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We are quite impressed with what the Silverstone Grandia GD07 has to offer. Silverstone have managed to give the case a premium look by using brushed aluminium for the front panel, despite using steel for the main body. Build quality is very good and the overall fit and finish cant really be faulted.
Due to the large size of the GD07, Silverstone has managed to pack in a number of features which aren't found in many HTPC cases. Probably the most important feature is ATX motherboard support which means that you can select a wide range of options, which will fit without problem.
That said, there are still some restrictions, such as CPU cooler headroom which will prevent you from installing the best coolers on the market …. such as the Noctua NH-D14.
Not every aspect of this case is ideal, though. We would usually expect a HTPC case to be very quiet or silent but this just isn't the case with the GD07. If you want to build a quiet system we would recommend either purchasing a fan controller for the case or replacing the fans with quieter models like those from Be Quiet! and Noctua.
The case also offers no provision for tool-less installation and we are forced to use a screwdriver for almost every step of the installation process.
We feel that the Silverstone Grandia GD07 is quite good value for money as it can be yours for the reasonable price of £115 from Scan. This is around £45 cheaper than the similarly specified Lian Li PC-60 which we reviewed a while back. So if you're looking to build an ATX based HTPC system on a tighter budget, the Silverstone Grandia GD07 is a great option.
Pros:
- Good value.
- Premium finish.
- Plenty of drive bays.
Cons:
- Noisy fans.
- No tool-less installation.
- Cannot support largest CPU heatsinks.
KitGuru says: A good value case for building a powerful HTPC.
