Deepcool CG580: A Budget-Friendly Panoramic Fishtank Case with Premium Features
Reviewed by Rounak Roy
Introduction
DeepCool, a name synonymous with innovation and performance, has been a leading force in the world of PC cooling solutions since its inception in 1996. Headquartered in China, Deepcool is dedicated to providing cutting-edge products that cater to the needs of PC enthusiasts and gamers alike. This time Deepcool hit the homerun by introducing a PC Case that is both affordable and premium. In this review we will be talking about the Deepcool CG580 PC Case.
Without a question, the DeepCool CG580 is a stylish case. However, in today's market, a case must be much more than just aesthetically pleasing. Today, we examine the CG580 in detail, evaluating its build quality, usability, and thermal performance to determine whether or not its price is justified.
Design & Overview of the Inside
After removing the case from the package we are greeted with a beautiful piece of hardware which you can hardly call a PC case. Someone not experienced with PC's will definitely mistake the case for a beautiful Fishtank. Deepcool has produced a stunning tempered glass PC case with a number of useful features, including a reverse motherboard layout, a stylish PCIe bracket design that can be removed for a vertical installation, and other quality-of-life enhancements, with the CG580.
The CG580 case is surrounded by high airflow panels on the top, side, back, top of the PSU shroud and along the HDD mount in the front. There will be plenty of circulation to the powerful heat-generating parts within thanks to the ten fan mounts in total. To keep dust out, high airflow mesh is included into the top, bottom, and side panels. While the airflow panels are available in most cases the main design attraction in this case is the presence of a Zero Distraction Panoramic Tempered glass panel. The tempered glass panel spans from the left of the case and follows all the way to the back.
The basic arrangement of the inside is precisely what we would anticipate from a Mid Tower ATX case of this size. For a cleaner appearance, the motherboard tray contains all the cutouts needed to accommodate a BTF or to put it another way, a motherboard with a connection on the back to provide for a cleaner and near zero front cable installation. The PCIe space is designed to accommodate a graphics card in both vertical and horizontal orientations. After the mount is set up, you must apply the metal bracket cover that Deepcool provides. The case supports ITX/Micro-ATX/ATX, ATX(Rear Connector)/Micro-ATX(Rear Connector) motherboards from all brands. The case is wide enough to support a CPU Cooler of 176mm height and a GPU of 410mm (262mm if side AIO is installed).
On the top of the case you can install 3x120 or 2x140mm fans or a 120/140/240/280/360mm radiator/AIO. On the bottom of the main compartment you can install 3x 120mm fans two being on the PSU shroud and on the empty space in front of it. Or if you are an old timer like me then you can install your HDD and 2x 120mm fans. In the rear there is provision for installing 1x 120/140mm fan. The PCIe covers are not reusable like in some cases so you need to be careful that you break off the correct ones. The side of the case has provision for 3x120mm fans or a 120/240/360mm radiator/AIO.
Behind the motherboard tray sits the 2.5mm drive holder which can support 2x2.5mm devices be it your SSD, RGB controller or anything with the industry standard 2.5mm holes in them. The said tray is held in place with a thumbscrew. All the supplied cables like Front Audio, front panel headers, USB 3.0 are white in colour and there is no black in the case. Oh and coming to cables the cable management space behind is a forgiving 33mm so all your thick cables can be neatly tucked behind the motherboard tray. The I/O layout is standard 1 HD Audio, 2x USB 3.1 Gen1, 1x Power and 1x Reset switch. The connector for the front panel is unified so you don't have to look around in the manual for the correct pins.
Specifications
Test System Specs
Building Experience
Moving over my system from the older Deepcool CK500 and re-building it in the CG580 case was a pretty fun process. For first-time builders, it will be a little challenging to remove and reconnect the glass panels of the chassis, but it will get simpler with practice once you learn the way of building a PC :P . Ideally, you won't have to do it frequently after your build is finished. The build looks clean overall with the very little exception of the wires from the top, the CG580's final construction looks flawless. The extensive cable routing around the chassis will help you keep things neat, even if you choose the traditional ATX version. There are several zip tie places on the back that may be used to secure the cables to the case. Actually, this worked quite nicely, and there's still enough of space to snap the 2.5" mounting plate back into it's original place. As usual, the only difficult wire was the 24-pin cable wire which we had to wriggle over the edge of the motherboard and into the main chamber otherwise it would be dangling on the rear. That said even if the motherboard wasn't a BTF/Reverse connector layout I still enjoyed building with it.
Finished Build Pictures
Conclusion
Pro's
Priced just right.
Comes with a panoramic tempered glass view.
Good quality material leading to a solid build.
Can hold push-pull radiators on top and upto 10X 120mm fans all around the case.
Reverse connector/BTF motherboard support.
Chrome plated screws which highlight the white element of the case.
Con's
Non Reusable PCIe covers but can be ignored considering the price.
2.5" SATA tray behind the motherboard has no spacers for the drives, so the connectors are under a lot of pressure from the cables coming in at an angle. Deepcool has promised to add spacers from the next revision.
Bottom Line
Over the years, Deepcool has seen continuous change, evolving from a budget focused brand to a well-known one that emphasizes superior goods that balance price and performance. That is still true with the Deepcool CG580. The case has a very appealing MSRP of $69.99, which I believe is rather reasonable given the features it offers. Although there could be less expensive solutions available, they will probably take shortcuts to reach this price range. We looked everywhere for issues with the CG580, but we were unsuccessful. The PCIe non-reusable covers are the only drawback we could find. While this may look like a drawback at first, we can't anticipate top-tier features when considering the price.
Finally, when other companies have failed to create an affordable BTF/Reverse motherboard layout case, DeepCool has done a fantastic job. Its price tag is reasonable given the things it offers. Is the CG580 a high-end device? Most likely not. The DeepCool CG580, however, may be the bright spot in the dark for those setups with limited funds when you need to spend more on performance rather than appearance. For all these reasons we would like to award Deepcool with a whopping 10/10 for Performance, 9/10 for Looks, 10/10 for Quality and 10/10 for affordability leading to an average score of 9.75 awarding them the Tech Reprise Gold badge.
Image Gallery
ABOUT DEEPCOOL
Established in 1996, DeepCool is a global brand in designing and manufacturing high-performance computer components for enthusiasts worldwide that includes CPU coolers, PC cases, Power Supplies, Peripherals, and more. With a strong background in independent research and development, DeepCool continues to provide high-quality products, premium customer service, and incredible value to our dedicated customers.