I know most of you have not heard of Sentey before, as I had not either. They are very new to the computer enthusiast world being just founded in 2010. They were first introduced to gamers via The Extreme Experience, an event they jointly hosted with Intel. Sentey philosophy for each of their products is a focus on performance, quality, innovation, and sustainability. Their approach to establishing themselves is by providing a number of products in several markets. Today we will be looking at their GS-6000 Optimus computer case in the entry level market.
Features and Specifications
The case is 19.09″ (L) x 7.48″ (W) x 18.31″ (H) and weights 4.9 kgs. Its constructed of SECC 0.7mm steel with a plastic face and mostly plastic top. It is a mid-tower case and will accept ATX and microATX motherboards. It has 3 front expansion slots, 4 internal 3.5” slots, and a bottom mounted PSU. The case is 100% tool-less with the only exception being SSD’s which will require 4 screws (included) to connect to a HDD frame. The mobo tray also has a large cutout for CPU cooler mounting. There are also cut outs and zip tie bars on the rear of the motherboard tray for cable management.
In additional to the standard front I/O of headphone jack, mic jack, and 2 USB ports, you can also find an MMC/SD card reader and fan controller. You receive 4 x 5 Volt fans with this case. 1 x 120 mm blue LED fan (Top), 1 x 120 mm blue LED fan (Front), 1 x 120 mm black fan (Rear), and 1 x 180 mm blue LED (Side). And it still has room for 2 additional fans in the top and bottom of the case. The front intake area and bottom of the case also have very basic, washable dust filters.
The Sentey GS-6000 Optimus has an MSRP of $59.99. If you shop around at several of their other distributors, you can find it as low as $48.99. As of the writing of this review, the Sentey GS-6000 was rather hard to find as many retailers did not carry it, or were sold out. I did find at least 2 distributors who had it in stock.
What’s In The Box?
As with many computer cases you buy, the packaging is very sparse. The box contains the GS-6000 Optimus case, Styrofoam molds for protection during shipping, and a plastic cover to prevent scratches. Inside the case you will find a postcard with the warranty information, case user guide, and a Sentey product catalog. Attached to part of the case frame is a bag containing screws, motherboard stand offs, 4 zip ties, motherboard speaker, and a replacement expansion slot plate. There is also an angled brace and 2 plastic push-pins included, but there is no explanation as to what these items do.
I would like to note the box seems to have taken a bit of a beating from the shipper, but the GS-6000 itself was in pristine condition.
First Impressions – Outside
The GS-6000 Optimus seems to get its name from Optimus Prime. The angles, side vent, top, and front intake all have a transformer-ish look to them. The vents in particular remind me of the front grill of several Peterbilt tracker trailers. At first, the overall look seems a bit gaudy, but it quickly grew on me.
The glossy black finish is well done and blends in with the plastic areas perfectly, which makes spotting the difference in materials very difficult. As you would expect, the glossy black finish is a finger print magnet for both the metal and plastic areas. I can’t say everyone will like the style of the Optimus, but I don’t think it detracts from the case.
First Impressions – Inside
The interior has a well done black matte finish, which still collects finger prints. The tool-less latches for the various parts are all a bright red color which is a nice accent and lets you know where tools will not be needed. The HDD cages retain their natural aluminum color. This makes them stand out in the interior as everything else is muted by the black color.
Unfortunately, the cables from the front I/O panel and Power/Reset buttons are not black or red and clash with the otherwise excellent cosemetics. It would have been a nice touch to complete the look with either black or red wire sleeves. This is a very minor issue as you will not find may cases in the same price range with solid black wires. All of the interior design including the great paint job is wasted as the case does not have a side window to view the interior while in use.