INTRODUCTION

   Open air PC cases (or open-frame/air chassis) may already count many years in the market but it wasn't until somewhat recently that their popularity levels increased largely thanks to the introduction of tempered glass (there have been some popular acrylic models but nowhere near to tempered glass ones). As a matter of fact, the very first open air PC case I’ve ever reviewed was the Skeleton from Antec back in early 2008 but as many people pointed out back then (and many times since with similar models by other manufacturers) such cases were primarily aimed towards professional modders and overclockers looking for open air test benches. With the introduction however of tempered glass manufacturers were able to design single-side/tray open air PC cases which consumers could even hang from their walls not only to save space but also as a form of art. The Core P90 Tempered Glass Edition Mid-Tower by Thermaltake is probably the only dual-side/tray open air PC case in the market today and although it did take a while for us to get our hands on it the wait is finally over.

   The beginning of every myth and legend is about dreams and desire: the challenging, creative and combative features of Thermaltake Group create an exciting and fascinating user experience to share with everyone, while allowing users to enter a selfless state in terms of function and potential. Thermaltake Group's 3 main brands: Thermaltake, Tt eSPORTS and LUXA2 have been merchandising throughout the world, and have successfully established 6 business footholds in areas such as Europe, America, Oceania, Japan and China, with 95 regional distributors and over 4000 premium retailers. All product planning is orientated by observation of global PC peripheral market and understanding of consumer demands. Thermaltake creates direct contact opportunities with resellers and consumers by participating major global ICT exhibitions and trade shows every year, and develop innovative marketing strategies for the promotions of new products. Meanwhile, Thermaltake incorporates the composite marketing system by making branch offices and regional distributors both the distribution channel and technical support or service center to provide instant support; by maintaining close contact with end users, we manage to strengthen corporate competitiveness and create the momentum for the growth of accomplishments. With its outstanding wisdom and strength Thermaltake Group is recruiting creative talents to build a cultural brand for the enjoyment of entertainment, e-Sports, technology and lifestyle!

   The Core P90 was announced in late 2017 (widely available in early 2018) shortly after the Core P1, P7 and P5 models but unlike those it features an unique triangular design (three different compartments) that allows it to be placed/positioned in three different ways (vertically on the wall - requires separate mounting hardware - and horizontally or vertically on the ground/desk with the help of two large plastic feet) according to your preference. The Core P90 also comes ready with two 5mm thick tempered glass panels (held in place by 8 chrome bars) and has enough room for four 120mm (or 3x140mm) fans and/or a single 240/280/360/420/480mm radiator, 7 disk drives (3x2.5" and 4x2.5"/3.5"), 180mm tall CPU coolers, 320mm long graphics cards and 220mm long power supply units. There's also support for vertical graphics card mounting thanks to both the bundled vertical tray and the removable PCI expansion slots (a PCIe Riser extension cable is also included) and plenty of interior room for cable management purposes (more than plenty really). So, time to check the Core P90 out and see exactly what you can expect from it both in terms of available space and even more importantly (perhaps) looks.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

Once again Thermaltake has used a plain cardboard box that has a large product picture at the front right beneath their logo.

The specifications table is printed on the left side whereas on the right side of the box we find the main product features listed in 12 languages.

Moving at the rear we find an "exposed" drawing of the Core P90.

All of the parts are wrapped inside plastic bags and placed either between foam spacers or inside secondary cardboard boxes.

Along with the main triangular body of the Core P90 you are also getting two 5mm thick tempered glass panels, two long (and very sturdy) plastic feet, 8 chrome bars (for the acrylic panel), 4 round rubber feet (for horizontal placement), two tall plastic feet (for vertical placement), two 2.5/3.5" drive trays (4 thumbscrews each), three 2.5" drive trays (single thumbscrew each), front and rear PSU mounting brackets, PCI-E riser cable, two PCI-E riser cable mounts (2 thumbscrews each), 9 cable ties, 8 rubber spacers, motherboard speaker, PCI expansion slots, PCI expansion slot tray (for horizontal placement), 4 bags filled with screws and standoffs, warranty information paper and installation instructions.

THE CORE P90

Measuring 615mm in height and 470mm in width for each side the main body of the Core P90 is quite large.

The right side can be outfitted with either four 120mm (or 3x140mm) fans or a single 240/280/360/420/480mm radiator and three 2.5" trays (if you decide to skip on using a radiator you can also mount two 3.5" drives here).

On the left side there's enough space for you to mount up to ATX sized mainboards, your PCIe cards and of course your PSU.

Thermaltake has placed the I/O at the top of the main body (includes the power on/off and reset buttons, power and HDD activity LEDs, two USB 3.0 ports, two USB 2.0 ports and the typical microphone and headphone ports).

At the rear we find many holes which can be used with the vertical mounting hardware and two perforated areas.

These areas feature magnetic air-filters on the interior of the chassis.

A very sturdy metal plate is located on the interior (also part of the vertical mounting system) right over two vertical 3.5" drive trays.

Unlike the front 2.5/3.5" trays these are made out of plastic.

At the base of the main body we find several mounting holes for the two long plastic feet.

BUILDING THE SYSTEM

As always, the purpose of this section is not to build a functional system but rather to showcase what you can expect from the case at hand in terms of interior space (overall space in the case of the P90).

We start by attaching the two long plastic feet onto the main body of the Core P90 (you will need a long screwdriver to do this).

We continue by installing the PSU (there are four positions where you can mount the front bracket depending on the length of the PSU).

If you don't care about placing your PCIe cards vertically you can always mount the PCI expansion slots as seen above.

After that just mount your mainboard and you're good to go.

As mentioned earlier on the other side you can mount up to three 2.5" drives and an 240/280/360/420/480mm radiator (we used an 420mm one).

Even with your cards horizontally the Core P90 looks great but what about a vertical build?

To do that you need to mount the expansion slot tray and then the PCI expansion slots as seen above.

After you do that you just need to use the Riser cable with its mount (if you want to install more than 1 card you will need extra cables).

We do think that a vertical build looks much better but for people who want to install multiple cards the extra cost for the riser cables alone might be too much.

To complete the build, you need to mount all 8 chrome bars (remember to place the two tall plastic feet on the bottom bars as seen above) by screwing them on the chassis.

After that just attach the two tempered glass panels onto the bars and you're set.

CONCLUSION

   The one thing I never quite liked about open air pc cases and open air test benches was the amount of dust which accumulates on every single component over time. Granted you can always use a blower to remove that said dust from your system but the entire procedure takes time and let's be honest, not many people would end up doing that as often as they should. That being said however there's no denying that some open air PC cases look rather impressive and there's no doubt that the Core P90 Tempered Glass Edition is among them (by the way build quality is also excellent). In terms of available space things are also very good since you can equip the Core P90 with up to 7 drives (3x2.5" and 4x2.5"/3.5"), four 120mm (or 3x140mm) fans and/or a single 240/280/360/420/480mm radiator, 180mm tall CPU coolers, 320mm long graphics cards and 220mm long power supply units. The included vertical bracket is not something new since we’ve seen it numerous times in the past but not many cases actually come with a riser cable in the bundle so that’s also a plus.

   The Core P90 TG Edition Mid-Tower by Thermaltake has been around for a while now so currently it carries a rather attractive price tag of USD159.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 160.76Euros inside the EU (Amazon.de). So if looks is your primary concern or if you just don’t have enough space on your desk or the floor of your room and a wall-mountable PC case is your only choice you really should consider the Core P90 by Thermaltake and since it delivers on space, features and looks it certainly deserves our Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality
- Design (Tempered Glass Panels / Chrome Bars)
- Wall Mount, Vertical & Horizontal Placement
- Open Air Chassis
- Supports 240/280/360/420/480mm Radiator
- Room for Up To 7 Drives
- Space For 180mm Tall CPU Coolers, 320mm Long Graphics Cards & 220mm PSU’s
- Included Riser Cable
- Current Price

CONS

- Open Air Chassis (Dust Magnet)
- Wall Mount Brackets Not Included (Sold Separately)