Completed Build, Performance, Conclusion

If you are going to build in a case that features a full glass side panel, you want things to look neat and orderly inside. This is certainly the case with the S340 Elite, and the shroud to the right of the motherboard helped streamline the look slightly. As you can see the SSD can be displayed up front if desired, and this will show up through the glass.

The completed build from behind the motherboard tray is very orderly, and the integrated cable clips worked well. They felt a little flimsy to me at first, but they surprised me by staying in place even after I crammed in the extra PSU cabling. Note the HDMI cable which connects to the graphics card through an opening in the edge of the enclosure.

Performance

The S340 Elite was in the middle of the pack for CPU temps, but this is still a good effort with many high performance options in this group.

GPU temps were near the middle of the pack as well, though a bit higher than some other ATX enclosures that have more internal volume. 

Next we look at noise output:

Here the S340 Elite really shines, placing second overall in the group! The thick construction and solid front panel make a big difference, and overall noise levels were excellent across the board. Very impressive!

Conclusion

The Source S340 is an outstanding enclosure with a high-end appearance thanks to the tempered glass side panel. Like the original S340, it offers a solid build and good cable management, and the new Elite version adds VR compatibility from its front HDMI port and magnetic headset puck. The MSRP of $99.99 is very reasonable for a tempered glass case, and the performance of the S340 Elite was enough to keep up with our standard gaming build – and very quietly, at that!

Strengths

  • High-class look with understated style and tempered glass side panel
  • Excellent build quality
  • Compact size for an ATX enclosure
  • External HDMI port and magnetic puck a plus for VR enthusiasts
  • Very quiet performance

Minor weaknesses

  • Limited space for some larger coolers due to compact size
  • Plenty of competition at $99 price point

The Source S340 Elite is a welcome followup to the outstanding original, which was my pick for best budget enclosure last year. Adding (among other things) tempered glass, a front HDMI port, extra SSD mount, and better cable management for just $20 more than the standard version makes the Elite a relative bargain, making this newest version an excellent choice for a compact (and stylish) VR-ready build.

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