NZXT TEMPEST EVO Crafted Series TEVO-001BK Black Steel Case Reviews

The Tempest Evolved!, January 27, 2010

By Kort

PC hobbyists and hardcore gamers; build yourself a Core i7 gaming monster! After almost two years, NZXT has updated their award winning NZXT TEMPEST Enthusiast Steel ATX Midtower-Retail (itself very similar to the popular Antec Nine Hundred) with great new features while keeping the price the nearly the same. It is large for a mid-size case has features usually seen only on higher end models. Steel construction, EAT-X support, 9 drive bays (8 railed for HDs), 3 slots for optical drives, 7 expansion slots, 6 (quieter) fans, black interior, enhanced cable management, pre-drilled for water cooling, blue LEDs and a smoked side panel -- this thing is a BEAST! (see my photo above comparing it to a standard mid-size case)

Where to Buy

Tempest Evo Enthusiast Steel Tower (TEMPEST EVO NO POWER BLACK INTERIOR), Black

Two USB, one E-SATA, Audio, Power and Reset buttons are mounted at the top of the case at a 45 angle for easier access. This is a nice feature. Updated include more space behind the motherboard panel and a punched side panel for easier heat sink removal. It bottom mounts the power supply to better keep heat away from the CPU. NZXT beveled the solid side of the case to mimic the shape of the window ...nice. Gone is the grey metal interior; the new all black design goes down even to the fan wires. The exception to this are the fans which are white. The blue LEDs light them nicely and it is a good look in this reviewer's opinion.

The steel case is HEAVY! When it is fully loaded don't plan on lugging it around much. But that also translates into it being very sturdy. This is a case that could last you a lifetime. I plan on to start off building a basic starter rig for my 9 year-old son, and it is nice to know that the EVO is tough enough to survive in his room AND have plenty of expansion capability as demand and finances dictate. If you check out the my Customer Images above, you can see the initial unpacking and some extra shots. Looks like it has everything you need to get started, including instructions in several languages! Careful when taking out screws though, it is easy for them to fall to the bottom of the case where you have to be a contortionist to get them out, or at least need a long pair of tweezers. :)

One of the few downsides I've read about is the fan speed. The EVO is not the quietest case, though it is an improvement over the original Tempest. You can plug 4 fans into the mainboard and run them at a lower setting but the other two will still have to be connected to the PSU and will run at max revs. A fan controller would be nice. You could leave some unplugged for quieter operation, but that defeats the purpose doesn't it? Besides, if you are buying this rig, you want maximum cooling so you should be willing to live with a little noise.

With so much room for storage, one might be tempted to use put the EVO to server duty. However, that would be a waste of this blue beauty. The original Tempest set the bar for performance mid-size cases and the EVO proudly carries on the tradition. It billed itself as the "Airflow King" and did that title proud. With no major change in design and a several new features in the mix, I see no reason why the Evo can't carry on that title. If you are looking for an affordable, good looking mid-size PC gaming case with lots of room for expandability and excellent airflow, then you could do a lot worse than the Tempest EVO. Honestly, getting it for anything else would be overkill.

I'll post more once I have a system built, but so far, I'm stoked! There is plenty of room to navigate around in it, and access is easy from all sides. I'm looking forward to it!