A Closer Look - Outside

NZXT aims the case at the LAN party gamer, who wants to have a very compact enclosure with a handle to easily carry it around from location to location. That said, the Vulcan is very small, but features a very prominent, edgy front part to it. The overall construction quality had me a bit worried from the very beginning, as the case walls feel rather thin and the plastic - while solid - feels rather flimsy. Seems like NZXT has really pushed the limits to keep the price down. The question in the end will be if they went too far for comfort or not. As you can see, the handle is not yet installed.


The front is made of plastic and metal mesh. While the overall design features a prominent front, larger than the overall height of the chassis along with straight, edgy looks. This may not be for everyone, but it is nice that NZXT has gone the extra mile to give the case a very catchy shape. Turning the Vulcan over, we have an all black rear, which also means that the interior features the same paint job.


One side of the case has an opening covered by extruded metal mesh. This is not the first time we have seen this approach, but this one feels very fragile as you can easily push the mesh and dent it with your bare hands. Also, the very thin paint job of the case is way too fragile, as the edges of the mesh completely stripped the side panel on the edges. The overall construction quality of the Vulcan does leave something to be desired and the thin metal used does not help quench any worries either. Turning the case around, the solid side has an extrusion which looks similar in shape to that of the metal mesh. This is certainly a nice touch to keep the overall look of the case uniform.


Taking a closer look at the front, the bottom is a large metal mesh cover over the 120 mm intake fan. If you look closely, you can see the power LED strip on the right edge of the chassis. You will find four drive bays on top. Two 5.25 and two 3.5 inch ones. NZXT has also included a pair of dials to control up to four fans. This is certainly a nice and useful touch - especially for a chassis of this price class.


The power supply is bottom mounted, right below the four mainboard expansion bays. While there is no rear fan included, you may install an 80 or 92 mm unit. This also means that most tower coolers will not fit within the Vulcan. There are two openings to route water cooling tubing out to the rear of the case. If you look closely, you will also notice a button, which allows you to turn the LEDs of the fans on or off - a nice touch for sure.


There are a few features present on the top of the chassis. First off there is space for two 120 mm fans, one of which is supplied by NZXT. You may also install a dual radiator here as well, making the Vulcan an extremely compact case with such a possibility. You will also find all the I/O and buttons on top of the chassis. There are two USB 2.0, an eSATA and a pair of audio connectivity. Last but certainly not least, the handle is connected to the roof of the Vulcan by four screws.