In-Win GT1 Case Review: Fighting an Uphill Battle
by Dustin Sklavos on March 8, 2013 9:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
- In-Win
- ATX
Conclusion: Cutting the Strangest Corners
I want to be more bullish on the In-Win GT1. I actually quite like In-Win and they have some incredibly unique designs in their stable. Maybe not ones suited to pet owners or people with small children, but any of the enclosures in their Frame line has something to offer. I'm even fond of the BUC; while it's not the sexiest case on the shelf, it does have a great personality.
At $69, the GT1 brings a few things to the table. It's for the most part easy to assemble (excluding cabling issues), and it does come fairly fully-featured. The fan controller is funky, but it's there, and for some users the hotswap bay is going to be a compelling add-on. In-Win also seems to be using a thicker grade of steel than competing cases are; the GX700 practically blows over in a stiff wind by comparison. For an inexpensive case, the GT1 is at least trying to offer something to users that its competitors aren't, and I'm glad build quality didn't completely go by the wayside to hit that price tag.
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The problem is that the GT1 is entering an incredibly competitive market. $69 is too much for the case, full stop. At $59 you could argue for it over the GX700; maybe not successfully, but at least the GT1 could be part of the conversation. And while the case materials don't seem to have been where In-Win made their unkind cuts to hit their price tag, there are other weird corners cut in their stead. The single USB 3.0 port is frustrating, and there's absolutely no reason they couldn't have included a seventh drive tray. Does the case need it? I'd argue it does, if only for the sake of being complete.
Then there's the fan controller, and to me that's pretty much the kiss of death. The fan controller sports a single 3-pin header that's been converted to molex, but the connection sequence being incorrect out of the box is inexcusable. A computer case is a computer case: it should just work. They cheaped out on the fan controller with just two speeds, and then they didn't cover their tracks. Does a $69 case even need one? It's appreciated, but if they were going to bungle it they might as well have not included it in the first place.
I want In-Win to do well like any other manufacturer, because competition is always good for the end user and good ideas come from all corners of the industry. Unfortunately, the In-Win GT1 is a bust, and your money is better spent elsewhere.
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CeriseCogburn - Tuesday, March 12, 2013 - link
How did you decide "they" look bad ? Or did you ?Flunk - Friday, March 8, 2013 - link
Last time I put together a computer I bought a Lian-Li PC9-F for $89. That case looks great (to me) and is light, well built and well designed. Considering that you can now get a case that is roughly as good as a premium $300 case from 10 or so years ago for a fraction of the price really drives down the prices on lower end cases.A case like this looks positively overpriced by comparison. This thing shouts out "cheap" from the rooftops and it's $69. Maybe in 2002 that would have been a good deal, but not today.
There are a lot of better cases out there in the same price bracket.
CeriseCogburn - Tuesday, March 12, 2013 - link
Please point a few out, thanks.sulu1977 - Friday, March 8, 2013 - link
Why is USB 3.0 connectivity even an issue for a case? It's just a blank, empty case for heaven's sake. A USB port could be USB 1, 2 or 3 depending what wires you connect to it from the motherboard. So of you attach cables from USB 3 headers to all the ports then all the ports should be USB 3. Or am I missing something?smitty123 - Saturday, March 9, 2013 - link
"So of you attach cables from USB 3 headers to all the ports then all the ports should be USB 3. Or am I missing something?"obviously you are missing something,
you need the latest ports so they'll have the necessary metal connections. USB 3.0 has more connectors in it to transfer faster.
They are backwards compatible because it was designed that way, but not forward compatible, unless you can see in the future? heck the weather guy can hardly tell what's gonna look like tomorrow lol
So no, you can't have just usb 1 or 2 ports anymore and make them usb 3, they just don't have the connections.
i'd go with 4 USB3.0 ports at the front. you can't have just 2 ports side by side, the Gen 3 keys are too wide.
Dustin Sklavos - Saturday, March 9, 2013 - link
Also, each motherboard header is for a pair of ports. So when the case only has one port attached to a line, but uses one of the motherboard headers, you've basically given up a port because the case designer was a cheapskate.lwatcdr - Saturday, March 9, 2013 - link
I was going to say that they should got 2 3.0 and 2 2.0 USB ports because we all know that there will be some motherboard that will not wake from sleep when you wiggle a mouse or hit a key on a 3.0 port. Except that why would you plug your mouse or keyboard into the front ports. Yea your right 4 3.0 ports is the way to go.I just do not get the one 3.0 port, it seems like the worst solution. If there where none then you could just get a 3.0 card reader/ 3.0 ports that fit into a drive bay. With one 3.0 port you give up one of the 3.0 ports on the header.
CeriseCogburn - Tuesday, March 12, 2013 - link
Because the eggheads pretend they have multiple usb3 devices they need to connect al at once - it brags proud monied mega geek to whine about it.Plus, once the ponce reviewer spews his crap, the lemmings repeat like parrots - you know how when you teach something to mthe rubes about you, several week sor monts later they repeat it to you excitedly as if they just thought it up...
At least the parrots read that part, and squealed out the agreeing whine.
Sleepingforest - Wednesday, March 13, 2013 - link
So, you're saying that there's no way I'd want to, say, back up my computer to a USB 3.0 external hard drive, use USB 3.0's higher voltage to charger my phone, and upload my camera's contents at the same time? Because those are all concievably concurrent needs.In fact, I could say you are elitist for thinking we need any front panel USB at all--a single back panel USB 1.0 was enough fifteen years ago. Why not today?
CeriseCogburn - Thursday, March 14, 2013 - link
You're backup should be plugged into the back, readily available, so you aren't moving it and destroying it.Your cellphone has a charger, and it's slow off a computer, and you have no outlet that isn't overloaded right there?
Your camera - not likely you have a usb 3.0 cable for your camera, you idiot.
Three strikes you're out...
You were saying... ? " Yes, I agree with you Cerise, you have a brain, a very big one and you think it through instead of being a dummy with a big mouth and far too willing to use it."
Oh, that's what you were saying. Good little boy, good boy.