In PC components, few brands originate in Europe. Most companies that produce such products come from either the US or Asia. Of course, more is invested in research and development in this field in those areas. Certainly, even the new AlphaGear cases, the new brand of gaming cases from PC Garage, probably have their origins in a research laboratory in China. However, PC Garage is the company that will sell them exclusively and promises a competitive combination of high-performance functions and accessories at the lowest possible price. I had the opportunity to see the Archon Clear and Oathkeeper models before the official announcement, and I came back with first-hand impressions about the new Romanian case brand.
AlphaGear Archon Clear:
PC Garage launches the AlphaGear series of cases with three models: Sentinel, Archon Clear, and Oathkeeper. They are put in order from the smallest and cheapest model to the most expensive and roomy. All are made specifically to accommodate gaming configurations, and all are equipped with RGB coolers and controllers for them or for other coolers that you will install later.
The Archon Clear case is named because it is a glass case. PC Garage chose a front glass panel, decorated with a triangle pattern, to prevent the coolers from being seen directly, next to a glass panel on the right. I noticed immediately, and I thought it was a very inspired idea, that those front fans are not glued to the glass, as I saw in other brands.
AlphaGear Archon Clear has enough space between the glass and fans to ensure the passage of a large volume of air entering the housing to ensure the availability of cold air to pass through the other coolers on the video card and processor.
Another immediately obvious positive thing is that the sides can be unscrewed without screws, and they do not require effort to be removed. I say this because many cases with glass sides usually catch the glass panel with screws (usually one in each corner), and if you are not careful when removing the last screw, the panel may fall on the table and break. The system chosen for AlphaGear Archon Clear allows you to tilt at an angle to the outside, after which you can lift the panel. And the plastic clip that holds the panel attached to the case looks very durable over time and keeps the case very tightly closed.
At the top, we have a front panel equipped with two USB 3.0 ports, headphones, microphone jacks, and reset and power buttons. The only other element at the top would be a vent for additional coolers or an AIO system. Judging by the size, a 240mm AIO processor cooling system should be located at the top.
And as far as fans are concerned, the case comes from the factory equipped with four 120mm RGB fans (3 front and one rear), attached directly to an 8-input cooler controller, including an ARGB port and connectors for two LED strips. Thus, by connecting this controller to a compatible motherboard, you will ensure color synchronization with the rest of the components. Alternatively, there is a remote control to control the lights.
Being a Middle Tower enclosure, there isn’t much room to mount many components other than an ATX motherboard, extra coolers, or four SATA storage units. The latter can be mounted on the shroud covering the source or behind the motherboard.
On the back, the case has a pretty good cable management system, already populated with the front panel and cooler cables. Some slots allow the cables to pass to the motherboard, both on the side, where the power cable will come, and at the bottom, all the cables for the front panel will be connected. And at the top, there are well-positioned slots for coolers and processor power.
Even if the case was also equipped with a Seasonic source for the demonstration, it is not included in the package. In fact, it would have been a bit hard to believe that a 360 lei case (temporarily reduced to 306 lei) could also include a premium source in the package. What it does include, however, are dust filters up and down, as well as in the front.
What is certain is that in its price range, there are not many cases that offer an equally well thought out internal design, coolers with RGB included, and quality materials. Those who have had premium, expensive cases in the past will probably notice that the sheet on the outside is a bit thinner, and the case is a bit lighter. However, we must consider that we are dealing with a case of approximately 300 lei in which a 380mm long video card and a 160mm high processor cooler take place.
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