bit odd as it takes quite a bit of work to clean the filter if need be…
The motherboard headers use a unique system that I haven't seen before, which I like actually, the wires are in two parts so you don't have to take the entire lengths out of your case, you just unplug them and replug them when done.
Installation, Testing and Comparison
Installing a system in the Thermaltake Matrix VX case is fairly easy, my one main complaint would have to be that you must remove the aluminum support bar to install any size power supply, it's an extra added step that is a pain really. Now if they would have used thumbscrews to secure the bar, then it would have been much easier and more user friendly.
I touched on this in the last section but, the next odd design would be the fact that you must remove the entire front of the case to access and/or clean the included fan filter. This involves removing both case sides to access the plastic clips holding the front bezel to the case, and those aren't very easy to get at either.
My next observation would be the installation of the optical drives, it uses a tool-less rail system that just clips into the holes of the drive and then into the 5.25” bays. I thought I had it installed correctly but moving the case I found the drive was not secure, to secure it you really need to apply force to get the plastic clips to lock to the drive bay sides, and this of course involves removing the front bezel again.
Other than those few things I couldn't really find anything else wrong with this case, some people might not like the fact that the motherboard tray is no removable but personally it doesn't bother me either way.
The overall quality of the case is excellent, being as lightweight as it is I expected it might not be very sturdy, but it is. You can twist it and it barely moves, I also stood on top of it as well, I weigh 165lbs, and the case held me up fine.
Personally I don't care for the tool-less PCI locks, but that's with any case not just this one, I change my configurations so much that I inevitably end up breaking the plastic tabs off of the securing clips.
There seems to be ample room in the Matrix VX, of course it will depend on the system components you might be using also.
Since this case is so thin and lightweight I first thought that my system would be loud installed in it, but it really isn't, there's no difference from the Matrix VX compared to any other case I've had my system in.
Summary:
Despite a couple design flaws I really like this case and it has replaced my Coolermaster Centurion for my secondary system. It is extremely lightweight, very strong and has some great features included with it as well.
I've honestly never came across a case this size that is so lightweight, I'm still slightly shocked every time I pick it up to move it around…
If you move your case around a lot, taking it to Lans etc, then you'll really appreciate how light this case is.
DragonSteelMods gives the Thermaltake Matrix VX Mid Tower PC Case a 4.5 out of 5 score and our Recommended Award as well.
Pros:
-Extremely lightweight
-Excellent overall quality
-Included two quiet 120mm fans
-Tool-less installation
-Inexpensive for the quality you get
Cons:
-Extra work to install PSU
-Non removable motherboard tray
-5.25” bay devices a bit difficult to install and secure
-Must remove entire front to access/clean fan filter
I would like to thank Thermaltake for the chance to review the Matrix VX Mid Tower PC Case and for their continued support of DSM.
review# 337