PC Gaming is a serious business. Maybe it’s because PC gamers are constantly upgrading their hardware and are usually on the cutting edge (if not bleeding edge) of the latest PC technology. PC gamers not only require their hardware to be fast, but look cool at the same time. There is a degree of one-upmanship amongst PC gamers, and the green-eyed monster usually sparks an interest at LAN parties. I know when I go to a LAN party I find lots of new hardware I just have to have in order to feel like the technology guru I know I am.
Unfortunately, the hardware specifically targeted towards gamers is also very expensive. An elite PC Gaming Case (chassis or enclosure) has many more features than your standard office PC. For one, many include built-in support for watercooling, and others provide easy access to USB and audio ports…. and of course should have a window to show off all of your LEDs, VFDs, CCFDs, and all the other acronymns you have inside.
NZXT has developed a case that appears to have nearly everything a gamer could want, including a price tag under $100. We explore NZXT’s Tempest Gaming PC case, and see if it truely will satisfy.
NZXT, a company built on realizing the dreams of gamers worldwide, is proud to announce the NZXT Tempest. Tempest features breakthrough features in every category satisfying the high performance demands of PC Enthusiasts and Gamers worldwide. Tempest stakes its claim as Airflow King with 6 fans including dual intake(120mm), dual exhaust(140mm) with additional side and rear fans(120mm) all included. Tempest maximizes expandability with E-ATX support allowing for more compatibility with high end components including larger graphics cards. Cable routing is pre-drilled so users can hide cables behind the motherboard tray, allowing for a cleaner appearance and improved airflow. Tempest also features server-like HDD space by using dual 120mm fans to cool cages holding up to 8 HDDs allowing for large capacity systems while maintaining cool temperatures.
Features
- Dual radiator ready: The NZXT Tempest is pre-drilled for mounting a dual 120mm radiator at the top of the chassis, currently compatible and tested with Swiftech MCR220, Asetek Dual radiator solution, and Thermaltake TMG2.
- Airflow King: Dual 120mm intake, Dual 140mm Exhaust with an additional side 120mm fan and rear 120mm fan all included.
- Maximize Expandability: E-ATX support allows more compatibility with high end components including large graphics cards
- Easier accessibility & cable management: Cable routing is pre-drilled on the motherboard so users can hide cables behind the motherboard tray, allowing more a cleaning look and better airflow. Power, E-SATA, USB and Reset buttons are mounted at the top to give better accessibility.
- Bottom mounted PSU: PSU mounting at the bottom allows for more security and separation of heat from the CPU
- Server-like HDD space: Dual 120mm fans cool cages that hold up to 8 HDDs allowing for large capacity systems while maintaining cool temperatures
The case has some great aesthetics that many gamers appreciate. The case is all black, and has some interesting angles that give it a sort of “distorted polygon” shape rather than a boring rectangle. Even the side window is bevelled and cut into an interesting shape.
One of the first things you’ll notice it the top of the case, which has an interesting shape and presents all the buttons and ports you need right at the top. From left to right there are two USB ports, a microphone jack, headphone jack, eSATA port, a shiny aluminum reset and power button. Behind this “control panel” row are two square meshed grills, each covering their own 120mm fan.
The front of the case has two thick plastic bracers running down each side, and the front is otherwise featureless except for the meshed 5.25″ plates, which can accomodate a plethora of devices.
The left side of the case is matte black, and features a bevelled acrylic window, which allows you to see all the goodies inside. A hole has been pre-cut for a 92mm fan, which has been pre-mounted to the side. The rear of the case is not unlike many other PC cases, although this design allows the Power Supply to be placed at the bottom of the case. A single octaganal 120mm fan grill has been stamped out of the steel above the I/O shield, and there are enough card slots to accept a full-size ATX motherboard. There are also two holes with rubber grommets that are intended for use with watercooling equipment.
The bottom of the case has four black rubberized feed. These feet keep the case secure against a flat surface, but I’m sure gamers would appreciate some wheels or some other way to easily maneuver their PC when they have to work on it.
When the left side of the case is opened, we can seee what our hardware is getting into. The case comes with five pre-installed fans (three exhaust and two intake). The exhaust fans are above the motherboard I/O shield and top of the case, and there is one intake fan at the hard drive bay, and another pre-installed in the side window. Each of the fans have two sets of power connectors: standard 3-pin and large 4-pin Molex. I have always hated pre-installed fans that only have Molex connectors, as they are very bulky and tend to make your wiring very messy. 3-pin fan adapters are rather standard now, and are even included on most fan buses. Kudos to NZXT for including the 3-pin, but we as an industry can do without the molex connectors. My advice is to use some wire snips and just clip off the molex connectors.
Inside is a bag of goodies that include all the screws you’ll need for installation, and a collection of extra 5.25″ device rails.
The bottom of the case has a raised ledge to slightly lift your power supply from the floor. The motherboard tray is not removable, and does not have any pre-installed motherboard standoffs, but all the standard screw holes have been drilled.
The drive bay is one long column extending from the top to the bottom of the case, which adds some extra structural integrity. The column is divided into three sections: three bays at the top for 5.25″ devices and two hard drive bays. Any of the hard drive bays can be removed to make room for more 5.25″ devices, should they be needed. The included drive rails aren’t “rails” so to speak, as they do not attach directly to your device. Instead they are simple locking mechanisms to hold the device in place against the drive column.
There are several wires that snake down from the top of the case. These cables consist of a SATA cable (for the eSATA port), HD Audio cable, USB leads, standard motherboard connection wires (power, power led, hd led, etc), and a blue/white wire with a 4-pin molex connector (which lights up some blue LEDs at the front of the case).
There appears to be a standard amount of room in this case, which means it will get rather cramped rather quickly, especially if you plan on using any watercooling rig. Because of this, it’s best to install hardware in a progressive manner, starting with the motherboard. But first, go ahead and remove the bottom 3.5″ drive cage (or both if you have more than 4 hard drives). It’s also a good idea to pre-install your CPU, heatsink, and RAM, as you will have limited room once inside the case.
Install the I/O shield for your motherboard, and map out which motherboard standoffs your motherboard will require. Screw in these brass standoffs Once the motherboard is secured to the chassis, you can connect up the fan leads (unless you plan on using a fan bus). Now is the time to connect up the motherboard’s leads, such as Power, Power LED, HD LED, Reset, etc.
Hard drive installation is pretty straightforward. The case comes with some plastic slide rails which require absolutely no screws. Just fit the rails into your drive’s screw holes and slide into the cage until you hear a click. The rails support the bottom of the drive, and can easily fall off until completely inserted, so slipping the drive in is a two-handed operation. Then just insert the drive cage back into position and lock.
5.25″ device installation isn’t so cut-and dried. The plastic mounting mechanisms seem like they would save time at first, but are actually quite useless. You can only secure your device from the left side (the side of the windowed panel). The right side of the case has cut off access to the holes on the drive column, save for a few holes near the back of the bay to fit your screwdriver through. If you’re using an optical drive, then this may be all that you need, but you won’t be able to quickly remove your drive, as you have a physical screw that prevents movement. Either you have the drive half-supported by the plastic mechanism, or really locked in with a screw. You’re best off just using case screws and forgetting the locking mechanism.
You’re in for some frustration if you have other 5.25″ devices, like a fanbus, sound card front panel LCD or VFD display. Many of these devices aren’t long enough to reach the second set of screw holes, and you can only access the second set of screw holes from the right side of the case. So, in effect, you can only secure your front-panel devices from one side. Usually front-panel devices have buttons to press, and the right side of these panels will sink into the case when they’re pressed because they just aren’t secured.
Now that your drives are installed, you can mount up the power supply. Just place it in the bottom of the case, and secure with case screws. I recommend modular PSUs for just about any PC installation, especially in cramped quarters. If you use a modular power supply, then you won’t have a nest of unused cables sitting in the bottom of your case, so you only use what you need.
The drive column has room between it and the back of the case, which makes it a perfect area to hide or route cables through the case. That way, you can get data and power cables where they need to go without creating a messy rat’s nest.
At this point you can connect up data cables, and watercooling equipment, if desired. The top of the case is a perfect area to install a radiator like the Thermaltake TMG2, Swiftech MCR220, or Asetek Dual radiator solution.
Once the case is up and running, you can see why the Tempest is called “The Airflow King”. It uses five fans to basically make this case one huge windtunnel, and due to their large size isn’t excessively noisy.
The design of the case is very good overall, taking a single-column approach to achieve a simple design while making it sturdy. With all of the thoughtful consideration that went into its design, why is the right side of the drive cage prohibited? This, in my opinion is a severe design flaw, but will only matter to you if you have 5.25″ front panel devices.
One of the biggest compelling reasons to purchase this case is its great value. There are several enthusiast cases, and they get more expensive as features are added. The NZXT Tempest case has up-top ports, room for enough hard drives to become a server, is sturdy, and has built-in watercooling support. All this and it looks very attractive, showing off all of your other custom PC components. The gamer on a budget would do very well to consider the NZXT Tempest case.
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