Intro

Up on the bench today we are going to look at the XG Quantum case from MGE. Taking their cue from the teen geeks who don't care to spell correctly (or can't spell correctly...hard to tell sometimes) the XG stands for "Extreme Gamer". The XG line-up includes testosterone inducing names such as Viper, Dragon, Sidewinder and X-Case. All seemingly designed to appeal to the hard-core gamer who doesn't care to mod his own case, yet craves good looks and performance. Judging by recent reviews, MGE is right on track.

The Quantum is a bit more sedate than its XG siblings; it would be just as at home in an office or next to the home entertainment system as it would under a gamers desk. But under the understated black exterior, the Quantum is all about performance. The Quantum comes standard with 3-92mm fans, one exhaust at the rear and two intakes right where they will do the most good, over the cpu and vga. That alone would probably suffice, but there is also a top mounted 80mm exhaust fan and a very stylish 80mm front intake. All controlled via a sleek fan control/temp monitor/clock mounted in the front bezel. With a abundance of fans and the open panel design, cooling should not be an issue even for the most demanding user. With its elegant appearance, obvious cooling potential and snazzy fan control, I was looking forward to putting it through its paces.

The Package

Despite its gaming credentials, I could tell by the way Attila the UPS guy was huffing and puffing when he reached my second story doorstep, this was no Lan rig I was going to be reviewing. Shipping weight was 37 lbs., sans psu the net weight is just under 32 lbs. MGE's 500 watt psu option was not included with this sample. It's a steel case, it's a big case, it's a man's case, and it's a hernia waiting to be born. In short, the suckers heavy! 1.0mm SECC construction and a heavy aluminum bezel make for a very sturdy case. But..

...Attila the UPS guy is no mere mortal package carrier. And Attila is at his most dangerous when transporting cases. Even the sturdy construction of the Quantum was no match for Attila. "Don't worry about the piece of cardboard torn off the bottom," says Attila with an evil glint in his eye. "It caught on the hand cart on the way in.", he gloats. "I wouldn't want you to think it had been thrown around or anything.", he lies convincingly. I just grimace and sign hoping the damage isn't too severe.

The Quantum's box is a very attractive piece of packaging, but the relatively thin squishy foam packing is obviously somewhat inadequate for shipping when pitted against the likes of Attila. Give me big, thick pieces of tough styrofoam and a plain brown double boxing any day over "pretty" packaging. The bottom of the case was hit so hard the side panel and bezel were forced upward shearing off the left most rivet on the top panel. It's testament to the quality of construction that the side panel wasn't completely buckled as well.

In all fairness to MGE, the Quantum's packaging would be enough just as it stands if packages were handled reasonably; unfortunately they are not handled reasonably. I may joke about Attila the UPS guy a lot and Attila isn't really the guy who brings the package to my doorstep (to my knowledge). Attila is not any one man or woman or carrier that wantonly destroys goods, but a conglomeration of all many people who handle packages in transit. But the sad fact is about a third of the cases I've received have been damaged in shipping and that's hardly a laughing matter. Rather than make yet another claim with UPS and delay the review, I simply banged the dent out with a block of wood and a hammer as best I could.

Features and Specs

Type Midi ATX Tower
Mainboard ATX
Expansion Slots 7
5 - 5.25" Drive Bays (open)
5 - 3.5" Drive Bays (2 open, 3 hidden)
W/O Power supply N.W.: 14.5 kg/32 lbs
2 x 92mm side fan
1 x 92mm top fan
1 x 80mm front fan
1 x 80mm rear fan
Top I/O Ports IEEE1394 Firewire, USB 2.0x2 , Audio
Dimensions 480 x 190 x 435mm (DxWxH)
Material 1.0mm SECC
Tooless design
7 fan controller/3 temp monitors/LED panel readout
Black or Silver color option
500W psu option