Conclusions

Silverstone just keeps on designing cases that always tend to be slightly outside the norm in terms of both design and features.  Most importantly, they design many to meet the budgets of many PC enthusiasts and that's where the Grandia Series comes in.  While I will be quite frank and say that this case is not what I'm normally used to in terms of overall quality I expect from Silverstone, it is still a nice compromise when you factor in price and still a much better option over your average HTPC enclosure.

Now, what is there to really like about this chassis?  Simple actually.  It comes down to its minimal footprint while still supporting standard components such as an ATX power supply and extended graphics or other expansion cards.  In fact, this case is actually shorter (in terms of depth) than most MicroATX cases that do not support such components.  That alone is a reason to consider it, especially for those who what the highest performance but have TV stands or A/V racks that typically don't support larger cases and/or components.  The secret?  Its overall height, clever internal optical drive mount and unique top panel.  This allows you to use components that typically would be impossible to install on a case sporting such a small footprint.  With that said, I would like to emphasize that space is very limited and you'll want to take note as to the order in which you install all your components within. 

So what didn't I like?  First, the front stealth bay cover broke during a very careful install and did not support the particular optical drive of choice without some modification.  Fortunately though, they were quick to offer replacement parts to get it back the way it should be!  The second is very minor and that is the ultra tiny power button.  Perhaps I'm just spoiled coming from the excellent, large power button found on the nMedia 180BA.  I guess it will take some time to get used to but I failed to hit the button at times when attempting to power the system up manually.  However, I use a remote control solution so this is really not an issue for those that do.

**Update 05/13/08**  Some good news from the folks at Silverstone.  After the review was posted and submitted to them, they have informed me that they have already made some updates to the optical door design and that future productions of the GD02 would be better in this area.  Another excellent reason why Silverstone is such a respected company when it comes to the quality of their products.

If you are looking for an ultra sleek MicroATX HTPC case with a small footprint and true support for a majority of full-sized components, the Silverstone GD02 is not only an excellent choice, but one of the very few options out there that are designed with all this in mind.  Want more functionality?  You can also opt for their GD02MT model that comes standard with a built-in 4.3" touchscreen display and remote. 

More information on the GD02 and GD02MT can be found on the Silverstone Website.

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