The Case Interior
Removing the side panel, our first impression is that the X-22 interior is roomy and smooth. Nothing out of the ordinary for a mid sized tower case, but attention has been given to safety. We could find no sharp edges or anything else that could cause injury. Besides the typical switch and LED cables, as well as the USB and Audio port cables, one can also see the fan controller plugs and the thermometer sensor. The fan controller needs power from a single Molex plug and provides two Molex plugs for the front and rear fans. You cannot use 3-pin fans with this controller, unless you use a 3-pin to Molex adaptor. The thermometer sensor is small and so you can place the tip of the sensor anywhere you like inside the case.
The GMC X-22 provides space for four 5.25” devices and six 3.5” devices, four of which are internal only. Obviously meant only for HDDs, the case of those four 3.5” is removable and secured in place by a simple thumbscrew. A front 120mm fan which is pre-installed will provide more than adequate airflow for any kind of internal HDD.
Another 120mm fan is installed at the rear of the case, working as an exhaust. The two 120mm fans should provide ample cooling for all but the most extreme systems. The X-22 does not have a tool-less locking system for the expansion cards, but fortunately all of the expansion slot covering plates are reusable.
After installing a basic high-end system inside the X-22, we were still left with plenty of room to work with. There is a large clearance between the motherboard and the drive bays, as well as an adequate clearance between the CPU slot and the PSU, allowing large coolers to be installed. The only possible drawback is the lack of any place to hide the unused cables, especially those coming out of the PSU. A few cable ties or cable management wraps will work wonders, but you cannot hide them behind the motherboard tray or tie them to the support bar, because neither exists in this case.
