The Install:

     I setup the Tempest for my AMD build using an ABIT Fatal1ty AN9 32X Motherboard based on the Force 590 SLI chipset. The build includes an AMD Athlon AM2 5600+, and a BFG 8800 512MB GT OC and a 4 GB kit of Mushkin XP2-6400 modules.  Storage was provided by a 5000 GB Maxtor SATA II drive and a Lite-on 16x DVD burner all powered by an Ultra X3 800 W power supply.  To further test the cooling, no additional coolers or upgrades were used.

   Here you can see the completed installation.  Much of the wiring is hidden behind the motherboard (for the top panel) and below the drive bays (for the power and motherboard control lines).  Unfortunately there is no substitute for a good round of wire ties when it comes to the power supply.  I also found that finding a motherboard with support for six fans is nearly impossible.  By running three of the fans off the ABIT and three off of the 12 V pass throughs I was able to get some control of the airflow but the total setup is quite noisy.

   With the side door on most of the power supply wiring is nicely hidden from view.  I did remount the side fan so the power run would take a more logical route down and out of site.  The tempest does come together pretty clean for a case with such a large window to sow of every messy detail.

Testing:

  To get an idea of just how much performance we are getting out of the 6 fans I ran the system for about 24 hours idle and captured this shot using the ABIT uGuru temperature probes.  Using this as a baseline we can see how cool the Tempest stays under load.  This is pretty solid as the CPU normally idles at around 33 C with the ambient temperature at about 22 C.

   This shot was captured under load using Orthos for a solid 72 hours with the ambient temperature in the room at about 22 C (~72 F).  As you can see the system temperature stays pretty cool with just a 2 degree difference.  This same processor has hit 45 C plus under load in some of the other lab cases.   Not surprisingly the stock cooler on the AMD did not fare as well with a 20 degree boost in temperature.  But remember this is under heavy load with just the AMD stock cooler to help out.  The PWM also rose as expected to 70 C showing that even with a lot of airflow there is no substitute for a good heatsink!

   The front is lit by both the front fans and two runs of accent lighting that double as power and drive activity lights.  With the lights down the overall effect is quite stunning.  If only I had a motherboard with programmable blue lights!

Conclusion:

   From the beginning we looked at trying to balance performance, looks and price.  The NZXT design has clean lines and an attractive finish.  Coupled with the understated blue accents, this design looks fresh and feature rich.  The cooling kept the test system cool even after an unrealistic run under load.  With the six fans included, the price point under $100 dollars puts the Tempest in some pretty serious competition.  I am happy to report this case runs with the best we have seen.

   All this performance does have a cost: The six fans run quite loud even with three under control of the ABIT fan controllers making me wish for even a simple speed control built in, and the larger case with all the options is a hefty 11.1 KG (24.5 lbs.) making this case quite heavy for those of us who have PC will travel.  Still I found myself drawn to the look and more than happy with the ease of using the Tempest as the foundation for a build.

   It is nice to see NZXT offer the Tempest with the power supply optional as well to allow us to taper the build to our personal taste.  Buying a case is a highly personal decision that always seems to wind down to looks first and everything else second in the end.  Thankfully the NZXT team are passionate about creating an attractive design that doesn't require you to sacrifice on the more practical price and performance.

Note: Club Overclocker is now using a new rating system based on a score of 1 to 5.
Please go to our rating system page for more information.

Performance:	5 out of 5
Innovation:	4 out of 5
Quality:	5 out of 5
Stability:	N/A
Aesthetics:	4 out of 5
Software/Drivers Pack:	N/A
Overclocking:	N/A
Value:	4 out of 5
Project Skill Level (5 being most difficult)	3 out of 5