Give NZXT credit, it figured out that one way to renew interest in its existing cases is to design customized versions with select partners. The company has done it a couple of times with Razer (S340 and H440) and once with EnVyUs (H440), and now it has joined forces with Asus to offer a special edition Noctis 450 ROG enclosure.
This is the first time NZXT has collaborated with Asus on a case, and it's also the first customized version of the Noctis 450. Like that original model that "highlighted NZXT's return to bold and daring designs" (NZXT's words), the Noctis 450 ROG is a mid-tower chassis with the same overall feature-set and added bits of bling.
The Noctis 450 ROG comes in an exclusive "gun gray" finish and is compatible with Aura sync to enable synchronized lighting effects with nine different lighting modes. To take advantage of this, users need to connect the case with an Aura-certified motherboard using a dedicated connector. As you might have guessed, several Asus brand motherboards support this feature, including the ROG Maximus VIII Formula, Z170-Deluxe, X99-E, 970 Pro Gaming/Aura, and ROG Strix X99 Gaming, to name just a few of many.
Once connected, users can light up two internal LED strips, the case's power LED, an underglow, and the area around the PSU shroud. For motherboards without Aura support, a 4-pin adapter lets users light up all internal and external LEDs in red.
Beyond the lighting effects, the Noctis 450 ROG features two 140mm or three 120mm fans up front, two more 140mm or three 120mm fans up top, and a 140mm or 120mm fan in the rear. It comes pre-installed with three 120mm fans in the front and a 140mm fan in the rear, along with a couple of fan filters.
For those who prefer to liquid cool, the case supports two radiators up to 360mm, one each in the front and top. We suspect a 120mm radiator could mount in the back as well, though NZXT doesn't make any mention of one being supported.
Users can install up to six 3.5-inch drives and up to eight 2.5-inch drives in the Noctis 450 ROG. With the HDD cage in, the case supports graphics cards up to 294mm in length. Removing the cage allows for graphics cards up to 406mm. CPU coolers can be up to 180mm.
The Noctis 450 ROG will be available in North America in early February and in the EU in the middle of the month for $180 (€180).
