Antec GX700
Antec takes on the military theme in style with green sheet metal (thin steel) drive bay and intake covers, buckle-style clips on the drive bays, thumb screws on the face plate, a riveted top panel, and a trigger cover over its fan selector.
Though power and reset buttons are on the case's face, top-panel ports suggest that the GX700 is best used as a floor-standing tower.
GX700 Ports
The GX700 offers a pair of USB 3.0 ports, a pair of USB 2.0 ports, and audio I/O on a green-painted, riveted plate. The trigger cover hides a three-speed fan switch, while a big reset button on the face panel gives toddlers easy access and a big target. We might have switched those…
Behind The GX700
Antec dresses a pair of coolant hose pass-through holes with rubber grommets, a mid-market bonus to the low-cost GX700.
On the other hand, slot panels beneath its 120 mm fan are non-replaceable knock-outs.
GX700 Radiator Support
Antec’s inexpensive GX700 beats most of its high-end competition in internal liquid cooling support, its top panel supporting a pair of fans with more than two inches of mounting space above the motherboard.
Though tank space for a 140 mm dual-fan radiator is questionable, its 120 mm sibling fits by replacing the stock 140 mm fans.
Inside The GX700
A five-drive lower cage blends with a four-bay upper cage to fill the GX700’s front. A rolled edge at the back of the case provides burr-free rigidity.
GX700 Cable Management
Minimal space between the GX700’s motherboard tray and side panel leaves just enough room for the 12 V auxiliary CPU power connector.
The motherboard tray steps inward near the drive cage to provide space for the larger main power lead.
GX700 Induction
A mesh dust filter hides behind the face panel's screw-on cover. Pulling the entire GX700 face panel exposes an unspecified oversized fan mount, in addition to the pair of empty 120 mm fan mounts.
More GX700 Dust Prevention
The power supply intake features a filter that slides out for easy service.
Above it, a plastic flip cover that merely resembles a card latch hides card-holding screws.
GX700 Drive Support
The GX700 doesn’t come equipped with a backplane, so Antec decided to face all of its drive trays to the inside. This makes sense because most builders place their cables here and need to open the right panel to connect them. All five trays support 3.5” drives on pins and 2.5” drives using screws.
Cooler Master Storm Scout Advanced
The Scout Advanced features a side window and twin-fan side vent, adding visibility and ventilation options to a case that already includes a pair of fans behind its mesh front panel. Designed for portability, a heavy-duty handle on top completes its LAN party theme.
Scout Advanced Ports
The Scout Advanced's top-panel ports tilt slightly forward for easier access from above the desk, though the angle is still optimized for under-desk placement. USB 3.0, USB 2.0, and headset jacks hide behind a sliding cover for dust protection.
Oversized fan lighting control, power, and reset buttons are all easy to reach, though they're easily confused in dimly-lit rooms.
