For all they have expanded their product range to include cables, lighting and PSUs NZXT are probably still best known for their PC cases. With unique and stylish designs they have so far resisted the temptation to branch out into fully fledged HTPC style chassis as other manufacturers have, instead focusing on enthusiast and gamer models with great success.

One of the latest models released by NZXT is the Phantom, a case designed to provide excellent cooling potential with their usual stand-out design. We have the white model on our test bench today and will find out if it meets the needs of the enthusiast/gamer market.

NZXT package the Phantom in a large box which shows a clear image of the product on the front and lists the specifications along with displaying further images on the other sides of the container. Inside the case is suspended in foam and wrapped in a plastic bag with additional plastic layers on the top and front surfaces.

Bundled with the chassis we get a reasonably clear fold out manual, screws/standoffs, cable management items, radiator mounting clips and a speaker.

NZXT Phantom - External

NZXT have gone with an angled design for the Phantom and used a predominantly white design on our review sample, finished with black sections. The majority of the chassis is steel however the front and top surfaces are plastic. Taking up about half of the front edge is a door which opens to reveal five drive bays. The mesh cover on these can be removed by simply flicking the clip on the right hand side. One of the quickest and easiest cover removals we have seen.

A the base of the front surface is a mesh vent and by pulling off the panel (no tools required) we fnds that there is a location here which can accommodate 14cm fans.

The Phantom measures 222x540x625mm and weighs approximately 11kg.

Half of the top panel on the Phantom features a black mesh that allows air from the 200mm blue LED fan to be exhausted from the case. There is a second 200mm fan location beside this for those who want more airflow but in the standard configuration this is populated by a vent. Towards the front we find the external connectivity options. These are 3.5mm audio in/out, 2x USB 2.0 and eSATA which sit beside the power/reset buttons and power/drive LEDs which are blue.

On the opposite edge we find a further set of blue LEDs and five variable switches which set the fan levels via the bundled 5x20w controller.

Turning round to the back of the case we find a reasonably standard layout, the I/O shield location at the top left sits beside a 12cm exhaust. Beneath this are four water-cooling tube holes with rubber grommets which sit beside 7 expansion slots with mesh covers. As with most recent cases, the PSU location is at the bottom of the system and at the top we find a button which controls the LED lighting for our top exhaust fan.

On the left side of the Phantom we find three intake vents, all dust filtered with the two at the bottom populated by 2x12cm fans. The right side has a similar section although this is simply a mesh area.

At the back of the cases base we find the PSU intake, again with dust filter. Further along there are two perforated sections which will increase airflow around the case and four long rubber lined feet raise the case off the ground.

NZXT Phantom - Internal

By removing the side panel we can get to see the inside of the Phantom and the first thing worth noting is that the white finish is used throughout. Holes to assist with cable management and CPU heatsink installation are included on the motherboard tray which supports Baby AT, Micro-ATX, ATX and E-ATX.

The inside of the left door has two white 12cm fans with three pin connectors and turning the system round we can see that NZXT have performed some cable management in the factory before sending out the case.

Down at the bottom left of the main chamber is the PSU location which has four rubber standoffs which raise the PSU off the base of the case and minimise vibrations. Above this we can see the seven black mesh PCIe card slots with thumbscrews.

In terms of wiring NZXT give us the standard front panel connectors, fan headers and a Molex plug which powers the fan controller.

Moving to the top left of the main chamber we find the 12cm and 20cm exhaust fans which are already connected to the fan controller.

Each of the optical drive bays has a tool free mechanism for installation, slide the drive into the location and move the switch to clip it in place. 3.5" hard drive installs are equally easy, just snap the sturdy brackets onto the drives and slide into place. 2.5" drives/SSDs can be screwed into these brackets also and a total of 7 hard drives can be positioned here.

NZXT Phantom - Build

One of the things which is immediately noticeable about the main chamber of the Phantom is that it is very roomy. It has to be for E-ATX support but there is still a little extra width even past that level. This means we have loads of room to work with when building a high end ATX system and the motherboard is easy to position. Our only issues at this stage were that the motherboard tray did feel a little too flexible, it could have been thicker and one of the holes was not cut quite right which meant getting some pliers out to ensure the standoff was properly tightened. Users should also take care with the CPU heatsink install that the socket lines up with the cut-out, which could be larger, as our board needed the back plate installed outside the case due to lack of room.

The PSU installation was quick and simple with a large hole to the side through which we could run the wiring. The only minor issue on the PSU front is that the hole at the top left of the chamber which is used for the 8-pin power connector could be wider. This would allow us to pass through the plug more easily.

Graphics cards up to 35cm in length are supported and as the above image shows even with one of the larger products on the markert installed, the GTX 580, there is still plenty of room. There is also loads of space for wiring behind the motherboard tray but the last few steps of the assembly did get a little more time consuming than they needed to be. The main issue for this is that coolers which use a 12cm radiator like the CoolIT Vantage don't quite fit due to the 20cm fan at the top. Moving this fan means taking apart the decent pre-wiring which NZXT have performed and is reasonably time consuming.

That completes the install, taking over 2 hours from start to finish with the above configuration.

When the system is powered on the LED lighting on the top fan is visible, this can be turned off completely. It is also variable, increasing in brightness as we move through the fan speeds on the controller. Also worth noting is that the LEDs beside each fan speed switch only light if a fan is connected, making it easier to work out which is which.