A serious stand-up, show-off chassis for big boards
Twice as wide and the same height as the average Extended ATX (EATX) full tower, The Tower 500’s dimensions focus more on component visibility than component count. There isn’t, for example, any space for a second power supply or other unusual redundancies, but the space it has is instead devoted to providing a full-frontal view of a single motherboard that’s up to 13 by 13 inches in size. PC cases that offer that level of component visibility usually run at a luxury price, but The Tower 500’s $169.99 list price puts it on a level that’s more in line with the average enthusiast chassis.The Design: Sometimes, More Is More
Around back, we find a large magnetic filter sheet covering an enormous rear panel vent, a full ATX power supply bay with dual mounting patterns to allow the power supply to be flipped if desired, and a slide-out dust filter for the power supply bay’s air inlet. Loosening two screws on the back panel allows it to be lifted off, while a gap above it allows the top panel to be pulled off. More than just a handhold, the top panel gap is also designed to allow cable egress.
Front-panel ports include four USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports, a single USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port, and a pair of classic stereo jacks for a headphone and microphone. The power button is nearly surrounded by a glowing (blue) power-on indicator ring, save for a small segment near the top that flashes red to indicate hard drive activity.
Held down by the top panel, the upper panels of the front and sides slide upward off mounting slots to provide internal access. The sides are interchangeable and may be rotated to position ventilation holes at either the front or rear portion of the motherboard chamber.
Lower front and side panels are secured under the edge via thumbscrews, and removing these exposes the three sides of the power supply chamber.
Removing the entire outer shell adds to the proportional perspective: The motherboard is mounted several inches below the top of the case, pointing back-end-up, placing it at the focal center of a finished build.
Each of the two removable panels that separate the motherboard from the power supply chambers can hold a single 3.5-inch drive, two 2.5-inch drives, a single 120mm fan, or the two ends of an included triple-fan radiator bracket. Two screws at the front, and two tabs at the back, connect each cover plate to the front radiator bracket and motherboard tray, respectively.
Options become a little less decisive as we consider the possibilities, as removing a cover plate provides users access to a multi-pattern water-pump mounting point. Pumps with integrated reservoirs will protrude through the right cover plate’s location, preventing it from being installed. Since these cover plates are the lower mounting point of the included triple-fan radiator bracket, removing the right cover prevents the installation of a radiator on the case’s right side.
