RANKING

Rank 43 out of 78 Summarized in this category Rankings based on: • Pros-to-cons ratio • Number of reviews • Category average

Thermaltake

The Tower 500

Name: The Tower 500
Brand: Thermaltake

around $2900

All prices are estimates and may vary from actual prices.

92 Pros

71%
9 reviews (1h 32m)

37 Cons

Vertical tower gaming PC with RTX 5090 compatibility and panoramic glass panels....

Summary of pros and cons from human reviewers, put together by AI

0 vs 0

Performance

70%

53 vs 23

Build Quality

0 vs 0

Display

0 vs 0

Keyboard & Trackpad (Laptops)

75%

3 vs 1

Connectivity

Reviewer verdict

Across 9 YouTube reviews, the Thermaltake The Tower 500 earns an Index score of 3.9/5, ranking #43 among Gaming PCs & Laptops. Reviewers most often praise its build quality, cooling, other, while the most common criticisms concern build quality, cooling.

The Thermaltake Tower 500 stands out for its highly modular and flexible design, making it a joy for enthusiasts to build in. Its unique vertical "chimney-effect" layout is not just visually striking but also functional, offering excellent thermal performance. Builders appreciate the spacious interior, which simplifies assembly and cable management, and the dismantlable design that eliminates hard-to-reach corners. Three tempered glass panels provide a panoramic view, perfect for showcasing components. With extensive support for E-ATX motherboards, custom liquid cooling, multiple radiators, and generous storage options, the case offers immense versatility. The well-equipped front I/O and numerous magnetic dust filters further enhance its user-friendly nature, making it a cleverly executed choice for complex builds.

The most significant drawback of The Tower 500 is its sheer size and large desk footprint, which contradicts its "mid-tower" classification. Despite its vast exterior, internal space can be surprisingly tight, with limited clearance for large modern graphics cards unless modifications are made to the PSU cover. The case is also considered pricey, a sentiment amplified by the inclusion of basic stock fans rather than premium models. Other inconveniences include awkward access to the rear motherboard I/O, which is hidden under a top cover, and the need to remove the top panel to access the side panels.

Analysis based on 9 YouTube reviews (1h 32m of video) with 92 pros and 37 cons extracted.

Pros (92)

Build Quality (53)

Robust construction using very thick metal and nicely made (solid build quality) ▶ Watercooling with the Thermaltake Tower 500! @ 9:44
Good for showcasing water cooling and PC components (large/relatively big case suited for showcasing builds) ▶ Watercooling with the Thermaltake Tower 500! @ 12:49
Relatively simple/clean out-of-the-box aesthetic (kept mostly stock to show true beauty) ▶ Watercooling with the Thermaltake Tower 500! @ 11:33
Unique non-rectangular design — different from the regular rectangular box shape ▶ RTX 4090 x i9 13900K Intel x The Tower 500 Video Editing Bui @ 2:52
Does the job perfectly for the build ▶ RTX 4090 x i9 13900K Intel x The Tower 500 Video Editing Bui @ 2:55
Allowed assembly and cable management (build was straightforward) ▶ RTX 4090 x i9 13900K Intel x The Tower 500 Video Editing Bui @ 5:52
Spacious size (despite being classed mid-tower) providing many configuration possibilities ▶ Thermaltake The Tower 500 review @ 0:08
Dismantlable modular design (DMD) eliminates unreachable screws/corners and makes installation easy ▶ Thermaltake The Tower 500 review @ 0:27
Three 4 mm tempered glass panels (front and sides) give a panoramic view of the build ▶ Thermaltake The Tower 500 review @ 0:48
Supports up to 12 x 12 E-ATX motherboards for greater expansion flexibility ▶ Thermaltake The Tower 500 review @ 0:57
Optional separately sold 3.9-inch LCD panel kit can be mounted on up to three sides for visual effects ▶ Thermaltake The Tower 500 review @ 1:05
Generous storage options: expandable brackets can hold up to eight 3.5" drives or four 3.5" plus eight 2.5" SSDs; removable panel behind motherboard tray for additional drives ▶ Thermaltake The Tower 500 review @ 3:02
GPU compatibility up to 325mm with PSU cover installed, 355mm without—potentially fits large cards (e.g., some 4090 models) ▶ Thermaltake The Tower 500 review @ 3:32
PSU compatibility for units under 200mm gives lots of room to work with ▶ Thermaltake The Tower 500 review @ 3:51
Seven magnetic, quick-release dust filters around the case make cleaning quick and easy ▶ Thermaltake The Tower 500 review @ 4:32
Overall a cleverly thought-out and well-executed design; visually striking for showcase builds ▶ Thermaltake The Tower 500 review @ 4:39
Unusual and quirky design — stands out compared to typical cases ▶ Thermaltake The Tower 500 - Good Lord It's Huge 😳 @ 13:54
Front panel can accept optional LCD accessory (fits easily) ▶ Thermaltake The Tower 500 - Good Lord It's Huge 😳 @ 4:48
Flexible internal layout with removable panels, reversible glass/mesh, and modular brackets for radiator/fan mounting ▶ Thermaltake The Tower 500 - Good Lord It's Huge 😳 @ 1:20
Multiple storage mounting points (up to eight 2.5" SSDs or eight 3.5" HDDs) and good storage flexibility ▶ Thermaltake The Tower 500 - Good Lord It's Huge 😳 @ 3:27
Filtered intakes and magnetic dust filters for PSU and other intake areas ▶ Thermaltake The Tower 500 - Good Lord It's Huge 😳 @ 4:19
Symmetrical design and modular power supply housing that can be removed for extra clearance and access ▶ Thermaltake The Tower 500 - Good Lord It's Huge 😳 @ 4:40
Expresses strong liking: "what i love" (positive sentiment about the product) ▶ Crazy 1200$ Pc Custom Build! Tower 500 Thermaltake!(RTX) Sie @ 2:13
Affirms identity/quality: "this is what it is" (implies satisfaction or confidence in the product) ▶ Crazy 1200$ Pc Custom Build! Tower 500 Thermaltake!(RTX) Sie @ 2:21
Plenty of internal room to work in once panels removed ▶ A Case That Goes Anywhere: Thermaltake Tower 500 Build! @ 3:41
Massive storage capacity (up to 6 x 3.5" or 8 x 2.5" or combinations) ▶ A Case That Goes Anywhere: Thermaltake Tower 500 Build! @ 3:44
Supports E-ATX motherboards up to 13 in wide ▶ A Case That Goes Anywhere: Thermaltake Tower 500 Build! @ 5:23
Top panel with magnetic spring catch and generous notch for cables makes peripheral hookup simple ▶ A Case That Goes Anywhere: Thermaltake Tower 500 Build! @ 6:34
Aesthetic tower design great for showcase builds (glass panel, RGB friendly) ▶ A Case That Goes Anywhere: Thermaltake Tower 500 Build! @ 1:48
Solid weight/build (about 15 kg) giving a substantial feel ▶ Обзор корпуса Thermaltake The Tower 500 @ 1:00
Supports E-ATX and smaller motherboards with rear-mounted motherboard tray (ports up) allowing showcase-style internal layout ▶ Обзор корпуса Thermaltake The Tower 500 @ 1:03
All I/O/internal connectors accessible inside the case, with removable top panel (also a dust filter) for easy cable routing ▶ Обзор корпуса Thermaltake The Tower 500 @ 1:22
Front panel/display and other accessories are modular/optional (display is a separate accessory) ▶ Обзор корпуса Thermaltake The Tower 500 @ 2:23
Bottom and front panels have removable mesh dust filters; good dust protection overall ▶ Обзор корпуса Thermaltake The Tower 500 @ 3:31
Generous storage support: multiple mounting locations for 2.5" and 3.5" drives (up to six slots behind motherboard plus additional mounts) ▶ Обзор корпуса Thermaltake The Tower 500 @ 3:55
Highly modular: can be disassembled to near-skeleton for easy building; lots of internal space for complex builds ▶ Обзор корпуса Thermaltake The Tower 500 @ 5:08
Very easy to build in due to large size ▶ Thermaltake Tower 500: The Tower of POWER @ 6:24
Lots of space for cable management ▶ Thermaltake Tower 500: The Tower of POWER @ 6:35
Better design than the Tower 100 (improved over previous model) ▶ Thermaltake Tower 500: The Tower of POWER @ 6:39
Plenty of internal volume and versatile internal configurations ▶ Thermaltake Tower 500: The Tower of POWER @ 8:40
Good for custom water-cooled builds because of versatility and internal volume ▶ Thermaltake Tower 500: The Tower of POWER @ 9:02
Optional front panel with LCD screen that can display custom content via TT Plus 2.0 software ▶ Thermaltake Tower 500: The Tower of POWER @ 7:43
Supports a wide range of motherboard sizes (Mini-ITX, Micro-ATX, ATX, e-ATX 12x12). ▶ Thermaltake The Tower 500 полный обзор корпуса @ 3:26
Generous internal dimensions and good depth/height for components (measurements shown). ▶ Thermaltake The Tower 500 полный обзор корпуса @ 3:52
Top I/O and cable routing on top makes connections convenient. ▶ Thermaltake The Tower 500 полный обзор корпуса @ 4:08
Top cover is easy to remove; mesh is washable. ▶ Thermaltake The Tower 500 полный обзор корпуса @ 4:18
Removable panels and filters (magnetic mesh) make cleaning easy. ▶ Thermaltake The Tower 500 полный обзор корпуса @ 4:35
Removable and washable dust filters/grids on bottom and other locations. ▶ Thermaltake The Tower 500 полный обзор корпуса @ 6:11
Default included fans (two 120mm) and removable fan mounts; flexible storage options (up to four 3.5" or multiple SSDs). ▶ Thermaltake The Tower 500 полный обзор корпуса @ 7:19
Spacious cable management area with plenty of room to route and hide cables. ▶ Thermaltake The Tower 500 полный обзор корпуса @ 9:12
Tempered glass panels (4mm) give clean look and can be mounted in different orientations. ▶ Thermaltake The Tower 500 полный обзор корпуса @ 11:26
Supports large PSUs and provides good clearance for cable exit and wire management. ▶ Thermaltake The Tower 500 полный обзор корпуса @ 17:05
Overall convenient to disassemble, clean, and customize (magnets, removable panels, washable mesh). ▶ Thermaltake The Tower 500 полный обзор корпуса @ 13:25

Cooling (21)

Multiple build/layout options for intake and radiator placement (flexible placement: side, top, bottom) ▶ Watercooling with the Thermaltake Tower 500! @ 11:00
Can fit a 360 radiator plus two 240 radiators (360 where the DP100 distro sits, 240 bottom and 240 top) ▶ Watercooling with the Thermaltake Tower 500! @ 10:14
Versatile interior designed for both all-in-one and custom liquid cooling solutions ▶ Thermaltake The Tower 500 review @ 0:41
Chimney-effect vertical design directs heat out smoothly and efficiently, aiding thermal performance ▶ Thermaltake The Tower 500 review @ 1:24
Reimagined thermal design and vast interior allow extreme system performance and ample mounting solutions for cooling hardware ▶ Thermaltake The Tower 500 review @ 1:33
Right-side enclosed radiator bracket supports up to 360mm AIO or custom radiators under 399mm, with space for push-pull (six fans) ▶ Thermaltake The Tower 500 review @ 1:45
Right side panel can be flipped 180 degrees to allow direct heat extraction from mesh for more ventilation ▶ Thermaltake The Tower 500 review @ 2:10
Includes two pre-installed 120mm rear fans positioned to enhance cooling of CPU/GPU ▶ Thermaltake The Tower 500 review @ 2:17
Nifty fan bracket can be installed vertically or horizontally to house two extra 120mm fans or a 240mm radiator behind the front panel ▶ Thermaltake The Tower 500 review @ 2:41
Support for multiple cooling permutations (360 AIO/custom loop on one side, 240mm in floor after flipping bracket, fans in roof and rear) ▶ Thermaltake The Tower 500 - Good Lord It's Huge 😳 @ 5:46
Dedicated nut-plate and threaded mounts for Thermaltake pump/reservoirs for custom loop support ▶ Thermaltake The Tower 500 - Good Lord It's Huge 😳 @ 6:31
Flexible fan and AIO mounting (rails inside case, can align ventilated section of side panel with AIO) ▶ A Case That Goes Anywhere: Thermaltake Tower 500 Build! @ 4:39
Quieter system at idle and under load thanks to efficient fans and airflow ▶ A Case That Goes Anywhere: Thermaltake Tower 500 Build! @ 7:28
Supports large radiators (up to ~400 mm) and multiple fan mounting locations including rear 140 mm positions (currently fitted with two 120 mm fans included) ▶ Обзор корпуса Thermaltake The Tower 500 @ 2:09
Side and rear panels are air-permeable to draw air (good for water-cooling radiator placement) ▶ Обзор корпуса Thermaltake The Tower 500 @ 2:29
Airflow appears to be quite good ▶ Thermaltake Tower 500: The Tower of POWER @ 6:37
Multiple mounting options for radiators (can move radiator to other side, mount second radiator, put radiator in basement) ▶ Thermaltake Tower 500: The Tower of POWER @ 8:53
Good space for water cooling and various radiator configurations. ▶ Thermaltake The Tower 500 полный обзор корпуса @ 3:39
Flexible fan and radiator support at top: two 120/140mm or 240/280mm radiators. ▶ Thermaltake The Tower 500 полный обзор корпуса @ 5:07
Good airflow overall; case is well-ventilated from multiple sides. ▶ Thermaltake The Tower 500 полный обзор корпуса @ 5:23
Multiple mounting options for radiators and fans; generally highly configurable. ▶ Thermaltake The Tower 500 полный обзор корпуса @ 13:53

Other (14)

CPU temps comparable to previous case (delta T around 49°C) — overall good thermals ▶ A Case That Goes Anywhere: Thermaltake Tower 500 Build! @ 6:50
Sits between Tower 900 and Tower 100 in size—reasonable/mid-size option ▶ Watercooling with the Thermaltake Tower 500! @ 1:03
Reasonable base price (around £200) for the case ▶ Thermaltake The Tower 500 - Good Lord It's Huge 😳 @ 14:20
Can be positioned with window on right or placed anywhere — allows easy reorientation without gutting the build ▶ A Case That Goes Anywhere: Thermaltake Tower 500 Build! @ 1:12
Disassembly is intuitive and tool-light — outer panels pop off or use few thumbscrews ▶ A Case That Goes Anywhere: Thermaltake Tower 500 Build! @ 3:16
Removable rear storage panel (if not using drives) — includes two pre-installed exhaust fans ▶ A Case That Goes Anywhere: Thermaltake Tower 500 Build! @ 4:04
Good GPU cooling — vertically oriented GPU and extra internal volume lowered GPU temps by ~5°C ▶ A Case That Goes Anywhere: Thermaltake Tower 500 Build! @ 7:02
Spacious interior with well-planned cable paths, ample tie-down points and grommeted pass-throughs — makes cable management easy ▶ A Case That Goes Anywhere: Thermaltake Tower 500 Build! @ 6:05
Allows placing the rig on the left side of desk to access other setups — flexible placement ▶ A Case That Goes Anywhere: Thermaltake Tower 500 Build! @ 7:50
Compact vertical design compared to Tower 900 — tall, space-efficient (61 cm height) ▶ Обзор корпуса Thermaltake The Tower 500 @ 0:42
Highly flexible ventilation — ventilation openings on every panel so you can configure airflow (bottom-to-top) as desired ▶ Обзор корпуса Thermaltake The Tower 500 @ 1:58
Very rich front/top I/O: 4x USB 3.0 Type-A and 1x USB 3.0 Type-C — plenty of front ports ▶ Обзор корпуса Thermaltake The Tower 500 @ 4:46
Targeted at enthusiasts/modders — ideal for showcase builds and water-cooling (aesthetic and functional for custom loops) ▶ Обзор корпуса Thermaltake The Tower 500 @ 5:58
Panels use magnetic attachments—easy to remove and reattach. ▶ Thermaltake The Tower 500 полный обзор корпуса @ 12:12

Connectivity (3)

Front I/O is well equipped: four USB 3.0 ports and one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C, plus audio jacks and LED-backlit power button ▶ Thermaltake The Tower 500 review @ 4:08
Generous front I/O: many USB ports including Type-C and multiple Type-A ports on front panel ▶ Thermaltake The Tower 500 - Good Lord It's Huge 😳 @ 10:42
Front panel includes multiple convenient ports (mic, USB 3.0, Type-C 3.2) and highlighted power/reset buttons. ▶ Thermaltake The Tower 500 полный обзор корпуса @ 5:35

Value (1)

Price example provided (~28,000 for white in Moscow) with official specs available on Thermaltake site. ▶ Thermaltake The Tower 500 полный обзор корпуса @ 18:26

Cons (37)

Build Quality (23)

Smaller radiator support compared to Tower 900 (cannot fit 480mm, max is 360mm) ▶ Watercooling with the Thermaltake Tower 500! @ 9:57
Tight internal space — very little clearance between GPU and power supply when using large GPUs (millimeters of space) ▶ RTX 4090 x i9 13900K Intel x The Tower 500 Video Editing Bui @ 6:03
May be too small for very large GPUs like the RTX 4090; author suggests a bigger model would have been better ▶ RTX 4090 x i9 13900K Intel x The Tower 500 Video Editing Bui @ 6:13
Front/side glass panels cannot be removed without first removing the top cover (minor inconvenience). ▶ Thermaltake The Tower 500 полный обзор корпуса @ 11:10
Large size may be unexpected for a mid-tower classification (it's huge) ▶ Thermaltake The Tower 500 review @ 0:08
GPU length limits (325mm with PSU cover) may prevent some larger models without modification (may require work like dremeling) ▶ Thermaltake The Tower 500 review @ 3:32
Case takes up a large amount of desk space (big footprint) ▶ Thermaltake The Tower 500 - Good Lord It's Huge 😳 @ 14:41
Rear I/O is placed under a top cover due to rotated component layout, making access slightly tricky ▶ Thermaltake The Tower 500 - Good Lord It's Huge 😳 @ 10:33
Orientation leads to graphics card hanging vertically/in free space which can be awkward during build ▶ Thermaltake The Tower 500 - Good Lord It's Huge 😳 @ 9:11
Large/heavy components can make installation awkward; close fit between radiator and GPU requires laying the case down for safer assembly ▶ Thermaltake The Tower 500 - Good Lord It's Huge 😳 @ 9:40
Only fits graphics cards up to 325 mm by default; longer cards (up to 355 mm) require removing left power panel which houses the PSU — not ideal for large GPUs ▶ A Case That Goes Anywhere: Thermaltake Tower 500 Build! @ 5:24
PSU and cables are placed under left power panel making removal of that panel to fit longer GPUs inconvenient ▶ A Case That Goes Anywhere: Thermaltake Tower 500 Build! @ 5:39
Case is large and requires significant desk real estate ▶ A Case That Goes Anywhere: Thermaltake Tower 500 Build! @ 8:06
Large footprint — may not fit on many desks due to tall/wide dimensions ▶ Обзор корпуса Thermaltake The Tower 500 @ 0:48
Some panels (tempered glass) are not easy to remove — you must first remove the top panel which is mounted on plastic clips, making quick access inconvenient ▶ Обзор корпуса Thermaltake The Tower 500 @ 5:29
Called a mid-tower despite large size (questionable labeling/footprint) ▶ Thermaltake Tower 500: The Tower of POWER @ 6:45
Footprint on your desk is large and may be an issue ▶ Thermaltake Tower 500: The Tower of POWER @ 9:12
Front panel LCD has an unusual aspect ratio requiring manual resizing or custom content ▶ Thermaltake Tower 500: The Tower of POWER @ 8:00
Top clickable mechanisms (latches) feel fragile and the reviewer doesn't like them (may break often). ▶ Thermaltake The Tower 500 полный обзор корпуса @ 4:46
Some bolts/panels can fall out in places (inconsistency noted with parts not falling out only from the back). ▶ Thermaltake The Tower 500 полный обзор корпуса @ 6:42
Power supply orientation reduces maximum GPU length in some configurations; current layout limits GPU size unless using specific PSUs/positions. ▶ Thermaltake The Tower 500 полный обзор корпуса @ 15:52
Power supply maximum length is affected by front fans/frame—may be reduced significantly depending on fan placement. ▶ Thermaltake The Tower 500 полный обзор корпуса @ 16:29
Reviewer calls the PSU/PCIe layout a 'main jamb' (design oversight) — unclear reasoning for orientation. ▶ Thermaltake The Tower 500 полный обзор корпуса @ 16:04

Cooling (9)

Potential heat distribution concerns due to cramped fit of large components — needs ongoing monitoring ▶ RTX 4090 x i9 13900K Intel x The Tower 500 Video Editing Bui @ 6:33
Included stock fans are basic exhaust fans rather than premium fans expected at this price point ▶ Thermaltake The Tower 500 review @ 2:30
Mounting fans to draw air in from the bottom may be more choked off than desired (potential airflow limitation) ▶ Thermaltake The Tower 500 review @ 2:52
Airflow is peculiar/limited — thermals are not impressive under heavy load (CPU reached mid-80s to mid-90s °C depending on fan speeds) ▶ Thermaltake The Tower 500 - Good Lord It's Huge 😳 @ 12:12
Only one set of fan/radiator brackets supplied — would be better with a second set to allow fans on both sides simultaneously ▶ Thermaltake The Tower 500 - Good Lord It's Huge 😳 @ 14:49
AIO mounting design forces tradeoffs — side-mounted ventilated glass can channel warm air toward user unless fans are mounted externally ▶ A Case That Goes Anywhere: Thermaltake Tower 500 Build! @ 4:39
Missing/extra fan required to complete optimal fan setup (user had to locate a missing third fan) ▶ A Case That Goes Anywhere: Thermaltake Tower 500 Build! @ 4:30
Possible interference between HDD mounts and fans/radiators — some drive bays are located under/near fans which could impede airflow (advised not to block fans) ▶ Обзор корпуса Thermaltake The Tower 500 @ 4:20
If you cram many drives or non-recommended configurations, airflow may be impaired (care required when populating drives). ▶ Thermaltake The Tower 500 полный обзор корпуса @ 8:45

Value (3)

Case price (£199 in the UK) is considered high, especially without premium-level included fans ▶ Thermaltake The Tower 500 review @ 4:43
Optional LCD is expensive (~£90), adding significant cost to the build ▶ Thermaltake The Tower 500 - Good Lord It's Huge 😳 @ 0:44
Not aimed at average users — designed for enthusiasts/modders, so may be overkill/less practical for typical users ▶ Обзор корпуса Thermaltake The Tower 500 @ 5:58

Overall (1)

Limited ability to test/show system functionality in this review due to a dead motherboard used in the build (not a case fault but affected demonstration) ▶ Watercooling with the Thermaltake Tower 500! @ 12:04

Connectivity (1)

Some front USB ports may be unusable depending on motherboard headers (example: two ports not connected on the shown board) ▶ Thermaltake The Tower 500 - Good Lord It's Huge 😳 @ 10:46

Review sources

Thermaltake The Tower 500 полный обзор корпуса 18 pros, 7 cons
Thermaltake The Tower 500 review 18 pros, 5 cons
A Case That Goes Anywhere: Thermaltake Tower 500 Build! by Elevated Systems — 14 pros, 5 cons
Thermaltake The Tower 500 - Good Lord It's Huge 😳 by KitGuruTech — 10 pros, 8 cons
Обзор корпуса Thermaltake The Tower 500 by iXBT.com — 13 pros, 4 cons
Thermaltake Tower 500: The Tower of POWER by Gear Seekers — 8 pros, 3 cons
Watercooling with the Thermaltake Tower 500! 6 pros, 2 cons
RTX 4090 x i9 13900K Intel x The Tower 500 Video Editing Build 2023 - The Movie 3 pros, 3 cons
Crazy 1200$ Pc Custom Build! Tower 500 Thermaltake!(RTX) Siege Machine 2 pros, 0 cons

Frequently asked questions

Is the Thermaltake The Tower 500 worth buying?

Based on 9 independent YouTube reviews, the Thermaltake The Tower 500 scores 3.9/5 with 92 positive and 37 negative points mentioned by reviewers, placing it #43 in the Gaming PCs & Laptops category.

What do reviewers like most about the Thermaltake The Tower 500?

The most praised aspects are build quality, cooling, other — Build Quality (53 mentions), Cooling (21 mentions), Other (14 mentions).

What are the most common complaints about the Thermaltake The Tower 500?

Reviewers most frequently criticize build quality, cooling — Build Quality (23 mentions), Cooling (9 mentions).

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