Introduction and First Impressions
A low-cost case with tempered glass and high compatibility
While offering a modern look, the Nova TG is distinctly retro in two ways: first, it supports 5.25-inch external drives, and second, it has a very budget-friendly price tag of $56.99 – which seems lower still when considering the TG in the name stands for tempered glass, as this case sports a full glass side panel. It's available in black or white, and we have the black version in for review.
The Nova TG pictured with a full build (image via BitFenix)
Remembering the era of generic $29 ATX cases, the Nova TG gives you a lot more than we could get cheaply in the early 2000s, and that $56.99 price tag is pretty close to an inflation-adjusted $29…probably. Comparisons to older cases aside (not that this wouldn't make an excellent case for a retro PC build if you don't need an external 3.5-inch drive) it's time to focus squarely on the present and look at a modern ATX system build in the Nova TG.
Specifications
- Materials: Steel, Plastic,Tempered Glass
- Motherboard Support: ATX, Micro ATX, Mini-ITX
- Power Supply: ATX & EPS 12V
- 5.25" Drive Bay: 1
- 3.5" Drive Bay: 3
- 2.5" Drive Bay: 3
- Cooling Front: 2x 120mm (1x 120mm Black Fan included)
- Cooling Rear: NOVA TG BLK 1x 120mm Red LED Fan (included)
- PCI-E Slots: 7 Slots
- I/O Ports: 2x USB 3.0, Audio I/O
- Dimensions (WxHxD): 201 x 437 x 465 mm
Price and Availability: $56.99, Amazon.com
Exterior
The Nova TG is a pretty typical looking case by modern standards, and that tempered glass side panel does make this look more expensive. I still think the 5.25-inch bay steals the show (as ridiculous as that sounds, they are getting that rare!), and there is just a basic assortment of I/O up top.
The first thing I'll point out about the rear of the case is what you can see of the back side panel here:
Bowed out – by design! No more cramming cables after the build to get the side panel on (I hope). Otherwise this is just your typical ATX mid-tower back here.
And a quick look at the bottom of the case, which I forgot to photograph until the build was finished (just pretend you can't see the power supply through the glass).
Included is a minimal assortment of hardware and a piezo beeper, which is handy considering cases just aren't coming with PC speakers any more and not all motherboards integrate one – and beep codes are still a thing! (Unless your board has a diagnostic display, of course.)
On the next page we'll check out the interior and build process with the Nova TG.
| Review Terms and Disclosure All Information as of the Date of Publication |
|
|---|---|
| How product was obtained: | The product is on loan from BitFenix for the purpose of this review. |
| What happens to the product after review: | The product remains the property of BitFenix but is on extended loan for future testing and product comparisons. |
| Company involvement: | BitFenix had no control over the content of the review and was not consulted prior to publication. |
| PC Perspective Compensation: | Neither PC Perspective nor any of its staff were paid or compensated in any way by BitFenix for this review. |
| Advertising Disclosure: | BitFenix has purchased advertising at PC Perspective during the past twelve months. |
| Affiliate links: | This article contains affiliate links to online retailers. PC Perspective may receive compensation for purchases through those links. |
I wonder what the airflow
I wonder what the airflow would be like with a few more drives in there. It’s already limited by having to come in the 2 sides only. Then it has to go through the drive cages. It might have been an idea to have some drive mounts behind the motherboard tray to make some extra use of the bowed out side panel and remove some of the drive cages to allow more airflow.
But I guess I shouldn’t be picky for such a cheap case – they have a lot in it for the budget.