Installation
The internal layout of the NZXT Tempest chassis is pretty typical for a standard mid-tower ATX style case except the PSU is located at the bottom. The overall installation of basic components was accomplished with ease. As you will see in the following pictures there is plenty of room to work inside the Tempest enclosure.Power Supply
The power supply slides into position from inside the enclosure. It is supported by a small metal bracket shelf. Once in position the power supply is secured with four screws thru the backside panel. Note: There is no opening in the bottom of the case underneath the power supply so if you use a PSU with a bottom intake fan, be sure to mount the PSU facing up.
Exposed Drive Bays – Optical Drives
Before a 5.25” drive or bay device can be mounted a black mesh bay cover must be removed from inside the front bezel. You can either attach two of the provided drive rails and slide the drive in from the front or just lock a drive into position with the tool-less side latch. In practice neither of these mounting arrangements proved to be very robust. They are convenient for a quick install but the tried-and-true method of using four machine screws to mount the drive is a lot more secure.
The Tempest enclosure comes with one 3.5” bay adapter mounted into one of the upper drive bays, which can be easily removed if not needed.
Internal Hard Disc Drives
Both of the 3.5” HDD cages are removable. They are secured with machine screws on the front panel and just slide out when released. The HDD cages are designed to mount up to four 3.5” drives each and include a 120mm cooling fan on the front. Dedicated rails are provided for every HDD position. To mount a HDD you just position a rail on both sides of the HDD and slide it into the drive cage until it seats.
ATX Motherboard
I installed a full size ATX motherboard (Asus P5N32-SLI Deluxe) and dual video cards into the NZXT Tempest enclosure without issues. The chassis uses threaded standoffs for mounting points and everything lined up and fit perfectly. As you can see in the photos there is a good bit of room around the motherboard area to work and connect cables – very nice.
