Detailed Exterior Features

In contrast to the original Lexa design, which featured blue LED fans and LCD display, the Blackline is painted in a warmer color. With the red LED fans at the rear of the case and on the side panel, the glow compliments a red LCD display which gives temperature readings from the front.

Only very minor deviation from the otherwise all-black finish is found around the exterior. Once the bezel door is open, the exposed reset button has silver accents which team with the silver finished power buttons above the bezel door. True to the original Lexa form, the Blackline offers convenience for consumers who don't want to repeatedly open the door just to power on their system. When the bezel is made of plastic, there just isn't much point to a lock and key anyway.

The original NZXT Lexa and the new Lexa Blackline are very much identical in terms of exterior design. The piano-black front bezel is exactly the same part, which even maintains the 2005 copyright marking on the inside of the door. From the side panels and windows, to the accents and even the fan grill, I would be very hard pressed to tell the difference between the two versions at a short distance.

Firewire (IEEE-1394) and dual USB ports are available at the lower side of the NZXT Blackline. Color-keyed headphone and microphone jacks finish out the I/O panel.

The original NZXT Lexa used a plastic trim piece over the back of the chassis. I never liked this accent, because it was very pointless and cumbersome. The fact that you would have to remove this trim piece (four screws and it pulls out) just to open either side panel made working inside the Lexa a big hassle.

Well, this worthless waste of plastic returns to haunt you in the new Blackline. This part serves no purpose other than to slow you down if you work inside the case. My advice is to put it in next weeks' recycling crate along with the extended length screws, and use thumb screws for both panels. The service side panel (window) doesn't even really need screws, since it has a latch system.

New to the list of features are the two pre-drilled holes with rubber grommets; a very simple and inexpensive feature to implement which gives computer enthusiasts and overclockers with liquid cooling to opportunity to mix function with affordable fashion.

<< Previous Page - Next Page >>