Today we bring you the GX700 computer case review, this Mid-Tower is produced by Antec, a company well known for the good quality and variety of their products in general, they offer all sorts of solutions for all sorts of users, from the most common of gamers to the most hardcore overclock enthusiast, everyone can use an Antec case and probably be satisfied with its performance. Because of this, the virtues that the GX700 shows right out of the box do not surprise, it's something we have come to expect from this American-based company.
What might be a surprise is the GX700 peculiar and somewhat risky look, it certainly wins some points when it comes to originality, moving away from the typical "futuristic" design most cases these days go for, instead opting for more of a "military" arrangement, certainly not a look that everyone will enjoy, but for those that like it, everything in this Mid-Tower, from the colors to the build quality, screams tough!
Like mentioned before, this case is a Mid-Tower, it is built almost entirely out of steel and plastic, it's moderately heavy when compared to other Mid-Towers from the same company, weighing nearly 8 kgs.
This case certainly does not feel flimsy or cheap, it is however pretty affordable, costing anywhere between 50 to 60$ on Amazon at the time of this review.
In terms of cooling and airflow options, Antec included in the GX700 2x140mm fans at the top, these can easily be replaced if the user so desires, either by quieter or smaller fans (2x120mm).
Also at the top and still related to the cooling options, is a fan controller, once again the military design is pretty obvious, the little cover that protects this switch seems something you would see in a bomb (at least in the ones from the movies).
The front of the case is equipped with an easy to remove and washable dust filter that covers the 2x120mm fans (not included).
The side panels are extremely simple, you won't find acrylics or anything of that kind in the GX700, instead the only thing worth mentioning is the option for another 120mm fan on the left side, well positioned to help cool down your graphics card.
On the back of the case you will find two rubber grommet holes, very useful if you're planning on adding some water-cooling options in the future, right under the two holes lays yet another 120mm fan, this one also included.
To supply the "juice" for all this fans you will install the PSU (not included) at the bottom of the GX700, a dust filter is also in place here, protecting the PSU from all the dirt and grime that accumulates under the case as time goes by.
When it comes to actual airflow inside this Mid-Tower, the usual cable routing holes are present and in the right places of the motherboard tray, they help keep the cables out of the way, ergo air can flow in a more consistent fashion, the only downside being that the holes are not rubberized, caution is advised to prevent any damage to the cables, even though the edges are rolled you can never be too careful.
The CPU cutout or "time saving hole" also makes an appearance, for those that don't know, this hole in the motherboard tray allows access to the CPU cooler retention plate without having to take the whole thing apart, extremely useful.
Still airflow related is the matter of space, this being a Mid-Tower you can't expect to be left with a lot of room after every component is installed, this can hurt the airflow inside the case, especially when you consider the fact that the front drive trays are not removable, this limits the space available for the air to flow.
On a more positive note is the tool-less design of the case, for example the 7 expansion slots at the back have an almost optimal thumbscrew access. Continuing with the tool free setting we have the 5x3.5'' or 5x2.5'' HDD trays at the front and the 4x5.25'' bays at the top, all completely free from the use of tools.
Final Thoughts
When every aspect and feature of the GX700 is taken into consideration there can only be a positive conclusion, even with a few flaws here and there, this Mid-Tower from Antec is certainly a very interesting option for gamers and small budget enthusiasts alike, people who like to set up their systems swiftly and without much hassle can certainly count on the GX700 to do that job in a competent and affordable manner.
The rugged military look will assuredly please ones more than others, but it's certainly original, so the extravagant design is a plus in our opinion.
The Good
-Original military design
-Sturdy and well built
-2 removable dust filters
-3 fans included
-1 fan controller
-Tool-less
-Water Cooling is an option
-Good price-quality ratio
The Bad
-Lack of rubberized cable routing holes
-Non removable HDD trays
-No intake fan included
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