The NZXT M59 case

NZXT is a relatively new kid on the block as far as computer cases are concerned. Founded in 2004, they’re not as widely known as some case manufacturers, but they make quality products that can stand up on stage with the venerable old names in the narrow world of computer enclosures.

In the past, we’ve taken a look at their Tempest, Panzerbox, and Guardian 921 cases. Today, we’ll be looking at an entry from their “Classic” line, the M59.

The M59 is one of the more unique-looking enclosures from NZXT’s product lineup. While the trend seems to be leaning towards flowing lines and curved surfaces, the M59 is all hard lines, sharp angles, and corners. As with any case, aesthetics will be a matter of personal preference. The M59 represents enough of a departure from NZXT’s other products that they can say “we have something for everyone.”

Here are the specs from the NZXT website:

• 5 fan capability (side 120mm LED and rear 120mm exhaust included)
• Included 9-fin rifle bearing NZXT fans rated at 42CFM and 23db
• An ambient light sits over the 5.25″ drives to give visibility in dark rooms or at LAN parties
• Smoked clear window and a black interior gives the best combination of black on black
• Meshed front panel allows for more airflow
• 5.25″ stealth bay to keep a clean look
• NZXT solid state bracket allows for two SSD drives to be installed
• Motherboard punched holes allows for quick CPU bracket removable and optimal wire routing, turned HDD also helps with managing cables
• Pre-drilled water cooling holes on the back plate
• Front mounted USB, audio, and eSATA ports
• Support for external dual radiator at the top of the chassis
• High end graphics card support, the M59 features space that is especially designed to fit longer 10″ cards

It all sounds well and good, but how did it work out in the real world, once we got the box open? (more…)

The NZXT Beta EVO adds additional cooling and a bottom-mounted PSU to the popular Beta design.

The stuff!

A couple weeks ago we posted a contest: NZXT is letting us give away a new Beta case, Avatar gaming mouse, and Sentry LX fan controller. The entries were good, but the winner was not that hard to pick.

We asked for pathetic, funny, sad stories about why people needed a new case, mouse, and fan controller. There were lots of pretty sad entries, but this one takes the cake.

First of all, the poor guy’s case was broken upon purchase, and is now set with electrical tape. Gotta give the man credit for at least trying to color match

My Thermaltake Mambo VC2000’s front bezel was broken upon purchase, and I could not return it since it was on clearance sale at a local computer store. So I have some electrical tape keeping the bezel attached to the rest of the case.

Secondly, the 80mm fan is 30 dBA, which is pretty darned loud. He has to turn his fan down every time he wants to use his computer, just to make it tolerable. (more…)

As Icrontic’s resident peripheral fanatic, I was excited to see a shiny new box show up at my doorstep recently. Inside it? The NZXT Avatar gaming mouse. Take a look inside to see how it stacks up.

The Hardware

Almost Razer-esque packaging...

Right when you see the box, you notice the distinct styling. The gull wings at the rear of the mouse are rather pronounced and sharply angled, giving it some flair. The box’s front panel opens up, revealing the mouse inside and a diagram, and the panel itself houses the drivers and instructional manual.

The interior of the box houses the mouse itself and offers a quick glance at the available buttons on the Avatar. All of them are user-programmable from the driver front end, as is the polling rate, DPI setting, and current profile. The mouse wheel even has more specific options where you can reassign a scroll upwards to a specific action separately from a scroll downwards.

Before we jump into the software full force, let’s quickly run down the hardware. The Avatar hosts 7 distinct buttons – left click, right click, two buttons under the mouse wheel, forward and back (on the right and left of the mouse, respectively), and the mouse wheel itself – which makes 8 if you make use of the advanced scroll up vs scroll down functionality mentioned above. The click travel and rebound of the main buttons is pleasant and simple; they take just enough force to prevent you from inadvertently clicking willy-nilly. The scroll wheel, on the other hand, takes nearly the hand of God to spring into action. This is not the mouse for you if you’re a fan of scrolling through long documents, but it might be if you’re a gamer that relies on a defined number of clicks to switch between weapons or inventory. It’s got a good stiff resistance to scroll, and the driver has a scroll speed setting that is just a different way to get to Windows’ own scroll speed settings. The whole package is powered by a single USB connection with a decently long cord. (more…)

This was actually Harudath's computer. Tsk Tsk.

If you have a crappy, dusty, loud old case, an old ball mouse with fingerstains on it, and no bling to speak of, read on:

Everybody wants to bling out their computer at some point, but sometimes you get lazy, or you’re broke, or you’re just plain clueless about style and aesthetics. Icrontic and NZXT are here to help.

The good folks at NZXT have assembled an awesome prize package, and we’re gonna give it away. All you have to do is provide pictures of your current case and mouse and tell us why you need new NZXT bling. Make it funny, stylish, and unique; we’ll pick the best of the bunch and award the poor needy soul the following:

• NZXT Beta case
• NZXT Avatar gaming mouse
• NZXT Sentry LX fan controller

The stuff!

Contest runs until 8pm EST July 31st, and a winner will be announced August 1st, 2009 at 5pm EST. The contest is open to all residents of North America.

Again: Entrants must post a picture of their mouse and a picture of their case. We’ll choose the most pathetic and/or hilarious sob story, so make it good! Post your pictures and sob stories in the comments.

If you want second opinions on the NZXT Beta case after reading Icrontic’s review, look no further than Tweak Town, RB Mods and HWC.

Photo courtesy NZXT.

Lets face it: Most people don’t need expensive computer cases. But they sell because they’re status items loaded with neat gadgets, bells, whistles, in a box of exotic materials and strange shapes. The majority of folks don’t need anything as fancy as what we often regard as the de facto standards in cases. Then again, nobody likes a beige box either. The market’s shunning has finally made case makers take note, and the ugly beige boxes are no longer sold.

NZXT must have seen the writing on the wall. People want a solid basic case, but don’t want to spend a fortune. NZXT’s recent introduction of the Beta case is proof.

The Beta is all-steel mid-tower sold as part of NZXT’s “Classic Series” line of cases with a $49.99 MSRP ($39.99 after MIR).
(more…)

The NZXT Beta case is making the rounds.

NZXT keeps the new cases coming and they’re back today with their newest offering: The Panzerbox. The name alone conjures images of Germany’s elite Tiger tanks from the Second World War. Their imposing size and armor were a sight to behold on the battlefield as they dwarfed other tanks and effortlessly deflected seemingly lethal blows. At least, that’s how I envisioned it. My war experience is limited to the History Channel, tabletop gaming, and Battlefield 1942, so I might be mistaken.

Courtesy of NZXT

But back to the Panzerbox. NZXT’s latest is an all-aluminum getup with dual 190mm fans and a perforated front and top panel to allow for a ridiculous amount of airflow. We’re big fans of the Antec Nine Hundred at Icrontic but the Panzerbox, just from our initial impressions, looks like it’ll give the incumbent Antec a run for the money. We aim to find out. Let’s start ze Panzer, Hans!
(more…)

The NZXT Zero 2 full-tower case warrants two reviews.

The NZXT Performance Power 800W PSU gets good marks for value.

The new NZXT Panzerbox case looks pretty sweet for a compact LAN rig.