PCI Case Nitro Tower Case Review

Overall Rating

The front of the case uses a drive door to hide 5.25" drives when they are not in use - in addition to this, the top of the door has a mechanical bezel, allowing a single (the top) 5.25" optical drive to be used when the main door is closed. The door itself can slide flat to the side panel, stopping it getting in the way when the front of the case is in use. Check the photo gallery to see what I mean.

- The side panel is very easy to remove, thanks to the use of thumbscrews and a handle; this is pulled towards the front of the case then outwards, allowing the side panel to rotate off, much like how a door hinge functions. The unit has a mesh side window that doubles as a grille for the included processor vent - allowing the use of a Pentium Prescott - or a 120mm fan. Just above this vent (under the handle) is a lock, stopping others getting access to the internals of your computer.

- The 5.25" drives are secured to the chassis using drive rails, allowing a quicker and easier installation. The 3.5" HDDs are secured using removable trays - the HDD itself is connected to the tray, which is then attached to the chassis itself using drive rails - these are part of the tray. In addition to this, the HDDs are vibration protected by rubber gromits. Two 3.5" devices can be attached to the removable drive cage using standard screws.

- A removable motherboard tray allows for easier component installation, and is secured to the chassis by two thumbscrews. Two handles on the tray allow easy removal and transportation of the tray itself - a subject often overlooked when designing these.

- A small section on the front of the case holds two USB ports, a single firewire port and an audio input/output. What makes this special from the other cases is the fact that the section can rotate - you can adjust it so that the ports are either on the front of the case, or the side. As you can imagine, this is a very useful feature if you have your case under a desk. Another feature worth mentioning is the four stability feet that rotate out from under the unit, stopping it from tipping over.

- The 5.25" drives cannot support 5.25" control panels due to the use of drive sliders - most 5.25" panels are only secured to the chassis using the front screws on the 5.25" bay.

First Impressions of the PCI Case Nitro Tower Case.

The Nitro shares the majority of its features with the Thermaltake Shark - this alone would get a good rating, but the features of a case count for nothing if the unit doesn't look any good. The Nitro, fortunately, uses a combination of plastic and aluminum to give the unit a simple yet effective design, even managing to incorporate a mechanical bezel with an aluminum plate on the front of it.

Features
- Drives (5.25" exposed x 5 , 3.5" exposed x 2 , 3.5" hidden x 5)

- Lockable side cover

- USB, Firewire, Audio ports on rotating panel

- Intel Prescott ready

- Removable 3.5" rails

- 5.25" drive assembly with slide rails

- Tool-free fan holder

- Tool-free front bezel design

Conclusion

The Nitro has a great array of helpful features captured within a unique unit. The design has a very high tech look to it, topped off with the ability to mount what might just be the largest processor vent I've seen so far. This is the perfect case for an Intel Prescott system, recommended.