NZXT Duet

[PAGETITLE=Introduction] NZXT calls itself "a company built on gamers' dreams." The relatively new Taiwan-based company produces a variety of enthusiast PC cases as well as a line of accessories, which include power supplies with illuminated fans, and an attractive 5.25"-bay-mounted fan and thermal monitoring station, the Sentry 1. By far, though, it's NZXT's case design prowess that has earned them the bulk of their recognition among PC enthusiasts and the press. Techgage has taken a look at a number of NZXT's cases in earlier reviews, all of which have proven their technical and aesthetic merit. There's no doubt that NZXT produces a solid, well-engineered product. A quick perusal of NZXT's web site makes it obvious where the company's primary design focus lies: high-performance enclosures for high-performance enthusiast PCs, with a luxurious flair. Attractive industrial design and sturdy internal structures are the hallmarks of NZXT's Classic Series, which is a line of cases targeted at the demanding high-end enthusiast market. NZXT's Crafted Series of cases combines the more flashy, tricked-out styling that's characteristic of many gaming PCs with more affordable pricing. The newest product in NZXT's Classic Series is the Duet, an elegant home theater PC case, which is the subject of this review. A home theater PC (HTPC) is, simply put, a computer system that's designed to integrate into your home theater. Using DVI or HDMI, you can connect a home theater PC to a high definition monitor, and do everything from gaming to enjoying DVD movies from a disc or archived collection on your hard drive â€“ right on your enormous, vivid high-definition screen and high-quality multichannel audio system. You can also use a HTPC to do more mundane things like browsing the internet. In fact, depending on what services are available in your area, you could even order pizza right from your sofa or theater seating. Unfortunately, you'll still need to get up and answer the door once it arrives. Oh well â€“ try though we might, we can't spend our entire lives in a chair. However, if you love home theater (as I do) and also love PCs (as I also do), the home theater PC offers a great way to enjoy both technology fields simultaneously. In a future article, I intend to describe the design considerations involved in assembling an effective home theater PC in further detail. For this review, I'll be examining the NZXT Duet on the basis of those HTPC design considerations that apply specifically to the case and included accessories. Let's see how well the Duet case meets the specialized challenges of home theater use. [PAGEBREAK] [PAGETITLE=Out of the Box, Specifications] The case was shipped in its retail box, and arrived unharmed via FedEx. The box design is attractive, with glossy panels, full-color images, and a short features list. Inside, the case is protected by the typical Styrofoam blocks and a plastic bag. The included accessories were enclosed inside the case itself. The Duet is available in two colors, black and silver. For this review, NZXT sent the silver version. Inside the case, I found the instruction manual, and a reclosable bag containing drive-mounting rails, screws and other mounting hardware, a tiny piezoelectric speaker for attachment to the motherboard, and four adhesive-backed rubber feet. The Duet case allows the builder to use the case in either the vertical or horizontal orientation. However, I suggest that you wait to attach the feet until you know which orientation the case will be used in. Overall, the case was clean and unmarred, though a tiny chipped spot was visible along the rear edge of the case. I didn't do this â€“ it came this way. It's not something major, like a gash across the side panel, or a chip taken out of the case door, but I feel it needs to be reported anyhow. Specification Comment Model Duet I personally like this name. Not only does it convey sophistication, but it also alludes to the convertible design which may be used vertically or horizontally. Case Type Mid Tower Home Theater Chassis The Duet does a couple things differently when compared to other mid-towers, in order to achieve compactness. Exterior Dimensions (W x H x D) 17.9" x 5.8" x 17.9" (455mm x 148mm x 455mm) This is a very compact case, primarily by virtue of its thinness. I was surprised at how much could be packed inside it, however. Cooling Provisions 2x 80mm rear, included; 2x 120mm at either end; 1x 80mm in fan duct Smaller cases are more difficult to cool effectively. NZXT has provided plenty of airflow paths in this case, however, allowing the designer to engineer his own airflow scheme. Drive Bays 6 Total 2x 5.25" External 1x 3.5" External 3x 3.5" Internal This number at first appears impressive. However, the use of two of those internal 3.5" â€&tilde;bays' will impair case ventilation. I'll explain later. Material SECC Steel This case appears to use 0.8mm-thick steel for its side panels. It's not the most substantial material, but it helps this case stay light. The front door of the case is made from aluminum. Expansion Slots 7 This case is capable of accommodating a full-size ATX motherboard, with full-height expansion cards. Power Supply 400W PS2 ATX 12V (optional) This was not included with the review sample. Weight 5.0kg without power supply As I mentioned, this case feels light, but this doesn't necessarily mean flimsy. Motherboard Support ATX, Micro ATX, Baby AT The ability to support a full-size ATX motherboard is a rarity in HTPC cases. We'll see in a moment how this is possible. [PAGEBREAK] [PAGETITLE=NZXT Duet Features Overview] The overall design of the Duet is elegant, somewhat evocative of their Lexa case while preserving straight edges and lines which will help this case fit in among high-end audio equipment. To conceal this case in an equipment rack, however, would be to do it a disservice in my opinion, since NZXT has served up a real looker, blending brushed and clear-anodized aluminum with a bold strip of glossy black plastic. Whether you desire a stylish case for your home theater PC or an eye-catching slim tower for a desktop application, the Duet's convertible design and attractive styling can satisfy the need. I personally find the Duet's aesthetics quite fetching. The NZXT Duet conceals its drive bays behind a door made of extruded aluminum. Pull the door to unlatch it, and it glides gracefully down rather than falling open with an unceremonious â€&tilde;thunk', which is a nice touch. Some PC enthusiasts don't appreciate doors on cases, but the concealment of the optical drive and bay covers is essential to the overall styling of this case. This isn't really what I think of as a typical enthusiast case anyway. A second small door in the front of the case conceals audio, USB, and Firewire ports. The inclusion of a front Firewire port is good to see; connection of a video camera to a system built in the Duet should be hassle-free. The front USB ports provide easy insertion points for USB flash drives, and the front audio ports provide convenient connections to those using the Duet as a desktop PC case. It's hard to find a case in this price range these days that doesn't have these amenities. The NZXT Duet is a little case with a big heart. It has room for a full ATX motherboard, a feat accomplished by moving the unit's power supply into the front half of the case, in the space below/to the left of the drive bays. Seven full-height expansion slot covers are provided. A short run of heavy power cable connects the IEC connector on the rear of the case to the power supply itself. This configuration does achieve some space savings, but it introduces a new concern. In most PC cases, the power supply exhausts its heat directly to the outside of the case, while the Duet's power supply exhausts through a fan duct on one side of the case. The air must make a 180-degree turn through a narrow passageway in order to exit the case. In this situation, having a power supply with a 120mm fan isn't necessary. I think the best kind of power supply to use here is one with Enermax-style dual fans. Particularly long power supplies will only make it more difficult to work inside this case. Cooling for the case is provided by two 80mm fans in the rear, right where you'd expect them to be. The supplied fans themselves are nothing special, branded Globe Fan. I'm not a fan of case bling, so I'm a bit relieved that these fans don't sport LEDs, cold cathodes, strobe lights, UV sensitivity, or spinners on the fan grilles. This is, after all, a HTPC case. The fans mount to a plastic bracket, which slides into place and locks with a pair of screws. I'd rather screw my fans directly to the case metal, though â€“ plastic brackets tend to allow vibration and noise. The fans are a low-speed model, and use sleeve bearings. Sleeve bearings in general are quieter than ball bearings, but typically last about 6 years in continuous service while a ball bearing fan can last 10. Longevity of these fans relative to the upgrade cycle of a PC isn't a major concern, however, and sleeve-bearing fans tend to provide audible warning (in the form of some nasty bearing noises) before they fail. An additional 80mm fan slot is provided at the front of the case, in a fan duct which works to exhaust the hot air from the power supply. If you use a fan in this space, make sure it is exhausting air â€“ otherwise you'll be working against (!) the power supply's own fan. An extra fan really isn't necessary in this spot, I think. Next, we'll take a look at the process of assembling a system in the Duet. [PAGEBREAK] [PAGETITLE=Building a System] For this part, I contacted my local friend and fellow PC enthusiast Colin, who had some extra hardware and a free afternoon to spend helping me out. The goal: have a working HTPC by the end of the day. To accomplish this, we'll be moving his current system from its old home, an Antec SLK3700, into the Duet. This will...

NZXT Duet

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