I ordered the NZXT Source 210 for my desktop computer. The price was decent, and I was looking for a replacement for the junker case I had my computer in. (My computer was like a "sleeper car," full of power but looked like a gutted stereo tuner.) Inside the case is a manual, all the screws you "may" need (I have more hard disks than they had screws included for, but every single screw that is needed is there and some to spare) and all the motherboard mounting screws. It comes with screws on the side panels that you can twist on and off with your fingers, which I like. However, I needed a screwdriver to initially loosen them, not a problem though. The power supply mounts on the bottom of the case, which would be advantageous to cooling if you have a power supply that feeds the air inside the case or if you have a hot machine (I have both, I am running a Phenom Black.) Also, it distributes the weight to the bottom of the case. It actually came with a user manual. I didn't open it but I was pleasantly surprised that one was even included.
The pictures supplied don't show just how many 120mm case fan ports there are in this computer. There is one on a side panel (the side panels are swappable, and the fan port is very close to the underside of the processor so it could help with cooling), two on the bottom, two on the top, at least one (maybe two, I didn't look too close) inside the front grill, and one on the rear panel above the motherboard. The case has rubber feet on the bottom, giving about 1/2in of clearance for the bottom fans to draw air. I would recommend if you decide to use those fans to make up some kind of filter system to mitigate dust. The rear port above the motherboard comes with a 120mm fan pre-installed, with a dual molex/motherboard power supply jack. I hooked it up to a molex on my power supply and it is silent and works well. The cable could be a little short for a few users but most users with an octopus power supply that has 85 meter leads (like mine) this shouldn't be an issue.
The front panel is very nice if you like the minimalist look. the Power and HDD LEDs are a white color, but not blinding. the Power LED lights the ring around the bigger button (the power button.) The HDD LED is a pinpoint but also not blinding, it's clear and lets you know when your drives are seeking. The buttons are subdued and are of good quality, they don't mush like most buttons but "click" like keyboard buttons on a Blackberry phone. At first glance I noticed the front panel is askew, and I honestly thought I had gotten a defective unit, but it is actually designed that way. After realizing this I found I liked it, because it gave just enough offset to make the case unique. Also, it has two USB ports and a headphone/microphone jack in the front of the case for easy access. The dongle inside hooks to any standard USB jack on most motherboards.
The case is light but durable. I was initially afraid that it would be rickety because of the myriad of case fan openings, but it is surprisingly sturdy. The side panels are not bent or hard to remove and replace, and they line up just fine. Inside, the 3.5in bays extend all the way to the bottom of the case, so there is a lot of room for hard disks (or floppies if you're still using one.) The motherboard mounting plate has an opening which matched up with the bottom mounting bracket for my processor, which I consider a plus because it allows for cooling on the underside of the processor as well. The port covers for the expansion slots are black and grated to a) cover the unused ports and b) allow airflow.
The pros:
Minimalist look (professional and/or stoic but not chintzy, I think this case says to an outside viewer "this is a professional machine.") If you're looking for flashy LEDs or fan ports resembling jet engines, this is not for you.
Quality construction (Nothing seems out of spec, measured badly or warped)
Airflow (There are enough fan ports in this case to start a windfarm)
Price (For $65, you cannot go wrong. Most local computer shops in my area sell mismatched junker cases for that much.)
The cons:
No included filter material for the fan ports to mitigate dust
The case might actually be TOO open if you're attempting to direct airflow efficiently (would have liked some included fan port covers)
If you are OCD about right angles, the front panel will irk you just a tiny bit.
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Customer reviews
So I'm reviewing the NZXT Source 210 computer tower (black) but more specifically the 3rd party supplier outletPC.The tower was perfect!The computer tower came fast and on time, the box was damaged but the product wasn't. The case itself was beautiful. It had a greater reign and everything very sturdy but it wasn't what I ordered. I was ordering the white computer tower and I got this one... So after paying half of its price for shipping which was like $32 I find out that I'm only getting 80% refund because of a restocking fee... I get sent the wrong item and have to pay to much for either a glitch or their fault... The case was a nice design, it had one cooling fan, very sturdy, well designed, and was great quality. But the supplier screwed me over... I loved the computer tower but it wasn't what I wanted. Or ordered...
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Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on January 10, 2014
Not many things impress me, but this case is hands down an excellent case in almost every respect. Well thought out.
Reviewed in the United States on April 27, 2013
