Assembly

Installing a motherboard inside the Gigabyte C102 Glass Ice requires you to first install two missing spacers that are supplied separately. While this may be annoying, this is due to the fact that low-end boards simply don't require the right-most spacers. Thanks to the fact that the C102 Glass Ice has a traditional depth for a modern enclosure, our massive GPU easily fits and still stays clear of any space dedicated for cooling in the front of the chassis. That said, the picture also illustrates the limitation that is the side fan mounting position as no radiator would fit here in this configuration.


You may skip any tools by installing your 2.5" drive using the silver pins and rubber rings. Once the pins are secured by hand in place of screws, you may just push it into the mounting holes with the friction between the metal and rubber holding it in place sufficiently.


For 3.5" drives, you first have to remove the thumb screw and pull the cage out of the chassis. The specification table provided for the enclosure is incomplete as it does not state all possible configurations. Fortunately, the reality is, that you can install either two 3.5" drives - one inside the cage and one on top or a mix of one 3.5" and one 2.5" drive. This means the Gigabyte C102 Glass Ice is capable of a total of holding a total of four drives. Any drives here need to be secured using a screwdriver and the supplied silver screws. Once filled, simply slide it back in place and use the short thumb screw to secure it. As you can see, we installed the unit to give the front of the case all the possible room.


Even with the HDD configuration, installing a large, powerful and efficient power supply is no issue at all with plenty of room for cable management as well. It is secured with classic screws through the back of the case frame.


Installing a 360 mm AIO in the ceiling is just as easy as expected with room to clear the fans in the back and a healthy gap towards the motherboard. The only restriction is the fact that you will not be able to have two 360 mm radiators co-exist inside the Gigabyte C102 Glass Ice at the same time. That said, if you are planning to, a $60 case may be the wrong area to attempt to be frugal. From this angle, you can see the cable mess that can't really be hidden above the top edge of the board.


A similar cable situation is present at the bottom edge of the board, where the GPU power wire is routed through as well. But due to the radiator in the ceiling and the big GPU, our usual angle at looking at the assembled interior looks cleaner than it actually is. On the other side, thanks to the multitude of well-placed hooks, the cable management allows for several routes to split up wiring so that it looks clean, is modular and easily allows for the side panel to be put back. On top of that, it is pretty easy to avoid the area intended for cooling on the side of the chassis.

Finished Looks

With the system turned on, there are no ARGB elements present as part of the case itself, so the only visual element is a blue LED at the top of the case.


Looking at the front of the Gigabyte C102 Glass Ice, you can clearly see through to the interior, so the fine mesh of the panel should act well as a way to stop dust but also allow for useful airflow. Thanks to the completely untinted side panel, you can see all the hardware, wiring and tubing. Due to the small window by the PSU bay, there is a bit of exposure there as well. In the rear everything is also exactly where you would expect to see it for a modern, traditional chassis of this type.