Velocity Micro today revealed its latest flagship case for all of its customizable desktops. With configurations starting at $1,869, the GX3 chassis aims to stand out in the custom PC market. According to Josh Covington, Velocity Micro's marketing and sales director, the decision to create a custom case was made to emphasize performance and cooling, without adding unnecessary components.
The case has a plain exterior with only the optical drive and a small light in the front, as well as optional lit side fans (as part of the liquid cooling package). Aside from reinforcing the importance of the case's interior, Covington said the austere brushed-metal design allows it to fit as part of any décor.
The case is made out of aluminum, which should help pull heat away from vital components. Additionally, a fan at the bottom of the case is used to push hot air through the case and out the top exhaust fan. Covington explained that the reason behind the unusual design is because of the way heat rises.
"We've found that we can more efficiently pull air up and out of the case than from front to back," he said. "This means better cooling with fewer, quieter fans."
If air cooling is insufficient for a given build, the case is also built to house a liquid cooler with a 240 mm radiator to push air through the mesh side of the case, which should provide some breathing room when overclocking.
On the graphics side, the GX3 claims to handle up to four video cards. The case can also easily handle robust storage needs with the ability to house up to six 3.5-inch hard drives (or six 2.5-inch SSDs, with an adapter). It's also easy to swap out hard drives due to the quick release cage, which doesn't require tools.
Two USB 3.0 ports, as well as audio ports, are located at the top of the case for easy access. The GX3 also includes an optical drive, a feature that is slowly fading from today's custom PCs. Covington said that the drive is included for convenience, because some users might use it for older software or watching movies.
At the moment, the GX3 is only available on two of Velocity Micro's machines: the Raptor Z95 (starting at $2,299) and the Promagix HD80 (starting at $1,869). However, both machines can be fully customized to each user's needs. Over time, Covington said that the GX3 would undergo many variations and forms for the company's other custom PCs. Unfortunately, the GX3 will not be available as a standalone purchase.
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