GMC X-21 Trinity Gold [Page: 2 of 2] (TTID #24)

Examination (continued):

The side panels, which are held in by two thumbscrews each, are painted in a black finish that is, although not of the highest quality, still good looking. This case will really blend in with any furniture arrangement that you may have. A handle recess is present to allow easy removal of the side panels. On the inside is specially designed foam that has been stuck on to dampen the sound that would normally escape from the side panels.

The interior of the GMC Trinity is very spacious and provides for easy installation. Although there is no removable motherboard tray present, system builders should have no problems installing the motherboard.

The front of the case features support for two 80mm fans but these aren't very effective as there is nowhere for the fans to draw air from the outside of the case. The airflow will be examined in more depth later on in the review. A removable hard drive cage is present which provides for easy hard drive installation. The HDD selector clips onto this cage and provides the function of allowing you to connect up to three hard drives to it. Each hard drive can have a separate installation on it with different operating systems if you wish. To choose which one to boot from, just press the corresponding button on the front of the case. The optical drives are screwed in, in the normal manner with a number of screws.

The bottom and top of the case are covered in the same noise absorbing foam pads as the side panels to minimize sound leakage throughout the case. Another sound prevention feature is the silicon coating that is featured throughout the system. Every surface is coated in it to further dampen system noise.

Everything fits together perfectly and I experienced absolutely no hassles in installing a complete system in it. An absolute joy for any system builder.

Testing:

Test setup:

• P4-C 2.4GHz overclocked to 3GHz
• Coolermaster IHC-L71 heatsink/fan
• Gigabyte 8IK1100 Motherboard
• 512mb Corsair TWINX3200LL
• 128mb Gigacube Radeon 9800 Pro
• Zalman 80C-HP video card heatsink
• 80GB Maxtor SATA 7200rpm 8mb cache HDD

Cooling:

Cooling with this case is its weakest point. There is minimal airflow through the case due to the lack of openings in the front and as such internal temperatures suffered. Temperatures were taken using the included temperature monitor.

This result is merely adequate for a modern system and does not allow for easy overclocking. Thankfully I never experienced any stability issues due to the extra heat.

Sound:

This case is currently the most silent case available, apart from the enormously expensive Zalman case. It was difficult to even tell if the system was turned on or not due lack of sound being emitted from the case. Only by putting my ear to the case could I hear any fans running. Vibration was also very minimal due to the excellent fit of the case and its thick side panels.

Conclusion:

One thing is for certain: this case is not for everyone and that is why I have decided to give my impressions of it in two different categories; the mainstream user and the enthusiast.

Mainstream Users:

This case is the ultimate when dealing with the run of the mill computer buyer. It has everything that they'll ever need in the way of expansion and it looks great to boot. Sound emission is extremely small and thus the average user will find this case very ergonomic. The only downside to this case when coming to consumers is the price. At AUD$259 from PC Case Gear it is not cheap but you are paying for the best.

Enthusiasts:

Enthusiasts will appreciate all the features mentioned as advantages to the mainstream user as well as the ease of installation but will not find the airflow problem to be acceptable. Those seeking a very quiet case at a reasonable price should consider the GMC X-21 Trinity but those seeking outright performance should look elsewhere or possibly break out that trusty dremel to do some drastic mods to the front fascia.