The NZXT Manta mITX Case Review
by E. Fylladitakis on June 16, 2016 9:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
- Mini ITX
- NZXT
- Case
Conclusion
The assessment of the NZXT Manta is multifaceted. Although it is a Mini-ITX case that is almost the size of a full tower yet lacks external drive bays, the designer was not really trying to make it compact. On the contrary, the volume of the NZXT Manta is massive for a Mini-ITX case, rivalling the size of full ATX designs. It is, for lack of a better phrase, a shorter version of an advanced gaming case, designed for high performance and compatibility with liquid cooling options. With the Manta, NZXT is not trying to enter the living room by designing a compact case that rivals the size and shape of gaming consoles - this is aimed at fully grown gaming PCs based on the mini-ITX form factor. Their approach is a large but elegant case with curved, smoothed panels, a design that is based on their highly popular Lexa series that found its way into many living rooms.
In terms of quality, the NZXT Manta is a very robust and well-made case. There were no significant weak spots that we could find about the chassis or the plastic parts. The paint finish is exceptional and likely one of the best that we have ever seen. We would have liked to see a less reflective side panel, but strong reflections are a known side effect of curved acrylic panels.
The functionality and versatility of the Manta has left us with mixed feelings. It is a roomy case that can easily fit an advanced gaming system and even two liquid cooling radiators but, at the same time, it cannot fit tall air coolers despite its very wide proportions and offers very limited drive support options for this large a case. NZXT is strongly trying to promote it for it elegant appearance, but they have not added rubber grommets to the holes around the motherboard tray. Furthermore, the aesthetic improvement of the steel bridge cover to the right of the motherboard rather than simple holes is questionable, as cable management behind it is strongly limited by the connectors of the SSD drives. General cable management behind the motherboard tray is very easy due to the numerous cable tie points and the massive clearance that the curved panel provides, but the visible uncovered openings from the left side of the case are a visual dissonance, especially if the interior is going to be strongly illuminated.
Due to its capacity and very appealing external design, we do believe that the NZXT Manta will find itself a strong fan base. People who simply want a slightly smaller and elegant tower case for their system or those who want to showcase their top tier PC into their living room will find the Manta to be an excellent choice. The only real enemy of the Manta is its own retail price. Currently selling for $130, the retail price is very steep and will trouble many potential customers, especially when there is a very large number of Mini-ITX cases selling for less than half that price.
Facebook
Twitter
RSS
48 Comments
View All Comments
Connoisseur - Thursday, June 16, 2016 - link
Exactly what I care about for my next build, which will be a mini-itx. Was looking at ncase m1 as it's definitely the most compact and clean-looking around but a little concerned about the lack of user-friendliness. Every build video I've seen seems like an exercise in putting together a 3d jigsaw puzzle.Ideally I'd like all of the items you mentioned plus fairly easy user access and cable management but I know the cases start to get larger at that point.
Connoisseur - Thursday, June 16, 2016 - link
Also, agree on the benchmarking. mini-ITX shouldn't be rated together since the internal volumes vary drastically. There should be a noise and temperature benchmark where they assess the temps at a given noise level (something similar to what SPCR does) accounting for a high performance vid card.Samus - Thursday, June 16, 2016 - link
The ncase m1 is awesome. It is an oldie, just like the Silverstone FT03-mini, and it seems itx cases since have lost their sole purpose of the requirements you outlined. I think a minimalistic design with silent operation and as compact internal volume as possible are the key goals, while still fitting a 10.5" video card, even if an SFX PSU is required.Major_Kusanagi - Thursday, June 16, 2016 - link
No offense, but don't lump every enthusiast into your viewpoint. I for one love my fairly recent Manta build (seen here: http://i.imgur.com/xJh9owx.jpg )which fits my needs perfectly.kyuu - Saturday, June 18, 2016 - link
Very nice looking build. Kudos.Drumsticks - Friday, June 17, 2016 - link
Personally, I've got a Corsair Obsidian 250D with a 240mm radiator running a 4.7 GHz i5-4670k. I have an ancient 7850 that is about to get replaced, but I'm pretty happy with the size, capabilities, and performance of my rig. It's not the smallest thing (the ncase m1 you mentioned is probably half the size), but it's definitely pretty easy to carry under one arm, which is really all I need from my mITX.While I agree that there is a need (and not an insignificant one) for the smallest case you can get, stuff the size of my case do fine, imo. Granted, the Manta in question is pretty big as far as I understand, but the thing I like about my system is I can fit essentially a full PC with no compromises (barring a single PCI-e slot inherent to ITX which is a given) and still manage a small build with good airflow.
kepstin - Thursday, June 16, 2016 - link
I'll be honest, I was initially wondering why the photographer was using a fish-eye lens to take photos of this case... that's a pretty unusual and bulky look for a PC case.ingwe - Thursday, June 16, 2016 - link
I thought the same thing. Very...unique...zodiacfml - Saturday, June 18, 2016 - link
They probably have a small room to do the product photography.dsraa - Thursday, June 16, 2016 - link
16 inches tall is as tall as ATX Mid-tower, what's the point? It's a wierd shape too.....complete fail.