A Closer Look - Outside

Out of the box, the chassis looks pretty darn cool. It is wider than classic ATX cases, and Aerocool has done well by going with the steel top cover instead of adding a plastic element here. You can clearly see the two large fans through the front acrylic panel. While it offers more visibility to the fans than the AirHawk, the solid front also results in less airflow. The only gripe I have is the plastic itself, which is quite soft. Pushing down on it with my finger, it gives way. Having thicker layers of plastic would instantly solve this issue and really help give the chassis a higher quality feel.


Looking straight at the front, the NightHawk does not look quite as cool as the AirHawk, and while I totally understand the Acrylic approach, it is not the type of material you are accustomed to seeing on many cases, although the most affordable these days. That carbon weave visual on the cover gives the chassis another visual design element that fits quite nicely. You may pull off the entire cover to reveal the two 180 mm LED fans, clearly the biggest functional selling point of the enclosure. In the rear, things look quite traditional for a modern mid-tower chassis.


The main side panel of the NightHawk Duo ARGB consists of a slightly tinted, tempered glass window that is held in place with two plastic rails, so you won't see any unsightly screws sticking out of these. While this is really nice, I would have loved to see a more subtle implementation as other brands manage to frame the glass with a black edge and then stick metal edges on these from the inside, which keeps the glass panel completely clean. The opposite side of the chassis consists of a solid steel panel with two thumb screws holding it in place.


Taking a closer look at the rear of the NightHawk Duo ARGB, there is only a single set of mounting holes for the PSU because it is always meant to face downward. Above that are the seven motherboard expansion slots with break-out instead of reusable covers. While Aerocool includes a single such extra cover, it would have been much better to have all seven or at least two such covers as part of this case. In the very top is another fan set to push hot air out of the back of the chassis. This one is also equipped with ARGB LEDs, which should make for a well-lit chassis interior overall.


The top can hold two 120 or 140 mm fans and has a large magnetic dust filter. With the fan-mounting positions offset, you should easily be able to install up to a 280 mm radiator as well. In the top, you will also find the usual set of I/O consisting of two USB 3.0, a pair of audio plugs, and a power button. There is a reset button, but it will be used to toggle through the RGB lighting of the chassis if you opt to skip the motherboard control.


A basic metal mesh dust filter on the underside is protecting the power supply. To reach it, you have to tip over the chassis. We would have loved one that can be pulled out the back of the chassis instead.