The NZXT S340 Case Review
by E. Fylladitakis on July 13, 2015 8:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
- NZXT
- Case
- ODD-Free
NZXT is a renowned designer of PC cases, offering a wide selection of designs for different tastes and budgets. Even though NZXT has diversified into marketing coolers and PSUs, cases remain the focus of the company, with dozens of designs currently available. Nevertheless, it has been nearly two years since we had a look at any of their newest case designs. In this review, we are going to examine one of their newest products, the S340 in White.
Introduction
The S340 is NZXT’s most recent design and it is taking on a huge bet - to be an entirely metallic case with a price tag of about $80. On paper, the S340 with the MSRP of just $70 has excellent specifications, while it also boasts a metal faceplate and a windowed side panel. It is understood that in order for NZXT to be able to offer all that at such a price, certain sacrifices would have to be made. One of them is the removal of 5.25" bays. "ODD-Free" case designs are becoming more and more common, as the market of optical media is slowly fading and discs are getting closer to meeting the fate of floppy discs and cassettes with each passing day, especially with the price of USB ODD drives being quite low. The lack of ODD support is not the only important thing about the S340 though. We are going to examine NZXT’s latest creation thoroughly in this review.
| NZXT S340 (CA-S340W-W1) | ||
| Motherboard Size | ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX | |
| Drive Bays | External | - |
| Internal | 2 × 3.5" (internal drive cages) 1 x 3.5" (Bottom frame) 2 × 2.5" (System Area) |
|
| Cooling | Front | 2 × 140 mm or 2 × 120 mm (not included) |
| Rear | 1 × 120 mm (120 mm FN V2 fan included) | |
| Top | 1 × 120 mm or 140 mm (120 mm FN V2 fan included) | |
| HDD | - | |
| Bottom | - | |
| Radiator Support | Front | Up to 280mm |
| Rear | Up to 120mm | |
| Top | - | |
| Side | - | |
| Bottom | - | |
| I/O Port | 2× USB 3.0, 2× USB 2.0, 1× Headphone, 1× Mic | |
| Power Supply Size | ATX | |
| Clearances | HSF | 160 mm |
| PSU | - | |
| GPU | 364 mm (<334 mm if a liquid cooling radiator is installed) | |
| Dimensions | 445 mm × 200 mm × 432 mm 17.52 in × 7.87 in × 17.01 in |
|
| Prominent Features | · 90% Steel Construction · Simple Interior Layout · Compact Size · Kraken™ Ready · ODD Free Design |
|
| Price | $81 incl. shipping | |
Packaging & Bundle
NZXT supplies the S340 in a rather plain cardboard box, with the sole artwork being a picture of an amazingly clean system built inside the black version of the case. The packaging provides ample shipping protection, with thick Styrofoam slabs forming a strong protective shell for the lightweight case.
The bundle of the S340 is spartan, with NZXT providing just the absolute necessary for the assembly of the system. Only a basic manual, black screws and a few short black cable ties are provided.
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freeskier93 - Monday, July 13, 2015 - link
I've had this case for a while now and I really like it. I agree the 3.5" drive bays probably aren't the best, but I personally don't use them. Two 2.5" drives are all I need (1 SSD 1 7200 RPM). If you want a big gaudy case that can fit a dozen 3.5" drives there are plenty out there. This case is clearly marketed for someone with minimalistic needs, something that looks great but blends in well to just about any home style, and something that can still pack a serious punch performance wise.Cable management/hiding is also fantastic with this case. I love NZXT's use of the PSU shroud to cover that whole mess, makes for a great place to just stuff all your wires. First thing people ask me when they see it and look through the window; "Where are all the cables?".
For me buying this case wasn't about the money. I could have easily afforded the H440, but I just like the looks and minimalistic design of the S340 better.
Dorek - Wednesday, July 29, 2015 - link
The S340 is flat-out a better case than the H440, I think.n13L5 - Wednesday, July 15, 2015 - link
Silverstone's cases are crap quality, but their layouts and compact case sizing with good airflow consistently make me overlook their shoddy material and finish. I wish Lian Li got with it on that same level of efficient layout.HQQKrWithAPC - Wednesday, July 15, 2015 - link
Sounds like a bunch of kids, upset with their lollipops. I found this case ( as well as the 440 ) to be very nice cases - well thought out. very easy digital build in the 230 - I went with a MSI Krait ( b/w ) 4 sticks of hyper ( 2 black - 2 white), and a Devils Canyon i7, 2 - GTX SSC 960's (black) 2 Intel 730 'skulls' in the window - with a black Sam Pro 512 850 in it's tray ( it will hold total of 6 SSD's ) Kraken wet one up front. LQQQks nice.....Runs nice.HQQKrWithAPC - Wednesday, July 15, 2015 - link
I mean...gawwd that mobo is uuugly...lol, blue n blue n beige...I would of hid that rig behind a "windowless" case.. yup one fugly board thar doood. Why would you spend the time and/or bucks putting in that wiring on that thang. What a waste....of time. lol orange wires/cards lmao.initialised - Saturday, July 18, 2015 - link
I recently upgraded a system to this case.I had a slight clearance issue with over long screws on an AMD board with an (old but excellent) ASUS Silent Square http://www.anandtech.com/show/2210. More modern boards will have the holes lower down so less of an issue.
The fans were louder than I expected, I've always rated NZXT fans in the past but these seemed a bit too much.
The lack of ODD trays means that there's room for a thick 2x140mm radiator in push pull.
Seems a quality case for the money.
Dorek - Wednesday, July 29, 2015 - link
"It remains strange why NZXT installed a 120 mm fan at the top of the S340, where a 140 mm can fit."Cost. Duh. Come on.
"On the other hand, the S340 is far too plain and the flat surfaces are cold and uninspiring, so it may look out of place in a modern environment or in a youth's room."
Uh, looks like it fits just fine in a "modern environment" to me.
Dorek - Wednesday, July 29, 2015 - link
Oh, also, you mention that 2.5" drives can't go in the 3.5" area. Sure they can, just zip-tie them, tape them, etc. SSDs can go ANYWHERE in a case.