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
Conclusion: When Competitive Isn't Competitive
Let me be clear: the In-Win GRone is by no means a bad case. On the contrary, the performance potential is there and the features are there. I chafe a bit under the extensive use of plastic on the fascia and the odd mish-mash of colors used beyond the basic gunmetal-and-black aesthetic, but the case is fairly easy to build and In-Win has a few good ideas floating around in here. If the feature set is what you're looking for, I wouldn't fault you for eyeballing the GRone.
The problem is that I feel like for how well the GRone does perform, it doesn't perform well enough. It needs five fans to do the job of two or three in competing cases, and the fan controller doesn't offer the happy medium the case desperately needs. Instead of dual modes, either a middle mode or an analog control (similar to NZXT's Sentry Mix or Corsair's Obsidian 600T) seems to be the order of the day here to get the balance right between noise and thermals.
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What really hurts the GRone is the price, though. $160 is a reasonable price for some of the features, but not the build quality and mediocre acoustics. It's at this point that I'm going to trot out my favorite dark horse, the Rosewill Thor v2. Rosewill is willing to sell you a case that will perform better and quieter, with dual analog fan controls and roughly the same connectivity (you lose the SATA hotswap tray) for $30 cheaper. Meanwhile, watercooling ninjas are liable to be better served by either BitFenix's Shinobi XL or NZXT's Switch 810, both of which are price competitive with In-Win's offering.
The GRone isn't a bad case, but it's not a homerun and there are things beyond the price tag that need to be addressed in a revision. Until that happens, the one thing that can always be corrected is the price. If In-Win can get it down to around $130, the value proposition improves tremendously and it's at that point that I have a much easier time recommending it. Our old saw is "no bad products, only bad prices," and that's true here. With the GRone, I feel like that would make all the difference.
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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.