NAYA Design cristO Classic Review

Most computer buffs are now well aware of the case modding phenomena that has taken hold over the last couple of years. More and more manufacturers are taking note and producing more products. The pre modified case is now a common site, usually they consist of a normal ATX case with a perspex window and possibly some kind of lighting system. Naya have taken this one giant step further with the crist0 classic mid atx case. It combines aluminium and perspex to create a spectacular looking case.

What are the specs of the case?

• 5.25" Bays (Exposed) x 3
• 3.5" Bays (Exposed) x 1
• 3.5" Bays (Internal) x 4
• Form Factor: - ATX Mid-Tower
• Material: - Aluminium/Perspex
• Case :10.0 Kg
• Dimensions(WxHxD): 190 x 450 x 470 mm
• One 80 mm x 80 mm x 25 mm Fan attached back panel.(intake)
• One 120 mm x 120 mm x 25 mm Fan attached top panel.(outake)
• Removable Side Panel
• Optional Space for another 120mm fan

Packaging

I wasnt actually expecting a parcel when I got ring at the door with a parcel this cold wet morning but I was really intrigued as to who had sent me what. I guessed it was a case from the size and remembered about the Naya case. The case came in a big brown box , in which I was expecting the case to be packaged inside, this wasnt the case. In fact there was another box inside with supports to keep it central inside the bigger brown box. The second box is a retail design box with some nice packing to keep the case nice and safe from the courier from hell.

First Impressions

So packaging aside I wanted to get a look at this case as I knew relatively little about it, apart from it was perspex and aluminium in build. My first reaction to the case was WOW , most of the case is clear perspex with aluminium sections at the base, front and rear. This gives a view of all of the internals of the case not just a small section like with a case window. The second thing I noticed was the slightly upside down approach in the design of the case , as you can see the power supply is mounted at the bottom of the case and the drive bays are also at the bottom of the case. I was very interested to see how this would affect the practicalities of using the case.
This case is a mid tower ATX case, it has plenty of drive space with three 5 and 1/4 bays , 1 external floppy bay and 4 hard disc bays.

Getting inside

Getting inside the case is very simple first off there is a lock at the rear of the case that keeps the side panel in place and prevents anybody tinkering with the internals. The side panel is an all perspex affair that slides off to the rear of the case in a very smooth action. There is a little recessed section to aid its removal. The right hand panel is the only removable section , the other panel is firmly glued into place. I was worried that this would mean fitting everything was going to be a nightmare, but Naya had clearly thought about this, on the left hand side there are some carefully positioned holes that allow access to all the screw points in the drive bays When it came to fitting the motherboard again this is very easy , there is lots of space inside the case and the lack of a removable motherboard tray is not a hindrance. The motherboard is mounted on little spacers which are easily moved and attached to allow for different types of motherboard. Here is where you run into the first problem with the case , the atx plate is screwed in by two small screws it is completly custom for this case and of course will only fit certain motherboards. With more and more motherboards having different arrangements of outputs on the back panel this is a problem. if your motherboard is slightly different you will have to remove the plate entirely which doesnt look very nice.

Fitting the drives is relatively simple but the hard disc fitting is slightly fiddly on the left hand side as you have to get the screw in place without dropping it into the case. I took several attempts before finally getting it in place. There are plenty of PCI slots spare and they are easy to access with the side panel removed, I would have preferred to see thumbscrews instead of normal screws. Note there are no blanking plates for slots not used. This isnt a problem really but it can look untidy with all the gaps.

Fitting the Power Supply

As I've said already Naya have broken the norm with their choice of Power Supply position, instead of the normal top back mounting point for the power supply it is located at the bottom of the case This to my mind is both a good and bad thing , the plus side is that it keeps the hot psu well away from the CPU. Unfortunately it comes with two drawbacks , one is that you will have the main ATX power cable for the motherboard stretching right across the motherboard to its plug (usually towards the top of the motherboard). Also twin fan psu's will have the bottom fan completely blocked rendering it pretty useless, short of modifying the case to have a grill/blowhole below the PSU. In terms of actually fitting the power supply , you run into a problem I hadnt encountered before and that is choice of screws to attach the PSU. Due to the thickness of the aluminium section at the rear normal screws simply are too short, but Naya will be providing extra long screws so this shouldnt be a problem.

Cooling

These days one of the most important attributes of a case is its ability to cool the CPU and other components properly In this case there are two fans one rear mounted 80mm fan and one top mounted 120mm fan. These are both wired into the same molex connector which is nice to see. If this is not enough for you there is another mounting for a second 120mm fan at the top of the case. I would have liked to have seen this installed by default. Naya have informed me that this will be an option when buying the case. In terms of actual air flow from the fans things are not so good. The rear fan is blocked badly by the way the fan grill is cut out of the back panel. And the top fan also suffers from the same fault but by not as much. The 120mm fan still pushes a fair amount of air to over come this. The rear fan was only held in by two mounting points but these seemed to hold it more than securely enough so it wasnt an issue.

LED's and Switches

The power and reset switches can both be found at the front of the case , along with three LED's. There are two hard disc LED's and one power LED. Unfortunately the unit I had came with jumpers for the motherboard connections that wouldnt fit. I have spoken to Naya and this problem has already be noticed and fixed so it shouldnt be an issue any longer. All the cables are neatly bundled into a single cable to keep the case nice and tidy , something thats very important as you can see everything. The switches are a nice silver colour that match the case perfectly , I would have preferred a slightly firmer action but its really minor complaint. All the switches and LED's are labelled clearly its also nice to see a second hard disc LED as many people now have more than one hard disc it could also be used for other uses for those with a single hard disc such as network activity.

Where does the case fit in.

The difficulty with this case is where it fits into the case market. I time of press the price of the case is 660 euro's this is an enormous amount for a computer case, most people moan at the high price of coolermaster cases. I spoke to Naya on this issue and the quoted 660 euro's price from their website is "This price is the maximum recommended. You can find lower prices at some dealers." If they case is available at half that quoted price I would recommend it for someone wanting a unique case where you can see all the internals. It has adequate cooling for most people, those wanting high overclocks should look elsewhere.

Gallery

Full Image Gallery

Pro's

• Looks
• Very Unique
• Good access for motherboard
• Lockable side panel
• Solidly Built

Con's

• Price
• PSU position
• No removable drive tray or bays
• Drive fitting slightly fiddly
• ATX blanking plate will not fit all motherboards
• No PCI blanking plates
• No use of thumbscrews
• Fans not clear from obstructions
• No second 120mm fan included as default

Conclusion

This case is certainly unique, if you are after a good quality mid tower case that looks very special then this case is certainly one you should consider. That said the high price means that very few could afford this choice.