A Closer Look - Outside

Before we get started, let me mention the big elephant in the room. The Deep Silence 1 goes up against the Fractal Design Define R4. There is no denying that aspect, and certain design elements look, upon first sight, very similar. The Nanoxia DS1 also features a clean and understated look with doors in the front of the chassis.


One difference to the aforementioned chassis is the two-parted front door. While the doors are designed in a similar fashion as the single, taller variant on the Define R4, having two panels gives you a bit more flexibility in day-to-day use. The doors swing open to the right, which is perfect for placing the Deep Silence 1 right next to your monitor and keyboard on a desk. You will find simple sound-dampening foam and magnets that hold the doors in place on its inner side. Turning the chassis around, there is nothing out of the ordinary, with the PSU bay located on the bottom of the chassis.


Both side panels are completely solid, but Nanoxia has also included a covered up 140 mm fan placement on the main panel. This gives you the flexibility to pick between sound dampening and air flow for this area. As you can see, my finger prints show up on the chassis. I am not sure what Nanoxia or the factory used to clean the sides, but I was unable to remove the residue completely.


Taking a closer look at the front, there are two pre-installed 120 mm fans behind the bottom door. These cooling units rest in housing that can be flipped open as well, and both are equipped with easily removable dust filters. Above that are the three 5.25" drive bays. These actually feature the exact same tool-less locking mechanism found on the Define series of cases. Two sliding fan controllers allow you to adjust the speed of up to six fans seamlessly.


Turning the chassis around, there is the bottom PSU bay. You can see the backside of the foam lining from this angle because it has not been applied perfectly with our sample. Above that are the seven motherboard expansion slots with individual covers. Next to these are two larger holes for water cooling tubes to be routed out of the chassis. You will find a single 140 mm fan to push air out of the Deep Silence 1, along with two more water-cooling openings, in the very top. All four holes can be covered up with supplied solid grommets - a cool little touch.


A round button - which once more reminds us of the Define case - can be found in the top of the front panel. Nanoxia has recessed the I/O panel in a flip-up piece. Pressing it down makes the entire contraption move up to reveal two USB 3.0, a pair of USB 2.0, and the usual audio connectivity. In the rear area of the top is a cover to seal off the top air-vent. A sliding mechanism, called "Air Chimney" by Nanoxia, raises this panel up. This gives any underlying fans the breathing room needed while still offering some sound encapsulation.


The entire bottom floor of the chassis is lined with an easily removable dust filter, which may be pulled out of the back. It can easily be rinsed off to keep things clean.