Thermaltake introduced their latest addition to the Ceres series chassis lineup at the CES 2023 exhibition – the Ceres 500 TG ARGB mid-tower upright chassis, which is showcased in this unboxing. The case comes equipped with three CT140 ARGB fans located at the front and rear of the unit. The front panel has a porosity of over 60%, providing ample ventilation to the inside of the case. The chassis is also capable of accommodating up to a maximum of 420mm or dual 360mm water cooling radiators. Furthermore, there is an additional 3.9-inch LCD small screen installation position on the side of the power supply compartment which can be used for hardware monitoring or personal customization purposes, adding a unique touch to your case.
Thermaltake Ceres 500 TG ARGB Specifications:
Dimensions: 507.7 (L) x 245 (W) x 525 (H) mm
Color: White, Black
Material: SPCC steel, tempered glass
Motherboard: E-ATX, ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX
CPU air cooling: up to 185mm
Graphics card: 425mm (without front radiator installed), 395mm (with front radiator installed)
Power supply: ATX 220mm
pre-installed fan (front + rear): 140mm 3+1
Fan installation position (front + upper + rear): 120mm 3+3+1, 140mm 3+3+1
Radiator support: front 420/360mm, top 360/280mm, rear 120mm
Side I/O port: USB 3.0 x2, USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C x1, HD_AUDIO
hard drives and storage bays: up to eight 2.5-inch or five 3.5-inch
Thermaltake Ceres 500 TG ARGB cases out of the box
The Ceres 500 TG ARGB is a spacious mid-tower chassis measuring 50.7×24.5×52.5 cm in length, width, and height. It can house a motherboard of the largest E-ATX size and can accommodate a front-facing 420mm radiator or both front and upper 360mm water cooling radiators. This results in a generously sized hardware installation space.
One notable feature of the Ceres 500 TG ARGB is its front panel, which has an opening rate of up to 60%. This design element contributes to its overall appearance score and texture.
The bottom frame of the case features an embossed Thermaltake logo. Additionally, the case comes with a dust-proof filter at the bottom for the under-mounted power supply. Over time, dust will accumulate, but the filter can easily be pulled forward for cleaning.
The Ceres 500 TG ARGB comes with a side-opening door-type tempered glass panel that enhances safety during disassembly and assembly. The 3mm-thick matte black glass is secured in place through the use of a hand-turn switch and a rotating shaft, thereby minimizing the risk of glass breakage.
The Ceres 500 TG ARGB case features front I/O ports positioned next to the glass side panel, making it highly displayable. Given that most gamers will likely place this case on their desktop to admire the internal hardware, having the I/O ports located on the side is more convenient and suitable for this usage scenario.
The front system I/O of the Ceres 500 TG ARGB includes a power button, USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C, USB 3.0 x2, HD_AUDIO microphone and headphone jacks, a reset button, and other features. Additionally, it comes with a USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C port that provides a transmission speed of up to 10Gbps. This allows for fast data transfer, especially when using a solid-state hard drive, and eliminates the need for additional interfaces.
The Ceres 500 TG ARGB comes with a pre-installed 14cm fan at the rear to aid in heat dissipation. It features a lower-mounted power supply structure, which is currently the mainstream option. The case provides seven slots for installing PCIE devices and includes a reusable PCIE baffle. The lower power supply mounting bracket can be fixed into place using four screws. During installation, the power supply should be locked onto the bracket, and then pushed into the power supply compartment from the rear of the case to complete the assembly.
The Ceres 500 TG ARGB features a flip PCIE slot design that uses a modular, detachable structure. With the removal of two fixed thumb screws and four screws from the modular block, the entire module area can be easily taken out. This means that if players want to display their graphics card upright, they no longer need to purchase an additional vertical adapter frame. Instead, they only need to buy an extension cable, such as the TT Premium PCI-E 4.0 graphics card and fix the extension cable onto the support base located on the power supply compartment. By doing so, the cost of displaying the graphics card upright can be reduced, making it a more budget-friendly option.
The back of the Ceres 500 TG ARGB motherboard is covered by steel side panels, which are secured in place by thumb screws, as are the side panels and upper cover. There is also a dust-proof filter located next to the power supply installation position that helps reduce the amount of dust that enters the case.
The Ceres 500 TG ARGB features a mesh top cover with the same design as the front panel, providing excellent heat dissipation performance. Additionally, it comes equipped with a snap-on dust filter that helps reduce the amount of natural airborne dust that enters the case and accumulates over time. The top cover can support up to three 14/12cm fans and accommodate a maximum of 360/280mm radiator installation.
Thermaltake Ceres 500 TG ARGB internal installation space
When the front panel of the Ceres 500 TG ARGB is removed, you can see the underside of the steel front panel, which is also equipped with a magnetic dust-proof filter. This filter helps reduce the amount of dust that enters the case. If you notice that the heat dissipation performance of the chassis has declined, it is recommended to remove the dust-proof filter and wipe it clean using a dry cloth or toilet paper.
The I/O interface wires on the side of the Ceres 500 TG ARGB are fixed separately from the front panel. These wires are neatly routed around the front fan and straight into the rear cable space, so there is no need to worry about accidentally pulling the wires when removing the front panel.
The Ceres 500 TG ARGB comes with three pre-installed CT140 ARGB fans from Thermaltake. These fans are part of the new CT series launched by Thermaltake this year and feature ARGB lighting effects. With a maximum speed of 1500RPM, the CT140 ARGB fans provide a maximum air volume of 77.37 CFM and an air pressure of 2.3 mm-H2O, which helps deliver powerful heat dissipation performance for the Ceres 500 TG ARGB.
The Ceres 500 TG ARGB features a modular, detachable front fan mounting bracket that can accommodate up to three 12/14cm fans or the longest 420/360mm water-cooling radiator. The detachable mounting bracket makes it easy to install and disassemble fans or water-cooling components, thereby providing added convenience.
The Ceres 500 TG ARGB provides ample installation space inside, allowing for the installation of E-ATX, ATX, Micro-ATX, and Mini-ITX size motherboards. The maximum installation height for an air cooling tower is 185mm, while the installation space for the graphics card is 425mm. As a result, the case is capable of accommodating current consumer-grade high-end model hardware.
A fixed base for the upright cable of the graphics card is pre-installed under the motherboard of the Ceres 500 TG ARGB. After the PCIe slot is converted, players can simply install the additional display extension cable they have purchased to make the graphics card stand upright.
Located next to the front fan in the Ceres 500 TG ARGB, there is a composite hard disk mounting bracket that can be fixed in place using thumb screws. The mounting bracket can accommodate either one 3.5-inch or two 2.5-inch hard disks.
The side covers of the power compartment in the Ceres 500 TG ARGB case are detachable and divided into two sections – front and rear. They are secured in place by screws. During the general installation process, it is not necessary to remove these two side covers unless additional assistance is required. The front section of the side cover can be used to install an additional 3.9-inch LCD screen. Players can use the TT RGB Plus 2.0 software to set the display pattern, whether it’s pictures, GIFs, hardware monitoring information, or other customizable options.
Thermaltake has provided a cable space of 2.5cm behind the motherboard in the Ceres 500 TG ARGB case. With Velcro cable ties and cable buckles, cable management is made easy and convenient. The front pre-installed fans are already connected in series, meaning that players only need to connect the slots on the motherboard for easy setup.
The Ceres 500 TG ARGB case comes with two wall-mounted composite hard disk racks that are similar in design to the hard disk mounting bracket mentioned above. These racks are secured in place using thumb screws and can accommodate either one 3.5-inch or two 2.5-inch hard disks. They are located in the whole line space of the case.
The Ceres 500 TG ARGB features a bottom-mounted power supply structure, with the power supply compartment capable of accommodating a power supply up to 22cm in length. By removing the front hard disk rack, the entire power supply compartment can offer a cable space of up to 41cm.
The hard disk rack located in the power compartment of the Ceres 500 TG ARGB can support the installation of two 2.5/3.5-inch hard drives. The rack is placed in rails and secured in place by side screws. The bottom of the hard drive rack is fixed by four screws, which can be removed to provide more wiring space for the power supply.
The accessory box of the Ceres 500 TG ARGB chassis is fixed on the hard disk rack of the power supply compartment. It contains a bag of unsorted screws, disposable cable ties, a buzzer, and other accessories.
The Ceres 500 TG ARGB comes with a display card support frame that is fixed to the power compartment when the case leaves the factory. This sturdy support frame helps reduce the burden on the PCIe slot of the motherboard. However, due to the fixed design of the support frame, it may be more suitable for longer graphics cards, such as the GALAX RTX 3090 Ti HOF, and may not be compatible with dual-fan or shorter graphics cards. In general, the weight of dual-fan graphics cards does not require additional support brackets.
Thermaltake Ceres 500 TG ARGB actual installation display
The tempered glass used in the Ceres 500 TG ARGB is foggy black glass, which may make it difficult to see some small details of the internal hardware when the system is not powered on. However, once the system is turned on, the RGB lighting effect is very beautiful and presents well. This feature makes the case ideal for users who want RGB lighting without it being too harsh on the eyes.
In my setup, I used the B650E Taichi motherboard with E-ATX form factor and the Floe Riing RGB 360 TT Premium all-in-one water cooler to install the machine inside the Ceres 500 TG ARGB case. The installation space inside the case is quite ample, even with the E-ATX motherboard installed, there is still space for hard disk installation. However, it is worth noting that after installing the E-ATX motherboard, it may block half of the space on the right side of the cable hole, such as the motherboard 24-pin connector, which may require some creative cable routing.
Summary and experience
The newly launched Ceres 500 TG ARGB case from Thermaltake is a standout in terms of installation experience and hardware expandability. It can accommodate the largest E-ATX motherboard, 425mm graphics card, dual 360mm water cooling, front 420mm water cooling, and up to eight 2.5-inch or five 3.5-inch hardware installations, making it compatible with the flagship of consumer-level platforms and high-end models. Overall, it is a highly versatile case that offers exceptional compatibility with a wide range of hardware configurations.
The whole line planning behind the motherboard in the Ceres 500 TG ARGB case is also very user-friendly. It includes features such as buckles to help with cable management, Velcro cable ties, and even a dedicated slot for the CPU power supply wiring block that many cases often overlook. These features help make cable management easier, even for beginners who are new to cable management. Overall, the Ceres 500 TG ARGB is a great choice for anyone looking to get started with cable management.
The Ceres 500 TG ARGB case comes pre-installed with four new CT140 ARGB fans and modular reversible PCIe slots. It is clear that Thermaltake has put a lot of thought and effort into designing this case. For users looking to make their cases more unique, they can add an additional 3.9-inch LCD screen to display custom graphics, images, or hardware monitoring information, allowing them to further personalize their build. Overall, the Ceres 500 TG ARGB offers an impressive array of features and customization options for PC builders looking to create a standout build.
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Title: Unpacking the Thermaltake Ceres 500 TG ARGB case and installing dual 360 water cooling is made easy with its spacious design that accommodates the whole line
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