Page 2 - Physical Look - Outside
For some of you that have been around here for a while, you will notice that this case appears to be "deeply inspired" by the Fractal Design Define R4 and Fractal Design Define XL reviewed by my colleague Jonathan a while back. The front panel is made out of plastic, and features two sections, with access to three 5.25" bays, two fan controllers, reset button on the top; and access to two 120mm fans on the bottom. The 5.25" covers can easily be removed by unlatching the lock on the right side of each of the bays. Each of the fans is removable as well. Just give the left side a gentle push, and since it is spring loaded, the fans will swing out. A removable dust filter is included for each fan. Both of these sections houses a slick plastic door padded with foam for sound dampening. Although the front panel looks slick, one thing I would like to complain about is that it is a fingerprint magnet. Fortunately, this is quite easy to clean off; simply take a cloth, and wipe it down. The left panel doesn't feature anything special, except for the fact it is able to accommodate a 120mm or a 140mm fan (Wonder where we have seen that before?). This is available to you when you take the small panel off from the inside, as four screws hold the plastic place, making the side look cleaner when no fans are installed. This also helps out in keeping noise in, and the dust out. The Nanoxia Deep Silence 1 measures in at 517mm in height, 220mm in width, 532mm in depth, and weighs in at 11.34kg, according to Nanoxia. This is slightly larger than most average mid-sized chassis, but is decently weighted. However, by the time you have all your computer parts fitted in, you will notice how heavy it will inevitably get.
Switching our view to the top of the case, you will find the power button encompassed by a clear plastic ring. The ring will light up green when you power on your computer. Cool. When is the last time you have seen a green LED glow? This adds as nice eye candy for most users. You will also have access to two USB 2.0 ports, two USB 3.0 ports, and the usual 3.5mm headphone and mic jacks. Just behind this area is what Nanoxia calls the "chimney", which I will explain just after the next photo for a clearer idea.
The Nanoxia Deep Silence 1 features a chimney, in which you can raise the top panel to let out exhaust heat -- hence the name. This can be opened and closed via a slider, as shown in the photo above. The functionality is threefold: It serves as letting exhaust out when it is opened, gives the case clean lines and slick looks when it is closed, and prevents dust from settling into your case. One issue I see here is if one were to forget to open it while your internal parts run hot, the air may not flow as optimally as one would hope. However, this should not be too big of a problem. If you noticed on the second photo, there is an opening near the top on the back side, which allows for air to flow, and also serves as a convenient handle to lift your computer around.
As usual, you will find the exhaust fan at the back of the case next to the I/O panel, followed by four water cooling holes readily available. If you decide not to use water cooling, Nanoxia provides you with four rubber grommets that close off the holes. This is in addition to the other four rubber covers that allow water cooling tubes to pass through. As you can see in our photo above, there are eight expansion card slots, which is more than plenty for the average user. Last but not least, you will find the power supply opening at the very bottom. The side panels are held in place using thumbscrews. This is a nice feature to have in saving time instead of pulling out your screwdriver every time you need access to the internals of your computer.
The bottom features four shiny legs, each fitted with a layer of rubber for those that want to put their computer on hard surfaces. This prevents the case from slipping and sliding around too much, not that it will move around that much anyway. Also, a washable removable dust filter is fitted under and beyond the power supply area to prevent unwanted particles from entering your system and clogging up your expensive components.
Overall, the Nanoxia Deep Silence 1 is a decently built chassis, but not perfect. The side panels are able to fit into place, and the doors swing open nicely. However, I believe Nanoxia could have spent much more time in refining the build quality of the case. First of all, the slider for opening and closing of the chimney needs improvement. When testing it out, I found that I needed to dig my finger into the grooves in order to open it. If Nanoxia were to provide more grip, it would be much easier to open. Also, plastic gears seemed to be the mechanism used in opening and closing the chimney, which added to the difficulty in opening vent. It also feels a bit fragile. The panel fit and finish has room for improvement. At times, I needed to put pressure on the panels in order to align the holes and screw the panels into place. Lastly, I noticed the act of closing the doors featured on the front panel makes it seem like little attention was given to this area. It sounds like the doors were very cheaply made. To juxtapose an example, it is like opening and closing the doors of a Jeep Wrangler. The sound of closing the door is completely different compared to closing the door on something expensive and European. Those who have taken a look at such cars will know exactly what I'm talking about. It simply does not have the "umph" or the quality sound when the door is closed.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Outside
3. Physical Look - Inside
4. Installation and Conclusion
