Posted 12/22/09 at 07:07:36 AM by Paul Lilly

Yeah, we went old school in the title, and while Robert Van Winkle (Vanilla Ice's off-stage name) probably still has a few fans who think "Ice Ice Baby" is the greatest song ever, the 1990 single could just as easily apply to NZXT's new Hades chassis.

It's clear NZXT made airflow a top priority with its Hades gaming case, and you'll find no less than five fan slots littered throughout, almost all of which are larger than 120mm. There's two 200mm intake fans (front and side), dual 140mm top exhaust fans, and a 120mm rear exhaust. And with the exception of a top 140mm fan, all the rest are included.

"Enthusiasts and gamers have a lot to be excited about with the advanced airflow and control options that Hades brings to the table," said Johnny Hou, chief designer at NZXT. "With an array of options for limitless upgradeability, Hades has the performance and longevity that gamers desire."

The "control options" Hou refers to includes the dual-fan 8W per channel controller, along with a three temperature display on the front panel, which NZXT says is visible even when the door is closed. Other features include an all black interior, nine drive bays (configurable as nine 5.25 inch, or five 5.25-inch and four 3.5-inch), SSD bracket for up to two SSD drives, and mounting holes for a dual radiator at the top.

Hades is available now with an MSRP set at $90.

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Posted 11/19/09 at 12:00:58 PM by Paul Lilly

NZXT has been on a roll churning out affordable cases that, at least on paper, appear to belie their low price tag with features typically reserved for more expensive enclosures. The same can be said for NZXT's newest chassis, the Tempest EVO.

Constructed of all black steel, the EVO edition expands on the original Tempest's design with better cooling potential and more attention to cable management schemes. Cooling duties are provided by four 120mm fans (dual intake, one side, and one rear). NZXT said it even redesigned the fan blades to push more air at lower noise levels.

The mid tower Tempest EVO targets enthusiasts looking for server-level performance. The E-ATX form factor is now supported, and there are slots for up to 8 hard drives.

"The original Tempest is one of our most successful designs due to its optimal airflow capabilities," said Johnny Hou, Chief Designer at NZXT. "With the additional improvements the Tempest EVO brings to the equation, it's destined to be a top performer in its class."

The Tempest EVO is available now for with an MSRP set to $100.

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Posted 10/22/09 at 08:50:26 PM by Paul Lilly

NZXT has been on a budget rampage lately and continues to add to its lineup of enclosures priced in $50 territory. The latest low-priced mid-tower to come off the assembly line is the company's just announced Gamma chassis, and it too will sell for around half a C-note.

Despite the low price tag, NZXT says it placed a "premium on effective airflow," which includes slots for 6 case fans, dedicated VGA/CPU cooling, and a front panel design the company claims allows for extra air to be sucked in. It also includes a few amenities often reserved for higher priced cases, including water-cooling holes, mounting holes for a dual-radiator at the top, and an all-black interior.

"There is no other chassis on the market that offers this kind of feature set for around $50," said Johnny Hou, Chief Designer at NZXT. "For enthusiasts looking to shave some money off their build, Gamma will provide everything you need for a high performance system at a remarkably low price."

Hou's singing a familiar tune that we've heard from the company before, and don't mind hearing again.

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Posted 09/03/09 at 05:05:42 PM by Paul Lilly

In the past several months, NZXT has been aggressively targeting gamers looking to get a lot of case for a little scratch (see here, here, and here), and continuing that trend, the company has just announced the low-priced Lexa S.

Priced at a penny under $70 MSRP, the Lexa S purports to offer exceptional cooling performance with 5 case fans (2x120mm front intake, 140mm top, 120mm LED side, 120mm rear), in addition to a fan controller that gives users independent control over the dual intakes and exhausts.

"We really wanted to offer gamers a solution for under $70 that offers optimal performance without compromise," said Johnny Hou, chief designer at NZXT. "With Lexa S you get enhanced airflow, sleek aesthetics, superior cable management, and added features like an SSD bracket."

Other features include an all black interior. front-facing HDD cage, punched holes in the mobo tray to allow for easier cable management, and mounting holes at the top to accommodate a radiator.

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Posted 08/05/09 at 09:36:13 AM by Paul Lilly

Less than a month ago, NZXT released the funky looking M59, a $60 chassis aimed at attention-seeking gamers. If the aesthetics weren't your style but the price point was, NZXT's latest case, the Beta EVO, might be more your style.

Part of NZXT's Classic Series, the Beta EVO mid-tower sports a more subdued look, but there is more here than meets the eye. The major focus is on airflow, and to that end, the Beta EVO accommodates up to six 120mm fans with the option of dual 140mm at the top.

Other amenities include support for 10.5-inch graphics cards, screwless installation for hard drives and external 5.25-inch drives, front-facing HDD rack, external dual radiator support, a sleek all-black internal finish, CPU cutout for easier third-party heatsink installation, and a handful of wire management cutouts.

That's a pretty robust feature-set for NZXT's $50 asking price. Look for the Beta EVO to be made available in September.

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Posted 07/22/09 at 01:42:35 PM by Paul Lilly

Remember when computer cases were little more than boring beige rectangular boxes with a single fan? My how the landscape has changed since then, as evidenced by NZXT's newest chassis, the M59.

Aimed at gamers, the M59 sports a funky aesthetic even by today's standards, which will probably appeal to the target audience. But looking beyond the exterior facade, NZXT claims exceptional airflow by way of 5 "powerful" fans, however only two are included (side 120mm LED and rear 120mm).

In what's becoming an increasingly popular trend, the M59 boasts an all-black interior, as well the prerequisite side panel window. Other features include pre-drilled watercooling holes, punched holes in the motherboard tray for quick CPU bracket removal, space for two SSD drives, and "space that is especially designed to fit longer 10-inch cards."

The mid-tower chassis will be available in August at an MSRP of $60.

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Posted 07/02/09 at 10:44:52 AM by Paul Lilly

SpeedFan is still our favorite software program for adjusting fan speeds and maintaining an optimal balance between cooling and noise, but software solutions don't have anywhere near the sex appeal as some dedicated hardware fan controllers, the newest being NZXT's Sentry 2.

The Sentry 2 installs in a 5.25-inch drive bay and works with any fan that uses voltage control. But it's the sleek looking touch screen that might be the biggest draw. NZXT claims an "ultra fast selection and response time," with the display including temperature readout in both Celsius and Fahrenheit.

Up to 5 fans can be either manually controlled or automatically adjusted based on temperature. Settings are stored after the power is off too, so you needn't worry about finding the best balance of noise to performance only to have it go by the wayside during a power outage.

NZXT tells us the Sentry 2 will be available later this month with an MSRP of $30.

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Posted 05/12/09 at 09:00:00 AM by Paul Lilly

As gaming notebooks continue to march into mainstream price points, your lap is becoming the new hot spot (literally) for gaming goodness. That might not be the best thing for your little swimmers, let alone all that high-end hardware cramped into a 15-inch chassis. But it's great for companies putting out notebook coolers, like NZXT has done with its just-announced Cyro S.

"Just like its award-winning big brother, the Cyro LX, this [Cyro S] cools not only the fan vents, but it removes heat from the entire notebook case which is crucial for high performance gaming making the Cyro S best in its class for effective notebook cooling," said Johnny Hou, Chief Designer at NZXT.

The sleek-looking Cyro S comes constructed out of thick, brushed aluminum to help whisk heat away, aided by two adjustable 120mm fans for active cooling duties. A rubber finish elevates the notebook ever-so-slightly to prevent heat from building up and beef up its airflow. You can power the Cyro S via a USB port or with the included AC adapter.

NZXT says the Cyro S will be available later this month for $50 from Newegg.

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