Finding a PC case that offers everything you need and everything you want isn’t actually that hard these days, you simply have so much choice right now. However, finding it at a price that’s kind to your wallet gets a little tricky. Affordable can often mean a compromise of features, build quality or both. With its very affordable price, the Antec NX230 seems to be promising quite a lot of features. We’re not expecting class-leading build quality, but it will be interesting to see what you do (and don’t) get for your money.
Antec NX230
The compact mid-tower design is great for those limited on space. However, the NX230 will still offer you room for an ATX motherboard, ATX PSU, a good size cooler and graphics card, and plenty of storage. Most impressive is it has great fan and radiator support, which is great! However, keep note that it only comes with a single rear fan installed as standard.
Features
- Top & bottom dust filters.
- Built-in PSU shroud.
- Supports ATX, Micro ATX and Mini ITX Motherboards.
- Windowed side panel.
- Front-panel USB 3.0 ports
- Built-in ARGB Lighting
What Antec Had to Say
“Create a superior gaming system without burning a hole in your pocket with the NX230 from Antec. This mid-tower chassis effortlessly combines a wealth of popular features to become the perfect match for your PC components. Enjoy USB3.0 connectivity, various storage drive bays, plenty of room for expansion and an included 120mm fan on the back of the case. Utilise support for up to a 360mm cooling radiator in the front, and view it all in action through the transparent side panel.” – Antec
Overview
Well, let’s not beat around the bush here, this case is riddled with flaws. Or at least should we say compromises to keep the cost down. There are no front fans included, and you’re going to need to add something there. Now, I have dozens of fans kicking around, you might, you might not, so keep that in mind. Of course, if you’re adding a front mounted AIO for your CPU, that kills two birds with one stone.
The rear expansion slot covers are those nasty snap-off things. Now, I hate them as I often rebuild systems in a case, layouts change, and you end up with a gaping hole in the back of the rig. However, that’s not an issue for those who just build the one system and leave it built.
Plastic, oh my, plastic side panels, it’s like 2014 all over again. Things have changed for the better with tempered glass. However, this means the case is cheaper, lighter and that’s about it really. It honestly doesn’t look bad either, so it’s hardly the end of the world.
But Wait, There’s More (Better) Things
Like I said, there’s some “issues” above, but not one of them is a deal breaker. This case is CHEAP, and that really appeals to me. IT supports a full ATX gaming PC, with impressive support for adding more fans, liquid cooling (AIO’s mostly), and it looks fantastic too. The inclusion of things like the PSU shroud, as well as plenty of cable routing holes, it’s honestly rather decent to work with.
Furthermore, the unique front panel design really is worthy of a much more expensive case. the ARGB integration is excellent, adding a touch of style that’s not overly in your face like RGB fans can be. I even like the fake carbon fibre look on the plastics. It’s a cheap case, but they’ve made a genuine effort to make it look and feel great, and it worked. It’s not perfect, but at this price, it’s a solid purchase.
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