If you have been looking for a computer case, you’ve undoubtedly come across Thermaltake. The brand is known to create high-quality PC components, including cases. Throughout this article, we’ll be looking at the Thermaltake Core P3 vs. P5 to help you decide which is best for you.
Despite the features sounding fairly similar, there is quite a big difference in pricing. Choosing the wrong PC case could force you to switch unwillingly or harm your PC performance, as you can’t house the components you need.
Therefore, you’ll want to choose the right type of PC case for the build you’re trying to achieve.
That’s why I’ll be explaining all the features, the flaws, and everything else you need to know about the Thermal Core P3 and P5.
Thermaltake Core P3 Vs P5 – Comparison Chart
| Features | Thermaltake Core P3 | Thermaltake Core P5 |
|---|---|---|
| Measurements (LxWxH) | 7.3 x 21.6 x 21.3 inches | 25.5 x 26 x 7.2 inches |
| Type | Mid Tower | Mid Tower |
| Motherboard Support | Mini ITX, Micro ATX, ATX | Mini ITX, Micro ATX, ATX |
| Cooling Method | Water | Water |
| Weight | 27 Pounds | 26.9 Pounds |
| Price | Check Price | Check Price |
Thermaltake P3 vs. P5: Individual Reviews
To help you get a better picture of both products’ features, I will run you through each product individually first.
Thermaltake Core P3 Review
The Thermaltake Core P3 is one of the best value tempered PC cases on the market. It’s a skeleton case with two sides, with one being completely transparent thanks to the tempered glass.
Additionally, It has an optional tempered-glass add-on that you can replace with acrylic panels. In terms of features, it’s quite similar to the P5 but not quite as advanced. Just like with the P5, the PSU can be mounted horizontally or vertically.
It’s also extremely affordable, making it a great choice for those on a budget. I also like the overall display of the case for systems with vibrant colors. Plus, it also supports water cooling completely, which is great too as you will not need to upgrade.
The only negative about the design is that your components are exposed to anything that approaches them at a slight angle, such as dust. Besides the support for liquid cooling, it’s only cooled by ambient circulation.
Get Thermaltake Core P3 at Amazon
I also like the versatile GPU and PSU orientation, allowing you to show off your graphic card and other components.
One area where the Thermaltake P3 really shines is the cable management area, as it’s straightforward to access and manage. It also comes with a decent vertical GPU mount, giving you additional flexibility.
That being said, it may not be suited for horizontal orientations because it is quite tall. The Thermaltake core p3 is 51.2 cm tall, 33.3 cm wide, and has a depth of 47cm. However, the core P3 will take up less space than most other similar designs on the market.
Pros
- Affordable and great value
- Perfect for colorful systems
- Full Support for liquid cooling
- The case is designed with dual GPU and PSU options for maximum flexibility
- Flexible placement options and impressive vertical GPU mount
Cons
- The case design exposes it to pets, kids, and dust
- NO LED lighting
- No Fans
Coming in at a roughly 3x higher price point is the Thermaltake core P5.
The core P5 gives you additional flexibility in how you want to position your PC components, thanks to how spacious it is. This makes it perfect for highly customized PC builds. One area where the P5 performs incredibly well is build quality, as there was a lot of thought put into the design and making it customizable.
The Thermaltake Core P5 allows you to wall mount, which is great as you can save lots of space. However, I found that it lacks mounting points and that it may even require drilling, depending on how you want to mount it to the wall.
Alternatively, you can lay it on a flat surface, or stand it up in a vertical position, if you prefer.
One of the biggest benefits of it is how well it can showcase your colorful system. All your components can be seen with complete clarity, making it the perfect choice for builds with heavy LEDs (although not included).
Get Thermaltake Core P5 at Amazon
It’s also extremely durable, thanks to the tempered glass. Plus, another area where this PC case shines is cable management. The distance between the control panel on the back and motherboard tray includes a 1.5-inch gap, making it easy for you to tuck the cables away.
You can also access the cables nice and easy thanks to the slick design.
I was also impressed by the controls on the front, as it comes with several USB ports and controls.
The control panel on the front includes:
- 2x USB 2.0 ports
- 2x Color-code USB 3.0 ports
- A Reset button
- A power button
- LED indicators for power
- Microphone/Headphone ports
Interestingly, you also have full support for a liquid-based cooling radiator that can be up to 57cm in length. However, the overall system is geared toward liquid-cooled PC builds. Therefore, I wouldn’t really recommend it if you are not looking to build a liquid-based cooling system.
Another disadvantage of this PC case is that there is no support for mounting optical drives.
Pros
- Lots of visibility for components
- Versatile design gives you many build options
- Outstanding cable management
- The control panel on the front has lots of options
- Completely supports watercooling
- Reasonable price and value
Cons
- Instructions not detailed, slightly unclear
- Mainly geared toward liquid-cooled PC builds and doesn’t come with fans
- No support for mounting optical drives
- No LED lighting
Features Comparison
To help you find the most suited option for your PC build, I wanted to compare each feature for both models. Let’s take a look.
-
Case Type & Motherboard Support
Both are mid-tower cases and support the following motherboards:
Mini ITX
Micro ATX
ATX
E-ATX
This is despite the core P5 being a little larger. However, it does also support larger other components, as we will see in a moment.
-
Design & Layout
The Core P3 is the smaller model, as the P5 is designed to house larger components. In terms of design, they both have the disadvantage that they can be exposed to things that approach it at an angle.
That being said, they both offer full visibility to your inner PC components with maximum clarity. The P5 offers more customization as you can organize the racks and modular panels.
-
Support For Liquid Cooling & Ventilation
Both models have all-in-one (AIO) liquid support. However, the P5 has more support for more fans on the left panel than the P3. Additionally, it can also fit in larger liquid-cooling radiators up to 570 cm, compared to the P3’s 48cm.
The CPU Limit is the same in both cases.
-
Casing
While the P3 comes with 5mm tempered glass, the P5 comes with acrylic or plexiglass. Additional upgrades are available for the Core P5, giving you even thicker tempered glass for enhanced durability.
The P5 casing was designed to give your PC components maximum visibility.
-
Wall Mounting & Positioning
Another similarity between these two models is the wall placement. They both come with 3-way placement layouts, allowing you to wall-mount the case or set it up horizontally or vertically.
However, the P5 has no support for mounting optical drives. And depending on your exact situation, you may need to drill it, as it’s quite a large PC case.
-
Modding & Customization
Because the core P5 is larger and has better cable management, it can provide more configurations for custom PC enthusiasts. If you’re looking to build a PC that is customized as much as possible, then the P5 is the better choice.
-
Hardware
The Thermaltake P5 comes with more USB ports and has an additional 16GB RAM built-in. On the other hand, the P3 does not have any RAM built-in.
-
Durability
Compared to the P3, the P5 is a little more durable and strong. This is because of the differences in glass material and the design.
Key Differences Between The P3 & P5
Now that we have taken a look at both the Thermaltake P3 and P5 individually, I wanted to run you through the key differences. Overall, the P3 is just a smaller version of the P5 in all aspects, meaning that it has similar features but at a smaller capacity.
- The Core P5 is suited for larger motherboards and radiators, while the P3 is suited for smaller ones.
- The P5 is a bit deeper and taller than the P3
- The P5 supports more fans than the P3
- The P5 has a higher VGA length limit
- The P3 is more affordable, as its features are not as advanced.
- The P3 only weighs 10.3kg, while the P5 weighs 12.2kg
As you can see, the key difference is that the P5 is suited for larger motherboards and radiators. Therefore, it will naturally have higher VGA length limits, more fans, etc., while the P3 is more affordable.
Either way, both chassis are stylish and impressive, especially for the price points.
Final Thoughts – Which One Is Best?
As we have seen throughout this article, they both have their pros and cons. Deciding which one is best really comes down to what type of PC you’re looking to build.
Overall, the P5 is, of course, a little more powerful, which is to be expected at the price point. However, it is not necessarily better suited for all gamers, especially if you’re on a budget or want to use it for smaller components.
Interestingly, they both also come with a three-year warranty, so you’re on the safe side when purchasing either of these PC cases.
To help you with your Thermaltake P3 vs. P5 decision, I explained why you should choose which case below.
Choose Thermaltake P3 If
The Thermaltake core P3 is almost like a smaller version of the P5, making it a perfect fit for the smaller motherboard. Plus, because it’s so affordable, it is also a great choice for beginner gamers.
The price point of this PC case is almost a surprise considering how great the features are. Plus, it also allows you to show off your colorful PC components. So, if you are looking for an affordable PC case to house your small motherboard, then the Thermaltake P3 is one you should consider.
Despite its affordability, it can accommodate a heavy computer user’s needs, such as graphic designers, gamer, or video editors.
And for the price? You can’t beat it.
Choose Thermaltake P5 If
If you are looking to build a high-quality PC with liquid cooling, then the Thermaltake P5 is a great choice. Its design gives you lots of versatility and flexibility in positioning the PC, and it also comes with outstanding cable management.
Additionally, the Thermaltake core P5 gives your components maximum visibility, which is perfect for colorful systems. It is also very large and spacious, allowing you to house larger components, and you are looking for built-in RAM.
Therefore, if you are looking to build a PC that is as custom as possible that houses large components, the P5 is a perfect choice. And, with additional RAM built-in, you are getting great value for your buck, too, making it a sweet deal.
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