3D Mars
$159
Gigabyte
www.gigabyte.us
Specs: Bays: 5 5.25-inch external;
5 3.5-inch internal; 2 3.5-inch external; Fans: 3
120mm, 2 80mm; Front Ports: 2 USB,
1 FireWire, Audio I/O
There’s more to the Gigabyte 3D Mars than what’s on the outside, even though the crafted, all-aluminum style and swappable acrylic window are enough to make this case a gem. The 3D Mars comes in black or silver and models subtle yet eye-catching design features, such as crafted fin edges on the front panel and illuminated front intake vents.
Aesthetics are important, but it’s what’s on the inside that counts. One of the most impressive features inside the 3D Mars is its truly tool-less design. Among the tool-less elements are five 5.25-inch external bays, five internal HDD bays, and two 3.5-inch external bays. All were simple to manage and held their respective components securely. The HDD bays reside in a removable tool-less rack that can be positioned sideways or upright, providing a couple of accessibility options.
There’s plenty of room inside the 3D Mars: It can support eATX motherboards, as well as 10.5-inch graphics cards. It’s also full of fans—two 120mm LED fans in the back, one 120mm LED fan in the front, and two 80mm fans on the side panel. For more serious cooling, the 3D Mars is liquid-coolingready and has the option for the Gigabyte 3D Galaxy upgrade.
The 3D Mars presented a few annoyances, though. First, the motherboard screw holes were incorrectly labeled. Second, in order to install the ODDs, I had to remove the front panel by popping six tabs that locked it in. But to pop the tabs, I had to remove both side panels. What kept this from being a major annoyance was that both side panels were easily removable. Lastly, the case’s aluminum material was prone to scuffs and scratches, but the included cloth did a good job of cleaning things up.
The Gigabyte 3D Mars had annoyances, but no real problems. All in all, the 3D Mars lives up to its promise to be a solid and aesthetically pleasing case.
