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NZXT’s Source 340 Chassis Brings Sexy To Budget Builds, Omits Optical Drive

By - Source: Tom's Hardware US | B 25 comments
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NZXT's Source series of chassis has always been a budget line, offering basic amenities in what amounts to a stripped-down version of the company's higher-end Phantom and Switch cases. Source chassis have offered gamers and builders simple, demure style for relatively little money with somewhat austere black, white or black-and-white designs, but NZXT is touting its latest entry to the family, the mid-tower Source 340, as a "reimagining" of the Source series.

"The S340 is a breakaway from our typical Source cases with the designer eschewing the usual heavy use of mesh and lack of window," NZXT's Mitchell Podlaha told Tom's Hardware. He said that the new chassis was built from the ground up, "allowing us to focus on getting the most we could for our money rather than trying to gut a higher end case to an acceptable level."

"We like to think of the S340 as a budget enthusiast case, rather than just a run of the mill basement budget case," he added.

The all-steel (well, 90 percent steel) S340 supports up to ATX motherboards and boasts thicker side panels for more durability, grommet-less cable management (via a full-length cable bar) and filtered intakes.

The chassis has "2+1" 3.5-inch internal drive slots, with the cage positioned at the bottom of the case, parallel with the PSU. Slanted vents just above the drive cage presumably allow for some better airflow over the 3.5-inch drives. There are also two 2.5-inch drive mounts available on top of the aforementioned cable bar, separating them from the larger drive cage and placing them in the main cavity of the case.  

It appears that the CPU backplate cutout is nice and large, which we're pleased to see because cases such as the Source 220 had some issues on that front. NZXT also made a point of noting the compactness of the Source 340, which measures 200 x 445 x 432 mm.

The front of the Source 340 supports two 140 mm or three 120 mm fans, which are not included, while the top and back sport stock 120 mm fans. You can mount a 140 mm or two 120 mm radiators on the front of the case or a 120 mm radiator on the rear.

The Source 340 supports 161 mm CPU coolers and 334 mm GPUs with a radiator installed (or 364 mm without), and there are 7 expansion slots. Extra I/O is nestled at the top of the case and includes a pair of USB 3.0 ports, HD mic and audio jacks, and the power button.

NZXT notably omitted a 5.25-inch optical drive bay from the Source 340; although there seems to be less need for an optical drive every day, surely there are plenty of users that will want one at least on occasion. 

However, NZXT believes that's not a big deal and that in fact cutting the optical drive bay makes cable management easier. "Our H440 is the first case to gut the ODD bay and it seems to be working out pretty well," said Podlaha. "After a good amount of market research, we realized only 20% of users cared about the ODD bay and ultimately we decided to take a chance with removing it."

If you're wondering whether NZXT will slowly kill off its current Source series cases in light of the newly-designed Source 340, the answer is no; the company will keep the lineup intact and will simply add to it.

The Source 340 costs $69.99 and comes with a 2-year warranty. That's just a bit pricier than most of the Source cases -- the Source 210 ($39.99), Source 210 elite ($49.99) and Source 220 ($49.99) are all cheaper -- but it's less expensive than the full-tower Source 530, which comes in at $89.99.

With some of the Source cases you get what you pay for a bit, but NZXT is confident that the Source 340 is a new breed of budget chassis.

You can pre-order a black or white S340 today from NZXT's store; shipping will begin September 15th.

Follow Seth Colaner @SethColaner. Follow us @tomshardware, on Facebook and on Google+.

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  • 5 Hide
    permanoob , September 2, 2014 4:11 PM
    It's nice to see them doing away with the 3 1/2 and 5 1/4 bays. I can't remember the last time I used anything in those slots. This case is just dead sexy and at a great price.
  • 1 Hide
    Ben Van Deventer , September 2, 2014 4:23 PM
    What the flippin hell! I have been waiting for a proper optical-less case like this for years. I just recently replaced my 7 year old case with a Fractal R2 (which is super sexy and I love it but come on.)
  • 2 Hide
    Gazabi , September 2, 2014 4:28 PM
    The front intake-in my opinion-will probably be a issue. It seems to be even more restrictive than the H440's.
  • Add your comment Display all 25 comments.
  • 1 Hide
    DarkSable , September 2, 2014 4:45 PM
    Quite an appealing case, and the lack of the optical drive is actually a huge benefit for a lot of us, both in size and looks.
  • 2 Hide
    TheMentalist , September 2, 2014 5:01 PM
    A PSU cover on a budget case, nice touch for the price.
  • 0 Hide
    icraft , September 2, 2014 5:04 PM
    I love my source 210. This looks even nicer. Budget is always an issue though.
  • 0 Hide
    DarkSable , September 2, 2014 5:52 PM
    Quote:
    I love my source 210. This looks even nicer. Budget is always an issue though.


    It's still only $20 more than the 210 elite or the 220, and at only $60 is definitely going to be a recommendation over some of the $40 cases out there for budget builds.
  • 1 Hide
    drapacioli , September 2, 2014 6:28 PM
    Wow, nice and sleek for a $70 case. If I were in the market I would seriously consider it, even with the lack of an optical bay (which I still use, but I guess not enough to dedicate so much space to)
  • 1 Hide
    Amdlova , September 2, 2014 6:45 PM
    get an usb based optical drive... I got one here work like a charm. When u need it just plug'n'play
  • 4 Hide
    brandonjclark , September 2, 2014 7:09 PM
    Best new case in a looong time. Extremely affordable and stunning to boot. Well done, NZXT engineering.
  • 2 Hide
    Mac266 , September 2, 2014 7:51 PM
    Problem with no 5.25 bays is no fan controllers, watercooling res etc
  • 2 Hide
    Drummerdude1099 , September 2, 2014 8:06 PM
    NZXT is just KILLING it with cases recently!!
  • 0 Hide
    jonadam23 , September 2, 2014 8:39 PM
    I've been looking for a case to replace my source 210 and this seems to fit the bill! I would have liked to see an additional cut out on the psu shroud for builds with shorter gpus but overall this case seems to be perfect. Ill wait for the reviews to buy one though!
  • 0 Hide
    Menigmand , September 3, 2014 12:39 AM
    I love how the word "sexy" is used to describe a black featureless box.
  • 1 Hide
    byza , September 3, 2014 1:25 AM
    If it goes on sale as often as the 300R it's going to be a pretty nice alternative in budget builds.
  • 1 Hide
    Zeroplanetz , September 3, 2014 7:51 AM
    I understand the non optical bay but bring something sexy out with an optical bay as well! not everyone wants to go bay less. OR how about you bring the ability to add one of those super slim drives that doesn't have a slide out tray? you know where you just put the disc in and it spits it out? that would look amazing on something like this too.
  • 0 Hide
    amk-aka-Phantom , September 3, 2014 8:11 AM
    Quote:
    I understand the non optical bay but bring something sexy out with an optical bay as well! not everyone wants to go bay less. OR how about you bring the ability to add one of those super slim drives that doesn't have a slide out tray? you know where you just put the disc in and it spits it out? that would look amazing on something like this too.


    Umm, NZXT has PLENTY of really cool looking and functional cases with 5.25-inch bays.

    Quote:
    NZXT is just KILLING it with cases recently!!


    You mean "always", or at least "ever since Phantom Classic" :D 

    Quote:
    get an usb based optical drive... I got one here work like a charm. When u need it just plug'n'play


    Pretty much exactly the same thing I tell my clients who whine when I advise them a laptop without a DVD drive. Waste of space, outdated media.
  • 0 Hide
    Alex Kelly , September 3, 2014 8:50 AM
    I like this more than I like my H440 woooow I neeeed it
  • 0 Hide
    thundervore , September 3, 2014 9:31 AM
    FFS NZXT!!! make the PSU shroud removable!!

    It was a PIA to install my PSU and tie down the cables in the H440 before I installed anything else. Not to mention that when I went back to add another cable a month after building the system, pluggin it in blind was a challenge.
  • 0 Hide
    Alex Kelly , September 3, 2014 9:34 AM
    ^ True. I have the same issues. Makes cable management very hard.
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