Final words and conclusion

The NZXT Adamas leaves an enthusiast with mixed emotions. It truly is an extremely high quality, top end case, but as with most “hardcore” things it also has several drawbacks. The price tag of the Adamas is wallet breaking. The ergonomics are pretty limited since besides the only screw-less parts of the case are the side panels, (don’t forget that you cannot secure these since there are no screw holes at all) making the use of the Adamas in any insecure area impossible. For a normal system it provides more than enough space inside, but not nearly as much as other monster cases can offer around this price range. And while the side panel fans are on, the Adamas will never be entirely silent.

Negatives aside, the appearance is simplistic yet quite striking at the same time, very much a work of art. The thermal performance is exceptional, maintaining system temperatures at a very low level, but also dramatically aiding the cooling of the disk drives. Finally, after examining the Adamas carefully, we can state that the build quality is as close to flawless as we have seen and we don’t say this lightly. There is not a single plastic part on the Adamas and most are made of 3mm thick anodized aluminium, assuring us that this chassis will last a lifetime.

So, the question is, would we recommend the NZXT Adamas to you? We are afraid that there is no simple answer to that. The Adamas is much like a no compromise sports car in that it does not offer the comfort and convenience of a luxurious convertible, nor the space of a large station wagon. A strange analogy perhaps, yet it strikes a spot in the heart very few competing products achieve.

Because the Adamas aims at a specific market range, we present it with the DriverHeaven’s Shortlist Award. It is more a work of art than a simple computer case, made to fit the needs of hardcore users and nobody else.

What do these awards mean?

The average price of the Adamas is around $200 in the US at the time of this review.