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Building a PC can be a difficult task. Every small detail, from the processors to the RAM, must be scrutinized. The computer case is one area that many people overlook, and however, it is one of the most important decisions you will make when building your PC. Potentially you could cross vendors too - say replace an Lenovo / IBM ServeRAID M5015 with a Intel RS25DB080… well, you get my drift. If you want a high-quality PC case with an ergonomic design, the NZXT PC cases are probably what you’re looking for. The NZXT H-series PC cases are expertly crafted PC cases with some outstanding features at an affordable price. All dimensions and specs are the same, but the H710i has better lighting and control thanks to the inclusion of NZXT’s Smart Device V2. The CAM controller, the LED strips, the full complement of four fans, and the H710i’s minimalist design also distinguish it from the entry-level model, H710.
GPU dT was 52.4C dT in this test, similarly competitive but also outperformed by the O11 XL, which had fans positioned directly under the GPU in our configuration. The quantity of fans means that no matter how slowly they spin, they’re still pushing a uniform wall of air through the body of the case and effectively cooling the components within. Conclusion At the top of the case is room for up to three 120mm case fans or a 360mm water-cooling radiator, but accessing these mounting spots will take some work. To get to them, you first need to remove the front panel by pressing plastic clips that are located all around the panel, then pulling upward. After that, you do the same thing to the top panel, but this is made more difficult by the presence of LED strips and the cable bar. It’s certainly doable, but from the get-go, based on my experience, if you plan to add extra case fans or a liquid-cooler radiator up top, be ready for a bit more work than usual. This is the price you pay for such a featureless (and free-of-fasteners) front and top panel.
The H710 and H710i are two of the H-series PC cases that are well-known for their high build quality, durability, ease of setup, and affordability. 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. The torture workload got the CPU to 51.9C dT average, and 46.3 dT average with the front panel removed. That’s a reasonably-sized gap and indicates that the front panel isn’t completely ruining thermals, but part of that is the fact that there are three intake fans capable of forcing air through. The dust filter is behind the front panel directly over the fans, so the perforations on either side of the front panel aren’t meant to be filters and could be completely open like the 465X. The running theme with NZXT H-series cases (perhaps excluding the H510 Elite) is thermal performance that we grudgingly admit is adequate, while at the same time airflow has been sacrificed for aesthetic reasons. GPU torture averaged 50.4C dT, down to 46.5C dT with the front panel removed. Like the CPU test, this isn’t a huge jump and it means we can’t criticize NZXT’s front panel design too heavily, although it could be improved. All three front intake slots are filled, there’s a big air intake cutout under the bottom edge of the front panel, the PSU shroud has a decent section removed at the front, and there are plenty of perforations on the top of the shroud. We taped over the shroud as part of our old H700i review and didn’t see any real change in performance, but it certainly doesn’t hurt, and now that the HDD cage is shorter it’s possible for the bottom intake fan to move some air over it and through the shroud. Fortunately due to the design of the PSU cover mounting, this shouldn’t be too much of an issue, thanks to those perforated holes. We recommend Phanteks Premium 220mm Riser Cable if you are considering going this route, and remember to install it before your PSU.
The H710 and H710i have plenty of space inside, which can support 120 mm radiators on the rear side and up to 360 mm radiators on the front and top. Installing 120 mm or 140 mm cooling fans can also help with ventilation. Let’s talk about the worrying part of all of this: is it possible to upgrade from a H700 to a H710 WITHOUT DATA LOSS?No matter why you’re building your own PC, whether it’s for a fully loaded gaming setup or a new work-from-home station, finding the perfect PC case is just as important as selecting the components that go inside. The NZXT H710 and H710i are virtually identical. The only real difference is that the H710i has integrated RGB lighting and a smart controller for fans and leds compared to the H710. While temperatures were higher than they could have been with better access to air, NZXT was comfortable at the time to mix form with function. For the new NZXT H7 range, the company has redesigned how the cases both take and exhaust air. The NZXT H7 Flow is the biggest change here with the perforated front panel.
While NZXT’s H710 chassis has proved to be popular over its lifespan, the PC market has changed a lot since this case was introduced. For starters, CPUs and GPUs are more power-hungry than before, making airflow a greater concern for PC builders. This change to the PC market has forced NZXT to include more fan mounts on the top of their H7 series cases, adding support for top-mounted 360mm liquid cooling radiators while redesigning their front panels to enable increased system airflow. Otherwise, the H710i features a lot of the same features as the NZXT H700i. Plenty of intuitive cable cutouts and passthroughs, a roomy interior, quality finishes on all of the folded steel, and a lot of versatility as to where you can run your cables. Rear Cable Management and HDDsThe NZXT H710i is an upgrade over the less expensive base model H710; all dimensions and specs are the same, but the H710i has the feature of the NZXT I version, which is the Smart Device V2. Prior to load testing, we collect idle temperature results for ten minutes to determine the unloaded cooling performance of a case's fans and air channels. Thermal benchmarking is conducted for 1400 seconds (23 minutes), a period we've determined sufficient for achieving equilibrium. The over-time data is aggregated and will occasionally be compiled into charts, if interesting or relevant. The equilibrium performance is averaged to create the below charts. Since 1982, PCMag has tested and rated thousands of products to help you make better buying decisions. See how we test. All NZXT cases with an external USB Type-C connector will require a USB 3.1 Gen 2 connector on the motherboard. While there are adapters that exist to allow you to convert a Gen 2 cable to work with a Gen 1 connector, we do not recommend the use of these adapters as they can lead to compatibility or reliability issues. Can I install two 360mm radiators at the same time in the H710 series? The NZXT H7 Flow is part of the new H7 range launched by NZXT for 2022, replacing the outgoing NZXT H710. As aforementioned, there are three versions of the NZXT H7, one with a solid front panel, another with a perforated front panel, and finally a third with a glass front panel.
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