INTRODUCTION

   When gaming chairs made their first steps in the market a few years back from a very small number of manufacturers most of my friends and even a few industry contacts thought this was just a passing trend. Today their popularity has reached such high levels that there's not even a single gaming peripherals manufacturer that hasn't got at least one (or has no plans to introduce one) in their product catalog. As a matter of fact if you visit any online store that deals in gaming peripherals chances are you will find dozens of models ranging from basic affordable ones and all the way up to some expensive ones that even rival the quality, comfort and support (back and neck) of professional ergonomic chairs. What really makes gaming chairs unique however is their special design and the latest TGC40 model by ThunderX3 which is with us here today seems to do extremely well in that area.

   ThunderX3 project does not start from zero! We were born from within Aerocool Advanced Technologies Corp. A leading International Company with more than 14 years expertise developing the most exciting High-Technology, DIY and Gaming Products. ThunderX3 Team is proud of having this Great Company Background and this give us All the power, the knowledge and the support needed to succeed in all our ambitious plans.

   Unlike the entry-level TGC20 model which we reviewed a couple of weeks ago the TGC40 (available in black/red, black/orange, black/white, black/blue and all black) is currently the flagship gaming chair by ThunderX3 which means you're getting much more for your money in terms of features and build quality. So the TGC40 features a metal frame for the backrest, class-4 gaslift with support of up to 150Kg (backrest included), high-density injection-molded foam padding, high-quality flame retardant PU leather (synthetic) cover, 4 directional adjustable armrests (height/position/orientation), backrest adjustment (up to 180 degrees) and the somewhat classic tilt/rocking (up to 18 degrees) and height adjustment functions we find with most desk chairs (usually however with less degrees). Also compared to the TGC20 the TGC40 with its extra foam padding, larger base and slightly taller backrest should be more ideal for larger/taller people.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

As expected the TGC40 arrived inside a large cardboard box that has the color selection placed at the front right under the company name.

Just like the TGC20 the TGC40 is also stored inside bubble wrap and pieces of cardboard.

First piece to come out of the box was the backrest which this time over does have a adjustment mechanism.

Next was the somewhat thick base which as you can see has the two 4D armrests pre-attached.

The 5 star base was placed next along with the butterfly height adjustment mechanism and the class-4 gaslift with its plastic cover.

The 60mm nylon casters were next along with the mounting instructions and a small package with 10 screws, two plastic covers and an Allen/Philips screwdriver.

ASSEMBLY

Once again we started assembly of the chair in our hands by attaching the nylon casters (wheels) to the 5 star base.

These are premium quality 60mm wheels (usually we see 50mm ones) so even after some extreme testing we had no issues with them (one of them did fall off during those tests but that was somewhat expected).

After that we mounted the class-4 gaslift and its plastic cover as seen above.

The "belly" of the base may not be on par as with some others we've seen to date (from far more expensive models) but it's certainly much sturdier compared to that of the TGC20.

Each of the two 4D armrests is attached to the base via 3 Allen screws.

ThunderX3 used the same basic butterfly type height-adjustment mechanism just like with the TGC20 (mounting required just 4 Allen screws).

After that you will need to attach the backrest to the base as seen above (two Allen screws per side).

Also bundled are two small Philips screws and two small caps both of which are used to secure the side covers in place.

With the entire upper body of the TGC40 assembled we just need to place it onto the class-4 gaslift.

FINISHED LOOKS

The TGC20 was a chair which at least for us looked like it was designed for younger audiences. The TGC40 keeps some of that design but thanks to its size, improved quality and available features it's one chair which we'd use for ourselves.

As expected from the flagship model by ThuderX3 stitching is very good and the flame retardant PU leather used seems to be a step up from that of the TGC20.

The armrests can be height adjusted from 28cm all the way up to 36cm.

The top of the armrests can also move forward, backwards, left, right and diagonally to suit your body and gaming style.

Since it was missing from the TGC20 we were glad to see that the TGC40 features a backrest adjustment.

You can drop the backrest completely (180 degrees) to get a quick nap need be.

The rear of the chair also looks very nice and also has the company name at the top.

CONCLUSION

   With the TGC40 Gaming Chair ThunderX3 clearly wanted to take on the “big” guys and although we simply can’t compare it (more in terms of build quality than available features) to models that cost almost twice as much or more we all agree that it’s a very appealing product. The padded areas are good enough to make this a very comfortable chair, the 4D armrests work quite well (not perfect since they do get stuck sometimes so you need to apply extra force to change their position) and the flame retardant PU leather used seems to be quite durable (again however we’ve seen better quality PU leather used in much more expensive chairs like the EPIC and the Premium V2 / PRO X models). For some strange reason ThunderX3 decided not to bundle neck and back support pillows with the TGC40. We didn’t miss them while testing the chair during the past two weeks but some people just may and although the design of the chair may make things harder in that area we’re certain ThunderX3 could have worked something out.

   Currently the TGC40 Series Gaming Chair by ThunderX3 may not be available in the USA just like its smaller brother the TGC20 but it’s on sale in the EU over at Caseking.de for the very low price tag of 159.90Euros. For that price tag we honestly can’t say anything bad about the TGC40. Sure it may not be the largest, best looking or highest quality gaming chair out in the market today but we all feel that it’s very low price tag more than just makes up for those and that’s also why it gets our Golden award.

PROS

- Good Build Quality (Synthetic Leather / Steel Frame)
- Flame Retardant PU Leather Cover
- Design (Sports Car Seat)
- Comfortable
- Features (Adjustable Backrest / 4D Adjustable Armrests / 18 Degrees Tilt Function)
- Available Colors
- Current Price (For Some)

CONS

- Lack of Neck and Back Pillows
- Armrests (Could Use More Padding)
- Current Availability