MGE Viper: Another Xtreme Gamer Creation
by Purav Sanghani on December 18, 2004 5:14 PM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
Introduction
Our first look at an MGE case was the Sidewinder in their Xtreme Gamer line of gaming chassis. For about $57, at the time of publication of this article, we can get a case with a few modifications like a side panel window, a few LED fans to light things up, a high gloss paint finish, and an optional power supply from MGE. This is not a bad deal for those seeking a simple steel case with a few custom modifications to add some glamour to their desktops.Some, however, look at these factory modifications and make their decisions based on only the modifications instead of the overall quality of the chassis. We should always look at a product as a whole to make decisions on what to buy.
We have had a chance recently to look at another gaming chassis from MGE's XGbox division, the Viper. We opened the box and found a case heavily modified with a custom paint job, custom molded bezel and many other features. Take a look at some of the pros and cons of the Viper.
| MGE Viper | |
 |
The Good |
| + Integrated backlit LCD temperature display + Included Vigor 450W power supply + Clean construction, no sharp edges |
|
| The Bad | |
| - Lack of tool-less features - External visuals may not appeal to some - Power/HDD LED location |
|
As we get ready to dig deeper into the Viper, we must keep in mind that looks aren't everything, as we hope everyone understands, and that you wait to make a decision until the end of this review, after we have checked out all of the Viper's features and functions in detail.
More information is available on the Viper at MGE's XGbox website.
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41 Comments
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Denial - Saturday, December 18, 2004 - link
Wow, I'm at a loss for words. Who buy such a thing?Nice review :)
radx - Saturday, December 18, 2004 - link
Can't say i love the design of this case. But i do like one thing better with this case than my own Antec Sonata, that be the 120MM fan behind the hard drives. Rather than my case which has the 120mm fan infront of the hard drives.Other than that another cool review done by the guys at anandtech :)
Gatak - Saturday, December 18, 2004 - link
A few of them:http://www.mini-itx.com/projects/decobox/images/de...
http://www.mini-itx.com/news/images/story0363b.jpg
http://www.mini-itx.com/news/computex2004-4/images...
http://www.mini-itx.com/news/images/story0353.jpg
http://www.mini-itx.com/projects/gramaphone-itx-hd...
http://www.mini-itx.com/news/computex2004-4/images...
http://www.mini-itx.com/news/images/story0330.jpg
Gatak - Saturday, December 18, 2004 - link
How about looking for quality cases which are more pleasingly designed? Instead of monsters I would like to see something that would fit nicely in a modern home. Look on how expensive home cinema receivers are designed.Look on this page for many really nice cases: http://www.mini-itx.com/
A few of them:
Locut0s - Saturday, December 18, 2004 - link
To make it clear Purav I'm not saying that Anandtech should look at cases on their external merits alone as you suggest many who complain about style are suggesting. In fact I don't think many of us who are complaining about style are saying that at all. Instead we are saying in many instances "What a shame that such a good case is ruined by such ugly looks". Unlike the internals of a computer where I think looks truly don't matter the chassis is really the only physical presence of the computer that you are ever ware of on a day to day basis. As such many of us would prefer not to have our chassis making a statement such as "hay look how cool I am over here Look Look Look...!" That doesn't mean that the internals of a case are not the most important thing, far from it they are the most important aspect of any case. But that doesn't mean that the external design of a case can't almost completely offset all the goodies inside, it definitely can. No matter how good the internals of a case are I am not purchase a bright yellow Pikachu case for example.By the way I happen to really look forward to most of the case reviews here at Anandtech, they are very thorough and informative. It's not the reviews I have a beef with, it's the trend in the industry to this look that I don't like.
Just my 2 cents
GnomeCop - Saturday, December 18, 2004 - link
sickNovaoblivion - Saturday, December 18, 2004 - link
should be- External visuals wont appeal to anyone
lol
Kccdx2 - Saturday, December 18, 2004 - link
Too true #1shoRunner - Saturday, December 18, 2004 - link
yeah whats up with all the cases looking like they were designed by playschool. More funky colored plastic is not better. Its a computer not an action figureLocut0s - Saturday, December 18, 2004 - link
*sigh*The following needs to be in bold in "The Bad" section:
- External visuals may not appeal to some
Or maybe a label on the box "For ages 12 and under"