Conclusion:

After using the NZXT Phantom full tower case for the last few weeks I have to say that I am pretty impressed with the quality and the look of it. The way NZXT has made this to be both a user friendly case and appeal to the hardcore enthusiast is a plus in my book. And, the near tool-less design is something that almost everyone can appreciate.

When it was powered up and the fans were at full power, there was a dull hum but nothing overpowering. And at no time did I hear any vibration or rattling.



I always hear it's not the size that matters, but in this "case" I beg to differ. After having my system built in a mid tower and now a full tower, my preference is a full tower case. I really enjoyed having the space to get in there and also have the freedom to place things where I wanted them and not had to put them. As you can see below, my first case was the Xclio 3060( bottom left ) and although it housed everything I had, it was tight and there wasn't a way to set the cables in there as nicely as the Phantom. The other picture (bottom right) is my system built in to the Phantom full tower case. As you can see this holds everything much better and looks a lot less cluttered.



I'm not sure if anyone else will have an issue but I do have something odd to mention about the top panel connections. When testing the USB ports on the top, there were a couple times that I inserted a thumb drive and accidentally hit the power button with my fingers and shut my system down. Also, as mentioned earlier, I really wish NZXT would have added USB 3.0 connectivity to this case. With it being designed as a high end enthusiast case, it should be offered and available.

A quick price check shows the Phantom selling at places like Amazon.com and Meritline.com for under $150 (US). In the ballpark of other more refined, enthusiast grade cases.

All in all I'm very pleased to have reviewed the NZXT Phantom full tower case. With the room it has to offer on the inside as well as the external fan controllers, cooling performance, and access to backside of the CPU cooler, the Phantom receives the BigBruin.com "Recommended" award!



Pros:

» Near tool-less design
» Fan control and accessibility
» Size and space
» User friendly
» Cooler access
» Great cable/wire management

Cons:

» No USB 3.0 connections
» No tool-less SSD trays

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