MSI Nightblade Review (Dual SSD, i7 4770K, R9 290X)

The handle has been fitted with an anti slip rubberised cover – a nice touch for stability – especially if the case is resting on a wooden desk.

There is a small vent on the top of the case which works in conjunction with the side mounted fans.

MSI have fitted an intake fan to the side panel, although there is a little more to this than first meets the eye. More on this shortly.

As we can see, the power supply connector is fitted at the top of the Nightblade chassis. A large exhaust fan is installed on the right side, this is controlled by the temperature inside and will spin up to a rated 3,600rpm.

The I/O panel for the MSI Z87I chassis is fully featured. This is a fantastic motherboard and we reviewed it in some detail earlier this year – head over to this page to catch up. It is important to point out that you cannot flash the Nightblade version of this motherboard with the standard MSI Z87I Gaming BIOS.

Finally, as we already know due to the dust filter intake position, the MSI R9 290X is installed at the very bottom of the chassis.


Opening the side door is straightforward, although not tool-less. Remove two screws then push the upper clip upwards to unlock. The lower clip is pushed downwards to unlock.

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