Silverstone Grandia GD02-MT Case

 

After spending a few days using the case, I still have mixed emotions with it. The media centre aspect of the case works well and is a pleasure to use. But the niggles I had with building the PC inside the case are still fresh in my mind. I feel that Silverstone could have resolved some of the issues at the design stage quite easily and without having to compromise on other aspects.

 

Take, for example, the very limited space between the PSU and the hard drive when installed. I cannot understand why Sliverstone did not pick up on this when the case was still in the design stage. The other bugbear is their choice to limit the DVD options to using only a slimline drive. As I mentioned, all that would have been needed was probably another 15mm raise in overall height to enable full sized drive useage. These points may seem quite petty, but when you consider the price point that this case is at, I find it to be more serious. If you are paying a premium for a case, you don’t expect things like this.

 

That said, there are more positive points than negative regards the case. One of the biggest attractions for me was the LCD screen, which worked flawlessly. Although in real world useage, I could imagine it to become less useful as due to the screen size, you have to be pretty close to be able to read the display. It’s definitely a talking point though. The remote control is another part of the bundle which works effortlessly and works well. In no time at all, I was changing channels on live TV, flipping between applications and I even managed some web browsing using the remote. The size of the case is also a bonus regarding aesthetics, as it could easily blend into a lounge environment and doesn’t stand out like a sore thumb, which is always a good thing for the HTPC aficionados.

 

All in all, I was impressed with the overall package offered. When building, I did run into a few problems. Once built though, the case performed admirably, and I would recommend it to those considering bulding a HTPC. Pricing will be an issue to some, but when you consider that to buy the components seperately that are within this bundle, the price doesn’t seem out of the way.