NZXT 820: The devilish Phantom strikes again

Originally launched as ‘Gaming Armour', NZXT has enjoyed the most success with its stylish Phantom chassis over the past couple of years. Now it's ready to re-vamp a classic, KitGuru wonders whether to be scared or excited.

With a built-in 4-channel fan-controller, alongside an SD card reader and lit back plate, the NZXT designers have certainly go for a full feature set with the Phantom 820.

We're not sure how many people will need 9 fans on a system these days, but – if air flow control is your game – then this case has the options for you. It also promises to be near-silent during normal operation – or at least that's what NZXT claims. You also get a choice of colours: Alongside the standard black and white, you also get a gunmetal option.

The asymmetrical styling made popular by the smaller 410 version, this case certainly stands out on a shelf/desk/floor. Part of the front moulding opens to reveal 4x 5.25″ drive bays and the SDHC/HUE controls are above that. Like a lot of chassis manufacturers, you can change the colour of the LED, so if you move from Intel to AMD, then you can show your allegiance straight away.

Case controls and the audio I/O are usefully placed on the top.

You have 6x USB ports on the left side of the case, two of which are of the nice/blue 3.0 variety and you also have fan speed controllers in situ.

Building your XL or E-ATX system should be straightforward with the big mainboard tray and you can install graphic cards to your heart's content – as long as they are less than 33.3cm long.

Thought has been put into cable routing – as well as the SSD/HD installation cages – tool free. The design team has also used rubber where appropriate to reduce vibration, while air flow comes mainly from a 20cm unit at the front and a 14cm at the back. Water cooling is certainly also an option – with space for a triple radiator at the top – and maybe even another at the bottom of the case.

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KitGuru says: Although it's not a big volume manufacturer, NZXT has its supporters and the idea of a new Phantom will get them excited. Will they splash £199 for a plastic design is another question, but if this is your bag – then you will be able to find more from this link.

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