Posted 10/22/09 at 08:50:26 PM by Paul Lilly

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.

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Posted 09/11/09 at 12:45:35 PM by Paul Lilly

Nothing to see here, just an empty, desolate post.

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Posted 09/11/09 at 12:32:22 PM by Paul Lilly

Looking for a noise-dampening cooling solution for your obnoxiously loud Xbox 360 console? A-Tech Fabriction might have just what you need, but after looking at the price tag, you may conclude it's not that loud anyway.

To be fair, the company's HeatSync Three-Sixty 'only' costs $700 (plus shipping, which runs around $25 for UPS Ground) without any add-ons. But should you decide you also want a one-piece rack mount faceplate, black or silver aluminum case feet, memory card ports, accessory ports, DVD drive isolation and machining (which attacks the main culprit of the Xbox 360's noisy cry for attention), and thermal control system, be prepared to tack on another $195, bringing the tally to just under 900 smackers. For $1,200, A-Tech Fabrication will ship the case with a complete Xbox 360 system already installed, or just under $1,400 with all of the aforementioned extras.

What you get in return is a rather attractive heavy-duty chassis constructed from heat-treated aircraft quality aluminum. And with both CPU and GPU cooling benefiting from the integrated cooling system, you might up your odds at staving off the dreaded Red Ring of Death. Just don't tell your significant other how much it costs, or she/he might ring your neck.

Product Link

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Posted 09/03/09 at 05:05:42 PM by Paul Lilly

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.

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Posted 09/02/09 at 03:50:56 PM by Paul Lilly

Case manufacturer HD Plex looks to make noisy HTPC enclosures a thing of the past, as the company just announced a new HTPC case devoid of any fans. Instead, the all-aluminum chassis relies on heatpipes to get the cooling job done.

"We set out to create a family of products that look good when combined with high-end A/V equipment, and are silent and affordable," said Larry Liu, CEO of HD Plex. "We ended up accomplishing our goals. Our new line of H-series HTPC enclosures combine skillful engineering with an eye for minimalism design, heatpipe cooling for silent operation, and all at a price piont competitive with the current market."

HD Plex says its fanless case comes in three different sizes and variations, including mATX (H10), mini-ITX (H5), and the H3, which the company claims is the "smallest ever heatpipe cooled enclosure." All three models include an LGA775 heatsink and heatpipe kit and an anti-vibration mounting kit for 3.5-inch and 2.5-inch drives, along with an optional chipset cooling kit sold separately.

No word yet on price or availability.

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Posted 08/27/09 at 12:50:24 PM by Paul Lilly

Lian Li today launched its PC-B25F mid tower chassis. Constructed of brushed aluminum, the new case is based on an old model (PC-B25 "Blue Ring" Classic) with "a few more refinements," including a tool-less design.

The new mid-tower chassis makes room for three 5.25-inch optical drives and up to six side-facing 3.5-inch drives, each one supporting tool-less installation. Gaining access looks to be made simpler with a removable top panel, a surprisingly uncommon feature in modern case design.

Cooling duties are provided by dual top 140mm fans (1,000RPM), two front 120mm fans (1,200RPM), and a single rear 120mm fan (1,500RPM).

Lian Li says the PC-B25F will be available starting in September for around $200.

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Posted 08/05/09 at 09:36:13 AM by Paul Lilly

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.

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Posted 07/27/09 at 09:09:05 AM by Paul Lilly

Silverstone this week launched the Raven RV02, a "smaller, lighter, and higher performing" chassis than the original Raven RV01, the company claims.

Like the original, the updated design also boasts a 90-degree motherboard mounting layout, however the new version no longer supports Extended-ATX motherboards and "server-level storage capacity." Silverstone says that by sacrificing these features, it was able to make the RV02 more compact and consumer-friendly.

Other features include three 180mm fans, support for liquid cooling radiator mounting, motherboard backplate opening behind CPU socket area for easier installation of third-party heastinks, eight expansion slots, and an updated hard drive suspension system to help reduce drive noise.

The Raven RV02 will come configurable with our without a window, though no word yet on price or availability.

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