AMD A4 3400 APU Review

We would like to thank Xigmatek for supplying this case at such short notice, just for this review.

The Gigas case looks sleek and elegant in a brushed aluminium finish that would look very appealing in a home cinema setup. The build quality is sturdy and solid, with substantial aluminium extrusions used for brackets and support rails.

The Xigmatek Gigas normally comes supplied with two 120mm 800 RPM fans, with optional support for two additional fans. These fans were supplied with the review sample we received and although the system didn't really require them, we used them anyway, as they would add to the overall power requirements.

What we found a little odd was that the case only supports three fans with the supplied fan controller. Therefore you have options to plug the 4th fan into a spare motherboard fan header, install an aftermarket fan controller or use fan splitters to get all four fans running. This is a possible oversight on Xigmatek's part and full support for four fans as advertised on the box should really have been provided.

That being said, the case is not without issues. The main issue is one that can be applied to many compact cases … there is very little room to work with when installing components.

Those with larger hands may find installing the motherboard a struggle and a magnetic screwdriver is a must, as putting screws in by hand could prove to be very difficult.

We found installation of the motherboard interesting, to say the least. The unique design of the drive bay cages that are supported by a spinal column, meant that the support column and cages had to be removed, to allow sufficient access to install the motherboard. We then had to re-install the rails and cages to install other components, a somewhat time-consuming process that is typical with small form factor cases.

When it comes to the subject of cable management, it's fair to say that it's difficult in such a small form factor case. This case is pretty well packed with everything installed, with little spare space available to hide cables. We struggled to find routing for unused cables from the power supply that didn't foul the CPU or case fans, or that didn't adversely affect air flow to some components.

Fortunately the system we installed was not a particularly hot-running one, the air flow in the case managed to provide sufficient cooling via the four fans, that were barely audible when running. Cable management and air flow could be improved by the use of a modular power supply, allowing for unused cables to be left out.

The Gigas case provides support for USB 3.0 on the front of the case; unfortunately, we were unable to test this as the system under review did not support USB 3.0. You can buy this case from Overclockers for £89.99 inc vat.

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