The side panels on Nova are quite thin but are secured into place with two thumbscrews on either side. After removing these panels we gain access to the chassis and can finally see the internal layout and feature-set.
The internals are powder coated black and the motherboard tray can accommodate motherboards up to ATX form factor. There are various cut-outs for cable management but these slots lack any rubber grommets that we usually see on higher-end cases. There are some tool-free mechanisms but there are also areas which lack this type of installation technique and revert back to the standard screw – we’ll be taking a closer look at these areas next.
At the bottom of the case there is an area marked out for the installation of the PSU. This area has rubber mounts to provide a soft cushion for the unit and there is a detachable dust filter underneath which can be pulled out while the case is stood up. Removing this filter is quite tricky due to the little clearance underneath the case and the tightness of the fitment.
Moving up there are seven PCI expansion slot covers – one of which is reusable but the others are disposable. A standard screw is required to fix a device into place in this region.
Located at the back of Nova there is a 120mm rear exhaust cooling fan. The attachment from this fan allows power delivery from the motherboard or the PSU (Molex). As you can clearly see, the roof area lacks any mounting holes whatsoever which means no cooling fans or radiators can be mounted at the top of the case.
At the front of the case there are three designated bays for mounting devices – though there is only a single 5.25” cover at the front of the case.
BitFenix has included a tool-less mechanism on this single bay, the knob simply needs to be turned to lock the drive into place.
In the lower area of this section 2.5” or 3.5” drive can be installed.
Beneath we have a single HDD cage which can house up to four 3.5” drives and a single 2.5” drive on the roof. All of these drives require screws to install and do not make use of any tool-less mechanisms.
Located behind this cage there is allocation for mounting 2x 120mm cooling fans – none are included.
Over the page we’ll install our test system inside Nova and report back on the experience.
