NZXT Source S340 Elite Tempered Glass ATX Case Review

Interior and Build Notes

We'll take a quick tour of the S340 Elite's interior, but first I will mention the tempered glass panel.

This is a pretty thick slab of glass, and has a nice finish with a beveled edge. The glass is held in place at the corners with four flat, cushioned screws, and the mounts themselves are cushioned as well:

The fact that a glass panel like this can survive ground shipping is a testament to the attention paid to cushioning it from the metal enclosure, as well as the substantial foam packaging keeping it safe in the box.

The interior is finished with the same matte black powder coat as the outside of the case, and has the same layout as the original S340 enclosure. The case has a little less space than most, given the compact size for an ATX enclosure, but there is still plenty of room for most system builds.

The rear of the S340 Elite includes a 120 mm exhaust fan, with a single 140 mm opening (and fan) up above. In the front there is considerably more space, and this is where a larger liquid cooler must be installed. Note the screen filter, which can be removed from the top or bottom slot of the enclosure.

Storage options begin on the floor of the case, which is actually a shroud covering the PSU. Here there are a pair of SSD mounts (along with one facing the front of the case).

Turning the case around, we'll have a look behind the motherboard tray:

There is a little more space than first appears thanks to the area created by the protruding panel next to the motherboard, and here NZXT has added latching plastic guides to help rout cables. This is a great idea, and should really help with a clean build.

With the SSD mounts up front, the only thing besides cables (and of course the PSU) is 3.5-inch hard drive compatibility, and there is a small cage in the lower left corner to accomidate a pair of drives.

Build Notes

Building in the S340 Elite was identical to my last attempt, and there was plenty of room for my test system inside – though I always use a 120 mm liquid cooler to ensure compatibility. The S340's one weakness is a limited amount of space inside for larger liquid coolers, though it's mainly up top that you will find any practical restriction.

Potential builders should note that the top of this enclosure will not support liquid coolers, as even a standard fan comes close to the top of the motherboard. My rear-mounted Corsair H75 cooler fit just fine, but if you are looking for compatibility with a dual-width radiator, look no further than the front of the S340:

As you can see, there is a lot of room up front, though it is possible to encounter depth issues with that trim panel if you attempt push-pull fans up front.

For further notes on the build process, please see our previous review of the Source S340.