NZXT Phantom 630 Case Review: The Relentless Pursuit of Perfection
by Dustin Sklavos on January 20, 2013 12:01 AM ESTTesting Methodology
For testing Micro-ATX and full ATX cases, we use the following standardized testbed in stock and overclocked configurations to get a feel for how well the case handles heat and noise.
| ATX Test Configuration | |
| CPU |
Intel Core i7-2700K (95W TDP, tested at stock speed and overclocked to 4.3GHz @ 1.38V) |
| Motherboard | Gigabyte GA-Z68MX-UD2H-B3 |
| Graphics Card |
ASUS GeForce GTX 560 Ti DCII TOP (tested at stock speed and overclocked to 1GHz/overvolted to 1.13V) |
| Memory | 2x2GB Crucial Ballistix Smart Tracer DDR3-1600 |
| Drives |
Kingston SSDNow V+ 100 64GB SSD Samsung 5.25" BD-ROM/DVDRW Drive |
| Accessories | Corsair Link |
| CPU Cooler | Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo with Cooler Master ThermalFusion 400 |
| Power Supply | SilverStone Strider Plus 750W 80 Plus Silver |
Each case is tested in a stock configuration and an overclocked configuration that generates substantially more heat (and thus may produce more noise). The system is powered on and left idle for fifteen minutes, the thermal and acoustic results recorded, and then stressed by running seven threads in Prime95 (in-place large FFTs) on the CPU and OC Scanner (maximum load) on the GPU. At the end of fiteen minutes, thermal and acoustic results are recorded. This is done for the stock settings and for the overclock, and if the enclosure has a fan controller, these tests are repeated for each setting. Ambient temperature is also measured after the fifteen idle minutes but before the stress test and used to calculate the final reported results.
Thank You!
Before moving on, we'd like to thank the following vendors for providing us with the hardware used in our testbed.
- Thank you to Puget Systems for providing us with the Intel Core i7-2700K.
- Thank you to Gigabyte for providing us with the GA-Z68MX-UD2H-B3 motherboard.
- Thank you to Crucial for providing us with the Ballistix Smart Tracer memory.
- Thank you to Corsair for providing us with the Corsair Link kit.
- Thank you to Cooler Master for providing us with the Hyper 212 Evo heatsink and fan unit.
- Thank you to Kingston for providing us with the SSDNow V+ 100 SSD.
- Thank you to CyberPower for providing us with the Samsung BD-ROM/DVD+/-RW drive.
- And thank you to SilverStone for providing us with the power supply.
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gamezoid123 - Monday, January 21, 2013 - link
well it depends. yeah the gun metal looks like crap but i think the white and black versions look much better., and will be more to the liking of every one else.kilkennycat - Wednesday, January 23, 2013 - link
Yep, agreed. Also the controls and external connectors being on top of this large case is really stupid.. Presumably, there is an "aesthetic assumption" by NZXT that it will never occupy a place under a desk, but be put out in the open for all to admire.Bonesdad - Sunday, January 20, 2013 - link
indeedRinaun - Sunday, January 20, 2013 - link
The look is hardly appealing to me. I just dislike the styling is all. The interior is very nice!Skidmarks - Sunday, January 20, 2013 - link
I think it's a very nice case, far nicer than the Level 10 eyesore.Willomz - Sunday, January 20, 2013 - link
The 630 doesn't support Mini-ITX as it says here.bricks419 - Sunday, January 20, 2013 - link
All atx cases support mini itx. It just uses the four mounting points closest to the i/o area.Willomz - Monday, January 21, 2013 - link
Not this one, the motherboard cutout is too large.Check the NZXT website.
Or here @2:50
http://hexus.net/tv/show/2013/01/NZXT_Phantom_630_...
gamezoid123 - Monday, January 21, 2013 - link
lol does it matter? if your going to put a mini itx motherboard in a case get something actually made for a mini itx caseWillomz - Monday, January 28, 2013 - link
No not really, just be nice for the specifications table to be correct.