System Build with the S340
With the trend toward eliminating 5.25” bays I’ve had the pleasure of assembling a number of systems in wide-open enclosures lately. With nothing obstructing any component installation the process is extremely easy, and with this S340 I had the main components installed in no time.
Interior of the S340 is wide open without any drive bays on this side
I’ll briefly pause here to talk about the side panels (come on, it's a case review after all!), which is a pet subject of mine when analysing enclosures. If you frequently swap out components, the quality and ease in removing and replacing side panels becomes a big part of the overall experience.
Back when I reviewed the NZXT H440 Razer Edition I was not impressed with the side panels and thumbscrews, as they were difficult to remove and would often stick into place. This couldn’t have been further from the experience with this S340 enclosure. I don’t know how much the glossy white finish played a role, but sliding the door panel on and off was very smooth for a steel enclosure. I’ve already gushed about the window plastic on this but I can’t get over how good this door is. (There, I’ve said it. I love the side panels on this case. Moving on.)
There is room for large radiators up to 280mm on the front fan mounts
There is a metal shield to the right of the motherboard that protrudes into the case interior, providing both a space to hide cables from the front and additional room for routing things behind the motherboard tray. This shield comes out far enough that I initially thought it would pose a clearance issue with my MSI R9 290X Lightning card (a BIG card), but this didn’t end up being the case. There was still a bit of space between the back of the card and this shield, and there is plenty of space for longer cards within the S340 as well.
The filter for the front fan mounts slides out from the top
Along with 120mm and 140/120mm fan mounts on the back and top respectively, there are a pair of 120/140mm fan mounts inside the front panel. This area is vented from the top and bottom, allowing the clean appearance of the case front. These fans mounts are protected from dust by a screen filter which is attached magnetically, and simply slides up and out of the vent on the top of the case.
Power
The power supply is mounted down below the motherboard in an area partitioned off from the rest of the enclosure. This is identical to the design of the H440, and it has the advantage of providing the perfect place to hide cable mess from the power supply. The PSU mounts first to a removable bracket, and then slides into place secured by four thumbscrews. Once installed there is plenty of room for power cables behind the partition covering this area.
Storage
The storage options for the S340 are limited to three 3.5” hard drives located behind behind the front of the case, and two 2.5” SSD mounts up front under the motherboard (identical to the H440 again here).
The 2.5” mounts sit atop the partition covering the PSU
First we'll look at the front 2.5" mounts, which are removed with a single thumbscrew each and slide out easily. Installation was as easy as possible here, and routing for the power and SATA cables is ideal with cutouts positioned behind the drives.
An SSD mounted to one of the slide-out 2.5" drive trays
Next we'll look at 3.5” hard drive support, and with these mounts I finally found something I didn’t like with the S340. It’s easy to slide a hard drive in to one of the bays, but securing it requires removal of the front panel (installing a third drive requires screwing it directly to the case floor below this bracket) . This isn’t especially difficult but it would have been nice to see the same HDD trays from the H440 here. However, considering the considerable price difference between this and the H440, it's really not so bad.
The 3.5" drive bracket is located in the back of the enclosure
Finishing Up
I used an ATX motherboard for this build, and there is support for both micro-ATX and mini-ITX if you’re so inclined. The build process was very smooth, and I finished the process before I could think of taking more photos. Routing cables was painless with plenty of room behind the motherboard tray, and overall I really enjoyed the build process. Every step of the way this felt like a premium enclosure that would cost a lot more.
Now it’s time to look at the finished build and test it out!
Excellent writeup. Fully
Excellent writeup. Fully comprehend the capabilities of this case, and easy to parse with lovely macro photos. Nicely done Seb.
Thanks! I do like that macro
Thanks! I do like that macro lens…
Not a terrible deal but I
Not a terrible deal but I would still rather pay 40 more dollars for the H440. Just a lot bigger and better cooling.
Nice review, form factor is
Nice review, form factor is very appealing and the case looks quality inside and out. Liquid cooler is a nice inclusion to the system.
Nice review!
Maybe if you
Nice review!
Maybe if you would have used the other included 120mm fan as an intake fan you could have achieved better thermal results!
Agreed, it isn’t always ideal
Agreed, it isn’t always ideal but I do try to keep things as close to default as possible for thermal testing. It ships with the top and rear exhaust fans in place and I didn’t want to modify that when comparing it to the other cases.
is it me or is that msi
is it me or is that msi Lightning extremely bent ….
It did sag noticeably – but
It did sag noticeably – but this one always does in standard ATX orientation due to weight. The card itself is straight on my testbench
Heeey, another Sebastian’s
Heeey, another Sebastian’s chassis review. (^o^)/ Nice one, man.
You said that your pet subject is the side panel. Give us more photos of it, not just the corner… full perspective inside and outside, and do scrutinize it more. Weigh it. Lol :D. I think I know why it slides easier than H440. It has a lighter material and no dampening foam on the right side, less weight less friction.
Some insights for case manufacturers, if you can pass on to them Sebastian, would be awesome:
Look at that drooping, slanting of the GPU’s PCB with its massive heatsink. Why won’t chassis makers be creative about air-cooled GPU support. Yes, water-cooled is still a small percentage of the crowd. Actually, this S340 actually has that vertical panel that could be a potential for a GPU support’s mod… or a velcro, lmao 😉
Also, SSDs’ form factor which is 2.5″ should be more prioritized than 3.5″ nowaday. They should add more options to it. A simple piece of metal, two of them in each side with holes to attach the SSDs, stacked up with a bit of space between is a simple solution on this particular chassis. SSDs don’t vibrate anyway. That would be 2×2 or an option for 2×3, etc etc.
Err, thanks for reading the rambling of a chassis enthusiast. Keep up the good work! 🙂
Thanks! Nice to know there
Thanks! Nice to know there are more case enthusiasts out there. I thought about the SSD bracket idea, and I have the feeling it’s kind of tied to price, however unfairly. A $69 case isn’t intended for the person who’d buy 4 SSD’s…BUT with the lower cost of the case there would be more $$$ to buy more SSD’s. It seems like it would be a simple matter to have them stacked with a side bracket, so maybe we’ll see that more going forward. This design is based on the H440 so we’ll probably have to wait for a totally new chassis to see more SSD options.
Also, I am torn on the GPU support problem. I don’t like the cards to sag, but I don’t like support brackets. If they had a way to attach an arm to the back that helped hold it from that direction I’d like it. The front-mounted supports are harder to work with. Let’s go with the Velcro idea 🙂