NZXT Tempest EVO

[Darksaber]

NZXT has taken the Tempest chassis and updated it with numerous small and large improvements. Now called the Tempest EVO it does not only feature design updates but new additions in fuctionality as well. All this, while keeping the same introductory MSRP as the original.

Show full review

 

[MilkyWay]

As an owner of the original Tempest i liked it but it has a few flaws, cable management, front panel and top mesh covers.

The top mesh covers on the original Tempest where horrible, far to easy to bend out of shape and where dust magnets.
The cable managment was not sufficient simpy stuff everything in under the bottom HDD rack and or into a 5 1/4 bay.
The front panel was to flimsy it felt like the pegs where loose or rather slack.
Additional gripes are the front panel LEDs seem to break for some people and the accustics are not very good.

I want to know if this EVO version fixed any of those problems.
To me if it didnt the Lancool K-62 is a much better alternative.

Thats a good review but i still dont know if it really did much to improve.

 

[WarEagleAU]

looks like a nice improvement over the old one.

 

[TheLaughingMan]

Review said they did not fix the acoustic issue. 6 fans is still 6 fans.

 

[Mac Daddy]

Nice review I Dugg this and also posted it on the front page of TNHW.

This is in thanks to you guys posting up Chao's Silverstone Raven RV02 review up on yours over the weekend. One good turn deserves another I say and I will be getting your articles and reviews up on TNHW as they are posted

On the Tempest I reviewed the original for TechARP as my first NZXT case review. I always felt this was a solid case and I have reviewed quite a few NZXT products. The changes noted were needed and improve the product overall.

I am currently modding the original Tempest for Johnny Hou @ NZXT who I have been working with for a while now. The first thing I did, and noted it in the EVO, is paint the interior including the drive bays black

 

[Kantastic]

Ho...ly... sh!t! I've never wanted a case more than I do now.. this thing is gorgeous.

Edit: I wanted to ask, the Tempest EVO has 2 140mm fans on top but the review says it supports 240mm rads, is that a mistake or is that actually how it is?

 

[mav2000]

This is very nicely done case...how good are the plastic bits?

 

[t77snapshot]

I am a proud owener of the Tempest This new version makes me so jealouse. I have no problems with this case, I made cable management work well and before I replaced to fans it was a very quite case. My only con is that the hdd cages are a pain to remove. I never had any issues witht he plastic clips either. 10/10 awesome!

 

[Easo]

around 99.90 € or $99 ... That is not the same ammount... xD

 

[Kantastic]

around 99.90 € or $99 ... That is not the same ammount... xD

I just checked Newegg and the Evo and original are the same price for us.

 

[Inioch]

Edit: I wanted to ask, the Tempest EVO has 2 140mm fans on top but the review says it supports 240mm rads, is that a mistake or is that actually how it is?

I would assume it's the same as the original. So yes, it has mounting holes for 240 rads in the top. Couple of pics by Buck Nasty here.

 

[Delta6326]

im a proud owner of a tempest they are great i dont think its load, i only had my side fan break on me NZXT sent me one no ? asked and didnt even want the old one to make sure i was telling the truth only if it hadn't broken. any one want to take my tempest so i can get the EVO

 

[Zubasa]

May be next time assemble the case with a HD 5970 inside to see if it fits?

 

[MilkyWay]

By bad acoustics i mean you can clearly hear the cpu and graphics card if you have a loud system the tempest only makes it louder

i love those purple fans

 

[DaveK]

The purple is pretty cool, though it looks like any other case to me

 

[t77snapshot]

I put some work into my Tempest (old version), check it out- http://www.techpowerup.com/gallery/2162.html

My favorite feature about the new version is the bottom vent for the psu! I'm going to have to cut it myself.

 

[MilkyWay]

I put some work into my Tempest (old version), check it out- http://www.techpowerup.com/gallery/2162.html

My favorite feature about the new version is the bottom vent for the psu! I'm going to have to cut it myself.

From what i can tell the case is what the Tempest should have been, at the time it was a great case but the competition has improved.

I like it otherwise i wouldnt have gotten it back then.

 

[athenaesword]

As an owner of the original Tempest i liked it but it has a few flaws, cable management, front panel and top mesh covers.

The top mesh covers on the original Tempest where horrible, far to easy to bend out of shape and where dust magnets.
The cable managment was not sufficient simpy stuff everything in under the bottom HDD rack and or into a 5 1/4 bay.
The front panel was to flimsy it felt like the pegs where loose or rather slack.
Additional gripes are the front panel LEDs seem to break for some people and the accustics are not very good.

I want to know if this EVO version fixed any of those problems.
To me if it didnt the Lancool K-62 is a much better alternative.

Thats a good review but i still dont know if it really did much to improve.

at this point in time though dya think it'd be more worthwhile to go with the lancool k7 or the tempest evo? i've got both in my sights and am wondering which to go for. i was at first pretty psyched about the tempest evo, but after some of the local guys received their sets there were quite a few complaints about the less than stellar build quality and the flimsy plastic parts that kept breaking... what dya think?

 

[t77snapshot]

some of the local guys received their sets there were quite a few complaints about the less than stellar build quality and the flimsy plastic parts that kept breaking... what dya think?

I have heard this before in some reviews too, but that didn't stop me. I think the plactics are very sturdy and I never had any problems with the plastic clips. Lots of Newegg reviews claim the front bezel clips break easily, but I think that's bs! As long as you treat this case right you wont have any problems. This is definitely not a flimsy case as well because it's made from steel, but that also means it is on the heavy side. I have owned this case for almost 2 years with no issues wahts so ever.

 

[pantherx12]

Nice case

 

[athenaesword]

I have heard this before in some reviews too, but that didn't stop me. I think the plactics are very sturdy and I never had any problems with the plastic clips. Lots of Newegg reviews claim the front bezel clips break easily, but I think that's bs! As long as you treat this case right you wont have any problems. This is definitely not a flimsy case as well because it's made from steel, but that also means it is on the heavy side. I have owned this case for almost 2 years with no issues wahts so ever.

might be that they started skimping only recently? because i don't think plastics vary in quality from piece to piece, but batch to batch, across the years, it might change. in any case, the complaints i've heard mainly claim that the pieces were broken when they arrived, or broke very soon after.

there's also an issue with the acrylic scratching easily. do you have trouble with that? anyway, i like the dark interior, and overall design too much over the lancool pieces so i'll probably still go with this. just wanna know what to expect when it arrives.

 

[t77snapshot]

there's also an issue with the acrylic scratching easily. do you have trouble with that? anyway, i like the dark interior, and overall design too much over the lancool pieces so i'll probably still go with this. just wanna know what to expect when it arrives.

I haven't had any issues with the acrylic scratching. It's funny that you meantion that, my cat jumps up on my case sometimes and I was always afraid of her scratching but she never did. Also about a week ago I dropped a dropped a screw driver on it and their was nothing. I was really surprised about that one, maybe just lucky..

This new EVO version looks a lot better then the original. It's nice to see the black on the inside. I had ti paint mine, but even doing that wasn't so hard. Remove all the plastic was easy to get to.

 

[athenaesword]

I haven't had any issues with the acrylic scratching. It's funny that you meantion that, my cat jumps up on my case sometimes and I was always afraid of her scratching but she never did. Also about a week ago I dropped a dropped a screw driver on it and their was nothing. I was really surprised about that one, maybe just lucky..

This new EVO version looks a lot better then the original. It's nice to see the black on the inside. I had ti paint mine, but even doing that wasn't so hard. Remove all the plastic was easy to get to.

hey yeah i saw your halflife rig and damn it looks good. i'm not looking to do any painting though.. just don't have the time for it. the most i'll go is replacing the leds. btw the front strips, are those replaceable or custom sized led strips?

and i've heard some complaints about the loudness of the case, esp with the 140mm fans. how'd you find it?

 

[t77snapshot]

hey yeah i saw your halflife rig and damn it looks good. i'm not looking to do any painting though.. just don't have the time for it. the most i'll go is replacing the leds. btw the front strips, are those replaceable or custom sized led strips?

and i've heard some complaints about the loudness of the case, esp with the 140mm fans. how'd you find it?

Changing the LED strips is easy, its just an led capsule shinning into a long plastic strip. When you remove the front bezel you will see the (blue/white) wires going to the left and right side side on the back. There is a little plastic plate holding the LED in place, remove it and cut off the stock led. Then simply solder on the led of your choice, if you don't have a soldering gun you just tie the wire to the led prongs. It takes a 3mm size with a view angle of 15 degrees.

This is quiete when using the stock low rpm fans. I didn't understand the question about the 14mm fans?sorry.

 

[Kantastic]

might be that they started skimping only recently? because i don't think plastics vary in quality from piece to piece, but batch to batch, across the years, it might change. in any case, the complaints i've heard mainly claim that the pieces were broken when they arrived, or broke very soon after.

there's also an issue with the acrylic scratching easily. do you have trouble with that? anyway, i like the dark interior, and overall design too much over the lancool pieces so i'll probably still go with this. just wanna know what to expect when it arrives.

The PC-K62 is notorious for coming with cracked side windows, TPU's review came like that and I'm sure you can find more on Newegg. If you want to risk having to RMA once or twice to get a good one go for the K62.