NZXT S340 Review

NZXT S340 Review

Manufacturer: NZXT
UK price (as reviewed): £59.99 (inc VAT)
US price (as reviewed): $69.99 (ex Tax)

NZXT makes some great cases, but it doesn't often venture into budget chassis. To be fair, £60 is at the very limit of what we'd consider budget for a mid-tower enclosure, but even so the S340 has the look and feel of a more premium case still. It's minimalist and simple without being boring and has a more grown up look than the majority of other cases in its class. The front and side panels are scratch resistant and very glossy, which may not appeal to all, while the roof has a more standard matt finish. The build quality is excellent for the price, with the quality of the steel reminiscent of NZXT's more expensive offerings – there's very little plastic used anywhere. The case is also relatively hefty at 7kg, and this plus its rubber feet means it won't be ice skating across your desk.


The I/O panel on the roof has all the essentials, including dual USB 3 ports, and is easy to reach, though the case doesn't feature a reset button. The front panel is made from plastic but has an external steel covering that keeps it very rigid. It is an entirely solid panel that is fixed to the case – it's not a door. The reason for this is that, as with the H440, NZXT has opted not to include any optical drive mounts whatsoever.

This is a bold move, perhaps especially so at this end of the market, but we welcome it – our optical drives have remained firmly shut for years now, and while we accept that this doesn't apply to everyone it is good to see a manufacturer tailoring their case to a specific user rather than trying to cover all bases. The lack of an optical drive keeps the S340 looking sleek and opens up the inside for additional airflow and radiator mounting.


The left hand side panel sports a large, clear window which gives you a nice view of the tidy interior, which you can read more about over the page. The other side panel is devoid of features, being just a flat sheet of steel.


Large inlets behind the front panel, both up top and at the bottom, allow air to reach the intake area and provide a convenient place to pull it off. Doing this reveals a full cover, removable magnetic dust filter which couldn't be easier to use. It guards the dual 140mm/120mm intake fan mounts, though these are empty by default. Instead, the S340 ships with dual exhausts – one 120mm in the roof and one in the rear. We've seen this set-up put to good use in cases before, and exhausting heat from the CPU area is the most important aspect of keeping your system cool, though multi-GPU users will probably want to add an intake fan or two.


There is no dust cover over the roof exhaust fan, which won't be an issue when your system is running but will allow dust to enter when your PC and the fan are off. Thankfully, a filter is provided for the PSU, though it's little more than a thin PVC sheet that can be fiddly to reattach.

Specifications

• Dimensions (mm) 200 x 432 x 445 (W x D x H)
  
• Material Steel, plastic
  
• Available colours Black, white, black and blue, black and red
  
• Weight 7.05kg
  
• Front panel Power, 2 x USB 3, stereo, microphone
  
• Drive bays 3 x 3.5in, 2 x 2.5in
  
• Form factor(s) Mini-ITX, micro-ATX, ATX
  
• Cooling 2 x 140mm/120mm front fan mounts (fans not included), 1 x 140mm/120mm roof fan mount (120mm fan included), 1 x 120mm rear fan mount (fan included)
  
• CPU cooler clearance 161mm
  
• Maximum graphics card length 364mm
  
• Extras Removable dust filters