Packaging
The cardboard box is thick enough to withstand a couple of hits and the two thick Styrofoam pieces which are holding the chassis inside the box provide adequate protection during shipping. The case is not lightweight, but it is quite solid with no weak spots which can be easily damaged, making accidental damage during transportation a minimal possibility.
The Case Exterior
The case is entirely black, except from the mirror stripe at the front panel which is encircled by a red stripe. The stripe is a perfect, colorless mirror and also serves as a handle for the bay door. The magnetic bay door opens up smoothly but it also is strong enough to take some rough handling. Beneath the door, there are bays for two 3.5” devices and four 5.25” devices. GMC is the first company we have seen placing a plastic strip on one 3.5” bay cover and one 5.25” bay cover. By pulling this strip the cover will come off without any effort.
Two buttons and two rheostat knobs are present at the lowest part of the mirror strip. The two nickel buttons are the typical power on and reset button which can be found on most cases, while the two rheostats control the speed of the front and rear fans. Moving to the left side of the case, you will find the front USB and audio ports, uncovered. The X-22 has four USB ports (instead of two) and they look as if they are gold plated. At the top of the mirror strip there is hidden a small 3 digit LCD, working as a simple thermometer which is taking a reading from a wire sensor present inside.
While the right side panel is completely plain, the left side panel is worthy of comment. There are no fans on the panel itself, a funnel is included which will allow the CPU cooler to draw in fresh air from the outside of the case. If you have an aftermarket cooler which is too large, the funnel can be entirely removed. The area above the expansion cards is perforated as well, allowing high end VGA cards to breathe better.
Both of the side panels are secured with thumbscrews, which are becoming more and more common nowadays. There is nothing of real interest at the rear part of the case, except perhaps from the padlock. What makes this padlock a little special is that you can actually push it inside the case if you aren’t going to use it. Another worthwhile addition is the honeycomb pattern of the perforated area for the cooling fan. The honeycomb patterns are said to make the most efficient fan guards when talking about noise as their airflow restriction level is minimal.
