NZXT Phantom 410 Case Review

With the right side removed we get our first look at the motherboard tray.  The Phantom 410 supports ATX, MICRO-ATX, and MINI-ITX boards. A 5 1/4" x 5 3/4" CPU slot provides easy access to the heatsink and that additional airflow we have grown to count on behind the motherboard.  Five separate cable routing holes, three of them with rubber grommets help feed cables to the spacious back side.  There are dozens of cable tie anchors to help with cable routing along the back of the motherboard tray.

Fit and finish is top shelf with every edge nicely rounded and that white finish providing a clean foundation for any build.  I did notice that the top panel is attached with a series of screws and not the black rivets found at every other joint.  This makes it possible to remove that surface without breaking the rivets.  I am not sure what the original intention is but removing and modding this surface is child's play.  Bring on the DIY water-cooling!

With the left side removed we can see what appears to be a more typical drive cage array.  As you can see the top three 5.25" drive bays are designed to be tool-less using a simple locking bracket.  For more security or to replace these locks a set of thumb screws is also provided.

In total 3 external 5.25" and 6 internal 3.5" drive bays are available.  If you look closely at the inside of the drive cage you will see an additional 120mm/140mm fan mounting that can be pivoted to blow across the motherboard providing a boost to CPU cooling or an added cooling for chipset or memory locations.  This is an interesting feature that stands out for the 410 though it may not be that practical.    

As you can see here the entire middle cage can be removed to allow for larger video card installations.  This option provides space for video cards up to 305mm (w/o fan), 280mm (installed), 230mm (full pivot).  Removing the cage requires just two thumb screws be removed.  The cage fits smoothly on the four rails.

Hard drives are tool-less installed using the removable rubber brackets we last saw in the full size Phantom.  The 3.5" drive trays simply wrap around the hard drive and are held in place with static pressure and 4 metal pins.  Each of the pins is rubber mounted for vibration control and for easy removal.  Each tray can also hold a 2.5" drive via screws on the bottom of the drive.

A quick look at the interior cooling reveals the attractive black and white NZXT branded fans.  These fans push a lot of air without making enough noise to be heard over the other components.  The included top 140mm fan is the only included fan with LED lighting.  All told the Phantom 410 can hold a total of up to eight fans (2x 120mm and 1x 140mm LED fan included).