NZXT Phantom 630 Case Review

Rating: 8.5.

Built as a trimmed-down version of the award winning Phantom 820, does NZXT's Ultra Tower Phantom 630 have what it takes to compete in a circa-£150 case market?

We reviewed NZXT's Phantom 820 full tower chassis in February and were thoroughly impressed by its useful features and unique design. But for many consumers who weren't interested in multi-GPU configurations and extreme watercooling, the full tower dimensions and £200 price tag made the 820 overkill for their requirements. With the Phantom 630, NZXT has shrunk the case and slashed £50 off the asking price, making it a more viable option for the upper mid-range market.

Other than the reduced dimensions, perhaps the most noteworthy loss from the Phantom 820 is the 630's omission of an integrated LED lighting system. The Phantom 630 still supports a large number of storage drives – 8 – and motherboard compatibility is practically limitless for most users. Quad-VGA configurations are easily tackled by the Phantom 630's nine expansion slots, and watercooling users still have room for 360, 240/280 and 120/140 mm radiators simultaneously, without modifications.

NZXT seems to have managed to cram an impressive number of features into the ultra tower Phantom 630, but has this process introduced any flaws along the way?

Specifications:

• Motherboard support: ATX, Micro-ATX, XL-ATX, EATX (347mm x 272mm).
• Expansion slots: 9.
• Included fans: 2x 200mm intake, 1x 200mm exhaust, 1x 140mm exhaust.
• Fan mounts: 4x 200mm & 4x 140mm or 1x 200mm & up to 8x 140mm.
• 5.25″ drive bays: 4.
• Internal drive bays: 6x 2.5/3.5″ and 2x 2.5″.
• Special features: Single channel 30W fan controller, SD card reader, rear IO LED.
• Dimensions: 245mm(W) x 627mm(H) x 600mm(D).

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