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GMC R4 Bulldozer Case Review And finally the finished install. As with most cases I tested the fit with my largest heatsink the Cooler Master Hyper 212. The side fan and the heatsink fight for space with the heat sink winning. I relocated the side fan to the bottom by removing the side facade and all of the related cabling still works nicely. You might also notice the 4870 Toxic just fits with the power cables attached. Just a little push and the side goes on tightly.
With the system booted up the fron fan really does try to steal the show. Here you can see the front temperature display and the power button lit up as well. The power lighting also doubles as the HD light.
The side display lights up as well giving a bit of character to the venting. The two lights shown here are designed to give a visual warning if the temperature is off. I found this sample lighting likes to flash between colors even at 27 degrees. The Fan Speed Up button cycles through speed settings though the range is not that dramatic. Still for the price this is a welcome if simple addition.
Overall the design continues to grow on me with its unique design and red on black color scheme. I know the R4 will turn heads at the next LAN party and thats always a good feeling! Conclusion With the R4 Bulldozer GMC shows the continued versatility of their patented design. While spacing continues to be tight the resulting smaller footprint is a welcome trade off. As with all of the R series the case is limited to just three drives preventing some builds from considering the design. Cable management is a chore as well but this is true of any smaller chassis design. The smaller size may have its limitations but it just takes one trip out the door to make the smaller size and weight an incredible asset. For space limitations, the R4 shows that you don't have to sacrifice style to conserve space. Around the lab opinions were varied on the look but I can't help but feel it begs to be shown off. Every GMC hase has the techs playing with the optical drive like kids on Christmas and the Bulldozer is no exception. Love it or hate it, you won't see anything else like it on the market today. I can't wait to see what the next step in the R series evolution brings.
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