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NZXT can fix the H7 with some tweaks that fall far short of an overhaul but right now they still have work to do. While we understand NZXT’s position with regards to aesthetics, it cannot be denied that the airflow patterns of the H7 and H7 Elite are compromised. If NZXT wants that font panel aesthetic, they need to enable more airflow. Perhaps their fans need to be turned on their sides and use the right side panel as a direct air intake? All we know is that their current solution is sub-optimal, and that makes the H7 Flow shine a lot brighter than the standard H7. With pricing that’s identical to the standard H7 and much better thermal performance, it cannot be denied that the H7 Flow is the best case within NZXT’s H7 lineup. In our testing, it proved to be one of the most capable cases that we have ever tested at low RPMs, and that was with only two pre-installed fans.
H7 Elite - CM-H71EB-02 - ATX Mid Tower PC Gaming Case NZXT H7 Elite - CM-H71EB-02 - ATX Mid Tower PC Gaming Case
The flaws of NZXT’s standard H7 are the same as the flaws of the H7 Elite, though these fans are more pronounced with the H7 Elite. The extra money that NZXT has spent on fans has done little to improve the case’s thermals, making the H7 Elite a case that we cannot recommend. The question that you need to ask is whether or not the H7 Elite’s aesthetic is worth its compromised performance. To us, it isn’t, and that’s why we want to see the H7 Elite with the H7 Flow’s front panel. Even with an AMD Ryzen 9 5950X processor, you'll see a good 5% reduction for average temperature in games. It's still not quite as good as some other PC cases, namely the be quiet! Silent Base 802 or NZXT H7 Flow, but it's good to see lower temperatures all in keeping the same overall look of the existing H710. The one major downside of the H5 Elite is how loud the fans are at default settings. I imagine most users will feel the need to lower the speeds for better acoustics. It’s not a deal-breaker, as it can be fixed with a few minutes of tweaking, but it’s not going to make the best first impression. H5 Elite vs H5 Flow At the bottom of NZXT’s H7 lineup is the standard H7, a model that features a plain front panel design that will be familiar to most NZXT users. When compared to the higher-end H7 Elite model, the only major differences are the H7 Elite’s tempered glass front panel, the Elite’s inclusion of additional fans, and its inclusion of a fan/RGB controller. The NZXT H7 has some tough competition, namely the Corsair iCUE 5000T RGB, which is slightly larger (and heavier) but has more space inside for water cooling and larger motherboards. The Lian Li PC-O11 Dynamic range is popular for good reason, thanks to its stylish design and solid thermal performance.
Compared to the NZXT H7 Flow and NZXT H7, the H7 Elite is a little heavier at 11.36kg but still matches the same dimensions of 230mm x 505mm x 480mm. Our review sample was an all-white H7 Elite with a large side tempered glass window and a secondary front panel. As we demonstrate in our video the three models of NZXT H7 are based on the same core chassis and they are defined by the front panel and the configuration of the fans. The showstopper is the H7 Elite which has three RGB fans at the front of the case that provide an impressive lightshow. Cooling Performance
Elite Review - GameRevolution NZXT H5 Elite Review - GameRevolution
There is a ton of information in these charts and the obvious takeaway is that the Flow front panel works best when combined with the 140mm fans running at high speeds. That will come as no surprise but when you refer to our video you will hear the huge changes in noise levels and there are times when the H7 can be very noisy indeed. In other words, the H7 can work well however you will need to strike a balance between noise and cooling. Closing Thoughts While the H7 Flow is the clear performer within the H7 lineup, that’s not the say that the H7 and H7 Elite are terrible case designs. They are sub-optimally designed from an airflow perspective, but they aren’t the worst cases that we have tested. Even so, the fact that the H7 Flow exists shows that they H7 and H7 Elite have a compromised design, and you’d have to love the aesthetic of the H7 or H7 Elite to overcome that.
Even with additional, larger, fans, the H7 Elite could not best the H7 Flow’s thermal performance, and that fact alone makes us want to see an NZXT H7 Elite Flow model. If the H7 Flow bests the H7 Elite with fewer fans, just imagine what would happen if the H7 Flow was upgraded with the H7 Elite’s upgrades. Following the refresh of its H710 lineup that resulted in the new H7 series, NZXT has now taken aim at its H510 range of cases. Introducing the H5 series, which features both the airflow-focused H5 Flow and stylish H5 Elite. This review focuses on the latter, which made for an interesting build experience and, ultimately, proved to be a solid performer that looks great, too. Get building
NZXT H7 Elite Black Mid Tower Tempered Glass PC Gaming Case
Simply put, the extra fans on the H7 Elite do not do much to boost the case’s thermal performance. Simply put, the case’s airflow is too restricted to allow the H7 Elite’s fans to breathe. With fewer fans, the H7 Flow delivers better thermal performance, leaving us to lament at the fact that NZXT has not launched an H7 Elite Flow variant of their H7 chassis. NZXT looked at how the panels are attached to the mainframe and made changes so they're all easier to remove without the use of a screwdriver. There's plenty of volume inside the H7 Elite for installing even the largest graphics cards and motherboards. NZXT is often praised for its cable management and it was upgraded for the H7 Elite. Obviously, the H7 Flow has a perforated front panel, allowing the case’s front fan (or fans) to intake air directly from the front. This maximises the H7 Flow’s air intake, making it the best performing H7 chassis in terms of cooling performance. Aesthetically, some users may prefer the H7 or H7 Elite, but for those who want the best cooling, the Flow will be the way to go. Cooling-wise, NZXT’s H7 Flow is the clear highlight of the H7 lineup, offering cooling performance levels that are amongst some of the best PC cases that we have tested at low fan RPMs. Even with its four 140mm fans, the H7 Elite cannot best NZXT’s H7 Flow with its two 120mm fans. That said, the H7 Elite can barely best the standard H7 despite is upgraded fan setup. There’s a reason why NZXT created the H7 Flow, and that reason is airflow. The front panels of the H7 and H7 Elite restrict airflow, and that’s the price that you have to pay for that design aesthetic.In all, the H7 is slightly smaller than the H710, and it is significantly lighter. The H710 was 12.1 kg, and the new H7 is 10.26kg. That said, both cases support the same levels of CPU clearance, front fan/radiator clearance, and cable management space. The only compromise with the new H7 is that is has 13mm less GPU clearance, not that 400mm of clearance isn’t enough for practically all modern GPUs. Our starting point for this review of the H7 family starts in 2019 with the H510 and H710, which were interesting cases that leant heavily on looks and styling, and rather less on performance. There are plenty of mid-tower cases out there, being one of the more popular form factors. I'm a huge fan of the Corsair iCUE 5000T RGB, which is a slightly larger mid-tower case than the H7 Elite, but has far better airflow, thanks to the front panel grill. It also has more internal volume to work with custom water cooling loops and larger motherboards.
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