Picking a case can be one of the most difficult and important decisions when it comes to assembling your next gaming machine. Cooling characteristics, acoustic levels, interior layout, ease of installation, and aesthetics (vanity, thy name is Matt) all come into play when deciding upon a PC case. Gamers typically have a short list of manufacturers that are trusted to build quality enclosures, among them Antec, Cooler Master, Thermaltake, and Lian-Li. But if the relative newcomer NZXT has their way, they'll be added to that list in no time at all. With their latest product, the Tempest, it's no stretch of the imagination for that to happen.

NZXT has been around since 2004, and currently offer a lineup consisting primarily of PC cases, with some power supplies and other accessories for good measure. Today we're taking a look at the Tempest PC case, a steel mid-tower that NZXT has dubbed the "Airflow King," and it's no surprise why. The Tempest comes loaded with six monstrous fans arranged in such a way that the case is practically a wind tunnel for your components. At first glance one might almost confuse the Tempest with Antec's 900, which is understandable given their identical goal of superior airflow. So how does the Tempest set itself apart from the 900, besides being a bit taller and bit slimmer? Read on, but first let's break down the Tempest's features:

• Steel mid-tower

• E-ATX form factor for large GPUs

• Dual 120MM fans on the front

• Dual 140MM fans on the top

• 120MM fan on the side panel

• 120MM fan on the back

• Air filters on the front

• Three external 5.25" bays for optical drives

• Eight internal 3.5" bays for hard drives

• One external 3.5" bay for floppy/media reader

• Motherboard tray with routing holes for cables

• Water cooling holes on the back

• Pre-drilled holes to mount a radiator on the top

• Top panel with USB, audio, and E-SATA

Simply looking at the feature list tells you that NZXT want to please gamers, and in a big way. There's not a single feature overlooked, and the Tempest includes amenities that until now were exclusive to ultra high-end gaming cases. One other stat worth mentioning is the case's weight, which is almost 25 pounds. The Tempest certainly isn't the heaviest case around, but you also might be less inclined to cart it to a ton of LAN parties. If that's a problem, here's my suggestion: bulk up, you sissy.

Visually, the Tempest is slightly more subdued than NZXT's other offerings, but still has a sleek, almost stealth look to it. It's certainly not plain by any means. Of course it becomes far more noticeable when your machine is turned on, as the included fans on the front and side of the case will glow bright blue. The case is well secured inside of the box and arrived in pristine condition, having been enclosed in plastic wrap and then being held in place by foam inserts. All of the case's accessories (drive rails, etc.) are stored inside of the case so they won't be loose in the box during shipping.