In-Win GRone Case Review: Do Features Make the Case
by Dustin Sklavos on September 18, 2012 12:01 AM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
- In-Win
- ATX
- E-ATX
Noise and Thermal Testing, Stock
In testing the In-Win GRone, I made the decision to remove the center drive cage similar to how I tested the BitFenix Prodigy and the Fractal Design Define R4. The three drive trays remaining will likely suffice for most users. I did test it at both the "Silence" and "Turbo" settings, and you'll see by the test results that neither one seems to be optimal for this case design.
Ambient temperatures hovered around 25C during testing.
Thermals for the GRone are actually quite good, generally falling within the margin of error for the top of the chart. At our stock settings, the testbed just doesn't seem to push the GRone particularly hard and the "Silence" fan setting provides more than adequate cooling performance.
Of course, thermals don't always tell the whole story and it becomes clear that the GRone might be a bit deficient in processor cooling, at least in its "Silence" mode.
Fan noise is pretty solid if unexciting, though, ranking with the best of them in "Silence" mode despite no allowances made for acoustics in the case design outside of the integrated fan controller. The "Turbo" mode is, on the other hand, punishingly loud. It's so loud, in fact, that it almost completely smothers the load noise of the components inside.
Note, too, that these test results don't reflect the pitch and timbre of the noise. In "Silence" mode the GRone is objectively similar in noise level to cases like the Corsair Obsidian 550D and Fractal Design R4, but those cases do a better job of muffling the whine of the graphics card's fan and sound less "open" than the GRone does.
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colinstu - Tuesday, September 18, 2012 - link
Happy with my Antec P280.Good cases do exist out there, just gotta look at the right companies (cheapies like In-Win isn't one of them).
Corsair 650D was looking like a nice option too, but the side window was a turnoff (I'm not into them these days) and it cost more money so I ultimately went with the Antec.
The Fractal Design Core 3000 I'd go with if I wanted to cheapen it up some more, and the NZXT Source 210 if I wanted to really cheapen it up. I used this NZXT in a friend's build recently too and I was quite happy with it (and so is he).
There's dozens more nice cases out there... but these 4 are my top easy picks (4 different price points) with getting a well featured case that doesn't look fugly.
peterfares - Tuesday, September 18, 2012 - link
I too have an Antec P280 which I bought for the same reasons. When I was 14 I loved cases like this one with windows and lights. My next build really toned it down and my latest case finally did away with all the useless and annoying lights and windows. I can't stand any lights or noise now, I even put electrical tape over the bright blue power and HDD LEDs on the case. I may just unplug them next time I open it up.Belard - Tuesday, September 18, 2012 - link
I've built a system with a P280... great case.I would LOVE to see a mini-version... designed to hold a single 5.25 drive, 4x 3.5/2.5 drives...
I'm still on my Antec P120, which is a smaller and doorless version of the P180. The P280 blows away the P180. Its not as ENGINEERED as the P180 with its air-chambers, drive cages, etc.
But its (A) Lighter (B) Cheaper (C) Easier to work on (D) USB 3.0.
My son has lights in his case (blue and red), also lets me know easily that his PC is on. I do like a little blue to glow from real air-vents, but nothing that lights up the room.
colinstu - Wednesday, September 19, 2012 - link
Hey, on the topic of "mini" P280s... would a "Fractal Design Define Mini" be up your alley?http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N8...
Looks like an awesome option.
ssj4Gogeta - Wednesday, September 19, 2012 - link
"I can't stand any lights or noise now, I even put electrical tape over the bright blue power and HDD LEDs on the case. I may just unplug them next time I open it up."Haha, for some reason I pictured you as a robot running around saying "Kill all lights... kill all lights".
ypsylon - Tuesday, September 18, 2012 - link
That people still are interested in cases like this one. Steel and plastic. Brrrr... I know that aluminum is usually more expensive, but easily you can find good alu case around same kind of money. Try alu once and you will never go back. Simple as that.Dustin Sklavos - Tuesday, September 18, 2012 - link
What, like Lian Li or Cubitek?Aluminum is HIGHLY overrated.
Flying Goat - Tuesday, September 18, 2012 - link
Who in their right mind calls a case "GRone"? Did anyone even try to read that phonetically?randinspace - Tuesday, September 18, 2012 - link
Larry the cable guy came to mind.sesante2000 - Tuesday, September 18, 2012 - link
I could understand if this case had something unique or special to offer, But no, It's just ugly.Finding a good case that suites ones style and function is just as hard as finding the right motherboard to match.
Cases like these perpetuate the nonsense that "gamer" cases have become.
If I walked into someones house and saw this I would think they just didn't know any better.
But they should, as they are building their own PC.
But who am I to judge?
I mean, This is the lowest common denominator in custom PC cases.