GigaByte 3D Aurora
Full Tower ATX Enclosure

     The 3D Aurora has connectors to mate with a motherboard's USB, Firewire, and Audio headers. Gigabyte has been using a different FireWire pin-out array on their motherboards and has fitted the 3D Aurora with both their own strip type connector and the more traditional square array. This arrangement gives the user three separate configurations which should match up to the motherboard you decide to install.

     Speaking of connectors, some motherboard manufacturers have changed the Power LED header arrangement  from a three pin to two pin header block. Of course, a lot of enclosures still have the three pin style connector in them. The 3D Aurora has been fitted with the two power LED wires completely separated and individually  labeled, so it won't matter which style of motherboard you use.

     GigaByte has left room for a personal touch with this pre-mod idea. With the supplied blank lens and a transparency template, you can create your own message or logo that will shine through the bottom of the enclosure.

     Conclusion.....

     GigaByte has done a spectacular job with their first enclosure, delivering solid construction, plenty of ventilation, and lots of functional features. To me, the single greatest innovation with the 3D Aurora are the access holes for installing a water cooler. Water cooling has gained market momentum, and I feel that the 3D Aurora marks only the beginning of enclosures we will see on a retail shelf with this kind of option. While companies such as Koolance have built similar enclosures, they have generally been built around their own water cooling system. To some degree, that stands true with this case as well. The 3D Aurora is fitted with mounting holes for GigaByte's own water cooler, the 3D Galaxy. However, the Galaxy is sold as a totally separate unit which means you're not forced to use only their water cooler unit.

     As with any enthusiast class enclosure, you'll be on your own to acquire a power supply. Since this is a full tower enclosure, you'll want to make sure the power supply you use has plenty of length on the power wires, or use extensions. I installed the GigaByte GA-8N-SLI Royal motherboard and tried to use the OCZ ModStream power supply. The ModStream's 4-pin (2x2) 12 volt accessory wires were just a little to short to reach where GigaByte placed the connector on the SLI Royal motherboard. The situation was fixed with use of an extension wire.

Club Overclocker Rating
Innovation:	10.0 out of 10
Performance:	9.5 out of 10
Quality:	9.5 out of 10
Stability:	N/A
Overclocking:	N/A
Software/Drivers Pack:	N/A
Value:	9.5 out of 10
Overall Rating 9.5
Skill Level
Project Skill Level (10 being hardest)	4 out of 10