XG Viper 2

We’re all vain in certain ways. I enjoy nice things just as much as the next guy. This, in my case, carries over into the way I present my computer. I know it’s petty to most but for us, our computers are not tools. We don’t use them to just write papers, no, out computers are an extension of us if you will. We take pride in the way our PC performs as well as the way it looks. The first thing that anyone will notice when looking at a PC is the case. We have had many cases come through the Techgage labs in the past and today, we have XG Viper 2.

XG is a division of the company MGE which has been around for quite some time. My goal is to run the Viper 2 through the ringer and see how it performs.

My first impression of the case was when I picked it up off of my porch. Expecting to pick up a case of normal weight, I was surprised when the box weighed so little. Upon bringing the case inside, I opened it up to see just what the Viper 2 had to offer.

Here we see the box, obviously opened. The case was packaged well with Styrofoam on either side of the case to protect in while being shipped.

Let’s let the Viper out of the box!

Once again, we see the case, still in packaging material only this time, the case is wrapped in a bag to protect against scratches during shipping.

Here is the case with no covering at all. You can see the large Viper head on the front door, the silver mesh around the LCD for airflow and the LCD screen itself. This screen will be used to monitor fan speeds, CPU temperature as well as display the time. Right below the LCD display, there are buttons allowing you to switch between Fahrenheit and Celsius.

Here you see the back of the case. There are all of the tool less slots on the bottom, your I/O opening, a 92mm vent and the PSU on top.

Now we have a good idea of what the case looks like from the outside on all sides. Let’s get to some factory provided specs on this case and then move to the inside.

• Form Factor – Micro-ATX & ATX
• Power Supply – 400W, Smart Fan Control
• Drive Bay 5.25″ – 4
• Drive Bay 3.5″ – 2
• Drive Bay Internal 3.5″ – 4
• USB 2 – (2.0)
• Firewire – Yes
• Fan Included – 1x120mm Rear | 1x80mm Front LED Fans
• Fan Slots – 4
• Audio/Mic – Yes
• LCD – Yes
• PCI Slots – 7 (Tool Less)
• Material – 1.0 MM Aluminum alloy
• Case Dimensions (DxWxH) – 470x200x430mm
• CUFT – 2.5
• GW – 8.0kg
• NW – 9.0kg
• SATA – Yes
• 20pin + 4 pin – Yes
• PCI-Express – Yes
• Additional Features – front air blower, side slide door, side door lock, tool-less drive bay, tool-free PCI expansion slot, Revolutionary design, Stylish “turbo” air ventilation side panel design, high-gloss mirror paint
• Color Options – Black, Silver, Blue & Red

There you have it, and straight from the horse’s mouth. The specs are what one would expect from a case manufacturer but the one thing that really worries me is the 400w power supply. I am going to run this test with all of my hardware and see how the PSU holds up.