NZXT’s Adamas computer case is a nice-looking piece of aluminum, but unfortunately isn't well suited to gamers.

If you’re a regular Gameworld Network reader, you may recall that we’ve reviewed two other cases from NZXT over the past few months: the Lexa and the Zero . As with its cousins, NZXT aimed the Adamas, the subject of today’s review, at the gaming/enthusiast market, although their specific target seems to be those looking for a shorter, solid case that gets the job done without the blue LEDs favored by most gamers. Does the Adamas live up to the favorable standards set by its predecessors? We take a look and see.

Installation

If nothing else, NZXT definitely knows how to craft a looker. Right out of the box the Adamas’s crisp lines, smart exterior and attractive front panel and optical drive hideaways make for a great first impression. The case is made of light but sturdy aluminum and seems solid enough – the manufacturer claims it can support up to 300 pounds and certainly will withstand the normal wear and tear of installation and transport, should you want to take it to a LAN party. The side panel comes off quickly and easily by pressing two buttons, while the front panel detaches by pulling a steel loop below the front of the case – a nice feature that makes removing the metal panel much easier than plastic-paneled cases I’ve worked with.

Inside the case, things are clean and spare. Like the Zero and Lexa, the Adamas has undergone a recent redesign and there are some points of similarity: the markings engraved next to a hole in the motherboard tray for different size motherboards, for example. However, there are some areas where the Adamas falls short of its cousins, including two things that surprised me right from the start: first, NZXT did not use the same drive cage in the Adamas as the other two models; rather than going for the more useful side-mounting design, the Adamas’s drive cage mounts front to back.

Second, instead of incorporating the excellent screwless drive mounts found in the Lexa and the Zero, all of the drive mounts require screws. These two changes mean that you need to remove both case panels to mount drives and then use a screwdriver to get everything to fit properly – not something people with frequently changing installations should have to tackle in this day and age.