NZXT Tempest 410 Elite Mid-Tower Case Review
A Detailed Look - at the Outside
After removing the Tempest 410 elite from its packaging I finally got to see how this case looks under the lights of my photo studio. Needless to say, this mid-tower case incorporated some unique design features that I haven't seen in other cases in this class. The honeycomb design and matte black paint scheme is used throughout the interior and exterior of the 410 Elite. Even the three optical bay covers are adorned with honeycomb metal.
The front panel is a made from a combination of plastic and steel and includes two 120mm fans that run at 1,200 RPMs. There is also room for three 5.25" optical drives and seven 2.5" and 3.5" storage drives.
The top of the front panel also have several I/O ports that support USB 2.0, USB 3.0, and high definition audio.The power and reset buttons are made from black rubber and NZXT used white LEDs for the power LED and hard drive activity light.
NZXT included two removable 120mm fans (with no LEDs) that help users can access to the seven hard drive bays behind them. These drives are very functional and include removable filters to improve airflow.
All seven hard drive bays are accessible from the front panel behind the two 120mm fans. Each hard drive bay includes plastic cages to install solid state drives and standard 3.5" hard drives.
Another unique aspect of the 410 Elite is the top storage compartment that can also be used to organize USB and audio cables connected to the front I/O panel. The storage compartment isn't very deep, but it should be useful for thumb drives and USB hard drives.
The left side window is an odd shape, but it actually adds an edginess to the overall design of the case. The matte black finish is still a little shiny under my studio lights, but resists fingerprints well. Each side panel is secured to the chassis by two thumbscrews.
The back panel is pretty standard as far as mid-tower ATX cases go. NZXT threw in a couple outlets for users to connect an external watercooling solution, but most WC systems are internal nowadays.
Here's a quick shot of the right panel of the case. There's nothing special to talk about here so let's move on.
Lastly, I wanted to show our readers the top panel of the case where you can install a dual-radiator for a custom watercooling system. This is an exceptional way to mount a dual radiator and the most original method I've seen in some time. Mounting the radiator to the top of the case didn't add too much height as well and the radiator is well hidden behind a long piece of honeycomb mesh.
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What would it take to see a dual radiator placed in the case? I see many cases with areas stated to be capable of supporting dual or triple radiators, and the grommets out the back for tubing, but rarely to i see a review that actually makes use of those features. They're often brought up or mentioned, but not taken advantage of. I realize this would add some time to the review process for leak testing, tubing routing, etc, but with many new cases making some effort to accommodate watercooling setups, i'd like to see those aspects evaluated in reviews along with other parts of the case.
Ryan, make it happen!
I think one of the reasons you don't see sites using water cooling setups in case reviews is the simple reason that constant connection/reconnection plus twisting/pulling on all of the hose connectors is not very good for them and they won't last long.
Would be possible of course just to show a radiator in place without all the tubing, but they probably place more priority on showing a fully installed system.
The NZXT preview video contains a shot of an installed 2x120mm radiator. Perhaps the NZXT website would have more information on the installation/finished appearance.
I like the style of it.... it reminds me of a PS2 from the shape of the plastic and orientation of the USB ports, etc.
Is that h50 set up as intake or exhaust? I cant help but to wonder what it would look like with the H50 installed where you put the 120mill fan and attached a pull fan to the other side of the H50 in where the mesh is and had it exhausting, then you could use the rear fan as a cool air intake :)
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