NZXT Phantom 530 Chassis Review

Out of the box we get to see the 530 in all its glory, with a stunning gloss white finish that is very reflective and bright. The left side features a huge window section with a smaller mesh section for a 140mm fan.

An extra close look at the side panel window and you can see it really is crystal clear, giving an uncompromising view of the chassis interior, the only way you could get a better view is by taking out the plastic and making this an open hole.

The right side of the chassis is nowhere near as exciting and features a plain white panel.

The top of the chassis features a hugely inflated curve panel, a massive mesh section and enough room to fit some seriously large fans and water cooling radiators. This can be 2 x 200mm, 2 x 140mm or 3 x 120mm, including radiators of the same multiple dimensions and of course this includes the NZXT X40 and X60 AIO units.

The base of the system features full length ventilation covered by two air filters, the rear one covers the PSU air intake and the front one the two bottom fan mounts which support 2 x 120mm fans, or of course another radiator. There are four large rubber feet that will not only help reduce vibration from the system, but also provide some tidy ground clearance to allow airflow to the bottom air intakes.

Both air filters can be slid out from the front and back respectively, this allows for easy maintenance and should help you keep your system in good condition.

The front panel is super sleek and features an interesting mix of angles and curves that give the 530 the aerodynamic look of a super car, very cool indeed.

Top left of the chassis you will find a small button that controls the rear LED, this allows you to light up the motherboard I/O and it means you won’t struggle so much to find those pesky USB ports behind your system. Next to that you will also find a three-speed fan controller that connects to the internal fan hub.

Top right of the chassis is the master power button, a pair of USB 3.0 ports and the headset / microphone jack sockets.

The front panel is held shut by some sturdy magnets and behind this you will find three 5.25″ drive bays with easily removable covers and a small reset switch tucked away on the top right.

The front panel has another filtered air intake and with a 200mm fan pre-installed it should provide plenty of clean air to your system. You can of course take this fan out and install 2 x 140mm or 2 x120mm here instead, or, you guessed it, more radiators.

Around the back we see just how enlarged the top panel is, as it towers above the main frame of the chassis, below that have yet another pre-installed 140mm fan, but you could also mount a 120mm fan here, or another radiator, the straight line screw mounts also mean that you can adjust the height of the fan to best suit your system and this should help alleviate some internal conflicts dependant on your motherboard design and layout. There are eight expansion slot covers, all reusable and ventilated, but also finished in a contrasting matt black that really makes them stand out against the gloss white finish. To the right of that we have extra ventilation as well as two cable / water routing grommets.