CONCLUSION

   Since we already took a closer look at the Core V71 and V51 towers we knew that the V31 (and the V41 obviously) wouldn't fall much further in features and interior space and it really didn't. For once the interior is extremely satisfactory for a midi tower not only because of the ability to mount up to 8 fans and/or 3 radiators but also because you can fit graphics cards up to 420mm long and CPU coolers up to 155mm tall. We were a little bit surprised to only find a single drive cage inside the tower but the addition of an extra vertically placed 2.5" tray and the ability to remove the 5.25" ODBs were two nice additions by Thermaltake. The two preinstalled 120mm fans did prove to be a little more noisy compared to the fans used in the Core V51 model but the difference was minimal.

   Although the Core V31 Midi Tower by Thermaltake is still quite new you can easily find it only for USD69.99 inside the USA (Newegg) and for 63.79Euros inside the EU (Amazon.de) a price tag that really does it justice. Of course if you want more interior space and way more features you will need to look elsewhere (the V51/V71 models is a good start) and spend much more on a PC case. On the other hand however if that's not the case the Core V31 should cover all your needs regardless of whether or not you're a casual user or a gamer. Overall the Core V31 may not break any world records with its design and features but it combines a very good price/performance ratio and that's why it gets our Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality
- Design
- Potential Airflow Levels (8x120/140mm fans)
- Room For Up To 3 Radiators
- Fully Removable Drive Cage
- Space For 420mm Long Graphics Cards And 155mm CPU Coolers
- Price (For Some)

CONS

- Only Four 3.5/2.5" Drive Spots (5 with the 2.5" to 3.5" adapter)