MSI Nighthawk Case/Chassis Review

Evaluation and Conclusion:

The build quality is surprisingly high for a case in this price range; normally I’d expect much more rattling and flex. This case is not without issues, however. The drive retention clips ended up not working all that well; I opted instead to simply screw the drives in place. Obviously, there is no accommodation for a 2.5″ drive, the SSD on my test rig ended up dangling from its cables in the lowermost 5.25″ bay just to keep it clear of other wiring. I would expect this feature to become more standard as time goes on. For a case in this price range the exclusion of a 2.5″ bracket is disappointing, but not surprising.

Obviously, a $75 case is going to come with compromises. The Nighthawk’s design is surprisingly robust for its weight, and has a few really nice features. The card reader in particular is a feature I’d like to see included in more cases; the prevalence of digital cameras makes this a natural addition. The included fans are not terribly powerful, but they’re quiet, and positioned where they’ll do the most good. The grommet mounting holes on the door panel are a nice touch; they eliminate any vibration noise the side fan might otherwise cause.

There were some issues, however. The tool-less drive retention brackets didn’t work as well as they could have, and are largely unnecessary. A case in this range typically gets parts put in once, and then is left alone for most of its lifespan; for this purpose, ordinary screws work just fine. The motherboard tray cutout doesn’t line up with the cpu socket on any current generation motherboard, it could have safely been omitted.

This is a case I wanted to like; it looked to have a nice mix of features for an acceptably low price tag—$75 at time of publication. That said, a little more thought and care going into the little details would have made this a much stronger product. If you’re looking for a nice case to stuff a budget gaming PC into, the MSI Nighthawk will certainly fit the bill. Owners of hotter, higher-end hardware will need to think carefully before taking the plunge on this purchase.

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