A Closer Look - Inside

To access the interior, simply remove the thumb screws holding each panel in place. The first noteworthy facet is the choice of frame: It is a much better choice than in the Klaw/Tor. That having been said, don't expect any unique engineering elements within the NightHawk as Aerocool essentially sticks to the tooling the factory provides. The metal shroud comes with two small openings for cable routing and a larger opening towards the front of the enclosure that will prove handy if you choose to install a thick radiator there. On the backside, you can clearly see the two rows of openings next to the motherboard area and plenty of hooks to affix cables for easy cable management.


Aerocool also includes a PCB to which all the fans are connected. It is distinctively different from what the Klaw and Tor provide, but still uses the 5-pin connectors we have seen various other brands use. This connector type houses the fan power and three leads required for RGB. The PCB also allows you to expand your lighting with generic elements through two 3-pin connectors at the top edge. Fun fact: each fan connector is labeled "Super-Fan" on the PCB.


You will also find two metal SSD plates which are held in place by classic screws, just underneath the large CPU cooler opening. Speaking of openings, it is nice to see a total of six cutouts with plenty of cable hooks to run cables through. However, as there are no grommets, the cable hooks will make it difficult to keep leads completely out of sight unless they are completely run past an opening. The hooks could have also been run along the solid parts of the case—say between the two rows of openings, or Aerocool could have just used grommets to resolve that visual issue altogether.


Underneath the shroud, you will find two plastic trays for 3.5" drives that may also hold 2.5" units. The latches you squeeze together on each side are completely smooth, so the whole squeeze and pull motion will result in your fingers slipping most of the time, especially once the tray is full. I am surprised to see this type of cage as there are loads of other variants out there that are a bit easier to handle. Above that, you will find a magnetic dust filter which has been placed on the inside of the chassis to keep dirt out of the interior. It is easy to remove and extends far enough down to cover the entire vent. You may move the HDD cage for thick radiators if you like.


The PSU bay in the rear, underneath the shroud, is pretty basic as it has no rubber or foam elements, but two sturdy rails on which the unit will sit.


Looking at the ceiling, you have the classic honeycomb vents with the aforementioned dust filter on top. As you can see, the dual-fan setup takes up all the space, with the rest of the top covering the I/O wiring.


All the cables within the Aerocool NightHawk Duo ARGB are of the default variety with the exception of the reset wire, which is connected straight to the ARGB PCB. You will also receive a lead to attach it to all kinds of motherboard headers and a 3-pin fan connector for your motherboard to control the fans' RGB speed while a SATA cable is utilized to provide power to the whole setup.