NZXT Phantom 630 Case Review

1. Introduction2. NZXT Phantom 630: Packaging & Bundle3. NZXT Phantom 630: Exterior4. NZXT Phantom 630: Interior5. System Installation6. Testing Methodology and Thermal Performance7. Acoustic Performance8. Closing Thoughts9. View All Pages

Very similar to the Phantom 820 in appearance, the 630 features an intelligently-positioned side panel window that can be used to show off the CPU area and some of the VGA cards (when looking from an above angle).

NZXT mounts one of the company's 200mm, 800 RPM fans in the side panel, behind a filtered mesh cover. This should help multi-VGA users keep their graphics cards cool, even when they are packed tightly together.

The uniform right side panel features no divergences from the Phantom 630's gunmetal colour scheme. Gunmetal is a unique colour that NZXT has shown support for in its recent releases. We're sure that it won't appeal to all users, but if gunmetal isn't for you, the Phantom 630 does also ship in matte black and white variants.

Two angled halves of the plastic front panel converge to form a sharp, eye-catching protrusion that spans the entirety of the Phantom 630's face. A mesh panel and dust filter mounted behind it ensures that that front fan receives cool, clean air.

Opening the magnetised front panel door reveals four 5.25″ bays and an SD card reader. The door itself doesn't weigh much, but it is constructed from thick plastic and feels sturdy. One annoying feature is its insistence to automatically close unless the holding force is removed in a pinpoint location. As shown in the above picture, one has to hold the door open, or let a DVD drive's tray do that job in an everyday scenario.

We like NZXT's continued inclusion of an SD card reader on its higher-end cases. This feature adds very little to the cost of the chassis, but is a convenient addition for many users.

A recession to the nine PCI slots and IO panel makes protruding cables less of an interference-causing issue.

I think the half-and-half design of the Phantom 630 roof panel's rear area is one of the most eye-catching designs on the entire case. And function isn't forgotten either; both the black mesh and the plastic cut-outs lie above dust filters and leave plenty of room for fans to be mounted in the roof.

The front panel IO consists of two USB 2.0 ports, two USB 3.0 ports and 3.5mm jacks.

Power and reset buttons, as well as the 3-speed fan control system and rear LED toggle reside on the right side of the Phantom 630's roof panel. Three LEDs indicate the current fan speed (low, medium or high), while a larger strip acts as the system activity indicator.

A strip of rubber located on each of the 630's four feet acts a vibration damping mechanism that reduces noise. Two sturdy and easily-removable filters prevent the entry of dust and dirt via the power supply and bottom fan locations.

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