NZXT Phantom 820 Computer Case Review

Manufacturer: NZXT Corporation
Product Name: Phantom 820
Model Number: CA-PH820-G1
UPC: 815671011053
Price As Tested: $249.99 (Amazon / Newegg)

Full Disclosure: The product sample used in this article has been provided by NZXT.

A great case can last an enthusiast many builds. This means that case designers need to create cases that can handle many different configurations, with many different requirements. A multi-GPU system has different requirements than a single GPU system, which in turn has different requirements than professional workstation. While NZXT attempts to cater to all of these parties, designing a case involves making compromises between the three areas of quality, features, and cost. Therefore, the question Benchmark Reviews will attempt to answer is what compromises did NZXT make in the creation of the NZXT Phantom 820.

NZXT is a case manufacturer that has always had some interesting design aspects in its systems that some people liked and others did not, but since they were well priced many things could be forgiven. The Phantom 820 is a completely different beast, set out from the beginning to become NZXT's flagship product and priced as such. It has a $250 price tag, which is $70 greater than any other NZXT case on the market. It is also is their largest case so far measuring in at 9.25" x 25.59" x 24.09" which puts it in the same size and price league as the Corsair 800D, Thermaltake Level 10M, and the SilverStone FT02. The objective of this review will be to examine how the Phantom 820 differentiates itself from each these highly respected competitors.

When reviewing a case you have four major things you need to look at. First, you need to look at build quality because no one wants to spend hours putting hardware in a case only to find defects or to have parts that will fail months later. Secondly, you need to look at cooling because as the heat output of components goes up, so do cooling needs. Third, you need to look at the acoustics of your new case because as anyone who has worked on or near servers knows adequate cooling can come at an acoustic cost unless a company put expenses into preventing this. Lastly, you need to look at the ease of build, which depending on your system may or may not play a big role in your choice of case. If you like, I spend lots of time inside of your case modifying parts then you want a system that you can easily move around in while making modifications. On the other hand if you want to setup your system and leave it then this becomes less of an importance and therefore can be moved lower on the requirements for your case.

NZXT Phantom 820 Features

• Fully equipped with one 140mm and three 200mm fans for the high airflow and low noise
• Integrated HUE lighting for illuminating the exterior/interior of your enclosure with option to turn on/off and allow you to customize the colors at your heart's content
• High-end water cooling solutions up to three fans for a push-pull configuration: 90mm of internal top space with top 280/360mm and bottom 240/280mm radiator support for unmatched liquid cooling
• State-of-the-art integrated 4 channel digital fan controller with 15 watts per channel and LED indicators that progressively gets brighter on high speeds and dimmer for low settings
• Easily removable filters located in the top, front, side, and bottom to prevent dust from entering your rig and simple maintenance
• Adjustable interior pivot 120/140mm fan slot for directional airflow
• Removable HDD cage and large storage capacity for 6 hard drives
• Dual USB 3.0, quad USB 2.0, microphone, and audio jack along with a SD media card reader for high-speed data transfer and quick access to multimedia
• Stylish acrylic window with a view to show off the interior of your rig
• Unrivalled Cooling Capacity to mount up to nine fans for a maximum airflow
• Rear I/O white light for visibility in dark environments with a toggle switch
• Extruded right side panel for an elegant look and achieves 36mm clearance for cable wire management
• Equipped with a stylish pedestal that lifts your enclosure off the ground for increased airflow.

NZXT Phantom 820 Specifications

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