February 15th, 2011

NZXT Beta

Conclusion

Let’s start with the positives: it’s a very straightforward case in terms of its design making installation very easy. It’s clearly not the most innovative but everything fits and is well secured. Style wise, the front bezel has definite character, although a little bullish, and gives the Beta a uniqueness.

However, taking the front panel away, the case is essentially a black box. Sure, the all black interior is something we’re not used to seeing in low-budget cases but when you compare this chassis to the Antec Two Hundred offering, there’s not really any competition. The Antec offering has more fans and better build quality.

The final nail in the coffin is the 3.5” drive bay; the lack of a 5.25” to 3.5” drive bay converter is insignificant as there simply isn’t an external bay at all – a sure sign of a lack of attention to detail.

NZXT seem to have focused too much on style and not enough on substance. The Beta looks like a great case but on further inspection, it simply can’t deliver as we’d like it to.