Final Thoughts and Conclusion

NZXT set out to make an ultra premium enthusiast case. They get great marks for a good layout and style; the execution on the other hand was a little lacking. The Khaos sells for $449.99 plus shipping without a power supply, which makes it one of the most expensive cases available on the market today. I think that the price and weight of the case could have been lowered dramatically by not using the heatsink detail on the top and bottom of the case. Also, welding everything is a very nice touch that is unheard of on many lower priced cases, but if you're going to spend the time welding everything, why not make the welds look clean?  A good weld should look like a row of coins laid on its side. Not like a wad of gum was used to hold the part down. I know this sounds harsh, but for $450 you'd expect to see quality above and way beyond that of one of your lower line cases or at least a weld that looks better than what you can do in your garage with no experience.

When I first took the Khaos chassis out of the box and started to look it over I had no idea what it cost. My first impression of it was that I loved the layout and the room, but hated the side panels and the weight for being an all aluminum case. It¡¯s a good thing that NZXT put a handle and wheels on this thing. Loaded up with drives, a couple of PSU¡¯s and water cooling, it will get heavy quickly.

In all, the design was good, style was good, execution bad. The price on the Khaos threw the NZXT in the deep end with the likes of Lian Li who are well established high-end case manufacturers. NZXT needs to have a chat with the quality department and see what they can do about getting the weight down.

To be honest, I was a little shocked at the build quality for our Khaos. I have reviewed several NZXT cases, all I would have suggested to anyone. If I just paid $450, or referred someone to NZXT and they picked this case, I would be highly annoyed right now and just can't give this one the thumbs up.

Legit Bottom Line: The NXZT Khaos¡¯s design and style is great, but the floppy side panels and poor quality welds don't bode well with a $450 price tag.

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