I purchased the Thermaltake Element S case a few months ago as the basis of my newest computer project.  You can read a fairly comprehensive review here.  I agree with most of the observations in that review so I'm not going to repeat it, however I can add a couple of observations of my own.  The case works very well for the purpose I bought it.  I like the simple understated external design. It has a good roomy interior and everything is fairly accessable.  

I agree with the comments about the 60mm fans.  They do get in the way if you want to make any changes to you PCI configuration but to be fair, they are probably not required in the first place (the case already has god ventillation) and secondly, that's a price I'm willing to pay for the convience of having extra ventilation in that location because I'm running to GPU's.  I also agree with the comments about the plastic feet.... something a bit more rubbery would've been good. 

One other 'negative' observation has to do with the side panel.  I have the case with the large fan in the side panel (there is a model without this fan).  It has a handy connector on the side of the panel that aligns with contacts on the case so there are no connections to worry about when you remove or replace the panel....  The panel is made of metal and has a plastic seal around the edge to help it sit tight and reduce noise or vibration.  The problem I have is with the way the panels fits onto the side of the case: it fits in good and tight... a little to tight.  I tend to leave the thumb screws off the back (for easy access), but without the screws, the panel doesn't sit in well enough to connect with the contacts in the case so the side-panel fan doesn't work.  Even when using the screws, you have to make sure the panel is pressed firmly into position (by sliding it towards the fron of the case) before tightening them or the contacts don't stay connected. It's not a big deal... I quite often leave the side cover off altogether.  It's just one of those little quirks.

I've read comments elsewhere about the external plastics being a little dull and bland.  I tend to agree with this to some degree but in my case (pun intended), I sprayed the external plastice surfaces with silicon spray.  This has the effect of giving the plastic a satin glossy finish, much more attactive than the original matt black...  at least I think it is.  I do have to redo this every now and then as the effect tends to wear off. No biggy, as I need to clean/dust off the PC occasionally anyway.

Other than a few minor 'quirks', it's a very good case.  In the end, it's what you put in there that counts, but that's the subject of another blog.

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