NZXT Phantom ATX Full Tower Case - White (PHAN-001WT)

I've always built my own computers and have owned quite a variety of different cases in the past. My last one, an In-Win X710, lasted six and a half years with three computers built in it. I loved the case, but the LCD backlighting went out and it was time to replace it. I probably spent more time looking for a new case then I did looking for a motherboard... I spent days looking through hundreds of reviews and pictures trying to decide which one to get. I finally decided on the NZXT Phantom, despite the fact that I have never owned nor even worked with an NZXT case before.When it arrived I was absolutely stunned... the case is drop-dead gorgeous. I had seen so many pictures and even videos of the thing, but none of them measured up to actually seeing it in person. The buttons and sliders on top feel solid and are quite impressive. The drive door is kept shut by two magnets, which is a very nice touch, but also the inside of the door is finished (rather then bare like most other cases that have doors) and the door itself has some weight to it... just the act of opening it gives off quite the impression of quality.The side is a bit awkward to open the first time, but once you realize how it opens, it's quite simple and very sturdy. While the outside impressed me considerably, the inside absolutely blew me away... the level of quality and attention to detail is astounding. It has five 5.25" external bays where the drives are secured in place by an ingenious clamp system, seven 3.5" internal bays with snap-out drive holders, and four fans (two side 120mm, one rear 120mm, and one big 200mm at the top). The case is designed around routing most of the wiring between the motherboard tray and the right side panel in order to hide them and make the case much less clutter inside. The case also has four grommets at the rear for running an external water cooling system, and includes brackets for mounting an internal system as well. If the supplied fans aren't enough, there is room for an additional 200mm fan at the top, a 200mm fan on the left side panel (right above the motherboard), and a 140mm fan at the front. All the fans can be controlled through the fan controller at the top of the case. The case itself has rubber feet to reduce any vibration, and there are rubber mounts for the power supply and the hard drives.The entire case is incredibly well thought out. After staring at this case for 20 minutes, I did something I never have done before... I brought it downstairs and showed my wife. She has very little interest in the hardware aspect of computers, but she's seen enough cases around my office to be impressed by the quality of this one. I can't remember the last time I bought a computer component that I was this excited about.I've seen complaints about the fact that this case didn't include the additional two 200mm fans and front 140mm fan, however the airflow in this thing is excellent as it is and more then enough for most people. I think adding $25-30 to the price tag of this thing for fans that most people wouldn't need would be ridiculous. In my office, which was 22.8°C, while the computer was idling and with the fans at the lowest speeds, the interior of the case was at 24.8°C with the CPU temp at 38°C. Turning the fans to maximum, the temperature went down to 24.3°C with the CPU temp dropping 1°C. The fans included are extremely quiet, even at maximum speed.One thing I had reservations about was the lack of filters. Once every couple of months I would bring my computer outside and use my air compressor at low pressure to clean out the dust from inside the case. I was originally hoping to get a case with filters to reduce the necessity of this task and I was a bit leery about buying a case which had 25% of it's surface area covered by grills. I bought the NZXT Phantom anyway based on its other merits. To my surprise, the case actually does have filters... one each for the two intake fans on the side, large round filters for where the optional 200mm fans would be mounted, and one below where the power supply mounts. Strangely, I have not seen an mention of these filters, including on NZXT's own website. In addition, many of the pictures on NZXT's website show the case without the filters. Possibly a late addition? Either way, these filters don't do a particularly good job since I find dust on the fans they're suppose to be protecting. Regardless, after four months the inside of the case has barely any dust in it, so for what it is, it works out well. 80% of the dust in the case is directly in front of the two side intake fans, so these filters are definitely the weak link... I plan to to replace them very soon, but it would be nice if NZXT supplied better filters.Two minor notes though. First of all, I'm not a big fan of the 'screwless installation'. The 5.25" external bays have a clamp system that allows you to remove devices quickly, but they are not as tight as screws... there is a bit of play in the drives when clamped down. There are holes which allow you to screw the drives in place for a more secure feel. However, the 3.5" internal bays do not have this option. To mount a drive, you need to first mount it into a plastic bracket that slides nicely into the case. The problem is, mounting the drive into the bracket is a screwless design and as a result, a bit more complicated. A few screws would have made this much easier.Second, although I rarely ever move the case, I find that there really isn't a good place to grab it when picking it up. The bottom of the front is 3" deep plastic and considering the weight of this thing, I would not feel comfortable about lifting it up by the plastic front. The rear has some indentations that you can grab and hold securely, but overall, I think it's definitely one of the more awkward cases to pick up.These 'notes' are indeed very minor issues and are completely overshadowed by the great aspects of this case. Aside from the cases I've owned, I've spend several years as a technician and had the opportunity to work with a very large array of cases, from the cheapest to the most ridiculously overpriced. This is, without a doubt, the best case I have ever seen, and easily worth every cent. If you have the room (it's a big case), I would highly recommend it.

So before the Pros and Cons I thought I'd add a little personal input. I'd been watching reviews and customs builds with this case and had been debating between this case, and the Cooler Master HAF-X 942. I know people who own the 942 and absolutely love it, but I couldn't justify the extra $100 in my particular situation, when that money could be allocated elsewhere. I am not a fan-boy for any company, besides RAM, I have never bought the same component from the same company twice in a row. There are alot of good companies out there and I have yet to try them all.Pros:1) Very Glossy finish - Looks very nice2) Comes with 1 x 200mm Top fan, 1 x 120mm Rear fan, and 2 x 120mm Side fans with the option to add an additional 200mm fan at the top, a 120 or 140mm fan in the front and a 200 or 230mm fan on the side door which sits above most CPU's and GPU's on most motherboard positions.3) "Updated Versions" Comes with the new USB3.0 top panel which includes 1 x USB3.0 and 1x USB2.0 (if your's didn't come with it, you can purchase it at NZXT's website for $15.4) Steel Construction (albeit thinner than my previous cases) is sturdy and pleasantly light. Especially compared to my old "Thermaltake Xaser V Damier Series"5) Mesh is very sturdy and reinforced, does a good job at helping prevent dust from entering the case.6) The Rubber PSU mounts at the bottom of the case are very tall, thick, and sturdy. Does a fantastic job of dampening any PSU vibrations.7) A full 1inch space in the back panel to route your cables. There are also more than an abundance of tie down points to zip tie your cables.8) There are 4 well placed motherboard grommets to adequately hide your cables on both ATX and EATX "mobo's"9) Front panel door has two magnets that work great to keep the door closed while in transit or while sitting on uneven surfaces. They are not overly strong, but they are not weak by any means.10) The front and top panels are made from Strong ABS plastic and the retention tabs are quite sturdy. They hold the panels on firmly, but are easy to remove. I have no worries that they will "wear out" for years to come.11) They include black anodized metal motherboard stand-offs, HEX (PSU), Flat (Radiator), Round (mobo) etc. bolts to keep everything clean, it's a very nice touch.12) Has 2 x "Spring Loaded" side panel latches, one on either side. This allows you to use a single thumb screw that doesn't need to be removed (but can be of-course) that allow you to loosen the screw and press downwards to unlatch the panel. It also has 2 x extra thumb screws that come pre-installed along the top and bottom of both sides for added rigidity during transport.13) Included fans are very quiet, and move a decent amount of air.14) Fan controller atop the case is rated for 100w (20w per channel) I don't know that there exists a fan that's 230mm that could use that much power, but its there. I guess you could "daisy chain" multiple fans together if you decide to make your own fan mounts.15) The Blue LED's are Blue... a very nice, deep, bright but not overly bright, Blue.16) Has Screw driver holes along the inside lip of the case to make removing and tightening the Expansion slot thumbscrews/screws so much easier. Thank You17) The side panels are switchable, you can place them on the opposite side (the doors are made that way with the spring latch as well, so it seems quite intentional) although the only reason I can see of allowing this is if someone was modding the case and wanted to reverse the interior of the case. (alot of people due this, it has it's uses)Cons:1) Very Glossy Finish = Lots of finger prints, just keep a microfiber cloth nearby.2) Grommets are a little smaller than I would prefer. Made running larger cables a little more difficult than necessary.3) Concerning the ability to add an additional 200mm fan on top! You will only be able to use an additional NZXT 200mm fan. It's actually just a bit smaller (I believe 192mm) than a regular 200mm fan. This was a definite inconvenience for me, as I had set aside the fans that I decided to use, but later found out that they weren't compatible.4) Motherboard Cutout isn't large enough to cater to many motherboard CPU placements. (Perfectly fine for alot of us, but not for some)5) Only the top 200mm fan has blue LEDs6) While being silent when on full speed, the top 200mm fan makes more noise when set to a lower speed, (could just be my fan, but worth pointing out)7) Didn't come with before mentioned Microfiber cloth. ;)All in all I am quite impressed with the design and quality of this case, and NZXT has been incredible to continue to offer accessories for The Phantom for the past few years. Including, but certainly not limited to, Side Window panel, which replaces the side 200/230mm mesh with an acrylic side window, USB3.0 upgrade kit for the top I/O panel, and an internal USB expansion PCB that add additional power for USB ports. Please excuse any grammatical and punctual error I am sure litter this review. I hope you find the information helpful. If it helps even a single person, to buy or not to buy, I will have fulfilled my objective. Thanks ^_^