reviews TESTED. REVIEWED. VERDICTIZED
66 MA XIMUMPC MARCH 2006
T
he Nextherm is one heck of an
interesting case, as it’s the first PC
enclosure we’ve ever tested that
features “air conditioning.” What does that
mean? Inside of the case is a Peltier cold
plate. In action, air passing over the cold
plate is chilled before moving onto all the
internal components. Amazingly, it works
exactly as advertised. Couple this surpris-
ingly effective cooling setup with a solid,
well-made case and you’ve got a tantaliz-
ing enclosure that almost justifies its exor-
bitant price tag.
First, a bit more detail about the A/C
unit: There’s an intake fan in the lower-
front portion of the case, behind which
sits a large copper heatsink mounted to
the Peltier cold plate. If you don’t already
know, a Peltier cooler is a thermoelectric
device that uses electric current to produce
opposing temperatures on either side of
the plate. In this situation, the cold plate
faces up, toward the heatsink, and the hot
plate faces down, toward the floor. A plas-
tic “ramp” connected to the heatsink/cold
plate directs air up toward the hard drives
and the GPU/CPU area.The whole sys-
tem is controlled via
a panel located at
the top of the front
bezel. This slick
contraption features
a color LCD display,
a button to turn the
display on/off, a
button to change
the intensity of the
cooling system,
and temperature
readouts. You can
turn off all cooling
(for quiet opera-
tion), have just the
intake fan running,
or turn on “snow”
mode, which acti-
vates the Peltier
cooler, which is very
effective at blast-
ing super-chilled air
into the case. The
only drawback is
that the A/C unit is
somewhat loud. It
doesn’t sound like
a Boeing 747, but
it’s not going to win
over any lovers of quiet computing.
“Great,” you’re thinking; “but does it
actually make a difference?” Yes, it actually
does. Although we couldn’t discern a differ-
ence in CPU temps, our 6800 GT videocard
ran a full 6 C cooler with the A/C on. It also
thoroughly cools the hard drives, and the
capacitors around the CPU.
Cooling aside, the Nextherm is a struc-
turally sturdy, steel enclosure. The expan-
sive interior is mostly tool-less. Pop-on rails
are used for the 5.25-inch bays, so you
just snap them on and slide the drives into
their respective bays. Little plastic holders
affix your PCI-slot devices, and they’re rela-
tively easy to use. Just lift up the bracket,
slide the device into its slot, then push the
bracket down and it’s secure.
The only parts that require tools are the
two 3.25-inch drive bays. This is clearly a
shortcoming of this case, but we don’t see
it as a deal breaker, as not many peoplehave more than two hard drives.
There are FireWire, USB, and audio
ports under a discrete flap on top of the
case. The solid-black front bezel is under-
stated yet sexy, and features a pop-open
door that reveals the front drive bays.
We were skeptical prior to reviewing
the Nextherm, but we’re believers now.
It’s a bit pricey and lacking in the storage
department, but it’s otherwise an out-
standing case.
—JOSH NOREMSytrin Nextherm
ICS 8200 ML
It’s an air-conditioned case—and it actually works!
The Nextherm’s cooling apparatus is in the lower front. When
activated, it gets mighty cold, chilling the air passing over it. The
air is then sent up the curved, plastic ramp into the case.A color LCD reveals the status of the cooling system and the
case temperatures. Two probes are included, and you can attach
them wherever you’d like.$360, http://www.sytrin.comSYTRIN NEXTHERM ICS 8200 MLAIRY
Big, solid, chilly, sexy.
HAIRY
Expensive; only two 3.5-inch 9
bays; noisy with A/C on.Tall, dark, and handsome; the
Nextherm’s unassuming exterior belies
its fancy innards.