GMC R4 Bulldozer Case Review

The mad scientists at GMC are back with the latest from their R series cases, the R4 Bulldozer.  Based on their award winning chassis design the R4 brings a more full feature set to the line along with some decidedly fresh design decisions.  Like the R2 Toast and the R3 Corona,  the Bulldozer design puts a new angle on the optical drive.  Has the R Series grown up a bit, lets find out!

Like many of the new faces we see on the market, the R4 Bulldozer wears its feature list on every side of the box.  Fortunately this slightly busy packaging also takes time to emphasize the many features this case has to offer.  The packing material is also quite innovative with a shaped air bag system that reduces weight while holding the case firmly during shipping.  This is the first I have seen this style of shipping protection and it looks to be quite effective.

The R4 Bulldozer is unlike any other case we have seen in the lab.  Everything we have seen from the first two R series cases is stepped up a notch.  The design has even advanced from the version on display at CeBIT and their website.  The style is polarizing to say the least.  I found the design to be a bit in your face but not too gaudy  but the case was also described as a bit over the top by some of the guests here at the lab.  Lets take a look at the features as described by GMC.

Features:

• 92mm LED Fan :: The red LED fan makes powerful cooling effect and charming outlook with the black chassis body.
• Multi-port & Button :: You can check the on/off and HDD action through the blue LED around the power button.
  There are some I/O ports, which are audio, microphone and 2 USB ports, Power button, Reset button at the front bottom.
• ODD Eject lever :: On the right front panel, there is an eject button.
  Simply press the lever down to eject the ODD!
• Unique ODD tray eject:: R4 Bulldozer has a worldwide patent for the unique ODD tray up/down eject way.
  The way using two spring steel bar, looks like Shock-Absorber of automobile, is evaluated very innovative design.
• Supports up to the longest graphics card:: R4 Bulldozer looks small but technically compact, too. It supports Full-ATX main board, large Power supply and 7 PCI slot. There's no problem with Geforce 9800 GTX280 or Radeon HD4870 and makes your PC as a high-end Gaming PC!!
• Detachable HDD bay: R4 Bulldozer includes a detachable HDD bay for the easy assembly. You can detach the bay by removing 2 screws at the side and attach HDD using the screws included.
• Air Filter:: An air filter on the front protects the system from the dust coming with cold air.
  The cleaning is easy because it is detachable.
• Powerful Cooling PC Case:: R4 Bulldozer chassis passed Intel Thermal chassis Test and it is upgraded with extra system cooling structure. For the high-end users who wants to use extra fan, air hole is provided at the bottom and rear side. To remove the heat from CPU and high-end graphic card, R4 supports CAG(Chassis Air Guide) 1.1
• Connector & Accessory:: Manual, Slot guide and screws are included.
• Safe Packaging:: To maintain safety, air bag is used for the packaging instead of normal Styrofoam.

Specifications:

MODEL	R4 Bulldozer
CASE TYPE	ATX, Micro-ATX
DIMENSIONS (W x H x D)	180(W) x 420(H) x 380(D)
COOLING SYSTEM	Front: 92mm LED FAN Side: Air Guide & PCI Air hole Rear: 120mm FAN
DRIVE BAYS	3 DRIVE BAYS 1 EXTERNAL 5.25" DRIVE BAYS 2 INTERNAL 3.5" DRIVE BAYS
MATERIAL(S)	Steel Construction
FRONT PANEL MATERIAL	ALUMINUM/PLASTIC
EXPANSION SLOTS	7
POWER SUPPLY	ATX 350W, 400W or 450W (optional)
WEIGHT	12.3 KGS (W/O Power)
MOTHERBOARD SUPPORT	MOTHERBOARDS: ATX, MICRO-ATX