Posted 11/19/09 at 12:00:58 PM by Paul Lilly

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.

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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 09/03/09 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 05/06/09 at 09:00:12 AM by Paul Lilly

We don't typically expect much from a $50 case, but NZXT may change how we view budget enclosures if its Beta mid-tower chassis manages to look as good in person as it does in pictures. And it doesn't look to sacrifice a whole lot in terms of features, either.

As we're starting to see more of lately (and we couldn't be happier about it), the Beta comes with an all black interior rather than unfinished steel. From a feature standpoint, the budget enclosure includes four external 5.25-inch and five internal 3.5-inch drive bays, all of which support tool-less installation. Cooling duties are served by four 120mm fans (one each on the front and rear, and two and on the side), as well as what looks to be plenty of cut-outs for cable management.

"Given the current economic conditions, we wanted to offer gamers a sleek sturdy case built for performance and maximum expandability without breaking the bank," said Johhn Hou, Chief Designer at NZXT. "Beta provides the perfect solution for a sub $1,000 PC and will give gamers multiple options when configuring a rig with phenomenal value."

NZXT says the Beta will be available this month with an MSRP of $50.

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Posted 04/30/09 at 10:02:02 AM by Paul Lilly

It's been nearly six months since Cooler Master impressed us with its HAF (High Air Flow) chassis, a full tower case we deemed worthy of a 9/KickAss award (get your recap right here). Its combination of effective and quiet cooling along with build and cable management options made it a joy to work in, and Cooler Master looks to duplicate those same qualities in a smaller, more compact mid-tower package.

Cooler Master says its HAF 922 supports up to seven case fans in all, three of which support 200mm fans that can be swapped for smaller 120mm units (the case will ship with three fans - a 200mm front intake with red LED, 200mm top exhaust, and and a 120mm rear exhaust). Despite being a mid-tower, Cooler Master also says the downsized HAF will still support liquid cooling with room for an internally installed radiator.

In the tale of the tape, the new enclosure will check in at 10 (W) x 19.7 (H) x 22.2 (D) inches and weight 19.2 pounds, compared to its 932 big brother, which checks in at 9.6 (W) x 22 (H) x 22.2 (D) inches and 29.1 pounds.

We're told the HAF 922 will start shipping on May 12 with an MSRP of $130.

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Posted 03/04/09 at 09:44:21 AM by Paul Lilly

Corsair, who is best known for making memory products, appears ready to jump into the computer case market. It isn't unusual for component manufacturers to branch off from their specialized product line(s), but to our knowledge, no other memory maker builds PC enclosures.

The prototype case, which is being shown off at CeBIT, sports an all-black paint job, including the interior. Corsair's going with a two-chamber design similar to Antec's P180/P190, with the PSU sitting at the bottom. There's enough room for 5.25-inch drives, along with a hatch that hides four hot-swappable hard drives.

According to review site Legit Reviews, Corsair's full tower chassis stands at 24 inches high by 24 inches deep and 9 inches wide, and will weigh between 20 and 25 pounds when empty. The case owes its weight to a mostly steel construction, although the front panel is made of aluminum.

The un-named case will likely start shipping in Q2 2009 for between $250 to $300.

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