INTRODUCTION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   It's been far too long since i last reviewed a PC Case and since there has been quite a large number of new ones released in the market lately (many of which are already here) i think it's time i got back on track. Now as some of you know I’ve always liked full sized towers more than midi ones since installing lots of hardware in tight spaces is not really my thing, not to mention about other things such as airflow levels. However lately i have actually seen quite a few feature rich midi towers which i would actually consider using for my own test rigs (and i have if you are following our FB page) instead of full sized ones and the Prominent R by NEXUS which we have here today is such a midi tower PC Case.

 

   Nexus Technology BV was established in 2000 by a group of experts on heat conductivity and noise reduction in the computer industry. Their expertise and in depth knowledge and experience on heat conductivity issues and thermal characteristics was gained by working closely with many of the larger pc manufacturers for several years. The idea that brought all of them together and made Nexus a reality was to create a full line of high quality computer components which could improve the working environment by reducing noise levels. Ever since the beginning Nexus is continuously developing products to reduce noise levels and consequentially improve heat conductivity and airflow and their sole goal is to build a strong and reliable trademark for silent computing.

 

   At first glance don't expect to be blown away by the design of the Prominent R cause if you do you will get disappointed pretty fast since this is an elegant, high quality PC Case with simple lines and that's that. Of course that's just about the only "simple" thing about the Prominent R since it comes with a nice number of features such as an external SATA HDD docking station, noise insulating coating on both panels, room for a total of 6 fans for excellent airflow, tool-less installation, fan power node with six 3pin connectors, anti-vibration HDD trays and a Velcro strap at the PSU space for increased stability. So let’s take a closer look at the Prominent R by NEXUS and see what it has to offer.

 

 

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The NEXUS logo is placed at both sides of the box, unfortunately there are no pictures of the unit on it.

 

 

You can see the specifications table at the right side.

 

 

Two thick foam spacers and a plastic bag are in place to keep the case safe during transport.

 

 

Inside the box you will find an extra PCI shield (which was not actually extra), two wire ties, case lock piece, standoff mounting tool and 6 plastic bags with all the necessary installation screws and standoffs.

 

 

THE PROMINENT R EXTERIOR

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Like i said the Prominent R is nothing exciting in terms of design but it does look great especially for a midi tower.

 

 

Some people will be disappointed to see that there's no side window on the Prominent R (naturally since NEXUS aims at low noise levels).

 

 

A large NEXUS logo is engraved on both side panels.

 

 

The entire front fascia of the Prominent R is meshed (perforated) for increased airflow.

 

 

There are four 5.25" optical drive bays at the front, one of which can be used with an 1.44 floppy drive.

 

 

A single 120mm intake fan is installed behind the lower section of the fascia.

 

 

The top I/O includes an eSATA port, USB 3.0 port, two USB 2.0 ports, the typical headset and headphones mini jacks, the power and reset buttons and their activity LEDs.

 

 

You can use the top SATA docking station with both 2.5" and 3.5" disk drives.

 

 

A mesh section is also present at the top beneath which you can install up to two 120/140mm exhaust fans.

 

 

The rear of the Prominent R also features a nice black matte paint and a total of 5 water cooling grommets.

 

 

An 120mm exhaust fan are placed at the top end of the rear.

 

 

One feature we don't see much with midi towers is 8 PCI expansion slots which means you can install up to 4 dual-slot graphics cards.

 

 

As usual the PSU space is placed at the lower rear end of the tower.

 

 

Although the Prominent R has both its side panels secured in place with thumbscrews i would like it more had they been rubber coated ones.

 

 

The bottom is also almost completely meshed.

 

 

THE PROMINENT R INTERIOR

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As mentioned both side panels feature noise insulating foam coating for reduced noise levels.

 

 

The coating is quite thick but i have to admit that i have seen thicker ones before.

 

 

An spacious all-black interior is always a nice thing to see and NEXUS obviously knows that.

 

 

All of the 5.25" drive bays feature tool-less locking mechanisms for easier installation.

 

 

There's room to install a total of six 3.5" disk drives inside two separate cages.

 

 

To release both drive cages you need to remove 2 thumbscrews located at the front and 4 ones at the rear.

 

 

Removing a total of 6 thumbscrews is not what I’d call easy and although it doesn't take that much time i don't like having to remove both side panels for something like that.

 

 

Once you have removed both drive cages you finally gain access to the front 120mm fan and the second spot right above it.

 

 

The 3.5" drive trays may not feel very sturdy but they are easy to use and feature anti-vibration rubber pads.

 

 

Aside the large cutout beneath the CPU area the Prominent R also comes with 5 cable management holes and an fan power node on which you can connect up to 6 fans powered by a single Molex power connector.

 

 

The rear 120mm exhaust fan (just like the front one) may not feature any LED illumination but it makes for a fine combo with the rest of the interior.

 

 

Lately we see more and more PC Cases with motherboard USB 3.0 connectors and the Prominent R is one of them.

 

 

The PCI expansion slots also feature a tool-less locking mechanism.

 

 

Although the PSU spot is surrounded with paddings what really stands out is the Velcro strap.

 

 

Right next to PSU space NEXUS has placed yet another 120/140mm fan space.

 

 

Here we see an interior shot of the top 120/140mm fan spots.

 

 

BUILDING THE SYSTEM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This sole goal of this section is to showcase the available interior space of the PC Case in hand and not to build a complete and working system.

Naturally since the Prominent R comes with 8 PCI expansion slots you can install up to EATX mainboards in it.

 

 

You can also install pretty much any CPU Cooler in the market today regardless of size with a maximum height of 165mm.

 

 

There’s enough room inside the case to install graphics cards up to 289mm in length however if that's somehow not enough by removing the top hard drive cage the room is increased to a total of 424mm.

 

 

The same applies for the power supply unit since you can use even the highest wattage ones out there without any issue.

 

 

CONCLUSION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Although I’ve been reviewing PC Cases for over 4 years now and i have been cooperating with NEXUS during all those years this is the first time i have taken a really close look at one manufactured by them and so at first i didn't really know what to expect, especially when it comes to the build quality of the unit. Luckily from the very start up to the very end of this review the Prominent R failed to disappoint not only due to its very good build quality and elegant lines but also because of its many features like the docking station, fan power node, tool-less installation, noise absorbing coating on the panels, removable drive cages and of course its spacious interior. True i didn't much like the fact that you need to remove both side panels in order to remove the drive cages but since the only reasons for anyone to do that is when installing a really long graphics card (over 289mm in length) and when accessing the front fan position i think it's not that important.

 

   The NEXUS Prominent R retails at around the same price tag as most feature-rich midi towers in the market and so currently you can have it for around USD110 inside the USA and 85Euros inside the EU (Amazon) so it may prove a bit difficult for you to choose between all of them. However the large number of features found in the Prominent R, some of which are quite unique in that price range (docking station, noise absorbing coating, fan power node) make it a much better overall solution compared to its immediate competition. Certainly if you decide to go higher in the price range you will find even better cases but that's something which applies for everything out there. Personally i really enjoyed the Prominent R and i will be recommending it to people looking for a sub 100Euros solution and because of that i am giving it our Golden award.

 

PROS

- Build Quality
- Design (Simple But Elegant)
- Noise Absorbing Coating
- Top SATA Docking Station
- Six-Way Fan Power Node
- Airflow (Several Meshed Areas)
- Room For Up To 6 120/140mm Fans (2 Preinstalled)
- Can Install Graphics Cards Up To 289mm In Length (424mm Without The Drive Cage)
- Spacious Interior
- Price (For Some) 

 

 

CONS

- Difficulty Removing The Drive Cages
- Drive Trays Are Not Very Sturdy (As With Most Cases Out There)