The biggest risk my laptop has ever faced while out blogging in the field was greasy fingerprints from a tradeshow box lunch. Thankfully it just barely survived that daunting ordeal, but I guess there are bloggers out there who take things to more extremes than I do. Why else would you need a padded, double-sealed laptop sleeve that not only protects it from bumps and scrapes, but is also waterproof? I do really like the ‘Mandarin’ orange color scheme, and the sleeve is available in 15 & 17-inch sizes, but the only time my laptop is ever in any risk of falling in the drink is when I’m standing too close to a fountain in Vegas.

[ Haglöfs Laptop Drybags ] VIA [ Stilsucht ]

By Chris Scott Barr

First Buckyballs, then a Mophie Juice Pack Air, now another contest!? That’s right, we know exactly what you guys love. Yes, you love reading about all of the latest gadgets and gizmos, but we know you love winning free stuff. So what’s on the plate for this week? A pair of cases from NZXT.

We’ve got both the Beta EVO and M59 chassis up for grabs. All you need to do is leave a comment telling us why you need to upgrade your PC case. You might be wondering why we left out the awesome Lexa S from the contest. Our friends over at GamerFront are having their own giveaway, with that as the prize. By all means, head over to their contest page and get signed up!

As David mentioned before, we’re going to be changing up the way we give away some of our prizes here at OhGizmo. This contest won’t be following the new rules just yet, but in the future we’re going to try to reward people that are more active commenters in general.

[ NZXT ]

This post is syndicated with permission from GamerFront.net

To round out our trio of NZXT cases, I present the Lexa S Mid Tower Chassis. This is the higher-end of NZXT’s case offerings. As such, it bears a premium price over the other two that we’ve reviewed in the last week. Do the extra features justify the extra cost? Read on to find out.

Features

You’re going to see most of the features that were on the Beta EVO and M59 cases here. Bottom-mounted PSU, pre-cut holes for cable management and holes for a liquid cooling system are all present. The SSD bracket and smoke colored window from the M59 are also found here. Not everything is the same, as you’ll find an extra pair of fans, as well as individual controls for the intake and exhaust fans. They also included rubber inserts for the cable management holes. These help keep the cables exactly where you want them, and are certainly appreciated.

First Look

The fist thing you’ll notice with the Lexa S is the large “shield” covering most of the front. It is rather minimalistic from the front. You’ll find a grill on the bottom for the front ventilation, a single chrome accent and a trio of LED bars. If you swing open the front, you’ll find something not on the other two cases. A pair of knobs is present, which gives you control of two sets of fans (up to two fans per knob can be controlled). This allows you to adjust the noise:temperature ratio as you please.

Inside you’ll see a familiar sight, as it looks virtually identical to the M59, complete with an all-black interior and SSD bracket. The only things that you’ll notice are the extra fans and the rubber inserts for the cable management.

Installation

There’s really not much to add here that wasn’t covered in the M59 review. Since the two are almost identical on the inside, I’d hate to bore you with all of the details again. I will mention that the rubber inserts do clean up the look of the finished product a bit. I’m a big stickler for proper cable management, so that means big points in my book. You’ve also got a few extra wires to deal with, thanks to the fan controls on the front. In a case without dedicated cable management features, this sort of thing would be annoying. However, once everything was in place I barely noticed the wires, as they were hidden behind the other side panel.

Verdict

The Lexa S rounds out our trio of NZXT reviews, taking its place as the highest priced of the three. The $69 price puts it $10 above the M59 and $20 over the Beta EVO. For the extra price you’re getting dedicated fan controls, extra fans and rubber inserts for the cable management holes. In my opinion it’s more than worth it. That said, this is my favorite cases to date.

[ NZXT ] VIA [ GamerFront ]

This post is syndicated with permission from GamerFront.net

Last week I showed you the M59 chasis from NZXT and promised reviews on a couple of their other new cases. Well you can stop holding your breath, as today I’ll be reviewing the Beta EVO Mid Tower Chassis. This is one of their sub-$50 cases, which makes it more of a budget offering. When you start getting into that price range, many cases tend to be lacking in both features and quality. Lets see if that’s the case here.

Features

Being the budget case that it is, it’s not surprising to see a general lack of extra features. You’ll find punched-out holes for cable management, as well as one beneath the CPU (just as the M59 had) and holes for accommodating a liquid cooling setup. You’ll also find room for 6 fans (only one is included) and a screwless installation solution for your optical and hard drives.

First Look

Once again, the budget case won’t win any awards in the looks department. Granted, some people prefer more of the plain black look, with nothing flashy going on. If you’re one of those people, then this will be great for you. You aren’t going to see a side window, or fancy LED lights here. It’s something nice and clean that would look good sitting in an office or at your house. Surprisingly, the interior is also all black, despite the fact that it isn’t visible without the side being removed.

Installation

Just as with the M59, the pre-cut holes work wonders for cable management. Even though there’s no window showing of the inside of your PC, it’s still nice to have all of your cables out of the way. The same hole is also there to access your CPU bracket in the event that you want to change out your heatsink/fan for something a little more heavy-duty.

NZXT has chosen to go with a screwless installation design for your optical and hard drives. I’m not a huge fan of them in general, but I don’t have any specific complaints about their screwless solution. It works well, and does make it fairly simple to install and remove components. The Beta EVO is also setup for a bottom-mounted power supply for better airflow. There is also a removeable air filter for the PSU.

One of the biggest issues I tend to see with budget cases is the quality of the material used. I’ll commend NZXT for not sacrificing quality on this case. You won’t find a sharp edge in the case, and the metal used is thick and sturdy. I always say that you can tell the quality of a case by how heavy  it is. I don’t know the exact weight, but it feels solid when you pick it up.

Verdict

The Beta EVO Classic Series Mid Tower chassis is a good solid budget case. If you aren’t looking for anything fancy and don’t want to spend any more than you have to, then this $49 case might be what you need. However, For the $10 difference, I think that you’d be much happier with the M59. It’s got more in the looks department, and you’ll find things like an SSD bracket and extra fans.

[ NZXT ] VIA [ GamerFront ]

This post is syndicated with permission from GamerFront.net

No one can accuse NZXT of slacking off when it comes to releasing new PC cases. We’ve got three of their latest offerings in our office, and we’ll be bringing you full reviews on each over the next week or so. First up is their M56 Classic Series ATX Mid Tower chassis.

NZXT has always found a good balance between price and performance. The M56 falls into what I’d consider the mid-range of cases in terms of pricing. But the real question is whether or not the hardware is worth the price. Read on for my full review.

Features

The M56 has room for up to 5 fans, and includes a pair of 9-fin rifle bearing fans to keep things cool. If liquid-cooling is your thing, then you’ll be happy to find pre-drilled holes and support for a dual radiator at the top of the case. You’ll also find punched holes for cable management and quick access to the back of the motherboard (where the CPU would normally be). One of my favorite features is the included brackets for dual SSD drives. With prices coming down on SSD’s, this is soon going to be a necessity on all future cases.

First Look

This case is all about angles. The front has a nice zig-zag shape, which is just rounded enough to give it an interesting look. It’s almost refreshing to see a case that’s not either perfectly square or rounded outwards like most others. The M56 is black, inside and out, with blue LED accents in just the right places. The power button has a soft blue ring around it (not a bright blinding light as I’ve seen on other cases) and you’ll find an LED bar just above the optical drive bays. It’s almost completely hidden from view, since the top sticks out a bit. However, it gives off a soft glow so that you can see your USB, eSATA and audio ports on the front when you’re gaming in the dark.

Like many other cases out there, you’ll find a window on the side. Unlike most cases, the window is a smoked color, leaving the inside of your case a bit of a mystery. The side-mounted fan also has a soft blue LED glow, letting onlookers get just a peek at the enclosed hardware. Personally, I think that it could do with one more set of LEDs for the perfect lighting, but that’s just me. Inside you’ll also notice that the power supply is mounted on the bottom, rather than the top. Many cases are going to this style, due to the better airflow

Installation

One of the most important things to consider in a case is how easy the installation process is. After all, a case can outlive the the components by a long time. Well the M56 makes things about as painless as it gets. First, there are no sharp edges in the case (I’ve yet to find one from these guys that I’ve worried about cutting myself on) which is a big deal. The pre-cut holes in the back of the case (where you’ll mount the motherboard) are perfect for running cables and keeping them out of the way.

I’d like to take a second to point out the giant hole over which your CPU will eventually sit. This is such an awesome feature. Why? If you’ve ever decided to add a liquid cooling solution to your system, you know that you have to take the entire motherboard off, just so you can change out the heatsink mounting brackets. This eliminates the need to remove the board, thus making installation a breeze.

I’d also like to note that instead of trying to implement some sort of screwless solution for the hard drives and optical drives, NZXT just supplied a crapload of thumbscrews. 16 to be exact. I’m not a big fan of most screwless solutions, so I welcome the bag of thumbscrews. You’ll also find room for larger graphics cards, up to 10.5-inches long. The last thing I’ll mention here is the mounting brackets for SSD drives. It’s really not anything too special, just a pair of rails that slide into a 5.25-inch bay. It’s simple and effective.

Verdict

The M59 Classic Series Mid Tower chassis is yet another solid offering from NZXT. These guys are constantly updating their line of cases, but rarely are they simple cosmetic changes. The pre-cut hole beneath the CPU and inclusion of a SSD bracket prove that these guys know what consumers want and need. At $59, this case has a lot to offer without breaking the bank.

[ NZXT ] VIA [ GamerFront ]

By Chris Scott Barr

I’m all about having a kick-ass case for my gaming rig. I like having something to show off that not only look cool, but is easy to work with in terms of upgrades. I’ve owned and reviewed quite a few different cases over the years, and I have to say, this new Level 10 from Thermaltake tops them all.

The case was designed by BWM Designworks USA, where they were obviously thinking outside the box. Or rather, they were thinking about what’s usually located inside the box. Instead of having a big rectangle for a case, they chose to outline each component, putting it in its own compartment. Each compartment features its own cooling system, ensuring that you’ll never have to worry about overheating. You’ve got room for six hot-swappable SATA drives and three optical drives. My only concern is that you might not have enough room for some of the longer video cards. Oh, and that little $700 price tag might also be an issue for some.

[ ThermalTake ] VIA [ Dvice ]

It might have been caught in the rain a couple of times, but I’m generally pretty good at protecting my iPhone from most liquid hazards. So there’s no chance I would ever take it near a pool, lake or ocean. But supposedly this waterproof case from Sanwa would make it safe for one to do so. Not only does it provide access to the touchscreen while the iPhone is safe inside, but there’s also a clear window allowing the camera to still be used, and a waterproof adapter for connecting a pair of headphones without liquids getting into the case. It’ll only set you back about $34, but before I took the plunge (ha! get it?) I think I’d like to see someone else give it a go first.

[ Sanwa Waterproof iPhone Case ] VIA [ DVICE ]

By David Ponce

Within 24 hours of the 5G iPod nano announcement, the design community at Quirky had come up with a pretty cool case for it.

This case maintains a slim profile while adding a ton of functionality. We’re talking: hard plastic exterior, cord wrap, shock-resistant silicone core, as well as full body and screen protection.

Oh, but that’s only half of it. This case comes packed with a hand steadying video grip that transforms into vertical and horizontal kickstands.

That’s a lot of simple, ingenious features for a little $15. It’s currently on pre-order, with 35 out of the needed 300 pre-orders filled. Once that number is reached, you can expect to receive the product within 6 weeks.

[ Product Page ] VIA [ Crunchgear ]

The recession hit everybody pretty hard, and if you’re like us, you barely managed to scrape together enough money from between the couch cushions to replace your aging iPhone 3G with the 3GS. So where are you supposed to find the cash to buy a case in order to protect your investment? Well thankfully Case-Mate has come to the rescue with their specially designed iPhone 3G/3GS Recession Case.

Constructed from only the finest machine mass-produced cardboard (100% recycled) the case won’t protect your phone from liquids, fire or drops from extreme heights (7+ inches) but according to the Case-Mate site it will make you awesome and should last forever as long as you don’t destroy it. You can order one from the Case-Mate website for just $0.99, or opt for the ‘Bailout Bundle’ which is 10 Recession Cases for just $7.99.

[ Case-Mate iPhone Recession Case ] VIA [ Gear Diary ]

By David Ponce

The iBand is made from a material produced by a company called d3o, which we’ve written about before> They make a flexible polymer that falls within the category of Non-Newtonian fluids. In a nutshell, these “fluids”, um, flow under normal conditions but harden quickly upon sudden impact. Some of you may have seen that Mythbusters episode where they run around barefoot on a mixture of cornstarch and water. This product is kind of like that. Only now you can have it as armor for your iPhone. Used normally, it’s like a rubber case but if you drop it it’ll harden instantly and provide up to 134% more impact protection than most other cases.

We’re not sure about price or availability but the product page is in the links below.

[ Product Page ] VIA [ Dvice ]