NZXT Manta Review
Category : Cases
Published by Luca Rocchi on 06.04.16
With Manta, NZXT offers its first mini-ITX case designed for high-end systems. Since this is a rather large mini-ITX case, the Manta is capable of accommodating numerous fans and even up to three radiators. Apart from that the build quality looks decent as well and there are even good cable management options.
Rating |
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Cooling |
Features |
Layout |
Build Quality |
Value for Money |
| Pros |
+ Compatibility with watercooling gear
+ Numerous spots for
fans
+ Fan hub |
+ Dust filters |
+ Interior
space
+ Cable management |
+ Good build quality
+ Midplate PSU |
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| Cons |
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- Front dust filter not easy to remove |
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- Despite the good amount of features we believe that price is a bit too high |
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Preview
Specifications
| Model: |
Manta |
| Case Type: |
Mini tower |
| Dimensions: |
245 mm (W) x 426 mm (H) x 450 mm (D) |
| Material: |
Steel |
| Color: |
Black |
| Drive Bay: |
5.25": |
0 |
| 3.5": |
2 |
| 2.5": |
3 |
| Expansion
slots: |
2 |
| Form factors: |
mini-ITX |
| Cooling: |
Front: |
2x 120mm / 2x 140mm (2x 120mm included) |
| Rear: |
1x 120 / 1x 140mm (1x 120mm included) |
| Top: |
2x 120mm / 2x 140mm |
| Bottom: |
/ |
| Side: |
/ |
| Link to the product: |
NZXT Manta |
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Features
Dust filters
There are washable dust filters covering the bottom and the front part of the case. Thanks to a quick release system it's very easy and convenient to remove the bottom filter. Removing the front dust filter takes a bit more time. |
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PSU Cover
In order to hide all the cables connected to your power supply, there is a cover hiding away the unit. This helps creating a neat and clean looking system. |
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Watercooling ready
The Manta is also ready for watercooling gear. If you wish to install a custom loop, there is the possibility to equip this case with up to three radiators. Two of them can measure 240/280mm in lenght and the third could be a 120/140mm model. |
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LED and Fan Hub
NZXTs Manta features a practical fan controller located on the rear of the case. It's capable of driving a maximum of 8 fans for a total of 30W. In addition there is a LED controller in the top part of the case that will allow you to drive the two LED positioned on the I/O shield. |
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Product overview
Overview |
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| The NZXT Manta is a mini-tower case designed for mini-ITX motherboards. The entire front and a good part of the top segment is completely without any mesh or openings thus both areas are clean but not plain since the manufacturer used kind of like a puffy shape. Both side panels are solid, well-finished and again there is no mesh and there are no openings. The top part also features the I/O panel which comes with two USB 3.0 ports, audio jacks for headphones and microphone. The back panel is standard and here we find the opening for the 120/140mm fan, the space for the I/O backshield panel of the motherboard and two expansion slots. The bottom part of the case features an opening for the ATX power supply and the removable and washable dust filter. |
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Installation
Overview |
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The NZXT Manta is only compatible with mini-ITX systems. The motherboard is placed vertically and thanks to the size of the case you will not have any problems with the installation of large heatsinks. The motherboard tray is made of solid steel, and it features a big cut out behind the socket, which allows the user to install aftermarket CPU coolers without having to remove the motherboard. The tray features a few openings allowing for neat cable management. Between the motherboard tray and the right side panel there is enough space to hide plenty of cables. The case comes the latest features regarding internal layout and design, in fact, there is a big midplate covering the power supply and its cables. Overall, the NZXT Manta supports up to two 3.5" HDDs and three 2.5" SSDs, both in dedicated places and well hidden. Like with high-end cases, this model also features numerous eyelets that facilitate the wiring management.
For our test we used an MSI Z170I motherboard and a rather generously sized tower cooler from SilentiumPC and did not run into any compatibility issues, despite the small size of the case. Assembling a systems inside the Manta is easier than you might think thanks to the fact that the top panel is completely removable. The area dedicated to the graphics card is large enough to accommodate even the most powerful GPU available on the market, while the only limitation is the fact that there are only two expansion slots. After placing all the components inside the case you will end up with a clean rig. |
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Ventilation options
Overview |
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| As far as cooling is concerned, the Manta offers quite a few features. The front has enough space to be equipped with two 120/140mm fans (2x 120mm included in the delivery) and the back side comes with a pre-installed 120mm fan. The top of the case can be equipped with up to two 120mm or two 140mm fans. Apart from that you can install 280mm or 240/140/120 millimeter radiators as well. As previously mentioned, there are dust filters covering every single fan slot. We also like the fact, that there is an integrated fan controller, which lets you control up to eight fans. If you own a large graphics card or a huge cooler, graphics cards can measure up to 363 millimeter in length. Aircoolers can be up to 160 millimeter tall. |
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Temperatures
Overview |
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For testing purposes we're using an MSI Z170I Gaming Pro AC motherboard, an Intel Core i5-6600K CPU, which receives cooling through a SilentiumPC Fortis 3 HE1425 MCE cooler as well as a MSI GTX 970 Gaming 4G graphics card. To put the CPU under full load, we're running prime95 for 10 min and in the case of the GPU we use Furmark also for 10 minutes. After these ten minutes, we're going to write down the temperatures. The ambient temperature is close to 24°C. |
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All noise dampening panels installed |
Idle (°C) |
Full (°C) |
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Intel Core i5-6600K |
28 / 28 / 28 / 29 |
56 / 52 / 55 / 53 |
| MSI GTX 970 Gaming 4G |
47 |
67 |
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Less is better |
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Conclusion
The Manta is a mini-tower designed for those who wish to have a mini-ITX case with good airflow. First of all let's talk about the design. We understand that this point is always subjective and we would prefer a shape with a less curves. The NZXT Manta is a pretty big mini-ITX case and thanks to that you can install a large number of fans and radiators. Inside the bundle there are three 120mm fans and a small fan hub placed on the back panel; thanks to this hub you can attach up to 8 fans.
The black matte steel paired with small red details ensures great looks and the colors are perfect for every gaming setup since the red/black color scheme is pretty common. Build quality is on a very good level and what we expected from NZXT. Also all the plastic panels are well made and both side panels are quite heavy.
On the inside the Manta offers plenty of space and there are quite a few options for building a nice mini-ITX rig. You can install enough HDDs and/or SSDs. Apart from that power supplies can measure more than 160mm, which offers great flexibility in terms of choosing a suitable model. Even for the CPU cooler or GPU there is enough space for high-end components.
Despite the fact that the Manta offers an extensive bundle and a good amount of features, we believe that the price is still a bit too high. The NZXT Manta is available in different colors on Geizhals at a price of about 140 Euros and receives
4 stars out of 5.
