NZXT Duet

Rob Williams · 01-30-2007, 06:45 PM

Home Theater PCs are the fastest-growing trend in home computing. Here’s an in-depth look at enthusiast case maker NZXT’s first HTPC case, the Duet. With its tasteful looks, clever design, and ample cooling, this case has serious potential.

You can read the full review here and then discuss!

Lothar · 02-01-2007, 12:53 PM

I have to agree with the review conclusions. I would have rather seen dual 120mm fans, non-pop out rear slot covers, and a better way to mount 3.5" drives (or atleast conversion hardware for mounting in 5.25" bays)... With the components used, I would have made the decisions four mounting.

As far as the review itself, I would have liked to see a little more detail in the cable management portions. It was mentioned a couple times but not really explained. A couple of the pictures I saw seemed to show unique cable routings...

For the price though, it seems like a decent case alternative for an HTPC.

Rory Buszka · 02-01-2007, 08:11 PM

I've got a photo (that didn't make it into the review; not Rob's fault -- the photo didn't turn out too well) of the way the cables were routed through to the hard drives, behind the front bezel. We had just enough cable length to pull it off. Thankfully, NZXT allowed plenty of access to all the different nooks and crannies that this case had, allowing us to actually get our hands in there.

02-02-2007, 01:35 PM

I read the article with interest, but I've got a couple of somewhat unrelated questions to the last photo in the article.

1) What size tv is that in the last photo?

2) What brand/model furntiture is shown in the last photo? (My wife is looking for something like that)

Thanks.

02-07-2007, 01:15 PM

I enjoyed the review and am interested in trying out this case for an HTPC project. My question is does the case allow for the MCE remote receiver to sit inside the case behind a window?

Thanks

Rory Buszka · 02-07-2007, 02:34 PM

1) That TV is 42", and it's showing Media Center at 720p resolution.

2) I don't know. I'll need to ask my parents (since it's their house and their TV in that photo).

Also, in the Duet case, my friend and I checked into the possibility of putting the MCE remote receiver behind that black window area on the front panel, but it would have required some careful modding. Ordinarily, it's obscured by a layer of opaque plastic on the inside, so in this case's stock form you couldn't hide the MCE receiver inside.

01-30-2007, 06:45 PM	#1
Rob Williams Editor-in-Chief Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Atlantic Canada Posts: 13,231	NZXT Duet Home Theater PCs are the fastest-growing trend in home computing. Here’s an in-depth look at enthusiast case maker NZXT’s first HTPC case, the Duet. With its tasteful looks, clever design, and ample cooling, this case has serious potential. You can read the full review here and then discuss! __________________ Intel Core i7-990X EE @ 3.43GHz, GIGABYTE X58A-UD5, Kingston 12GB DDR3-1333, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680 2GB Kingston HyperX 3K 240GB SSD, WD VR 1TB, WD 2TB, Seagate 2TB, LG BD-ROM, ASUS DVD-RW, Corsair 1000HX, Corsair H60 Cooler Corsair 800D, Dell 2408WFP 24", ASUS Xonar Essence STX, Gentoo (KDE 4.10, 3.7 Kernel) "Take care to get what you like, or you will be forced to like what you get!" - H.P. Baxxter <Toad772> I don't always drink alcohol, but when I do, I take it too far.

02-01-2007, 08:11 PM	#3
Rory Buszka Super Moderator Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Indianapolis, Indiana Posts: 388	I've got a photo (that didn't make it into the review; not Rob's fault -- the photo didn't turn out too well) of the way the cables were routed through to the hard drives, behind the front bezel. We had just enough cable length to pull it off. Thankfully, NZXT allowed plenty of access to all the different nooks and crannies that this case had, allowing us to actually get our hands in there. __________________ Best Regards, Rory Buszka Last edited by Rory Buszka; 02-01-2007 at 08:16 PM.

02-02-2007, 01:35 PM	#4
Unregistered Guest Poster Posts: n/a	2 (somewhat unrelated) questions I read the article with interest, but I've got a couple of somewhat unrelated questions to the last photo in the article. 1) What size tv is that in the last photo? 2) What brand/model furntiture is shown in the last photo? (My wife is looking for something like that) Thanks.

02-07-2007, 01:15 PM	#5
Unregistered Guest Poster Posts: n/a	Great review, one question about the case I enjoyed the review and am interested in trying out this case for an HTPC project. My question is does the case allow for the MCE remote receiver to sit inside the case behind a window? Thanks

02-07-2007, 02:34 PM	#6
Rory Buszka Super Moderator Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Indianapolis, Indiana Posts: 388	1) That TV is 42", and it's showing Media Center at 720p resolution. 2) I don't know. I'll need to ask my parents (since it's their house and their TV in that photo). Also, in the Duet case, my friend and I checked into the possibility of putting the MCE remote receiver behind that black window area on the front panel, but it would have required some careful modding. Ordinarily, it's obscured by a layer of opaque plastic on the inside, so in this case's stock form you couldn't hide the MCE receiver inside. __________________ Best Regards, Rory Buszka

02-01-2007, 12:53 PM	#2
Lothar E.M.I. Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 56	I have to agree with the review conclusions. I would have rather seen dual 120mm fans, non-pop out rear slot covers, and a better way to mount 3.5" drives (or atleast conversion hardware for mounting in 5.25" bays)... With the components used, I would have made the decisions four mounting. As far as the review itself, I would have liked to see a little more detail in the cable management portions. It was mentioned a couple times but not really explained. A couple of the pictures I saw seemed to show unique cable routings... For the price though, it seems like a decent case alternative for an HTPC.

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