- Aug 23, 2003
- 25,375
- 142
- 116
I needed a larger case. Even though I have a micro-ATX motherboard, my CrossFireX setup was far too cramped inside my current micro-ATX case.
I have the budget for a Silverstone Temjin or a Corsair Obsidian, but sometimes it's fun walking on the other side of the tracks. I wanted to see how much value I could extract for my dollar.
Requirements:
Full ATX
Bottom PSU mount
Plenty of 120mm fan mounts
Stylish, but not over-the-top
Cable management friendly
Last week, Newegg was running a special on certain NZXT cases. 15% off plus free shipping. I picked the NZXT Source 210 in white (I have a thing for white cases):
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146076
If you want to see pictures of the chassis empty, I suggest viewing the pictures on Newegg.
Styling: 9/10
The white with black accents looks great, and NZXT did a few thing I wasn't expecting in a budget case: they painted the internals, and they included all black hardware. It even came with a white NZXT 120mm fan (more on fans later).
Build Quality: 8/10
I wasn't expecting miracles in the sub-$40 price range, but this case is well engineered despite the materials used. The steel they used is thin, but all the panels line up well and the frame is rigid. The paint they used is matte finish, with medium durability (it will mar/scratch with metal-on-metal contact so I knocked a point off).
Cooling: 9/10
Besides having a bottom mount for the PSU, this case has 7 120mm fan mounts (1 x side panel, 2 x top, 1 x rear, 2x front, 1x bottom). I put 4 low-speed/noise Kingwin 120mm fans in the case (2 x front, 1 x rear, 1 x top) and the airflow is exactly what I needed for my CrossFireX setup. The internal structure does not hinder airflow in the slightest. I knocked a point off because it doesn't fit very large coolers, like the Thermalright Silver Arrow (it fits a Hyper212+ just fine).
Cable Management: 9/10
The motherboard tray has a thoughtful cutout behind the CPU mount for attaching heatsink hardware. There are lots of cutouts for cable management along the top and side of the motherboard tray. Additionally, there are lots of loops built-into the tray for using zip-ties to secure cables with. The area behind the motherboard tray is enough for full-size PSU cables, but you will still need to spend some time tying-off cables to get the side-panel to fit back on.
Acoustics: 8/10
Thinner steel means less sound dampening. Also, all the fan mount perforations also let noise escape. That said, if you pair this case up with quiet case fans, it is barely audible from two feet away.
I've bought budget cases in the past and always been disappointed with the feature set. This case was a surprising revelation.
By the way, the quiet Kingwin 120mm fans are also "budget" friendly at $3.34/each or less when you buy 2 or more: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835124023
I have the budget for a Silverstone Temjin or a Corsair Obsidian, but sometimes it's fun walking on the other side of the tracks. I wanted to see how much value I could extract for my dollar.
Requirements:
Full ATX
Bottom PSU mount
Plenty of 120mm fan mounts
Stylish, but not over-the-top
Cable management friendly
Last week, Newegg was running a special on certain NZXT cases. 15% off plus free shipping. I picked the NZXT Source 210 in white (I have a thing for white cases):
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146076
If you want to see pictures of the chassis empty, I suggest viewing the pictures on Newegg.
Styling: 9/10
The white with black accents looks great, and NZXT did a few thing I wasn't expecting in a budget case: they painted the internals, and they included all black hardware. It even came with a white NZXT 120mm fan (more on fans later).
Build Quality: 8/10
I wasn't expecting miracles in the sub-$40 price range, but this case is well engineered despite the materials used. The steel they used is thin, but all the panels line up well and the frame is rigid. The paint they used is matte finish, with medium durability (it will mar/scratch with metal-on-metal contact so I knocked a point off).
Cooling: 9/10
Besides having a bottom mount for the PSU, this case has 7 120mm fan mounts (1 x side panel, 2 x top, 1 x rear, 2x front, 1x bottom). I put 4 low-speed/noise Kingwin 120mm fans in the case (2 x front, 1 x rear, 1 x top) and the airflow is exactly what I needed for my CrossFireX setup. The internal structure does not hinder airflow in the slightest. I knocked a point off because it doesn't fit very large coolers, like the Thermalright Silver Arrow (it fits a Hyper212+ just fine).
Cable Management: 9/10
The motherboard tray has a thoughtful cutout behind the CPU mount for attaching heatsink hardware. There are lots of cutouts for cable management along the top and side of the motherboard tray. Additionally, there are lots of loops built-into the tray for using zip-ties to secure cables with. The area behind the motherboard tray is enough for full-size PSU cables, but you will still need to spend some time tying-off cables to get the side-panel to fit back on.
Acoustics: 8/10
Thinner steel means less sound dampening. Also, all the fan mount perforations also let noise escape. That said, if you pair this case up with quiet case fans, it is barely audible from two feet away.
I've bought budget cases in the past and always been disappointed with the feature set. This case was a surprising revelation.
By the way, the quiet Kingwin 120mm fans are also "budget" friendly at $3.34/each or less when you buy 2 or more: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835124023
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