A Closer Look - Outside

Out of the box, the first thing you will notice is the compactness of the chassis. Since it is a mATX unit, it is not as tall as mid-tower cases, but otherwise the other dimensions are similar as its bigger alternatives. The design is pretty straight forward and can't be considered unique. Even the model name doesn't really allow you to place the case as part of a chassis family. This reinforces the fact that the target audience are users who simply want an all white case for their mATX build that is affordable first and foremost.


The front panel is plastic except the mesh panel, which is made of metal and provides a quality feel. You may pull it off quite easily to reveal the mounting possibilities for three 120 mm or two 140 mm fans. As these are mounted in front of the frame, you can still make the most of the interior dimensions of the Gigabyte C102. Oddly enough, the one 120 mm fan in the front is installed at the very bottom by default. Gigabyte should really adjust this position to the center height so that the GPU can benefit from the active cooling instead. In the rear, the case offers a standard layout.


On the main side panel, there is a clean and clear glass panel. It is framed in white and held in place by white plastic thumb screws. There is a small graphic in the bottom left corner, which is a nifty little touch that is unexpected - especially for this price segment. On the other side, the metal panel has a compact section which is vented to accommodate any active cooling you may install on the side.


Taking a closer look at the rear, the PSU bay sports two sets of mounting holes, so you can pick which way to install your power supply. Above that are five expansion slots, which allow you to make the most of your mATX board. That way the lowest expansion on the motherboard has a bit of extra room to play with. In the top, there is a second 120 mm fan set to push air out of the case. It is mounted using elongated openings in the frame, so you can adjust its height a bit to accommodate your setup best. As there is plenty of room above the motherboard area, this bodes well for AIO support in the ceiling.


Looking at the top of the Gigabyte C102 Glass Ice, there is a magnetic mesh filter in white to protect the ceiling of the chassis from dirt and grime. You may install three 120 mm fans or two 140 mm variants. Alternatively, the case can comfortably hold a radiator of up to 360 mm here. Thanks to the offset in the mounting holes, such a unit also leaves a bit of clearance away from the motherboard. In terms of I/O, Gigabyte unfortunately skips USB-C, which feels like a bit of an oversight - even for an affordable enclosure like this. On the upside, the two USB-A 3.0 ports are kept in white, which in turn is not something we usually see in this segment.


On the underside, there is another white mesh filter. This one is not easily removable for cleaning, and you will have to tip over your system to get to it, unfortunately.