NZXT Zero case review

Installation
When I started installing my hardware into this case I noticed I had to remove the top fan in order to get my power supply in place. The installation of the PSU could be made a bit easier if you could just slide the PSU over the metal support bar.

The installation of the motherboard went pretty quick, but I did have some problems with the toolless PCI card system. One of my cards didn't fit properly so I decided to just remove the toolless system (which is pretty easy by the way) and secure my graphics and audio card with screws.

One of the other things I noticed during the installation is that NZXT included a bare minimum of screws with this case - every other case I have tested in the past included a lot more screws than this one.

Then I moved on with the installation of my hard drive and the installation of my DVD writer and a 3.5" fan controller, this went without a problem as the toolless installation made it really simple. I then connected all the fans and the system was ready to boot.



Here's the NZXT Zero with all my hardware installed, sorry for the cable mess :)




Conclusion
The NZXT Zero case looks awesome and provides superb air cooling capabilities. The seven 120mm fans and one 80mm fan provides lots of airflow and are really quiet. I was a bit skeptic before I got my hands on this case but all of the fans, in this case, are really quiet, the Zero is barely louder than most of the other cases I used which feature only two or three fans. And if the eight fans are really too loud for you then you can still decide to disconnect a few, like the 80mm top fan and some of the side panel fans.

Unfortunately the NZXT Zero also has a small amount of imperfections, none of them are really serious disadvantages but I did expect a bit more from a case which costs about $130. However, if you can live with these minor imperfections I definitely recommend this case.

The Good Stuff
- The case looks awesome
- Huge amount of fans included (eight!)
- Lots of airflow, the side panel fans blow cool air to your entire motherboard
- Installation of hard drives and other devices is fully toolless, it's really easy.
- It's not that heavy
- Pretty quiet, even though it has a lot of fans
- The holes for the motherboard standoffs are all labeled


The Bad Stuff
- The front panel is a dust magnet
- Side panel has no handle and doesn't fit perfectly.
- Top fan needs to be removed before you can install a PSU
- Few screws are included
- Toolless installation of PCI/PCI Express cards doesn't always work perfect
- No dust filters for top fan and side panel fans.
- Some sharp edges
- No removable motherboard tray
- An extension cable for the side panel fans would be nice, this would make it a bit easier to open the case.

I give the NZXT Zero case a 7.5/10

For the fine and quiet cooling features I'm giving it DV Hardware's seal of approval



Added: March 9th 2007
Product reviewed: NZXT Zero case
Reviewer: Thomas De Maesschalck
Score: 7.5/10
Page: 4/4



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About the Author

Thomas De Maesschalck

Thomas has been messing with computer since early childhood and firmly believes the Internet is the best thing since sliced bread. Enjoys playing with new tech, is fascinated by science, and passionate about financial markets. When not behind a computer, he can be found with running shoes on or lifting heavy weights in the weight room.



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