In these times, the market for PC cases is full of models of all sizes and colors, so if a manufacturer wants to stand out above the rest, they have no choice but to innovate in some way. This is precisely what Nfortec intends with its new AURIGA box, a tower that includes 4 fans as standard and with an impressive ARGB lighting that will not leave anyone indifferent. Today, we present our particular analysis of this Nfortec AURIGA .
There are many ways to integrate lighting into the PC case, and most manufacturers resort to incorporating it into the fans. The problem is that including more fans in the box tends to increase its price, but with this AURIGA, Nfortec has shelved all this: to begin with, the box includes no less than 4 factory fans and, in addition, it only uses one of they for lighting since the rest has been achieved with strategically placed ARGB LED strips .
Index
- Characteristics
- Unboxing and external analysis
- Internal analisis
- Configuration and testing
- Conclusion and verdict
Nfortec AURIGA: technical specifications
| Nfortec AURIGA | |
| Type of box | Half tower |
| Motherboard compatibility | ATX, Micro ATX, mini ITX |
| Dimensions | 430mm x 230mm x 505mm |
| Weight | 7.1 Kg |
| 2.5 / 3.5 “bays | 2x 2.5 “+ 2x 3.5” / 2.5 “ |
| 5.25 “bays | No |
| Heatsink compatibility | Up to 182mm high |
| Graphics card compatibility | Up to 372mm long |
| Power supply compatibility | Up to 230mm long |
| Available colours | Black White |
| Radiator support | Front: Radiator up to 360mm Upper: Radiator up to 280mm Rear: Radiator up to 120mm |
| Fans included | 1x120mm ARGB (rear) 3x140mm (front) |
| I / O panel | USB 3.0 x2 Headphone / Microphone x1 On / Off Reset LED |
| Price | € 109.95 |
Looking at the technical specifications of this Nfortec box, without a doubt the first thing that stands out is that it includes four fans in total; the manufacturer has integrated a 120mm with ARGB lighting in the rear, while opting for no less than three 140mm without lighting in the front, completing an incredible airflow in this AURIGA. Why are the front fans not illuminated? Because for this they have installed an LED strip that is responsible for providing the box with incredible lighting, which is also synchronized with the rear fan.
Beyond the factory included fans, the case has dust filters on all the air inlets of the case, including the upper (magnetic), front (magnetic) and lower (non-magnetic) areas. It also stands out for its wide compatibility with all types of components, including liquid cooling systems up to 360 mm. It is also appreciated the wide compatibility with 140 mm fans and not only 120 mm, although it is true that, with the width of the case, it is missing that the rear fan is also 140 mm.
In terms of compatibility, in addition to the aforementioned liquid cooling radiators, the Nfortec AURIGA supports processor heatsinks up to 182 mm in height , so we can install the largest models on the market without problem. In addition, it supports graphics up to 372 mm long and power supplies up to 230 mm long, although as we will see later, we can dispense with the 3.5 ″ drive cabin and at that time the limitation of the length of the power supply will be bypassed. The only bad part in terms of compatibility is found relative to the motherboard, since it only supports ATX or lower format (that is, we will not be able to install E-ATX or XL-ATX plates).
Unboxing and external analysis
Having seen the technical characteristics of the box, it is time to see what it offers us in the first person. The Nfortec AURIGA comes packed in a quite resistant hard cardboard box, and on the outside we can see not only a sketch of the box but also a lot of information about it, including its full technical specifications.
We remove the exceptional protections from the box, here you can see the Nfortec AURIGA. In this case, the manufacturer has sent us to review the model in white, but you also have it available in an elegant black color.
The left side of the case is dominated by a tempered glass window that covers almost its entire surface.
A curious fact is that this tempered and slightly tinted glass does not come alone, since it is integrated into a metal frame; This has the negative part that the total vision of the inside of the box is lost a bit because it has a frame around it, but the good part is that it gives it an extra point of resistance and, in addition, the anchoring method is not with four screws in the glass itself but with the two traditional rear screws, as if the side were metallic.
The front is dominated by a large grid with an untraditional motif, since instead of finding a mesh or a honeycomb, we have symmetrical lines cut diagonally, something that we personally think looks pretty good. The brand’s logo adorns the lower area.
The right side of the box is the usual completely transparent metal plate, without grilles or windows.
In the back we have a fairly common arrangement, with the fan and the hole for the motherboard I / O shield in the upper area, the PCI ports in the middle and the hole for the power supply in the lower part. The fact that Nfortec has arranged three vertical PCIe slots stands out, so that in this box (and thanks to its width) we can install a vertical GPU with up to 3 PCI sockets.
At the bottom, the Nfortec AURIGA has four large legs that will help to absorb vibrations and that the box does not move from its place. We can also see the removable filter (although not magnetic) for the power supply area, as well as some screws that we will have to remove to remove the 3.5-inch drive cage that we will see later.
We can see the upper area, where we find a large magnetic dust filter dominating 75% of the surface and under which we have a grid in which we can install fans and / or radiators. Also here we have the connectivity area of the box, with the power button, reset and LED control, in addition to two USB 3.0 ports and the usual audio minijacks.
Having seen the box from the outside, let’s see what it offers us inside.
Internal analisis
We remove the two side panels of the box with only two screws each, and so we can see that metal frame in which Nfortec has integrated the tempered glass panel on the left side of the box. Here you can see it.
With both panels removed, the inside of the box offers us a fairly sober appearance in two spaces, as we can see the lower part isolated from the upper one and adorned with the brand’s logo. Here we can install both the power supply, which we can see through the hole that can be seen, and the 3.5-inch hard drives.
In the front area we have the three 140 mm fans in white that are installed at the factory. These fans are installed on a grid that occupies the entire front, and on the opposite side of which we have a large magnetic dust filter that we can access by removing the front (it is simply removed with a dry pull). In the second photo in the following gallery you can also see the LED strips on the front.
On the opposite side is where we have the 120mm ARGB fan also pre-installed from the factory, just above the PCI expansion slots. It must be said that the three vertical slots are reusable, but the horizontal ones are not, which means that once we remove the perforated sheet we will not be able to put it back.
In the upper area we can see the huge grid in which we can install more fans or radiators; the box provides approximately 5.5 centimeters of space here.
Finally, in the lower area we have that space without access from this side after which we can install the source and the storage units. If you look closely, the lower front fan will partially cool this entire area, something that will be very good to maintain a good operating temperature.
We go to the back, where we can see many interesting things that we will comment on immediately.
For starters, the first thing that catches your eye is the lighting and fan controller. Here we can connect up to six fans (four of them are already connected, the four that come standard in the box) and four ARGB devices (two of which are already occupied, one for the rear fan and one for the front LED strips). A power cable is also already connected (to which we will have to connect a SATA connector from the source) and the cable that goes to the button on the top of the box and that handles this controller.
We also find two boxes in which we can install two 2.5 ″ drives behind the motherboard, as well as a small rack for three 3.5-inch drives. This box can be removed to allow more space for the power supply and its wiring.
Finally, to highlight the large number of rubberized holes to channel cables, as well as two hooks that will allow us a better channeling if possible.
Assembly and testing of the Nfortec AURIGA
Having seen the box inside and out, it is time to mount a system in it and see if it is easy or difficult, as well as see how it works first-hand. Nfortec includes a small soft cardboard box inside which we have all the necessary hardware to mount any system in this box, as well as a few velcro ties. In addition, and as is usual in this manufacturer, instead of including a paper instruction manual, what it includes is a small card with a QR code that takes us to the PDF manual on the manufacturer’s website.
The first step is to mount the motherboard, and here you can see how an ATX format plate looks. As you can see, in the lower area there is practically no gap, although the manufacturer has provided a couple of holes to channel cables there. There’s a lot, a lot of room to the right, and the rubberized perforations match perfectly to comfortably route cables through it. At the top, as we mentioned before, we have a little more than 5 centimeters of space.
The power supply is easily installed from the back, anchoring it with the usual four screws. Plus, it leaves plenty of space for connectors and cables even without removing the hard drive rack.
Once the motherboard and the power supply are mounted, we can proceed to channel and connect all the cables, mount storage units (if there are any, in our case we have used an M.2 SSD directly on the board, which today is the most common) and install the graphics card. The assembly in this box is very simple and quite comfortable thanks to the great width and conduits for cables that it has. A 10 for Nfortec in this regard.
With this we have already finished assembling the test system in the Nfortec AURIGA, so we proceed to place both sides and see how it works.
As soon as you turn on the equipment, the lighting begins to do its job, and it certainly looks very good and especially on the front.
As we mentioned from the beginning, this box has a button at the top that will allow us to select the lighting effects without having to resort to the software (although we can do it, since it also has a connector that goes to the motherboard for this) . Here are some examples, with different degrees of ambient lighting (in the last one the room was completely dark).
As you can see, even without software we can select a large number of colors and effects, and only with the front LED strip! The truth is that Nfortec has managed to create one of the most striking box fronts on the market.
In general, the Nfortec AURIGA is a very grateful box when it comes to mounting any type of system inside, with easy access to all its parts and with more than enough space to manipulate the hardware you are installing. Also, the paint job is pretty decent and doesn’t wear or flake from screw pressure, the metal holds the weight of all sorts of components very well, and overall the quality is pretty good.
In operation, the fans included in the box work by means of the controller that we taught you before, an operation that is fixed and not PWM but that manages to create a fairly good air flow while maintaining a low noise level. It is not that it is the quietest box in the world, but it is not noisy, or even noisy, so if you are a maniac of silence this box will provide you with an excellent combination of performance and low noise.
Conclusion and verdict
With the Nfortec AURIGA, the Spanish manufacturer has managed to create one of the ideal cases for PC gaming with the most striking front on the market, and it has also done so without having to depend on fans with their own lighting. In addition, the fact that it integrates a fan and lighting controller, all in one, greatly facilitates the tasks of connection and cable management, something that is very welcome and especially for users who do not have much experience when mounting. your own PC.
With an enviable aesthetic and available in two colors, the Nfortec AURIGA is priced at 109.95 in the brand’s online store , quite adequate considering the quality of materials, compatibility, and the fact that it incorporates nothing else and no less than four factory installed fans (three of them 140mm), something that will allow us to forget about having to buy additional fans to complete optimal airflow inside.
For all this that we have told you, we believe that the Nfortec AURIGA is an ideal box for gamers who want to have a striking box without sacrificing functionality and thermal performance, and also for a really very good price. For this reason, we give this box our Gold award, as well as our recommendation for both its design and its quality / price ratio.
Nfortec AURIGA
| 3.5 “HDD bays | 2x 2.5 “+ 2x 3.5” / 2.5 “ |
| No. of dust filters | 1x Top 1x Front 1x Bottom |
| Liquid cooling capacity | Up to 360mm front, up to 280mm top, up to 120mm rear |
| GPU riser | Yes (not included) |
| Motherboard support | ATX, MicroATX, ITX |
| VGA maximum length | 372 mm |
| Maximum PSU length | 230 mm |