| NZXT Tempest Mid-Tower ATX Case
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Conclusion:
In my assessment, NZXT's claim that the Tempest is the "Airflow King" cannot be disputed. My hardware has remained cool, with temperatures of 27C for both processor cores, 32C for the system, and 39C for the 7600GT graphics card. And despite having six fans installed to keep things so cool, the Tempest is one of the quietest cases I have used.
The case mostly consists of steel and is quite heavy all loaded, but not a back breaker. In fact I have a few much smaller Dell systems that seem to weigh more. The use of plastic is found on both the front and top panels. I did have one complaint related to the plastic pieces, as when I was removing the front 5.25" mesh bay covers, the retaining clip used to hold the cover in place broke easily. Should you decide to purchase this case, please heed my warning and apply minimal pressure while removing the covers for your optical and floppy drives.
If I were to suggest one thing to NZXT, I'd like for them to improve the design of the front panel. It's a small issue like this that can make your opinion go from exceptional to just good.
My overall experience with the NZXT Tempest was a good one. Having all components installed and running, the case has made a positive impression on me over the past two weeks. I initially wasn't sure of some of the styling accents, and I guess you can say I'm still unsure. Styling is always a subjective matter that I'll allow you to decide based on the photos provided. What has really impressed me about this case is the features and flexibility they have managed to include. NZXT included six near silent fans, space for eight hard drives, and mounts to internally install a dual 120mm radiator for water cooling, all while providing more than enough room to install any video card. I will definitely have this case in use for years to come.
A search of PriceGrabber finds the NZXT Tempest mid-tower case for as little as $109.99, which is a steal considering what you get. If you are looking for an inexpensive home for a new high end system I would definitely recommend you look at the NZXT Tempest. At this price you will have a hard time matching all of the features. While I was unable to give NZXT Tempest the coveted "Highly Recommended" award due to issues I faced in regards to the front panel, it does earn the "Recommended" and "Good Value" awards.
 
Pros:
» Inexpensive
» feature packed
» Spacious interior, well thought out and implemented
» Two 140mm and four 120mm fans, excellent cooling
» Near silent operation
» Two removable 4-slot hard drive cages support 8 drives total
» Pre-drilled mounts for a dual 120mm radiator
» eSata and USB top ports
» Front panel filters
Cons:
» Styling, may depend on user
» Front panel tabs for removing 5.25” mesh covers are brittle
» Tool-less twist 5.25” bay mounts feel cheap
» Hard drive cage installation requires 6 six screws
Special thanks to NZXT for providing the NZXT Tempest Mid-Tower ATX Case to Bigbruin.com for review!
Please drop by the Bigbruin.com Forum and feel free to post any comments or questions.
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