NZXT has just revamped their Tempest mid-tower case, adding some nice aesthetic details to it. Since we’ve already reviewed the original Tempest, we will be able to do a detailed comparison between the two models. Is it a good buy? Let’s see.

Tempest EVO follows the same basic design as the original Tempest. Externally the main differences are the use of a dark side window instead of a transparent one, meshed slot covers and the rear panel, which is now painted black and having four holes for hoses from liquid cooling solutions instead of only two. All other external features are the same.

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Figure 1: NZXT Tempest EVO case.

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Figure 2: NZXT Tempest EVO case.

The left side panel features a 120 mm fan, which uses a small three-pin connector, so it must be installed on the motherboard, allowing you to monitor its speed. This fan produces 42 cfm of airflow and 21 dBA noise level and glows blue when turned on.

In Figure 3, you can see the front panel from this case. It has nine 5 ¼” bays, with the top three available for 5 ¼” devices and the bottom six used by the two removable hard disk drive cages (more about this later). All slot covers are meshed featuring air filters. The edges from the front panel glow blue when the computer is turned on, with the bottom part from the left edge glowing in green when the computer is turned on (if you connect these LEDs to the power supply, of course).

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Figure 3: Front panel.

The front panel features two 120 mm fans, which are identical to the one used on the side panel (42 cfm, 21 dBA, glowing blue) but also have the option for a standard peripheral power plug, allowing you to connect them directly to the power supply. These fans also have individual air filters. This way Tempest EVO presents two layers of protection against dust, since the bay covers also have air filters, as mentioned.

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Figure 4: Case with plastic front panel removed.