Thermaltake CTE E600MX Case Review

In this review we looked at the CTE E600MX from Thermaltake.  This is a mid-tower offering in the CTE series supporting high-end and enthusiast style builds but works equally well for just about anything that requires a motherboard.

The Centralized Thermal Efficiency series chassis design features a 90-degree rotated motherboard orientation which places the ATX I/O connections at the top of the case leaving the sides and back panel open for ventilation.  Cooling has been a heavily scrutinized topic among YouTube tech channels, mostly as a way to create drama and unhealthy discussions but, has sparked case makers to react.  As I have mentioned many times before, discussions like this in the enthusiast community often translate into real products, which can be good and bad.

Since the cooling wars started, we have started to see more “dual mode” cases being released that come in a default high-airflow configuration but also include support for silent and transparent configurations.  This influence is something you can clearly see in the Thermaltake CTE E600MX.

Out of the box the CTE E600MX features fan locations on five of the six sides with ample venting available for the best chance of efficient cooling.  As most of you know, fans are not just devices to move air but become a canvas for ARGB light displays.  It would seem surrounding your build with ARGB fans is the new rite of passage for the aspiring system builder.    For those of you looking to take advantage of the “corner office” trend you can do so with the CTE E600MX by simply removing the two screws holding the from radiator bracket and replacing the mesh panel with the included tempered glass one. 

This will visually open up the entire right side of the chassis for your viewing pleasure.

With the motherboard being rotated 90-degrees that also moves where the video card is installed and thus breaking the “vertical gpu” tradition.  Phj34r not as the Thermaltake CTE E600MX supports three different video card mounting positions and the third will amaze you.

Up Right is the normal motherboard mounted position where you see the upper edge of the GPU. 

Up Right Forward is a traditional “vertical gpu” mounting allowing you to see the cooling fans or waterblock with the Display Port cables still exiting out the top.

Floating GPU is a new mounting method where the video card is repositioned in a traditional vertical position and made to appear floating in the lower third of the chassis.  To make this work you will install the Floating GPU mounting brackets and use the included extra-long PCI Express 4.0 Riser Cable to connect the video card back to the motherboard.

The brackets that Thermaltake uses to alternatively mount your graphics card are extremely robust and instill confidence that once you have mounted your graphics card it isn’t going to be moving around much.

Unfortunately, while Floating GPU bracket is made from quality metal, they decided to mount it directly to the flimsiest part of the motherboard tray.  There is little risk that it will break away from the chassis but there is nothing stopping it from flopping around at the slightest touch or vibration.

Overall, I find the CTE E600MX to be a pretty good case that is more appropriately sized than the CTE C750 that we previously reviewed.  It appears to be a good home for any high-end system build with plenty of modding opportunities.  The case supports a 90-degree motherboard rotation and comes with some rather creative ways to mount your video card for either air or watercooling setups.

I feel that while the new video card mountings are interesting and different there wasn’t enough time spent to ensure that the device would be securely mounted despite the included brackets being impressive and overbuilt.  I do like the dual mode design where the user can decide if they want a high-airflow case or one where presentation is king.  Regardless of the direction I am also pleased to see that Thermaltake included everything you need to make it all happen.

Nice Sized Case
Dual Zone with PSU Behind Motherboard
Support for DIY Watercooling
Plenty of Fan Locations
Mesh and Tempered Glass Options
Floating GPU Mount Included
Full View Design

Floating GPU flops around like a fish
Case is still bulky to move around
Illusion of cooling