NZXT Phantom 530 Case Review
by Dustin Sklavos on July 18, 2013 12:00 PM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
- NZXT
- ATX
Conclusion: It Just Works
However I feel about NZXT's too frequent recycling of the Phantom aesthetic and design, it's still very hard to argue with results. I'm reluctant to fawn over the Phantom 530 because it feels extremely iterative instead of progressive. When the Phantom 630 was released, it was almost directly superior to the Phantom 820; NZXT created a great case in the 820, and then boldly obsoleted it not long after. It's too much to ask that they do that again going from the 630 to the 530, but the 530 itself has no sizzle. You were already essentially able to buy this case, now you can just buy it cheaper if you're willing to sacrifice a feature here and there.
All my can't change the fact that at $129, the Phantom 530 is practically bulletproof. NZXT was able to execute effectively on a very tenuous balancing act in bringing the 630 down to a very accessible price point. Thermally it nips at the heels of Corsair's wonderfully outlandish Carbide Air 540, but acoustically it surges past. Anyone who feels like the ATX design standard is long in the tooth, and I include myself in that lot, would probably do well to give the Phantom 530 a second look.
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Of course, there's a fly in the ointment. Despite the Phantom 530 review samples being out to media right now, the case itself doesn't actually become available in retail for a month and a half. NZXT runs the risk of losing business in the interim; users who are willing to make some compromises can get an Antec Eleven Hundred for $99 on NewEgg right now, while people looking for something with great performance that they can tinker with will be able to snap up the Corsair Carbide Air 540 at the end of the month. A month and a half is a long wait, especially for a component that's not easily upgraded, and NZXT may have seriously jumped the gun here.
Either way, though, when it does come out, the NZXT Phantom 530 is going to be tough to beat for the money. I wish they'd taken the design a little further, but if you're looking for performance and features, this is pretty much it.
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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.