The Case

One of the first things that caught my attention was the material used for NZXT's Tempest. Although the company advertises the chassis as an enthusiast case, based on the looks alone it's far from what I consider to be enthusiastic. The cheap looking plastic is something I'm not fond of, though you'll find metal meshes all around the enclosure so it's not that bad. As far as side panel is concerned, it features a window type display with a 120 mm fan attached to it covered with a mesh. Moving to the front, the bezel comes with black covers (also mesh) for the 5.25" bays. They can be easily removed, but to install a device you'll need to pull out the whole panel.


The top of the case sports a well positioned Input / Output panel with two USB ports, audio, eSATA, reset and power buttons. The panel alone has been thought out well and is positioned in an angle for easier operation. Moving to the left we get acquainted with two 140 mm fans which draw the hot air out of the case. NZXT is water cooling friendly, allowing the user to install their own DIY solutions such as radiator mounted to the top.


The rear of the Tempest doesn't flash with anything special except for pre-drilled water cooling tube openings. It does however come with a 120 mm fan and PSU hole positioned at the bottom rather than top. A lot of manufacturers use that technique allowing the heat to escape through the bottom parts of the case. The funny thing is, Tempest doesn't come with bottom ventilation holes, nor a fan which could draw the heat out. But could that decrease the performance? I highly doubt it. So why would NZXT position the PSU there? Supposedly to separate the heat fom the CPU and power supply. Additionally it's an easier way to maintain a clutter-free setup. Any ATX PSU will fit in the bottom spot, you are not limited in your product choice at all.

The side panel fan is 120 mm in size and is covered with a mesh, but no filter -- it would be nice to see one as the front fans do come with one. Moving down, the Tempest is equipped with regular rubber feet, nothing fancy. The competition never sleeps though. They make all sorts of technological improvements for their enthusiast type cases.