Value & Conclusion
- The Aerocool GT-S Black Edition sells for 125 euros including taxes.
- XL-ATX support
- Fan controller with 4 settings included
- Three LED fans included
- Can hold standard water-cooling setups
- Loads of space for large graphics cards and CPU cooler
- Easily removable front drive-bay covers
- Tool-less locking mechanism for expansion cards works very well
- Cool red/black contrast
- Great cable-management possibilities
- Removable dust filters
- Stylish-looking front
- Magnetic front cover
- 3.5" drive adapters included
- USB 2.0 adapter included
- Well-rounded I/O
- Available in black and white
- Useless 5.25" locking mechanism
- Colorful cables
- Hard-drive trays require tools and screws
- Fan controller can only handle 25W
- Weird wiring choice for the fan controller—with no explanation in the manual
- Plastic feels a bit cheap
- Magnetic front cover will probably end up back in the box
The Aerocool GT-S Black Edition chassis is a large enclosure that can hold an XL-ATX motherboard with ease. That said, the overall quality of the case, while sufficient, cannot keep up with other options of the same size and price bracket. While the inclusion of a fan controller is great, the implementation is strange and did not work the way I wired things up in the review sample. Each GT-S case does, on the other hand, make use of two colors, setting these Aerocool cases apart from others with similar dimensions. The same goes for the functional plastic locking mechanism of its expansion slots, but its USPs (Unique Selling Point) unfortunately stop here. While there is plenty of space, space is expected as is offers expandability. Aerocool investing a bit of thought into the design of the GT-S by offering spring-loaded drive bay covers and the detachable front piece is also commendable, but the inability of the tool-less drive locks to pin things down is a no-go for a case of this size and price range.
The build quality does not fit the 125 euros Aerocool is asking for the chassis. Other manufacturers offer similar space and expandability, and the same number of fans, at a lower price, or end up providing much better build quality instead of trying to hit as many bullet points. I am all for quantity instead of quality in a budget chassis, but the GT-S simply does not fall into that category. Aerocool should think about their approach as the GT-S Black Edition does look good visually and on paper, but comes up lacking when one takes a closer look. There are much more enticing options at the same price point. All Aerocool fans in need of an XL-ATX chassis should look at the XPredator offering cool looks and color choices at a much lower price.