INTRODUCTION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Although many people i know turn towards mini-ITX and micro-ATX PC cases either due to space restrictions or because they just want to place them in their living rooms right next to or under their TV sets i always recommend full towers when people ask me what they should use/pick. My reasons are quite simple really, higher airflow levels (thus improved/lower system temperatures), enough space for plenty of disk drives and even the largest/longest hardware components (such as graphics cards, power supply units and CPU coolers including water cooling radiators) and of course easier/faster installation of those said components. On top of all the above add the fact that thanks to the addition of tempered glass panels and RGB fans full towers look many times better compared to older models and things get even better. In late 2017 we reviewed the impressive award winning View 71 TG Full Tower by Thermaltake but since many of you also wanted to see the RGB model it's here with us today.

   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 View 71 TG RGB comes ready from the factory with three 140mm Riing RGB fans (1400RPM/28dBA) two of which are mounted at the front and one at the rear (compared to the two blue LED fans of the "regular" View 71 TG these are not only much better looking but they also produce higher airflow levels). It also features 4 tempered glass panels (5mm thick each), vertical graphics card layout (riser cable is extra) and enough interior space for up to E-ATX sized mainboards (Mini ITX, Micro ATX and ATX are also obviously supported), 10 single slot cards (8 horizontal and 2 vertical PCI expansion slots), seven 3.5" drives (or ten 2.5" ones), nine 120mm fans (or six 140mm and two 120mm fans) and/or three 360/420mm radiators (also possible to mount an 240mm radiator at the base of the chassis), 190mm tall CPU coolers, 310mm long graphics cards (410mm without the HDD racks) and 220mm long power supply units (without a bottom fan installed). Now although the View 71 TG RGB is a rather massive full tower it's still quite a bit smaller compared to its brother the View 91 TG RGB so if the latter is just too large for you then the former could be the ideal choice.

 

 

 

 

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A large product picture takes most of the front and is placed right beneath the company logo and next to a sticker pointing to the three Riing RGB fans.

 

 

The specifications table and product features are printed on the left and right side of the box right beneath two product pictures.

 

 

A second product picture is placed at the rear this time with both side panels open (swing door design) and 6 Riing RGB fans installed.

 

 

The case is wrapped inside a plastic bag and placed between two thick foam spacers (a second piece of cardboard is placed inside the box for extra durability).

 

 

Inside a small box placed in one of the 3.5" drive trays you will find the user manual, 10 cable ties, mainboard speaker, RGB fan hub with two adhesive stickers and a manual, 4 PSU rubber feet and a plastic bag with screws, spacers and standoffs.

 

 

 

 

THE VIEW 71 TG RGB EXTERIOR

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just like the regular View 71 TG the RGB model is massive and so it measures 592mm in height, 577mm in depth and 274mm in width while weighing a total of 19.1Kg.

 

 

The View 71 TG comes with 4 panels made out of 5mm thick tempered glass placed on both sides the front and the top.

 

 

Since this is a swing design model the left and right panels feature hinges for easier opening (you can remove the panels by opening them and pulling them upwards).

 

 

Thanks to the tempered glass panel placed at the front the View 71 TG looks great (unfortunately glass is not very easy to take pictures of).

 

 

You can remove the front just like any other case in the market (just reach for the gap at the base and pull outwards). A large air-filter is also placed inside the fascia.

 

 

Here we see 2 out of the 3 preinstalled 140mm Riing RGB fans at the front but there's still room for one more 140mm fan (and a 360/420mm radiator of course).

 

 

The top I/O may not feature a USB 3.1 Type C port (just like the blue fan version) but still you are getting a reset switch, the usual microphone and headphones ports, two USB 2.0 ports, two USB 3.0 ports, the HDD activity LED and the power button which also doubles as the power LED.

 

 

From the top tempered glass panel you can get a clear look at the fans or the radiator inside.

 

 

You can remove the top panel the same way as the front and once you do you will see a large rack (an air-filter is also placed here).

 

 

This rack is removable (secured in place via regular thumbscrews) making it easier to mount fans and/or a radiator.

 

 

At the rear of the tower we see three rubber grommets for water cooling tubes, an 140mm Riing RGB fan (can also be replaced with an 120mm fan), 8 horizontal and two vertical PCI expansion slots and the PSU area.

 

 

The other side of the tower also features an 5mm thick tempered glass panel.

 

 

At the base of the View 71 TG RGB we see a large removable air-filter and a small hatch placed right beneath the 3.5" drive cages and next to the 240mm radiator area (you can access the drain valve of a radiator through here).

 

 

 

 

THE VIEW 71 TG RGB INTERIOR

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once again, the View 71 TG RGB has plenty of interior space for even the largest possible hardware components.

 

 

Each of the two removable drive cages holds two 3.5"/2.5" drives (4 in total).

 

 

The drive trays used are made out of plastic but are quite sturdy.

 

 

The top front is empty so you can move one of the two drive cages here (or place yet another radiator vertically - you will have to remove both drive cages however).

 

 

There are three rubber grommets on the mainboard tray for cable management purposes and a large cut-out beneath the CPU area.

 

 

The vertical mounting bracket for graphics cards is something we've seen in the past by both the P5 and View 31 TG and we do like it (unfortunately the PCIe riser is optional).

 

 

The PSU area has no rubber feet (you will need to place the bundled ones yourself) and next to it there's room for either two 120mm fans or a 240mm radiator.

 

 

Taking a look from the other side of the mainboard tray we see three large aluminum drive trays placed vertically.

 

 

Each drive tray can hold either a single 3.5" drive or two 2.5" drives.

 

 

With 49mm of room between the mainboard tray and the tempered glass side panel cable routing shouldn't be a problem.

 

 

 

 

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.

Using a standard ATX sized mainboard leaves a large amount of free space around as you can also see from the above picture. We also mounted an 420mm long and 36mm thick radiator at the top.

 

 

Of course, if you decide to just use the rear vertical drive trays you can remove the drive cages and mount another 360mm radiator at the front (no restrictions in how thick it can be).

 

 

Needless to say, you can also install CPU coolers up to 190mm in height so there's really no limit here.

 

 

Mounting the graphics card on the vertical bracket is the way to go with the View 71 TG RGB.

 

 

If you decide to use a 180mm long PSU model like the one we did you can still mount either two 120mm fans or a 240mm radiator at the base.

 

 

 

 

NOISE LEVEL TEST

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After giving it much thought we decided on performing noise tests with each PC Case we receive by placing our ExTech HD600 vertically on top of each case to measure the noise levels emanating from the pre-installed fans at both 50% and 100% with the help of a fan controller (if the case doesn't have one we use our own).

 

 

 

 

CONCLUSION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Just like the View 71 TG the View 71 TG RGB was among the very first towers manufactured by Thermaltake that featured tempered glass panels. Still thanks to the three Riing RGB 14 fans (140mm/1400RPM/28dBA) the View 71 TG RGB looks a lot better compared to the View 71 TG and its two Riing Blue LED fans. The View 71 TG RGB however is not only about looks since it also has enough interior space for anything you might want to put in including up to three 360/420mm radiators (one of which can be an AIO model) and seven 3.5” drives and/or ten 2.5” disk drives. The vertical graphics card mount is also a great feature although we do hope that one day Thermaltake will include the Riser cable in the bundle even if that means upping the price just a bit (after all the View 71 TG RGB Full Tower is not exactly a low cost model to begin with).

   Currently the Thermaltake View 71 TG RGB Full Tower retails for USD174 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 190Euros inside the EU (Amazon.co.uk) a price tag which is quite reduced compared to when it got launched in late 2017 (as expected really). Once again we feel that the View 71 TG RGB by Thermaltake is a great case not only in terms of quality and looks but also interior space and although many similar models have been released since then it still deserves our Golden Award (and then some).

PROS

- Excellent Build Quality (Four 5mm Thick Tempered Glass Panels)
- Design - Spacious Interior (410mm Long Graphics Cards / 190mm Tall CPU Coolers / 220mm Long PSUs)
- Room For Seven 3.5” or Ten 2.5” Drives
- Vertical Graphics Card Mount
- Room For Up To 9 Fans or Four 240/360/420mm Radiators
- Bottom/Top/Front Air Filters
- Three Preinstalled 140mm Riing RGB Fans

CONS

- Riser Cable Not Included