[section_title title=Closer Look – Exterior]
Closer Look – Exterior
The sleek lines without distracting features give a rather subdued first impression of this simply being a box to house hardware. The front of the ThermalTake Suppressor F51 is also just a clean panel without even advertising to show the manufacturer. The only clue to the versatility of this simple exterior is the large vents running down the front facia as well as a glimpse of a vast surface area of venting in the roof that is just visible in this shot.
The left side shows us a bit more about the hidden depths of this vast case, with a magnetic dust filter covering a vent ready for you to add a fan if you choose to.
The front door – which is the full height of the case – is backed with sound damping foam, and we will see that theme continued throughout the review with very few areas left unshielded. With the door open we can see two optical bays with reusable blanks that pop off with the use of a button and lock back in place the same way. Below the 5.25″ bays is a built-in dust filter, allowing more clean air to enter the ThermalTake Suppressor F51 if you choose to operate it with the door open.
With the filter removed we see a second filter behind it, ensuring that the air that enters those side vents is also cleaned of dust particles which are fatal to electronics if allowed to build up.
Removing the front fascia entirely, we see the included front fan – a full 200mm of it – that draws clean air into the system. We can also pick out the screws holding the 5.25″ bays in place which gives a fair insight as to what we can explore later… but I won’t spoil it just yet.
Around the back get our first look at an area that’s not been sound dampened, nor are any dust filters present so ThermalTake obviously expect that this will be your exhaust area. We can see through the grill at the second fan that has been included with the Suppressor F51, this one a 140mm with red LED for added flair.
There’s a fair bit more going on at the back, though, from the 8 PCI-e expansion slots to the almost mandatory holes for liquid cooling tubes to poke through. I rattled my brain to try to explain the presence of 3 holes though; if one is in, another is out, I can only suggest that the third is for cabling and it makes a certain amount of sense. If you have alternative suggestions, let me know.
As we come to the roof of the ThermalTake Suppressor F51, we get a proper look at that vast magnetic dust filter that runs the entire length of the case, and can just see through to the venting that reassures us that it’s not just there for visual effect.
The control buttons and USB ports are the only other feature on the roof.
Here’s a better shot of those controls and from left to right we have a fan speed controller with decrease and increase buttons, 3.5mm sockets for headphone and microphone jacks, HDD activity LED and the power button that has a very nice textured finish and a pleasant blue glow around it when your system is turned on. Further on we have the reset switch, two USB 3.0 and two USB 2 ports.
