With 4 fans already installed, there’s certainly enough airflow to avoid adding more, but liquid coolers are supported, including the NZXT Kraken. Â My Kraken X62 was a tight fit, but a 2 fan cooler should be pretty easy to install and will leave more space for further cable and hard drive management. Â Existing fan cable management is also good, with the cables rooted close to the case and out of the way of further cables you may need to install.
There are also 2 extra drive bays at the base of the unit with slide out drawers that were perfect for an SSD drive, and a good side cut-out behind them for storing cables from the drives and expansion cards. Â With a full size motherboard, it can seem a little cramped getting to the USB headers and the bottom expansion slot, though, so installing drives should come after everything else.
Noise levels when running games were surprisingly low, even with the 140mm fan running at full speed. Â The airflow in the case helps to keep temperatures low and, therefore, fans don’t need to do as much work (it also helps having a good cooler) and the air vents at the top of the case seem to work equally well at expelling air.
While it doesn’t have the spongy sound dampening approach of the H440, the case still manages to keep general sound levels to a minimum and there is plenty of airflow at the base thanks to 4 large feet that keep it off the ground.
Conclusion
The ROG model of the 450 Noctis may not be for everyone, it’s designed primarily for those who have already bought into ASUS Aura Sync compatible gear, or who plan to as part of an easy to manage lighting system. Â That said, the case is still a very good choice, thanks to the original design, and the extra features and built in RGB fans and light strips help to make this the best choice out there for fans of everything glowing.
The NZXT 450 Noctis ROG full specs are below:
| Dimensions | 220 x 567 x 544mm |
| Material(s) | SECC Steel, ABS plastic |
| Weight | 9.6 kg |
| Motherboard Support | mini-ITX, microATX, ATX |
| I/O Ports | 1x Audio/Mic 2x USB 3.0 2x USB 2.0 |
| Filters | Front (Included) Bottom Rear(Included) |
| Drive Bays | Internal 3.5″: 6 Internal 2.5″: 8 |
| Expansion Slots | 7 |
| Fan Support | Front: 2x 140/3x120mm (3 x 120mm FN V2 Case version fans included) Top: 2x 140/3x120mm Rear: 1x 140/120mm (1 x 140mm FN V2 Case version fans included) |
| Fan Model | FN V2 140 (Case Version) Speed: 1,000 RPM Airflow: 50 CFM Noise: 21 dBA FN V2 120 (Case Version) Speed: 1,200 RPM Airflow: 45 CFM Noise: 21 dBA |
| Radiator Support | Front 2 x 140 or 3 x 120mm Top 2 x 140 or 3 x 120mm Rear 1 x 140/120mm |
| Clearance | GPU Clearance with HDD Cage: 294mm GPU Clearance without HDD Cage: 406.2mm CPU Cooler: 180mm Cable Management Lowest Point – 17.7mm; Highest Point: 32.5mm |
NZXT Noctis 450 ROG Case
Pros
- Lighting looks great when synced
- Easy access to all areas of the case
- Good space behind motherboard for wiring
- Great airflow with built in fans
Cons
- Only fully useful with Asus Aura Sync Motherboards
- Premium price for lighting
