The NZXT Manta mITX Case Review
by E. Fylladitakis on June 16, 2016 9:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
- Mini ITX
- NZXT
- Case
Conclusion
The assessment of the NZXT Manta is multifaceted. Although it is a Mini-ITX case that is almost the size of a full tower yet lacks external drive bays, the designer was not really trying to make it compact. On the contrary, the volume of the NZXT Manta is massive for a Mini-ITX case, rivalling the size of full ATX designs. It is, for lack of a better phrase, a shorter version of an advanced gaming case, designed for high performance and compatibility with liquid cooling options. With the Manta, NZXT is not trying to enter the living room by designing a compact case that rivals the size and shape of gaming consoles - this is aimed at fully grown gaming PCs based on the mini-ITX form factor. Their approach is a large but elegant case with curved, smoothed panels, a design that is based on their highly popular Lexa series that found its way into many living rooms.
In terms of quality, the NZXT Manta is a very robust and well-made case. There were no significant weak spots that we could find about the chassis or the plastic parts. The paint finish is exceptional and likely one of the best that we have ever seen. We would have liked to see a less reflective side panel, but strong reflections are a known side effect of curved acrylic panels.
The functionality and versatility of the Manta has left us with mixed feelings. It is a roomy case that can easily fit an advanced gaming system and even two liquid cooling radiators but, at the same time, it cannot fit tall air coolers despite its very wide proportions and offers very limited drive support options for this large a case. NZXT is strongly trying to promote it for it elegant appearance, but they have not added rubber grommets to the holes around the motherboard tray. Furthermore, the aesthetic improvement of the steel bridge cover to the right of the motherboard rather than simple holes is questionable, as cable management behind it is strongly limited by the connectors of the SSD drives. General cable management behind the motherboard tray is very easy due to the numerous cable tie points and the massive clearance that the curved panel provides, but the visible uncovered openings from the left side of the case are a visual dissonance, especially if the interior is going to be strongly illuminated.
Due to its capacity and very appealing external design, we do believe that the NZXT Manta will find itself a strong fan base. People who simply want a slightly smaller and elegant tower case for their system or those who want to showcase their top tier PC into their living room will find the Manta to be an excellent choice. The only real enemy of the Manta is its own retail price. Currently selling for $130, the retail price is very steep and will trouble many potential customers, especially when there is a very large number of Mini-ITX cases selling for less than half that price.
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jimjamjamie - Thursday, June 16, 2016 - link
Does it have a valve so that you can deflate it?DanNeely - Thursday, June 16, 2016 - link
It's a feature. It's screwed up lines mean that even a reviewer who doesn't know how to take good product photos will have all of their flaws hidden by the WTFs in the case design itself.damianrobertjones - Thursday, June 16, 2016 - link
+1The photos, for this article, are terrible.
HideOut - Thursday, June 16, 2016 - link
But the case looks like a mini pregnant guppy.ddriver - Thursday, June 16, 2016 - link
It looks like it was already used, and the system in it suffered a terrible meltdown.fanofanand - Thursday, June 16, 2016 - link
I thought they were fine. This is a tech site not a photography site.BrokenCrayons - Thursday, June 16, 2016 - link
Photos were adequate for getting the point across. I'd prefer the reviewers put more of their limited time into reviewing a product and writing about it as opposed to setting up glam shots for hardware.Murloc - Thursday, June 16, 2016 - link
yeah companies create enough of those.Plus I want to see how the case looks in real life as well, so pics have to be unrefined.
deanx0r - Sunday, June 19, 2016 - link
Except that aesthetics are an essential part of a case. Most people wouldn't even bother with review of cases they find ugly or uninteresting. It isn't hard to take decent photos. The poor photo quality isn't balanced by the outstanding content of the review either. Their case reviews tend to be generic, borderline mediocre. If anything the poor picture quality just shows a lack of effort from the reviewers.BrokenCrayons - Monday, June 20, 2016 - link
I guess I wouldn't understand. My desktop case sits in a corner, hidden behind a shelf unit. I see it once in a while when I need to press the power button to turn it on. As long as it keeps the parts inside it in the places where I put them and provides enough airflow for cooling, I could care less what it looks like. When I'm playing games on it, I'm streaming them and sitting in different room with my laptop. So for me, the looks of my computer's case is as unimportant as the color of the plastic of my hair dryer.Sure, some people are a lot more superficial about what the box looks like which is why there's a market for fashionable cases that have the right sparkles and sunshine in the right places. Those people seeking a certain style are willing to pay for it so from a company perspective, there's no reason not to release a product in order to reap in larger per-unit margins.
However, taking pics for a review? Whatever. Throw it on your kitchen table, shoot a few photos of it. I don't even care if there's a few dishes loitering in your drying rack in the background. You guys are too picky and its a good thing that most of your spouses, girlfriends, and boyfriends aren't doing that in a more important context than a review of some silly computer case otherwise all those rashes, gaseous emissions, obesity, and body odors would doom the human race.