If you’re a true PC enthusiast, you certainly know Gigabyte and their motherboard selections and PC peripherals. With that being said, I also suspect that many of you at one time have used their products. While not really a major player in the PC case market segment, Gigabyte has really grown over the last few years and surprised us today with a great new case design,a  new addition to their sumo line. their SUMO 4112. Talked about by Gigabyte as, “The must have PC Case of this year,” the SUMO 4112 has an interesting look and some innovative features that definitely set it apart from any other case at its price point. Please follow us here at Inside Industry News as we take an in-depth look at Gigabyte’s latest chassis offering.

GIGABYTE SUMO Series History

SUMO 4192

SUMO 5115

The SUMO 4192 being the first GIGABYTE Case to be specially designed and made to support GIGABYTE’s very own 3D Galaxy water cooling system as shown below which was then replaced by what today is the 3D Galaxy II.

Now, you may say yeah there are several cases ready to be liquid cooled and their are several different liquid cooling kits out in the market but, when have you seen a case where the installation layout is already done and the flow requires little to know adjustment. In my experience never. You always have to spend time figuring out where to mount the pump and reservoir, GIGABYTE has already solved that by providing a space specially designed for these. the SUMO Family is definitely for the extreme GAMER looking to take a chance and build their own Extreme Liquid cooled system. Of course their are some drawback where the water block may not be what you would have liked and so on, but for the Beginner wanting to do extreme DIY then this is definitely the best.

GIGABYTE SUMO 4112

Now, lets get back to what we are all waiting for, an in depth look at GIGABYTE’s latest SUMO 4112. At first, when approached by Gigabyte I had my doubts about the case, I was sure it was going to have the same look and feel as the last 2 designs but I was surprised to see that GIGABYTE has gone beyond the usual and taken a very good step forward.

Look and Feel:

The look of this case is one of the most elegant yet gamer looking cases I have seen to date. Now below I have listed out the key cosmetic features which truly make this case unique, but in my opinion the over all look mixed with the all brush metal aluminum feel makes this a dream Gaming PC Case.

User-friendly Architecture

Multi-media I/O port and power button all located on top for easy access.

Elegant Front Door Design

Curvaceous aluminum front door with hairline brushed finish.

Exchangeable LED Light Color

Default post-modern red LED lights can be changed to the blue LED lights coming with the package.

Thoughtful Design

Optical disc storage conveniently located behind door.

Free & Built-in Enclosure

Bundled with a 2.5″ black GIGABYTE Anvil enclosure & Integrated 2.5″ removable docking drive bay.

Free 2.5″ Enclosure

Bundled with a 2.5″ black GIGABYTE Anvil enclosure.

Computer Component Protection

Sleek security lock on side panel to protect valuable computer components.

Extendable Pedestal Stabilizers

Extendable pedestal stabilizers that retract for space and extend for stability.

Liquid Cooling Upgrade Primed

Dual tube outlets for future liquid cooling support.

Internal Liquid System Space Provisions

Provisions have been made for the future upgrades to liquid-cooling systems, recommended: GIGABYTE 3D Galaxy liquid cooling system.

Tool-free Chassis

Tool-less installation of devices with clip-lock and lever mechanisms.

Cable-managed Interior

Interior cabling all clamped and managed to allow tidy looks and internal airflow.

Sliding Drive Rails

Brackets for hard disk mounting enable slotting and un-slotting manageability.

Dual Exchangeable Side Panels

Users may change the side panel according to their preferences, either the clear transparent acrylic window or the ventilated steel mesh plate.

Going back a few months, we had the chance to review the RaidMax Monster case which is a very impressive case, but it has now found its match. GIGABYTE did not hold back, and if it continues in this direction, they will most definitely gain more ground in the PC Gaming Case market segment.

Specifications

Dimensions
205 x 522 x 500 mm

Front bezel material
Aluminum

Color
Black

Side panel
Vent / Transparent

Body material
SECC

Net weight
11.3 kg

5.25″ drive bay (External)
4

3.5″ drive bay (External)
1

3.5″ drive bay (Internal)
5

Expansion slots
7

Form factor
CEB / ATX / Micro ATX

System Fan (front)
1 x 12cm silent fan

System Fan (rear)
2 x 12cm blue LED illuminated silent fan

I / O ports
1 x e-SATA / 2 x USB 2.0 / 1 x IEEE1394 / 1 x Audio Set (AC’97/HD)

Testing:

Now lets get to the most important part of this case review, can it perform?.

Now the Testing section consist of 3 main criteria (1) Thermal Design and testing (2) Quality, sometimes looks maybe deceiving and we will test to see its true strength, (3) Ease of installation and use (4) Drop, kick, throw test. this last one is always fun because I can see my team literally in pain from seeing me throw these cases around ( Note: they are in shipping box when doing so….jajaja)

(1) Thermal Testing: PASS

For thermal testing I ran several testes with different configs and thermals where great. I was getting readings of 32C and I think its due to the great airflow design allowing for maximum cooling. Also it doesn’t hurt to have 2 120mm case fans in the back…..

(2) Quality: PASS

Over all quality the SUMO 4112 meets and exceeds all standards. Its front panel brush metal look and solid build make this one of the best cases I have ever worked with.

(3) Install and use Experience: PASS

The installation process was a breeze as, nothing to spectacular but the over all feel was great, their was more than enough room inside so that I didn’t have to worry about accidentally breaking something or cables making the inside look to crowded. In fact the cable management is superior to several cases, including the Thermaltake Armor case.

(4) Drop, Kick, Throw Test: PASS

Well although it was painful for my team to see me do this, I did throw the case around being fully built and everything managed its self well. After playing a little soccer with it I decided to take a risk and plug it in with out looking inside to see if everything was still in place, and it worked. After doing so I removed the side panel and took a look inside and everything seemed to be perfectly fine. Although, the graphics did seem a little loose, it still held in.

Pros:

– Steardy Stylish Design (All Aluminum )

– Great Thermals

– Tool-less Design

– Well though out internal layout

– Great Built in features

Cons:

– A bit on the heavy side.