NZXT Tempest

Installation

I will be installing my trusty AMD rig into the case for testing.

The installation was as expected easy, that was until it came to the ATX power cable which as i expected was not long enough. After I had acquired a PSU with enough cabling to actually reach the ATX port I connected all the fans and powered it up.

Admittedly, if blue led fans and flashing lights aren’t to your taste this isn’t a case for you as they can begin to look tacky if like on the Tempest the aesthetics have been forced and aren’t quite so subtle as they could be.

The Tempest does redeem itself though, as it features full tool-less entry and mounting systems. These were easy to use and also seemed to quieten the hard drive, which can be heard rotating in most cases.

Click to enlarge

Click to enlarge

The installation of 5.25” drives was much harder than for the hard drives as the front panel must be removed to allow for their installation.

The case sports enough space within to hold up to 8 hard drives and has the capability of having up to 6 5.25” bays. Upon removing the front panel I discovered that the fans had dust filters. These block dust from entering the case, and while over time they can collect a lot of dust and lower the air flow into the case, they are far easier to clean than the entire innards of your case.

Testing

To start the testing off I started with the good old stand test – and stopped short of putting any weight at all on the side panel as it is windowed with plastic, which didn’t seem stable enough to put serious weight on.

I could however stand on the top of the case with ease; there was no flex and no creaking noises.

As far as testing for noise goes the Tempest isn’t the quietest case with its six fans but it certainly isn’t the loudest either, as when in the same room it can be heard but only very slightly; unlike the P190 which can be heard a mile off.

This case might not be inpenetrabel, but the airflow offered by the Tempest’s numerous fans is pretty impressive and makes the claim of the “Airflow King” pretty undisputable.

Cost

A very quick product search reveals that the Tempest can be had for as little as £60 which is hardly bank breaking and is surprisingly good value for a case with 6 fans, tool-less entry, quite-ish operation and reasonably attractive styling.

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