|
Installation:
The first step in installation is to take stock of our
materials.
Included with the Blackline is: a small manual,
a bag of screws, and drive rails for 2.5", 3.5" and 5.25" drives.
So, now we have our goodie bits installed. Even
though this is only a midtower, thanks to the orientation of the drive
cage, I was still able to fit an 8800GTX without too much hassle.
Notice I have the monstrous GeminII installed as well. The fan
rack of the GeminII will not fit in it's normal orientation, however it
will fit if I rotate the rack ninety degrees.
Here is another shot of the clearances involved with
the 8800GTX and the GeminII.
Here is a nice close look at the drive cage with the
drives installed. A little more room behind the drive would be
nice for two reasons: first, to make it easy to stash extra
cabling behind the drives, and second, to allow the drives to be
installed backwards so that the wiring to the drives can be hidden.
Finally, we can enjoy the fruits of our labor.
With the case powered on and the lights off, the Blackline takes on a
completely different personality than the original Lexa. When I first
powered it up, I almost expected the case to say "Good Morning,
Michael", as this case seriously reminds me of KITT from Knight Rider.
Lastly, we have a close-up shot of the temperature
monitor. In daytime, the low contrast of the colors makes
the monitor difficult to read, though in low light, it fits in well with
the rest of the case's sleek subdued look.
Conclusion:
Well, another day, and another review on the books.
How does the NZXT fare? Let's break it down, shall we? The
differences between the Blackline and the original Lexa include some
good and some bad. First, the good: the Blackline has a hot new
look, and adding water cooling access ports on the back definitely are a
big vote in its favor. Of course, making it cheaper than the
original also helps. On the down side, NZXT ditched the
polished aluminum interior that looks so nice on the original.
Now, for the stuff that has stayed the same:
Both the original Lexa and the Blackline have a very unique symmetrical
shape that sets them apart from the competition. Both cases also
use the same drive rail and PCI locking system that makes the cases
nearly tool-less. Both cases utilize tons of fans that are
included. The temperature monitor is a nice touch that you
don't see on many cases. On the downside, the rear bracket is
still a pain to deal with for anyone that changes components often.
Overall, I found the Blackline to be an excellent
midtower case that still allowed me to utilize full size components.
The cooling on the case is geared more towards being silent than pushing
a ton of air, which is good for anyone who doesn't want to go deaf from
fan noise. The fans are very similar in characteristics to the
Antec TriCools set on low, and that is not a bad thing. This case
gets a solid recommendation from me!
|
 |
|
Innovation: |
9.5
out of 10 |
|
Performance: |
10
out of 10 |
|
Quality: |
8.5
out of 10 |
|
Stability: |
N/A |
|
Overclocking: |
N/A |
|
Software/Drivers Pack: |
N/A |
|
Value: |
9.0 out of 10 |
|
Overall Rating 9.5 |
 |
 |
|
 |
|
Project Skill Level
(10 being most difficult) |
4
out of 10 |
|
