Assembly

Installing the motherboard is done by traditional means. There is enough space for large CPU coolers, like the one by Silverstone, but things are a bit tight towards the top. The use of large graphics cards is not an issue at all, especially since that one hard-drive cage is removable.


To install any hard drives within the Nox Xtreme Coolbay VX, one needs to use the included plastic trays. These are constructed in such a manner as to be sturdy enough to keep the drive in place, but are also flexible enough to make the insertion of drives easy enough. You will still need to use screws and a screwdriver if you want to install a 2.5" drive into the tray.


Once filled, simply slide the trays into the bay of your choice until they snap into place. Thanks to the solid handles at the end of the tray, the drives are hidden nicely while also giving you a good grip to pull them out easily if needed.


Before installing the optical drive, you will need to pull off the entire front to remove the drive-bay cover of your choice. The 120 mm intake fan is unearthed in the process. This one actually features LEDs to match the accents of color inside the chassis, and you may install an additional 120 mm unit above it. Once the optical drive is in place, simply turn the knobs, screwing them down in the process. This is essentially identical to screwing the drive down with traditional screws, but does not require any tools.


Last but not least, installing the power supply does not bear any surprises. Just put it into place and use the included screws to secure it in place.


With all the parts installed into the chassis, the Nox Xtreme Coolbay VX makes an adequate impression. Due to limited cable routing and hiding possibilities, the interior does not end up being as clean as in other mid-tower cases, which is a real shame, especially since the green interior looks so cool, giving one the urge to show it off.

Finished Looks

With everything in place and the system turned on, that little frown from before is turned upside down as the tinted window saves the day by not revealing too much. The green LEDs of the front fan make the case look pretty cool, and adding green LED strips to the interior should be your first step to make this case stand out.


Nox Xtreme managed to transport the case's color accents over onto the exterior well. The only gripe I have is the fact that their marketing department has gone as far as to show the case with two LED fans in every image on their website. This is quite misleading and may lead people to conclude that it comes with such a setup, especially since Nox Xtreme does not list the cooling configuration of the Coolbay VX on their website.