NZXT H7 FLOW Case Review

NZXT is one of the best-known PC case brands on the market. They've always had some of the coolest cases on the market. Even ten years ago and beyond, when it was all about the Phantom series, to today, where we have the latest H-series cases. The new NZXT H7 Flow is part of a revised lineup, and as the name would suggest, the Flow is the higher airflow focused design. That means it comes with a ventilated front panel. However, there's the standard H7 which has a solid front panel and a side ventilation design, and then there's also the H7 Elite which has side ventilation too, but a tempered glass front panel and RGB fans for some added visual flair. NZXT H7 Flow Of course, which version is right for you may differ from what I think, but generally, we would assume the standard H7 would be quieter, the H7 Flow would be cooler, and the H7 Elite will just be the best looking, but still retain similar cooling and acoustic properties to the standard model H7. Lucky for you all, today, I'll be rolling out some performance benchmarks for these cases too. Features Front and Top Ventilated DesignTempered Glass WindowIntegrated Dust FiltersPSU ShroudPremium NZXT FansDedicated SSD MountsCable Routing Guard Exterior The NZXT H7 Flow takes the same core design you'll find on both the H7 and the H7 Elite. However, if you've already taken a look at those cases, you'll notice one major difference, the breathable front panel design! You still get the same massive tempered glass window though, which almost perfectly fills the left side of the case. The mesh looks fantastic too, with a steel front panel with hundreds of perforations to allow for a lot of additional airflow while still maintaining clean lines and overall durability. Up on the top, you'll find the same design as the other two models, but again the airflow pattern matches that of the front panel. I love that NZXT treats their USB ports with a touch of purple, it makes them look cooler. It's a little detail, but little details add up! Down the right side, you'll find a solid steel panel that's as neatly flush-mounted as the glass on the left side. It looks very smart overall. However, as Andy's pointed out, they removed the strip of vertical air intake we saw on the H7. While there's nothing wrong with this design, we don't think it would have been the worst thing in the world to have it on all three H7 models, more air intake is more, right? At the back, you'll find a little added ventilation at the top, which will prevent unwanted heat built up in the rear of the case. There's a 120/140mm fan mount below that, with a 120mm fan pre-installed. Interestingly, NZXT equipped the case with non-ventilated expansion slot covers. It looks neat and tidy, but perforated ones are pretty common now as they allow for a little more airflow here. Does it make a big difference? I really don't know! Finally, at the bottom, we have an ATX PSU mount, and it'll offer up its own airflow, thanks to a slide-out mesh filter and air intake on the bottom of the case. All the panels on this case are tool-free, so you simply push from behind these edges here, and they'll pop out. Once the panel pops out a bit, you can simply grab it and lift it up and out of the way. The interior of the window has a rubber/foam strip on the sides, helping to prevent any unwanted vibrations from the panel. Interior The interior of the NZXT H7 Flow looks... well, it looks just like the interior of the H7. Really, the only main differences here as the swapped out front and right side panels. That means you still get the same impressive collection of cable routing holes on all sides of the motherboard, as well as that cool cable guard that sweeps down on the right side of the motherboard. It features a long slot, which will allow you to more easily mount any additional liquid cooling hardware. While the overall airflow is going to be better just because of the mesh, you'll also find two NZXT branded 120mm fans in this case; one in the front and one in the back. Overall though, that's a pretty basic setup, but something you could easily expand on yourself. There's room in the front for thicker radiators of up to 360mm long, as well as 120/140mm fan configurations. The same can be found in the top, and you can get up to a 360mm radiator here too, or again, 120/140mm fan configurations. The PSU shroud is well ventilated, but also offers up three large cable routing holes of its own, ensuring you can easily get cables to the bottom of the motherboard and your graphics card. There's quite a lot going on behind the motherboard too, with an impressive amount of cable routing space. However, its the mixture of several cable routing tracks, ten Velcro straps, and plentiful cable tie loops that will ensure you can cleanly and easily get your cables where they need to be. Storage options are great too, with two removable SSD brackets right behind the motherboard, allowing you to tuck two drives out of sight. Plus a movable/removable HDD cage in the bottom of the case allows for an additional 2 x HDD or 2 x SSDs. Finally, under that top cover, you'll find a huge dust filter that can easily be removed for easy maintenance. Furthermore, it offers an easy way to access those top fan and radiator mounts. Complete System I love how this case looks, it's a very clean and very stylish case and I'm sure any of you would be proud to install a system in here. I do think the E-ATX compatibility could be improved though, as the motherboard touches the cable routing guard, and the lower SATA ports are covered. However, some E-ATX are wider than others and this is one of the largest. Still, slimming that cable routing bar a little would vastly improve support for larger motherboards. The cable routing options are great though, with space on all sides of the motherboard making it easy to get things where they need to be. I especially like the vertical pass-through from the PSU shroud, as it makes for a cleaner cable run to your graphics cards. Airflow looks great, and while the single front fan could certainly do with an upgrade, just having so much ventilation on the front will allow any hardware to pull more air into the case anyway, something you will see reflected in the performance figures on the next page. While a Noctua U12 clearly fits, we've checked, and the latest Noctua NH-D15S will also fit just fine, so you shouldn't have any issues with big air coolers. Furthermore, there's clearly good support for radiators in the front and top of this case, ensuring you can cool your system however you desire. Overall, it's a very easy case to work with, a little big and heavy, but the design lends itself well to clean cable management and decent hardware support. As you can see, a 1080 Ti barely fills the length of the case, but even the largest RTX 3080 Ti's we can think of will still fit in here. With all the glass back in place, the Flow looks stunning and while I'm sure some of you will like the look of the H7, I honestly think the H7 Flow looks so much cooler with that perforated front panel. And, let's be honest, it's going to run cooler too. Performance Benchmarks How Much Does it Cost? There are three NZXT cases launching today, all listed below. Looking at the feature and most certainly their performance, I'd say the NZXT H7 Flow is the best value for money. It runs cooler, and quieter and offers the best overall value of the three. Based on its price and performance, I think I'd have a hard time selling you on the standard H7. I'd only recommend that if you were completely changing the fan configuration for something more robust. The Elite is cool, but it's certainly more for showing off than it is for adding any practical advantage, as it's louder and more expensive overall. NZXT H7 Case Review - $129.99/£119.99 NZXT H7 FLOW Case Review - $129.99/£119.99 NZXT H7 Elite Case Review - $199.99/£179.99 Retail Links NZXT H7 Black - https://locally.link/08et (Amazon)NZXT H7 White - https://locally.link/KiyG (Amazon)NZXT H7 Black/White - https://locally.link/88S6 (Amazon)NZXT H7 Flow Black - https://locally.link/OO2W (Amazon)NZXT H7 Flow White - https://locally.link/M5O9 (Amazon)NZXT H7 Flow Black/White - https://locally.link/06xG (Amazon)NZXT H7 Elite Black - https://locally.link/7h1s (Amazon)NZXT H7 Elite White - https://locally.link/2j45 (Amazon) Build Quality The NZXT H7 Flow is one of the most durable and well-made cases's I've had the pleasure of reviewing. It's up there with the robust nature of the top-end Corsair Obsidian models, or the Fractal Design Define series. The panels are thick steel, and everything is exceptionally reinforced. Despite being tool-free, all the panels fit with a reassuring tightness and nothing wobbles out of place at all. Why do these cases cost so much? It's literally a case of more materials put together with precision; you get what you pay for. To Flow or Not to Flow The NZXT H7 was running hotter due to the limited airflow from the side ventilation design. Furthermore, having just a single 120mm intake fan on such a large case is never going to wow you with airflow. With that in mind, it's no surprise that the stock H7 runs hotter. The massive ventilated design of the H7 Flow's front panel not only reduced temperatures, but also noise levels, and it's just superior overall. Still, I think NZXT may as well sell it with no fans in the front, as one way or the other, you're going to want to upgrade/replace it with something more robust. Personally, I think the H7 Flow would suit a front-mounted radiator and an upgraded 140mm fan in the rear while leaving the top mounts as passive exhaust. Should I Buy One? Well, if you're the kind of person who skips right to the end of the review, my general consensus is the H7 flow is an exceptionally well-made case. It has a few quirks, but overall, it's a very nice case indeed. Compared to the H7, the H7 flow is far superior in terms of cooling performance and given it costs exactly the same, it's a bit of a no-brainer, and putting my own money on the table, I'd buy the H7 Flow!