NZXT Phantom 530 Case Review
by Dustin Sklavos on July 18, 2013 12:00 PM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
- NZXT
- ATX
Assembling the NZXT Phantom 530
I'm sure it's not going to surprise anyone to learn the NZXT Phantom 530 is a very easy case to assemble. NZXT has taken pains to ensure the case is as modular as you need it to be, and the reality is that unless we're looking at a radical redesign on par with what SilverStone tends to do, convenience should be expected in a modern enclosure by now.
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About the only thing NZXT is missing for the motherboard is an alignment stud for the center mounting hole of the board itself; they have the motherboard standoffs pre-installed for ATX boards, and snapping in the I/O shield then lining up the board didn't take a whole lot in the way of effort. NZXT also includes all of the different types of screws in individual baggies to make sure you don't have to waste time flitting through one big pool of screws looking for what you need.
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Two of the three modular drive cages are held in place with four thumbscrews each; the third, single-sled cage just uses two. It's good to have a power screwdriver handy to expedite the process and get you down to just what you need. From there, snapping a hard drive into one of the 3.5" trays is a breeze and these trays at least feel like they may be a bit stronger than the ones NZXT normally uses. A 2.5" drive can be installed in a sled behind the motherboard tray; it'll run hotter than usual due to proximity to the motherboard but still well within spec. Finally, the toolless clamps on the 5.25" drive bays are as sturdy as they've ever been.
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Honestly, the assembly of the NZXT Phantom 530 is incredibly uneventful, and that's a good thing. Expansion cards go in easy, as does the power supply which is amply supported from beneath. Cable routing holes are where they need to be, and the fan controller goes a long way towards making things easier. NZXT opts to use a 4-pin molex power connector for it to ensure enough power is available. Headroom around the power leads for the motherboard proper is plentiful, too. My only real complaint is that because of the way the drive sleds are designed, it can make routing power cabling between multiple 3.5" drives a little bit difficult.
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xbaronjagerx - Sunday, November 24, 2013 - link
Mounted on the TOP... not front.Ammohunt - Friday, July 19, 2013 - link
$129 is a pretty steep price point for me personally i feel that $50 is the sweet spot between chintzy and useful features. Of course a case for me houses my components under my desk not into fashion statements.Peroxyde - Saturday, July 20, 2013 - link
I thought that too ... until I got a Fractal Design R4 on sale for $80. Now I can say I will never buy low end case. You can't imagine what you miss trying to save $30 / $50 on a case. In my opinion, the Fractal Design R4 beats by far Corsair & Antec cases of comparable price. Wait until you get a sale and get one good case. You will not regret it.Death666Angel - Friday, July 19, 2013 - link
AT needs a "report spam" button.versesuvius - Saturday, July 20, 2013 - link
What an ugly case.fluxtatic - Sunday, July 21, 2013 - link
Holy crap - can we get some mods up on these comments?MustarDude - Sunday, July 21, 2013 - link
Hey. I would love to get this case. It's an absolute beauty with ten-million features, but I need to know the exact dimensions. It says, here and at NewEgg, "235mm x 572mm x 543mm", but I can't tell from the pictures whether it goes w x h x d or w x d x h (i'm almost certain its the first), and if that is measured with the plastic coverings at it's widest point. I know 3 cm might not matter to many, but for me it's a matter of "will it fit in my desk or not?" (and I know it's a great injustice to put this in a desk, but I have no choice). If you can help me out at all, it'd be greatly appreciated!Hawx - Friday, January 24, 2014 - link
Hi All,Greetings !!
Just wondering ,
Do I need to place any type of screws or pins before mounting a MOBO onto it.
Also is it better to install CPU and FAN and then put them in the case or fix the MOBO and then install the cpu and aftermarket cooler FAN.
Please suggest
molex problem - Thursday, March 20, 2014 - link
Guys I need helpI am making a new build and I have completed building it but when connecting the molex connector to power supply I found out that out of 4 pins , 1 pin is missing.
My case nzxt phantom 530
What should I do without the molex connector in built fans don't work
I have water cooling h100i.
So what should I do ?
palixander - Thursday, July 21, 2016 - link
I was wondering if anybody here had installed an LED strip into this case before? I bought an asus maximus viii formula MB, and was just wondering if LED strips lit up well with this case.