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The
red highlighting on the door is also easily removable, with only three
Phillips screws holding it in. This could be another simple mod for someone
looking to individualize this case further, with either paint or backlighting.
**click to enlarge**
Another interesting point that I noticed was on the PCB for the Guardian
‘Eye’. In some other reviews it had been mentioned that there was a socket to
provide an interface for possible customization of the LED sequence, and this
is also hinted in the instruction book. On this one, the jack is gone, and all
that’s left is the empty solder points. I take this as a signal that the
hinted upgrade will not be happening. The LEDs themselves are of the 3mm type,
and could be swapped if someone had the notion of changing the color.
**click to enlarge**
There
is no intake fan even though there is space to mount a 80mm fan. The small
grille-like marks on the front of the ‘face’ are actually holes, and there is
another small gap on the bottom edge. I think I’ll use my Dremel to widen the
holes on the inner side of the panel and install an intake fan later on. The
door itself at least opens to the right, which I believe is the best way to do
it. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be looking at that pretty window! The action is a
little tight in getting the door open…The Guardian uses plastic clips, but I
would have preferred to see magnets on a case at this price. There are five
5.25” bays and two 3.5” bays, so there should be plenty of space for drives.
The Power and Reset buttons flank the 3.5” bays and are a silver-like plastic,
and have a good feel to them.
**click to enlarge**
On
the right side of the case, there are some ventilation holes running
horizontally across the panel. I doubt they are very functional, due to the
lack of space behind the panel to allow airflow. This also limits the amount
of ‘cable hiding’ space, and we’ll see how that works out a little later in
the review.
**click to enlarge**
The
top panel is pretty plain, but if you’re one of these types that like
blowholes, the Guardian has enough space up there to fit a 120mm fan. One
could also easily add another window up there too. The top panel is part of
the structure, and is riveted to the chassis.
The rear of the case has only one really strange feature…the split level fan
grilles. Somehow, I don’t see these being very helpful to airflow, and one of
the first projects I intend to do with this case involves removing as much of
that mess as I can get away with. The I/O panel is of the knock out type, and
is not replaceable. The PCI bays are also knock outs, even though in a gaming
case I would have preferred to see the replaceable type like the included
spare. Thumbscrews are provided for both panels, and there is a small bracket
included to lock the case with a standard lock.
**click to enlarge**
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