Page 4 - Installation and Conclusion
Installing my components into the Thermaltake Ceres 300 TG ARGB Snow did not take very long. The case is set up well to provide plenty of space for all the components, especially the small graphics card, motherboard, and CPU cooler I have. The Ceres 300 TG can accommodate up to E-ATX motherboards. I first installed the power supply so that I could route the required cables where they needed to be. I had to install a couple more standoffs for the motherboard to be placed correctly, but it did not take long. The front I/O connectors can easily be connected before the graphics card is installed.
Moving towards the back of the case, you can see that the cables can be easily managed through the Velcro straps. The cables that are not required for the case can be stuffed into the power supply basement, where there is plenty of room left. Now, many builds will have many more cables than mine. I have a fairly simple build with few extra components or cables required, meaning the cable management is easy. With a modular power supply, it would look even cleaner. However, the tools are present to manage quite a few cables on the back of the motherboard tray.
The final look of the PC build using the Thermaltake Ceres 300 TG ARGB Snow is quite clean. The tempered glass provides a great view of what the interior looks like. The LEDs on the front CT140 ARGB fans can also be on, but unfortunately, I could not get them working due to the absence of ARGB connectors on my motherboard. A built-in ARGB controller and fan hub would have been nice. However, the little bit of LED presence in my case looks great, so I am sure with the fans on and synchronized with the motherboard, it would be quite an experience.
The noise output may be one area of weakness. At idle, the case sits comfortably at a 4.0/10 on my subjective scale, where 0 is totally silent and 10 is a jet taking off. But as soon as there is a heavier load placed on the CPU or GPU, it gets quite loud, going up to about a 5.5/10. Depending on your cooling configuration, this can be even louder with the rest of your fans running. For the baseline using the included fans only, the sound was noticeably louder compared to other cases I have tested.
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The Thermaltake Ceres 300 TG ARGB Snow provides a good balance between aesthetics and practicality. The overall design looks great and it also provides a lot of airflow, as the front and top are both equipped to be able to have large cooling components installed. Also, being a mid-tower, the Ceres 300 TG ARGB Snow is not too large, but its dimensions should ensure many different components are able to fit including E-ATX motherboards, making it versatile. The larger width ensures there is plenty of space for all the components and cable management behind the motherboard tray. The included cable ties are well made. The included rubber grommets provide a clean look when the final installation has been made. As well, the clearance for various components is large, making it easy to do a big build in this case. Unfortunately, the case can be quite loud. Under heavy loads, the fan noise is noticeable. The storage options are also a bit limiting. For most of us, one 2.5" drive and one 3.5" drive are enough, but that is about all you will be able to do in this chassis It is traded to avoid having a drive bay in the power supply basement so a larger radiator can be installed in the front, so it depends on your priorities. Adding in a few additional rubber grommets where they are missing would also have provided an even cleaner overall look after a full system is installed, while having a fan hub on the back would help with powering the ARGB LEDs and controlling multiple fans. The Thermaltake Ceres 300 TG ARGB Snow comes in at $100 USD at press time. Its quality and features are what one would expect from this price. Overall, the Thermaltake Ceres 300 TG ARGB Snow provides big airflow in an attractive package for building your computer.
Thermaltake provided this product to APH Networks for the purpose of evaluation.
APH Networks Review Focus Summary:
8/10 means Definitely a very good product with drawbacks that are not likely going to matter to the end user.
7/10 means Great product with many advantages and certain insignificant drawbacks, but should be considered before purchasing.
-- Final APH Networks Numeric Rating is 7.4/10
Please note that the APH Networks Numeric Rating system is based off our proprietary guidelines in the Review Focus, and should not be compared to other publications.
The Thermaltake Ceres 300 TG ARGB Snow mid-tower chassis provides an excellent balance between aesthetics and practical high airflow performance.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Outside
3. Physical Look - Inside
4. Installation and Conclusion
