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NZXT Guardian 921 Review October 09, 2008 |
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Summary: Tom follows up his NZXT Tempest video review with another case from NZXT. This time he reviews the Guardian 921 case. Check out our video review!
 NZXT Guardian Review | Page:: ( 1 / 6 ) |
» CLICK HERE TO SEE THE VIDEO REVIEW
In the world of computer cases, there are so many manufacturers to choose from, it can be easy to get lost when it comes time for a new build. While many of us would love to buy that $400 super case that has 24 bays, built-in liquid cooling, and an ice cream sandwich dispenser, the real world has a tendency of ruining our dreams. So, it is in the spirit of fiscal reality that we are going to take a look at the Guardian 921 mid-tower enclosure, one of the crafted series of cases by NZXT.
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The Guardian 921, not to be confused with the Guardian, another case by NZXT, is a mid-sized ATX form factor case that features 3 120mm fans, a pre-cut side window, and pre-drilled insulated holes for radiator tubing. It is available in black with blue led’s. The most interesting feature of the Guardian 921 is the built-in temperature gauge on the front of the case. Connected to the LCD readout are 3 thermal probes that provide thermal readouts for your CPU, system and hard drive temperatures. In today's review, we are going to be looking at function detail, quality, as well as the accuracy of the LCD readout on the front. But first here are the specifications directly from NZXT's website:
| NZXT Guardian 921 Mid-Tower Case | ||
| Case Type | Mid-Tower Steel Chassis | |
| Dimensions (W x H x D) | 206x459x522 mm | |
| Cooling | FRONT, 1 X 120 mm BLUE LED FAN [Included] REAR, 1 X 120 mm FAN [Included] SIDE PANEL, 1 X 120 mm BLUE LED FAN [Included] | |
| Drive Bays | 9 DRIVE BAYS -3 EXTERNAL 5.25" DRIVE BAYS, 2 EXTERNAL 3.5 " DRIVE BAYS, 4 INTERNAL 3.5" DRIVE BAYS, SCREWLESS RAIL DESIGN | |
| Material | SECC Steel Chassis | |
| Expansion Slots | 7 | |
| Weight | 8.2kgs | |
| Motherboard Support | ATX, MICRO-ATX, BABY AT | |
| Retail Price | $99.99 | |
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| Exterior | Page:: ( 2 / 6 ) |
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Behind the front door, you will find three 5.25" drive bays and 2 3.5” floppy disk bays. Above the 5.25" bays is an embezzled badging for NZXT and at the very bottom is the grill for the front fan. The door is fairly light and has strategically placed magnets to help keep it closed. The exterior is painted in a matte black, while the plastic door has a glossy veneer that provides a sharp contrast to the rest of the case.
| Interior | Page:: ( 3 / 6 ) |
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At the very bottom of the drive bays, there is a hard drive cage which features a completely screwless rail system that can hold up to four hard drives. Adding or removing hard drives is fairly simple and only takes a matter of seconds to accomplish. Included with the Guardian is a little black pouch that contains all the screws, bay covers, rails, and other little trinkets you will need to setup your system. Also included in this pouch are little adhesive clips that you can use to help route wires to keep them out of your way, ensuring proper airflow throughout your entire case.
System Setup
AMD Athlon X2 5000+ Black Edition Stock
AMD Athlon X2 5000+ Black Edition @ 3.05Ghz
Gigabyte GA-MA790FX-DS5
OCZ Reaper 2x4GB PC8500 5-5-5 DDR2 RAM
ATI Radeon X1800
Western Digital 300GB SATAII
Lite-On LH-20A1S DVDRW
Raytek Mini-Temp Thermal Temperature Gun
Extech 407732 Sound Level Meter
For testing, we decided to not only test the thermal and audible properties of the guardian, but also the accuracy of the front panel LCD. Temperatures were monitored using a Raytek Mini-Temp Thermometer gun and audio levels were read using an Extech 407732 sound level meter.
| Performance | Page:: ( 4 / 6 ) |
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The charts above show the temperature readings from the LCD versus readings taken from a Raytek mini-temp temperature gun. The LCD turned out to be surprisingly accurate, with there rarely being more than 2 degree difference between the thermal gun and LCD readout. Once overclocked however, you do start to see a bigger gap, up to as much as 4 degrees. The case was tested multiple times, with similar results. What does this mean to the average user? The LCD should only be used as a general guide for determining internal temperatures. While it’s fairly accurate at stock speeds, a higher overclock, and the resulting temperatures, might be creating spikes that take time to register on the front panel.
| Ballistics Report | Page:: ( 5 / 6 ) |
Pros
Sleek Design:Modest lighting and a nice matte finish help the Guardian 921 look great, without being just another rice rocket for computer cases.
Cooling: 3 120mm fans help keep even high-end components nice and cool, without sounding like a wind tunnel.
LCD Temperature Gauge: An add-in temperature gauge is usually extra, but NZXT has conveniently included one built-in to the top of the case.
Price: Currently retailing for around $100, the Guardian 921 is a steal thanks to its great functionality and design.
Tool less design: Installing components has never been easier thanks to the click-lock 5.25” bay drives and rail based hard drive cage.
Cons
LCD Accuracy: While having the gauge is handy, it does seem to have trouble keeping up with fast temperature spikes and swings, so it won’t replace your software monitoring solutions. Also, since the probes are external, you’re not getting an accurate reading of the die temp, only what’s being transferred to the heatsink.
| Final Verdict | Page:: ( 6 / 6 ) |