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NZXT's Tempest EVO Chassis Holds 8 HDDs, Supports E-ATX

Paul Lilly — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:00:58 -0600

NZXT has been on a roll churning out affordable cases that, at least on paper, appear to belie their low price tag with features typically reserved for more expensive enclosures. The same can be said for NZXT's newest chassis, the Tempest EVO.

Constructed of all black steel, the EVO edition expands on the original Tempest's design with better cooling potential and more attention to cable management schemes. Cooling duties are provided by four 120mm fans (dual intake, one side, and one rear). NZXT said it even redesigned the fan blades to push more air at lower noise levels.

The mid tower Tempest EVO targets enthusiasts looking for server-level performance. The E-ATX form factor is now supported, and there are slots for up to 8 hard drives.

"The original Tempest is one of our most successful designs due to its optimal airflow capabilities," said Johnny Hou, Chief Designer at NZXT. "With the additional improvements the Tempest EVO brings to the equation, it's destined to be a top performer in its class."

The Tempest EVO is available now for with an MSRP set to $100.

Image Credit: NZXT

NZXT Continues to Expand Budget Enclosure Line with Gamma Mid Tower

Paul Lilly — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 20:50:26 -0500

NZXT has been on a budget rampage lately and continues to add to its lineup of enclosures priced in $50 territory. The latest low-priced mid-tower to come off the assembly line is the company's just announced Gamma chassis, and it too will sell for around half a C-note.

Despite the low price tag, NZXT says it placed a "premium on effective airflow," which includes slots for 6 case fans, dedicated VGA/CPU cooling, and a front panel design the company claims allows for extra air to be sucked in. It also includes a few amenities often reserved for higher priced cases, including water-cooling holes, mounting holes for a dual-radiator at the top, and an all-black interior.

"There is no other chassis on the market that offers this kind of feature set for around $50," said Johnny Hou, Chief Designer at NZXT. "For enthusiasts looking to shave some money off their build, Gamma will provide everything you need for a high performance system at a remarkably low price."

Hou's singing a familiar tune that we've heard from the company before, and don't mind hearing again.

Image Credit: NZXT

NZXT Again Targets Gamers on a Budget with Lexa S Case

Paul Lilly — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 17:05:42 -0500

In the past several months, NZXT has been aggressively targeting gamers looking to get a lot of case for a little scratch (see here, here, and here), and continuing that trend, the company has just announced the low-priced Lexa S.

Priced at a penny under $70 MSRP, the Lexa S purports to offer exceptional cooling performance with 5 case fans (2x120mm front intake, 140mm top, 120mm LED side, 120mm rear), in addition to a fan controller that gives users independent control over the dual intakes and exhausts.

"We really wanted to offer gamers a solution for under $70 that offers optimal performance without compromise," said Johnny Hou, chief designer at NZXT. "With Lexa S you get enhanced airflow, sleek aesthetics, superior cable management, and added features like an SSD bracket."

Other features include an all black interior. front-facing HDD cage, punched holes in the mobo tray to allow for easier cable management, and mounting holes at the top to accommodate a radiator.

Image Credit: NZXT

NZXT Launches Budget-Minded Beta EVO Case

Paul Lilly — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 09:36:13 -0500

Less than a month ago, NZXT released the funky looking M59, a $60 chassis aimed at attention-seeking gamers. If the aesthetics weren't your style but the price point was, NZXT's latest case, the Beta EVO, might be more your style.

Part of NZXT's Classic Series, the Beta EVO mid-tower sports a more subdued look, but there is more here than meets the eye. The major focus is on airflow, and to that end, the Beta EVO accommodates up to six 120mm fans with the option of dual 140mm at the top.

Other amenities include support for 10.5-inch graphics cards, screwless installation for hard drives and external 5.25-inch drives, front-facing HDD rack, external dual radiator support, a sleek all-black internal finish, CPU cutout for easier third-party heatsink installation, and a handful of wire management cutouts.

That's a pretty robust feature-set for NZXT's $50 asking price. Look for the Beta EVO to be made available in September.

Image Credit: NZXT

NZXT Releases Funky-Looking Chassis for Gamers on a Budget

Paul Lilly — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 13:42:35 -0500

Remember when computer cases were little more than boring beige rectangular boxes with a single fan? My how the landscape has changed since then, as evidenced by NZXT's newest chassis, the M59.

Aimed at gamers, the M59 sports a funky aesthetic even by today's standards, which will probably appeal to the target audience. But looking beyond the exterior facade, NZXT claims exceptional airflow by way of 5 "powerful" fans, however only two are included (side 120mm LED and rear 120mm).

In what's becoming an increasingly popular trend, the M59 boasts an all-black interior, as well the prerequisite side panel window. Other features include pre-drilled watercooling holes, punched holes in the motherboard tray for quick CPU bracket removal, space for two SSD drives, and "space that is especially designed to fit longer 10-inch cards."

The mid-tower chassis will be available in August at an MSRP of $60.

Image Credit: NZXT

We Want to Touch NZXT's Sentry 2 Touch Screen Fan Controller

Paul Lilly — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:44:52 -0500

SpeedFan is still our favorite software program for adjusting fan speeds and maintaining an optimal balance between cooling and noise, but software solutions don't have anywhere near the sex appeal as some dedicated hardware fan controllers, the newest being NZXT's Sentry 2.

The Sentry 2 installs in a 5.25-inch drive bay and works with any fan that uses voltage control. But it's the sleek looking touch screen that might be the biggest draw. NZXT claims an "ultra fast selection and response time," with the display including temperature readout in both Celsius and Fahrenheit.

Up to 5 fans can be either manually controlled or automatically adjusted based on temperature. Settings are stored after the power is off too, so you needn't worry about finding the best balance of noise to performance only to have it go by the wayside during a power outage.

NZXT tells us the Sentry 2 will be available later this month with an MSRP of $30.

Image Credit: NZXT

NZXT Releases High Performance Cooler for Gaming Laptops

Paul Lilly — Tue, 12 May 2009 09:00:00 -0500

As gaming notebooks continue to march into mainstream price points, your lap is becoming the new hot spot (literally) for gaming goodness. That might not be the best thing for your little swimmers, let alone all that high-end hardware cramped into a 15-inch chassis. But it's great for companies putting out notebook coolers, like NZXT has done with its just-announced Cyro S.

"Just like its award-winning big brother, the Cyro LX, this [Cyro S] cools not only the fan vents, but it removes heat from the entire notebook case which is crucial for high performance gaming making the Cyro S best in its class for effective notebook cooling," said Johnny Hou, Chief Designer at NZXT.

The sleek-looking Cyro S comes constructed out of thick, brushed aluminum to help whisk heat away, aided by two adjustable 120mm fans for active cooling duties. A rubber finish elevates the notebook ever-so-slightly to prevent heat from building up and beef up its airflow. You can power the Cyro S via a USB port or with the included AC adapter.

NZXT says the Cyro S will be available later this month for $50 from Newegg.

Image Credit: NZXT

Towers of Power: Five Full-Tower Enclosures Reviewed

Nathan Edwards — Tue, 12 May 2009 07:00:00 -0500

Ah, spring: when a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of upgrading. But, alas! Your fancy new videocard is too big for your tiny case, and you’re running out of hard drive bays for your RAID. Fear not! A classy full-tower chassis can be just the solution.

In this roundup we’ve collected five full-tower cases—big and tall enclosures with all the bells and whistles: new looks, toolless expansion slots, intake filters, drive bays aplenty, and more. Space-saving isn’t a priority here: The focus is on features, with room for as much hardware as you need to cram in. If you want a portable rig or something to nestle under your desk, these aren’t the cases for you. But if you’re looking to make the most of your computer, portability be damned, one of these beauts could be your huckleberry.

In evaluating these cases, we focused on a few key points: overall build quality, aesthetics, ease of installation, cooling options, convenience, and features like front-panel connectors. We kept price in mind, too, but only to a degree: After all, we’re Maximum PC. We don’t mind paying for excellence; we just object when gear is offensively overpriced.

They’re big and bold, but which of these full-tower enclosures will make the best abode for your PC?

The Reviews

Cooler Master ATCS 840

ABS Canyon 695

Silverstone Raven RV01

NZXT Zero II

Thermaltake Spedo

Final Thoughts

The Cooler Master 840’s killer combo of good looks and useful features wins the day, but every case has something to offer

At Maximum PC, we go through a lot of components. We build a lot of computers. We know what we like. So when we test a case, we ask a few important questions: How easy is installation? Does this case make our lives easier? Is this case likely to protect our precious components? And while we’re at it, does it look good?

The answers, for the Cooler Master ATCS 840, are yes, yes, yes, and yes. We were won over by the ease of installation, but more importantly the ease of swapping out parts. We love its style and the attention to detail—we can’t say enough good things about its removable motherboard tray and the CPU-cooler cutout.

But other cases here also deserve accolades: We love the Silverstone Raven’s looks, amenities, and innovative motherboard placement, the ABS Canyon 695’s design and SATA backplate, and the Thermaltake Spedo’s cable management features. And the NZXT Zero II is decent if you’re a modder looking for a good starting point.

Each case in this roundup had its drawbacks, too. The Canyon 695 is stupid expensive, while the Zero II is cheap in both senses of the word. We weren’t thrilled by the Spedo’s looks or the flimsiness of its thermal chamber panels. We could have used eSATA in the Raven. And we wish we hadn’t snapped the front-intake cover off of the ATCS 840 (oops).

If you can spare the $280, we’d say go for the Cooler Master ATCS 840. The CPU-cooler backplate cutout and sliding motherboard tray/rear panel alone are worth it for us; we plan on rebuilding our CPU-cooling test rig around it. But even if you’re not in the habit of swapping out CPU coolers regularly, the 840 brings more than enough to the table. Easy install, roomy interior, great looks, screwless drive bays (and plenty of ‘em), and scrupulous attention to detail: The 840 reminds us why we’ve liked so many Cooler Master full-towers in the past.

Wish List: Case Features We Long For

Man, do we love cases with thoughtful amenities. The NZXT Zero II is no slouch of a case, but it’s a Neanderthal compared to the Cooler Master ATCS 840, our favorite case in this roundup. But even the mighty 840 doesn’t have everything we want in a case. Here are a few features we’ve seen in some cases that should really be in all of them.

2.5-inch Drive Bays

With solid state drives making big strides, we see lots of system builders starting to include them as OS volumes. But few cases have dedicated 2.5-inch bays. Our last rig from Velocity Micro solved the problem by mounting its Intel X-25M on the IcePak from a WD Velociraptor. But an actual 2.5-inch bay (or at least an adapter, like that found in the NZXT Whisper), would be better.

Mid-Case Air Duct

A mid-case air duct, like that found in the Silverstone Temjin TJ10, brings cool air from outside into the case to cool the GPUs before exiting out the back. This helps keep other hot components from warming the air before it gets to the GPUs—a literal breath of fresh air for your videocards.

SATA Backplanes

The ABS Canyon 695 and the HP Blackbird are two of many cases that have started featuring SATA backplanes in their drive bays. Forget rails; forget cable routing. Just slap in a couple of hard drives and go. Bonus: Many of these backplanes support RAID and hot-swapping.

ETC.

While we’re at it, let’s make the following things mandatory: Intake fan dust filters, variable-speed fan controllers, a cable routing mechanism, toolless PCI slots, and quality thumbscrews.