Gadgetory

what's up guys today I'm taking a look at the latest Mini ITX case from NZXT that's aimed at system builders who prioritize performance gains via water cooling over the space efficiency that often comes with small form-factor chassis this is the Manta and it's just about the largest ITX case I've ever had the pleasure of reviewing due to its curved panels which give the case of very unique aesthetic this case is so curvaceous it's like Joker and Kate Upton had a baby in her dreams such bold designs are generally a love or hate affair but even if you prefer a wet cardboard box to the look of these panels it's hard to deny the quality of their solid steel construction and excellent ventilation along the top in front of the case the curvature also leaves extra breathing room for fans which aids an overall airflow both side panel sport captive thumbscrews and we get a massive side panel window to show off your rig to your friends assuming you have any removing the front panel gives us access to a removable dust filter for the two included 120 millimeter fans or up to a 280 millimeter radiator there's even room underneath the dust filter to house two more fans for push-pull configurations atop the case is a clicky power button adjacent to a white power LED strip that doubles as a hard drive activity light mic and headphone jacks and two USB three popping off the top panel reveals the same fan and radiator mounts that we saw at the front however radiator fans are to be mounted outside the main frame without the option of push-pull there's also no dust filter here because NZXT hates you our last bit of radiator support is a 120 mount at the back of the case that's occupied by our third included 120 millimeter fan a nearby switch cycles through the white LED options for the rear i/o assistant light and NZXT Strayed max shroud LED accent why you know RGB was my first question as well rounding out the exterior there's a removable dust filter for the power supply along with two wide feet with rubber pads to prevent scratching your desk surface inside the chassis we see a spacious layout that's mork into a traditional ATX tower pre-installed standoffs are always appreciated but the absence of any rubber grommets in this case is a bit disappointing considering the mantas hefty price tag that said there are plenty of cutouts in all the right places around the motherboard an interesting cable bar high most of the visible wires that you can still see some of the clutter behind that would otherwise be hidden with rubber grommets CPU coolers up to 160 millimeters tall are supported along with video cards up to 363 millimeters in length just note that super thick or triple slog cards will read into clearance issues with the power supply shroud my GPU gets awful close but six ventilation slits on the top of the shroud ensure your card isn't completely cut off from your front intake there's also a hole to neatly route all of your PCIe cables or to perform the world's first inter chassis puppet show assuming your card doesn't overlap the large cutout at the front of the shroud custom water coolers can enjoy some relatively thick radiators without much trouble two removable SSD trays to the right of the cable bar are held in place by single thumb screws and work much like the mounting plates found on the H 440 to proudly display your drives upside down that's why I'd recommend silicon Power Drive since they look awful no matter which way they're facing another gripe that I have with the cases storage solution is that both SSD mounts need to be removed in order to install a three and a half inch drive on the other side a dedicated drive tray would have made a lot of sense here and frankly should have been considered for a case at this price point while this makes me sad inside there's nothing like an 8 pin PWM fan hub to turn your day around positioned right behind the motherboard tray this module is an excellent addition for a small form-factor case with this much fan support since most mini ITX motherboards have a limited number of fan headers within the large lower compartment of the case is a mounting area for an ATX power supply of literally any length and there's also a lonely spot at the front for a two and a half inch or three and a half inch drive that screws in from the bottom of the case again an independent mounting tray would have simplified installation here swapping out the drive after the system is up and running means having to drop the entire case on its side instead of handling a single removable tray additionally all this empty space kind of feels like a missed opportunity to include more drive options or perhaps a mounting bracket for a water cooling pump on the bright side so much room for activities means cable management in the Manta is literally the easiest thing you'll ever do in your life every other task will seem like child labor in comparison to how effortless it is to tidy up all the wires in this mini behemoth numerous tie-downs ample room behind the cable bar and a cavernous compartment the size of a clown shoebox make it easy to just say get and slap the forgiving side panel on without so much as touching a zip tie indeed the get level of this case is cable management is among the highest I've seen to date and it's pretty fantastic overall the Manta targets a very specific niche of builder looking for a water-cooled mini ITX system that prioritizes overclock ability and cooling over space efficiency there's really a ton of hardware options that can fit comfortably in the case while still offering folks a smooth and easy build process with zero cable management fuss with the abundance of features and quality steel construction this is clearly a case built with enthusiast in mind and the $140 price tag certainly reflects this while I can confirm that this is a good case with loads of potential there are a few oversights and missed opportunities that should have been resolved if consumers are forking out as much as they would on a high-end ATX mid tower in my opinion the price point is the main drawback here as the mini ITX case market continues to become more and more competitive so I'd keep an eye out to see whether the MSRP drops and then your future or if you can snag a deal during whatever upcoming holiday lurks around the corner if you already have the funds because you're just so money the Manta is an excellent choice for those who know how to best utilize its enchanting powers but