[nextpage title=”Introduction”]
The Deep Silence 1, also known as DS1, is the first mid-tower case from the German manufacturer, Nanoxia. It features foam everywhere to reduce the noise produced by the computer, and it has eight expansion slots, allowing you to install up to four high-end video cards, as long as you have a compatible motherboard. Let’s see if this new release is worth our recommendation.
The reviewed case is available in four color options: black, white, silver or anthracite. We reviewed the black model.
Figure 1: Nanoxia Deep Silence 1 case
Figure 2: Nanoxia Deep Silence 1 case
The left panel of the Deep Silence 1 is solid, with a cutout for you to install a 120 mm or 140 mm fan, if you choose to do so. The case comes with an air filter for this optional fan.
Figure 3: Left panel
[nextpage title=”The Front Panel”]
The Nanoxia Deep Silence 1 has two doors with magnetic latches on its front panel. We know some users don’t like cases with doors, but since this model is targeted to quiet computers, the doors are a necessity to dampen the noise generated by the computer. The doors have foam sheets on their inner sides for this function. Fortunately, the power/standby button and connectors are available on the top panel, so you don’t need to open the doors to turn on your computer or to install a USB device. The reset button, however, is behind the top door.
Figure 4: Front panel
The top door hides three external 5.25” bays (one of them can be converted to 3.5”), all protected by meshed covers with air filters, and two analog fan speed controllers. Each controller supports up to 18 W and up to three fans. The bottom door hides two 120 mm Deep Silence fans, which have a maximum speed of 1,300 rpm, maximum airflow of 60.1 CFM, and maximum noise level of 14.2 dBA, which is really low. These fans can be removed for you to mount a 120 mm or 240 mm radiator from liquid cooling solutions, but for this installation you must remove the hard drive cages. We will discuss more about this option later. There are air filters for these fans.
Figure 5: Front panel
Figure 6: The fan controllers
[nextpage title=”Top Panel”]
The top panel of the Nanoxia Deep Silence 1 is very unique, as it has a “chimney” for you to improve the airflow inside the computer. This chimney can be raised through a lever located on the left panel. See Figures 7 and 8. Internally, the reviewed case supports the installation of two 120 mm or 140 mm fans or a 120 mm or 240 mm radiator on its top panel. When installing any of these cooling devices, ideally you should operate your computer with the case’s chimney raised. However, this is not a necessity, as there is an opening behind the top panel that allows air to flow from the case.
Figure 7: Top panel
Figure 8: Top panel
The reviewed case comes with two USB 3.0 ports, two USB 2.0 ports, and the traditional audio jacks on its top panel. The USB 3.0 port uses an internal connector.
[nextpage title=”The Bottom and Rear Panels”]
The bottom panel has a big air filter for the power supply fan and for the optional bottom fan. The rear panel and the interior of the Nanoxia Deep Silence 1 case are painted with the same color as the exterior – black, in our case.
Figure 9: Bottom panel
The case has eight expansion slots, using vented covers. Usually, cases have seven slots.
The rear panel comes with a 140 mm Deep Silence fan, which has a maximum speed of 1,100 rpm, a maximum airflow of 68.5 CFM, and a maximum noise level of 14.4 dBA, which is really low.
On the Nanoxia Deep Silence 1 case, the power supply goes on the bottom part of the case.
There are four holes, protected with rubber covers, for hoses of liquid cooling solutions. The two at the top are 0.8” (20 mm) in diameter, while the other two are 1” (25 mm) in diameter.
Figure 10: Rear panel
Let’s now take a look inside the Nanoxia Deep Silence 1 case.[nextpage title=”Inside the Nanoxia Deep Silence 1 Case”]
Both side panels are attached to the chassis using black thumbscrews, and both have a piece of dampening cloth glued to them, in order to reduce the noise produced by the computer.
Figure 11: Left-side panel
The motherboard tray has a huge hole for you to access the backplate of the CPU cooler without having to remove the motherboard from the case, several holes protected with rubber covers for you to rout
e cables behind it, and several metallic clips for you to fasten cables behind the motherboard tray using cable ties.
Figure 12: Overall look
Figure 13: A view behind the motherboard tray
Figure 14 gives you another overall look inside the case. Expansion cards are fastened using black thumbscrews. On its default configuration, the Nanoxia Deep Silence 1 case supports video cards up to 12.4” (315 mm) long. By removing the top hard drive cages, you can fit video cards up to 17.5” (445 mm) long. The Nanoxia Deep Silence 1 supports CPU coolers up to 7.3” (185 mm) tall.
Figure 14: Overall look
As already explained, the power supply is installed at the bottom of the case. Note that it can be installed with either its bottom fan facing up or facing down, so you can decide if you want the fan of your power supply pulling air from inside the case or from outside of it. As already shown, there is an air filter for the power supply fan. The case comes with a foam frame to reduce the noise produced by the power supply.
Figure 15: Power supply compartment
The plastic piece you see at the bottom panel is for holding one of the hard drive bays (more information about that on the next page). If this piece is removed, you can install a 120 mm or 140 mm fan on the bottom panel. See Figure 16.
Figure 16: Where to install a bottom fan
The case supports the installation of power supplies up to 7.9” (200 mm) deep on its default configuration. If a 140 mm fan is installed on the bottom panel, you can install power supplies up to 7.1” (180 mm) deep. And if you install a 120 mm fan on the bottom panel, you can fit power supplies up to 7.5” (190 mm) deep.
[nextpage title=”The Disk Drive Bays”]
The Nanoxia Deep Silence 1 case has three 5.25” external bays and eight 3.5”/2.5” internal bays in three cages. One of the 5.25” bays can be converted into an external 3.5” bay. Only 5.25” devices can be installed without the use of tools or screws. On the other hand, the 3.5”/2.5” bays have rubber rings to reduce the vibration and noise generated by 3.5” hard drives.
Figure 17: Disk drive bays
This case provides a very flexible configuration for the hard drive cages. The three hard drive cages are removable. The top and the middle one are easily removed by pressing a latch located at their rear side. If you want to remove the bottom cage, you will need to unscrew it from the case.
There are three main scenarios you may encounter that could require removing or moving the cages.
If you have only up to three hard drives or SSDs and want to improve the airflow inside the computer, you can move the top cage to the bottom panel and remove the other two cages, so more airflow will come from the front fans.
If you want to install a 240 mm radiator on the front panel, you will also need to remove the three cages and install the top cage on the bottom panel. However, if you have video cards up to 12.4” (315 mm) long, you can install the middle cage and the top cage together on the bottom panel, allowing you to install up to six storage devices.
You will also need to move the top cage to the bottom panel if you need to install video cards longer than 12.4” (315 mm). The other two cages can stay on their default location if you are installing only one long video card, but they must be removed if you are installing more than one video card.
Figure 18: Case with hard drive cages removed
Figure 19: One of the possible configurations
Figure 20: One of the 3.5”/2.5” bays
[nextpage title=”Main Specifications”]
The main specifications for the Nanoxia Deep Silence 1 case include:
- Style: Mid-tower
- Application: ATX and smaller form factors
- Material: Zinc-coated steel (SECC) body, 0.7 mm thick
- Power supply: Doesn’t come with the product
- Available colors: Black, white, silver or anthracite
- Side panel: Solid
- Dimensions: 20.4 x 8.7 x 20.9 inches (517 x 220 x 532 mm) (H x W x D)
- Net weight: 26 Lbs (11.8 kg)
- Gross weight: 29.5 Lbs (13.4 kg)
- Bays: Three external 5.25” bays, one external 3.5” bay (converted from one 5.25” bay), and eight internal 3.5”/2.5” bays
- Expansion slots: Eight
- Maximum video card length: 12.4” (315 mm) or 17.5” (445 mm) if the top hard drive cage is removed
- Maximum CPU cooler height: 7.3” (185 mm)
- Fans: Two 120 mm Deep Silence fans (1,300 rpm, 60.1 CFM, 14.2 dBA) on the front panel and one 140 mm Deep Silence fan (1,100 rpm, 68.5 CFM, 14.4 dBA) on the rear panel
- Optional fans: Two 120 mm or 140 mm fans on the top panel, one 120 mm or 140 mm fan on the bottom panel, and one 120 mm or 140 mm fan on the left panel
- Extra Features: Support for a 120 mm or 240 mm radiator on the top panel, support for a 120 mm or 240 mm radiator on the front panel, retractable chimney
- More Information: https://www.nanoxia-world.com
- MSRP in the U.S.: USD 110 (USD 120 for the white model)
[nextpage title=”Conclusions”]
We think Nanoxia hit the bull’s-eye with its first case, the Deep Silence 1. It provides outstanding features at an unbelievable price. If you want to build a high-end PC in a case that will keep it quiet, this new case is a terrific option.
Strong Points
- Outstanding cost/benefit ratio
- Dampening materials on the side and front panels
- Vented covers with air filters for the external 5.25” bays
- Air filters for the front, left, bottom, and power supply fans
- Retractable chimney
- Eight expansion slots with vented covers
- Two analog fan speed controllers, supporting six fans
- Support for two 120 mm or 240 mm radiators
- Supports a total of eight 3.5”/2.5” storage devices
- Extremely flexible configuration for the hard drive cages
- A huge hole in the motherboard tray for accessing the backplate of the CPU cooler
- Holes protected with rubber covers for routing cables behind the motherboard tray
- Clips for fastening cables behind the motherboard tray
Weak Points
- None
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