NZXT S340 Elite Review

Performance Analysis

The performance figures are strong for a case only sporting a pair of 120mm fans. Being on the small side helps, as it means that both fans are closer than usual to the CPU cooler, and evacuating heat from this area is critical for low temperatures. The resultant delta T of 51°C is right near the top of the charts.


The GPU, meanwhile, while not directly fed cool air by intake fans, is still clearly well ventilated – the result of 47°C isn't quite at the top but it's as good as an open test bench, which is impressive. We suspect that the dual exhausts plus the GPU fan are creating a lot of negative pressure, drawing cool air in naturally through the front. Either way, you shouldn't need to worry too much about GPU temperatures.

There's little by way of noise dampening in this chassis, so if you've got noisy components they'll be easy to hear. The two case fans themselves, however, aren't excessively noisy, although you can certainly hear them quietly humming away.

Conclusion

The S340 Elite is a brilliant evolution of an already solid chassis design. The upgraded materials, nifty little features targeting VR users and improved cable management system are all welcome additions that make the case feel truly refreshed and modern. The build quality is high, and out-of-box cooling performance is very impressive too. The mounting system for 3.5in drives could do with some tweaking and the price is on the high side for a mid-tower, but given the quality displayed we don't think that NZXT is asking too much.

If you want to build a silent system or a custom water-cooled one, then it's not for you, but the NZXT S340 Elite lends itself very well to the vast majority of builds today. With the tempered glass panel, PSU cover and extensive cable routing options, it's also able to show them off in style as well. It's easily one of the best sub-£100 cases around, and well deserving of our top award.