private_tank
07-13-2008, 10:49 PM
Review of Sigma Products Unicorn Mid-Tower Case
The Sigma Unicorn is a mid-tower case targeted more at the budget minded builder. At $100 dollars for this case it is cheap when the features are included the picture.
This case is made out of SCC steel and weighed 40 lbs shipped.
The Unicorn came shipped in plain brown box to protect the retail box.
http://www.clanteamextreme.com/Hype/Sigma%20Case%20Review/final/Photo%201.jpg
The brown box was beat up pretty bad but the retail box didn't have a scratch on it.
This case has a lot of features not normally found in a case in the Unicorns price bracket. It has a side panel window with 2 80mm fans one of which is a LED fan, the side panel it-self is a “smoked” window and adds a uniqueness to this case. This case also comes with 2 120mm fans one in the rear and a LED fan in the front. There is a slot for a 80mm fan to cool the hard drive area but the case does not come with one.
http://www.clanteamextreme.com/Hype/Sigma%20Case%20Review/final/Photo%202.jpg
http://www.clanteamextreme.com/Hype/Sigma%20Case%20Review/final/Photo%204.jpg
http://www.clanteamextreme.com/Hype/Sigma%20Case%20Review/final/Photo%203.jpg
Front LED fan.
http://www.clanteamextreme.com/Hype/Sigma%20Case%20Review/final/Photo%205.jpg
The Unicorn's side panels open a bit different than most cases. The release latch is at the top of the panel as apposed to the side and makes opening the removable mother board tray extremely easy.
http://www.clanteamextreme.com/Hype/Sigma%20Case%20Review/final/Photo%206.jpg
The power, reset and hdd LED's are located on the top of the door.
The USB 2.0, headphone and microphone jacks are in a odd position they are behind the door below the front intake fan and you have to have the door open to use them.
http://www.clanteamextreme.com/Hype/Sigma%20Case%20Review/final/usbports.jpg
The second 80mm side fan is located in a removable strut bar in the case that adds support to the case.
The strut bar also has support bars for graphics cards with big fans to reduce vibrations.
http://www.clanteamextreme.com/Hype/Sigma%20Case%20Review/final/Photo%207.jpg
http://www.clanteamextreme.com/Hype/Sigma%20Case%20Review/final/Photo%208.jpg
http://www.clanteamextreme.com/Hype/Sigma%20Case%20Review/final/Photo%209.jpg
The ends are padded with foam to protect graphics cards.
Installing the psu can be tricky, the case doesn't have very large ledge's for the psu to sit on while putting the screws in so you have to hold it in while screwing and it has a tendency slip out.
http://www.clanteamextreme.com/Hype/Sigma%20Case%20Review/final/Photo%2010.jpg
The removable mother board tray is very use full for building but leaves little to no room for cable management. There is a lack of cable management in this case. Being a mid-tower it is hard to hide cables as it is but Sigma doesn't seam to have put to much thought into the cable management in the Unicorn.
http://www.clanteamextreme.com/Hype/Sigma%20Case%20Review/final/Photo%2011.jpg
http://www.clanteamextreme.com/Hype/Sigma%20Case%20Review/final/Photo%2012.jpg
Adding to the long list of features of this case is a tool-less removable hard drive cage.
http://www.clanteamextreme.com/Hype/Sigma%20Case%20Review/final/Photo%2013.jpg
All you do to install the hard drive is take the clips (pictured in the red box) and push them into the hole's that you would normally screw screws into and slide it into the cage. This however seams to damage the screw threads and if you plan on using screws with the hard drive the screws will take a little more force to screw in after using the clips.
There are four 5.25 bays and two 3.5 bays they are all tool-less and are easy to use while holding the drives in very well with little vibrations.
Test setup:
Case:Sigma Unicorn
Cpu:Intel Q6600 G0 @2.66ghz with MASSCOOL 8WA741 92mm Ball CPU Cooler
Mobo:Striker II Formula
Memory:Corsair Dominator 4 gb w/Dominator fan.
Graphics Card: BFG 8600 GT 512
HardDrive:Seagate 500 gb
Tested Cpu at 100% load with WCG Boinc client.
Temps at idle:
http://www.clanteamextreme.com/Hype/Sigma%20Case%20Review/final/Photo%2014.jpg (http://www.clanteamextreme.com/Hype/Sigma%20Case%20Review/final/Photo%2014big.jpg)
Temps at load:
http://www.clanteamextreme.com/Hype/Sigma%20Case%20Review/final/Photo%2015.jpg (http://www.clanteamextreme.com/Hype/Sigma%20Case%20Review/final/Photo%2015big.jpg)
Price:8 frgas out of 10frags
At $100 this is a great case for the budget minded builder.
Features:9 frags out of 10 frags
The Unicorn has a lot of features that are normally found in higher priced case's and makes this a great buy.
Cable Management:2 frags out of 10 frags
This case has all most no cable management the mother board tray is to close to the back panel and there is no where to hide the wires at all.
Looks:8 frags out of 10 frags
This is a nice looking case with the smoked window and red LED fans its very eye catching.
Cooling:7 frags out of 10 frags
The cooling for the graphics card and pci area is very effective how ever the cpu cooling is lacking due mostly to the poor cable management.
Which is a 7 frags out of 10 frags
Which earns a Clan Team Xtreme Approved!!
http://www.clanteamextreme.com/Reviews/signatures/Hype%20signature.jpg (http://www.clanteamextreme.com/)
The Sigma Unicorn is a mid-tower case targeted more at the budget minded builder. At $100 dollars for this case it is cheap when the features are included the picture.
This case is made out of SCC steel and weighed 40 lbs shipped.
The Unicorn came shipped in plain brown box to protect the retail box.
http://www.clanteamextreme.com/Hype/Sigma%20Case%20Review/final/Photo%201.jpg
The brown box was beat up pretty bad but the retail box didn't have a scratch on it.
This case has a lot of features not normally found in a case in the Unicorns price bracket. It has a side panel window with 2 80mm fans one of which is a LED fan, the side panel it-self is a “smoked” window and adds a uniqueness to this case. This case also comes with 2 120mm fans one in the rear and a LED fan in the front. There is a slot for a 80mm fan to cool the hard drive area but the case does not come with one.
http://www.clanteamextreme.com/Hype/Sigma%20Case%20Review/final/Photo%202.jpg
http://www.clanteamextreme.com/Hype/Sigma%20Case%20Review/final/Photo%204.jpg
http://www.clanteamextreme.com/Hype/Sigma%20Case%20Review/final/Photo%203.jpg
Front LED fan.
http://www.clanteamextreme.com/Hype/Sigma%20Case%20Review/final/Photo%205.jpg
The Unicorn's side panels open a bit different than most cases. The release latch is at the top of the panel as apposed to the side and makes opening the removable mother board tray extremely easy.
http://www.clanteamextreme.com/Hype/Sigma%20Case%20Review/final/Photo%206.jpg
The power, reset and hdd LED's are located on the top of the door.
The USB 2.0, headphone and microphone jacks are in a odd position they are behind the door below the front intake fan and you have to have the door open to use them.
http://www.clanteamextreme.com/Hype/Sigma%20Case%20Review/final/usbports.jpg
The second 80mm side fan is located in a removable strut bar in the case that adds support to the case.
The strut bar also has support bars for graphics cards with big fans to reduce vibrations.
http://www.clanteamextreme.com/Hype/Sigma%20Case%20Review/final/Photo%207.jpg
http://www.clanteamextreme.com/Hype/Sigma%20Case%20Review/final/Photo%208.jpg
http://www.clanteamextreme.com/Hype/Sigma%20Case%20Review/final/Photo%209.jpg
The ends are padded with foam to protect graphics cards.
Installing the psu can be tricky, the case doesn't have very large ledge's for the psu to sit on while putting the screws in so you have to hold it in while screwing and it has a tendency slip out.
http://www.clanteamextreme.com/Hype/Sigma%20Case%20Review/final/Photo%2010.jpg
The removable mother board tray is very use full for building but leaves little to no room for cable management. There is a lack of cable management in this case. Being a mid-tower it is hard to hide cables as it is but Sigma doesn't seam to have put to much thought into the cable management in the Unicorn.
http://www.clanteamextreme.com/Hype/Sigma%20Case%20Review/final/Photo%2011.jpg
http://www.clanteamextreme.com/Hype/Sigma%20Case%20Review/final/Photo%2012.jpg
Adding to the long list of features of this case is a tool-less removable hard drive cage.
http://www.clanteamextreme.com/Hype/Sigma%20Case%20Review/final/Photo%2013.jpg
All you do to install the hard drive is take the clips (pictured in the red box) and push them into the hole's that you would normally screw screws into and slide it into the cage. This however seams to damage the screw threads and if you plan on using screws with the hard drive the screws will take a little more force to screw in after using the clips.
There are four 5.25 bays and two 3.5 bays they are all tool-less and are easy to use while holding the drives in very well with little vibrations.
Test setup:
Case:Sigma Unicorn
Cpu:Intel Q6600 G0 @2.66ghz with MASSCOOL 8WA741 92mm Ball CPU Cooler
Mobo:Striker II Formula
Memory:Corsair Dominator 4 gb w/Dominator fan.
Graphics Card: BFG 8600 GT 512
HardDrive:Seagate 500 gb
Tested Cpu at 100% load with WCG Boinc client.
Temps at idle:
http://www.clanteamextreme.com/Hype/Sigma%20Case%20Review/final/Photo%2014.jpg (http://www.clanteamextreme.com/Hype/Sigma%20Case%20Review/final/Photo%2014big.jpg)
Temps at load:
http://www.clanteamextreme.com/Hype/Sigma%20Case%20Review/final/Photo%2015.jpg (http://www.clanteamextreme.com/Hype/Sigma%20Case%20Review/final/Photo%2015big.jpg)
Price:8 frgas out of 10frags
At $100 this is a great case for the budget minded builder.
Features:9 frags out of 10 frags
The Unicorn has a lot of features that are normally found in higher priced case's and makes this a great buy.
Cable Management:2 frags out of 10 frags
This case has all most no cable management the mother board tray is to close to the back panel and there is no where to hide the wires at all.
Looks:8 frags out of 10 frags
This is a nice looking case with the smoked window and red LED fans its very eye catching.
Cooling:7 frags out of 10 frags
The cooling for the graphics card and pci area is very effective how ever the cpu cooling is lacking due mostly to the poor cable management.
Which is a 7 frags out of 10 frags
Which earns a Clan Team Xtreme Approved!!
http://www.clanteamextreme.com/Reviews/signatures/Hype%20signature.jpg (http://www.clanteamextreme.com/)