It's got a G(r)eeky name that'll please fans of ancient myth, but that's about the only pleasure you'll get from the Hades.
Case design is one area of computing hardware that is unavoidably personal - the box you choose to shove your beloved gear into can say quite a lot about you. If you've chosen the NZXT Hades (gallery here) you'll not only be saying that you like gigantic noses, but also hinting that you might be a little unique. As we found however, that really means 'a little'.
While the major design philosophy smacks you in the face as soon as you see it in the flesh, the Hades boasts a gigantic protruding half-door that, rather than aiding function, merely impedes quick access to optical drives within. It's held closed with magnets that keep it relatively secure, but once opened the door swings back by itself on creaky plastic hinges; the added weight and resisting force of the LCD screen and its cables mounted inside give it an annoying tendency to refuse to remain open. The screen itself is a welcome addition, reading three useful temperatures that are reported by three internal temp diodes that can be sandwiched between heatsinks or taped to drives for realtime monitoring.
The only real link this case has to Hades is the red LED intake fans on the front and side panel, though each is a 200mm model that gives the case positive air pressure - the 120mm and 140mm exhausts on rear and top can't exhaust the same volume - meaning that dust and other particles shouldn't be sucked inside the case. For those larger goobies, like hair and Higgs Bosons, most intakes are meshed.
Other neat touches include two basic fan controllers for control over the 200mm fans and aesthetically pleasing side flares, pulling the panels out somewhat to give otherwise boring surfaces something to look at. The paint quality appears rushed, leaving an orange peel on the surface of the case that doesn't lend the case a high quality feeling.
Of particular note is the rear of the case, which has been constructed to be very open, giving airflow a chance to escape easily with large ventilation holes. Even the expansion slot covers are vented to aid with this, but these are unfortunately secured with screws - like cases of yesteryear. We don't demand too much on the tooless side of things, but thumbscrews would've been nice, at least.
Internally the Hades is surprisingly well thought out, boasting plenty of room for massive graphics cards and an open design that gets airflow travelling a very quick path past the warmer components. Cabling is pre-threaded for convenience behind the motherboard tray, itself featuring handy cutouts with rubber grommets to protect cables and hide them from sight, similar to Corsair's 800D. It's anodised a very attractive black which feels wasted without a window.
Infuriatingly in a case with such high and considered airflow the Hades comes with a height restriction for aftermarket heatsinks - there's only 131.5mm of clearance with the 200mm sidepanel installed as per stock config, and 165mm without it. This effectively means you have to choose between high airflow and the best aftermarket air cooling, a choice that would drive many to a case that can hold all this gear.
Until this heatsink problem we didn't have much issue with the case past strange fascia designs, but considering there are other cases around this price point such as the Coolermaster CM690 II Advance that can manage just fine, the Hades seems poor in comparison.
Issue: 137 | June, 2012