NZXT Beta

A Closer Look - Outside

I did not have very high expectations, considering the sub 50 US Dollar price tag. Upon unboxing it I have to admit, the case looks great. NZXT has designed a great looking enclosure, but is obviously using an OEM chassis to get the job done. The front is curved, with metal mesh on the drive bay covers and modern looking air vent cut outs straight down the entire front.


The front is constructed of high quality and thick plastic and the power & reset button have a great feel to them. The rear of the case is black, which means that the color can also be found on the inside of the chassis as well. This is certainly a feature not included on many enclosures in this price point. As for the case layout, it looks quite traditional when looking at the rear of the chassis.


One side of the case has openings for two fans with up to 120 mm each and is secured with thumb screws for easy removal of the panel. The two holes mean, that dust can enter the case freely so you should keep an eye on the build-up within the chassis. Turning the chassis over, the other side is completely solid and is secured with traditional screws.


Taking a closer look at the front, the bottom hides a 120 mm intake fan with blue LEDs. The design has the downside, that the few openings are fairly restrictive, so you will not get the best air flow through that. The top part is taken by four 5.25 inch drive bays. There is no 3.5 inch bay and NZXT is not shipping the case with an adapter either. While this may be a problem for some, considering the small price tag of the case, I would have been very surprised to see such an accessory.


Turning the chassis over, the bottom is filled with seven mainboard expansion slots. Covering these are metal mesh parts, which are easily removed and may be reused at a later point. The middle section is taken by two holes for water cooling tubing and an 120 mm fan grill. You will find the power supply bay all the way up top, which only allows the unit to be installed in one direction.


The I/O can be found just behind the front panel on the top of the chassis. It consists of two USB 2.0, the pair of audio plugs and an eSATA port.