Will a chassis be a visible deal with, however constructing in it, a tough feat? That is why you learn PC case evaluations. Some PC builds are simpler than others, and far of it comes all the way down to the precise PC case you select. So it’s all the time good to open and dig right into a PC case by which each part matches with out lining up flaming hoops so that you can soar by means of. We’re not going to call any notably tough merchandise, however will as a substitute level out that NZXT’s H7 Circulation is the very reverse of these…nameless transgressors. Right here we’ve an ATX mid-tower with a little bit of Prolonged ATX (EATX) functionality, and no obstructions evident in our take a look at construct. For a simple, clear, and modern-looking PC buildout that performs in addition to it seems to be, the H7 Circulation is simply that straightforward, incomes an Editors’ Selection award amongst ATX mainstream chassis.
The Design: A Straight-Laced ATX Face
A member of NZXT’s new H7 household, which features a solid-faced H7 (customary) and a glass-faced H7 Elite, the H7 Circulation is the “holiest” of the bunch, because of its perforated sheet-steel entrance.
(Picture: Molly Flores)
(Picture: Molly Flores)
A metal aspect panel sits reverse the H7 Circulation’s glass left panel, and its rear is much much less ventilated than the entrance. There, we discover the standard assortment of seven enlargement slots, a dual-pattern full ATX power-supply mount, and a 120mm exhaust fan in a gap that additionally helps 140mm followers. The slot space is designed with out slot separators to permit the elective set up of a vertical-mount graphics card package (not included).
The H7 Circulation’s snap-on prime panel is ventilated to match the entrance. A headphone/microphone combo jack, a Kind-C port with a Gen 2 inside USB 3.x interface, two USB Kind-A ports on an inside Gen 1 USB 3.x interface, and an influence button surrounded by an LED power-indicator ring relaxation on the prime panel’s entrance edge.
(Picture: Thomas Soderstrom)
The H7 Circulation’s backside panel options slide-out filters for each the facility provide and the consumption hole. Whereas the entrance filter and its corresponding gap appear pointless on a case that has a totally vented face, the identical underlying chassis additionally matches the unvented face panels of its two sibling fashions.
The Inside Options: Straightforward Peasy Constructing
The mud filter on the backside of the consumption duct wouldn’t make a lot sense if the face panel didn’t even have a filter, so NZXT equips the H7 Circulation’s snap-off entrance with a snap-in plastic-framed filter that covers your complete ventilated part.
The snap-off prime panel additionally features a filter, however this one connects to the chassis beneath. The filter covers a mount that may maintain three 120mm or two 140mm followers, in addition to any radiators of corresponding proportions.
(Picture: Thomas Soderstrom)
Inside, we discover a hole large enough to carry a ten.6-inch-deep motherboard (which may be dubbed “EATX,” although some EATX boards are greater and will not match) behind a detachable cable-concealing shroud, together with sufficient room to mount a 60mm mixture of followers and radiator over the motherboard. A further 30mm/50mm of horizontal offset between the standoffs and the 140mm/120mm fan mounts assists those that wish to use extra-thick radiators. Simply over 400mm separates the slot panel from the entrance fan mount.
(Picture: Molly Flores)
A niche on the entrance of the facility provide is large enough to carry a 60mm radiator with followers mounted on the other aspect. A smaller rectangular gap additional again permits screwdriver entry to the drive cage’s launch screw.
(Picture: Molly Flores)
Round again we discover two big cable-management brackets and two tiny 2.5-inch snap-in drive trays, together with a semi-concealed 3.5-inch drive cage that seems to sit down a far, far distance from the power-supply mount.
(Picture: Molly Flores)
Virtually talking, the thumbscrew that secures the drive cage is what limits power-supply size to 233mm. A second set of tab holes and screw holes permits it to be moved about 19mm farther ahead, however inserting it there reduces the decrease portion of the entrance radiator mount by the identical distance. The three.5-inch cage’s elective 2.5-inch mounts aren’t even included within the H7 Circulation’s official specs, as these specs as a substitute confer with a second set of two.5-inch trays that we’ll cowl momentarily.
(Picture: Thomas Soderstrom)
Eradicating all of the panels exposes simply how open the H7 Circulation is internally, with its ahead fan mounts a full 2 inches behind the entrance panel.
(Picture: Thomas Soderstrom)
A one-piece front-panel button/LED connector, HD Audio, USB 3.x Gen 2 (for the Kind-C port), and USB 3.x Gen 1 (for the Kind A ports) full the front-panel cable choice.
(Picture: Thomas Soderstrom)
Some builders have grown so accustomed to putting in particular person leads that they’ve not but realized that Asrock, Asus, Gigabyte, and MSI have all been utilizing this similar nine-pin button/LED configuration for over a decade, even when extra pins are situated to the appropriate of the usual portion. Given the issue we’ve had fidgeting with particular person leads, we’d wish to thank NZXT for getting with the instances with that one-piece connector.
(Picture: Thomas Soderstrom)
Packed inside the three.5-inch trays, NZXT’s field stuffed with {hardware} contains at the least 4 6-32 power-supply screws, an additional standoff with a hex-to-Phillips adapter socket, 12 fan screws, 24 M3 SSD screws, 17 small-head 6-32 screws for motherboard standoffs and three.5-inch drives, eight cable ties, two extra SSD trays, and a full guide that states that there are literally 18 cable ties. Hmmmm. We did get further screws, although.
The additional SSD trays snap onto the spherical holes of the power-supply shroud…or just about some other vent holes you’ll be able to consider. However we’d slightly place them right here.
(Picture: Thomas Soderstrom)
You’ll have seen that we eliminated the cable shroud within the earlier picture. Doing so revealed that sure, a full-spec 13-inch deep EATX board can behind its heart assist bracket, however doing so will trigger it to put throughout the 2 snap balls that should safe the highest of the cable shroud.
(Picture: Thomas Soderstrom)
We’d advocate sticking to boards lower than 11 inches deep and once more notice that boards as much as 10.6 inches deep will match with the cable shroud put in.
After unscrewing and eradicating the second and third slot cowl, our ATX construct slipped proper into the H7 Circulation with zero points. Putting the radiator on the highest panel whereas utilizing its followers as exhaust offers voltage-regulator cooling advantages, although at some price in CPU temperature.
(Picture: Thomas Soderstrom)
We slightly just like the minimalist method to inside lighting of our completed take a look at construct, although customers preferring extra flash are welcomed to pack the H7 Circulation with LED followers on the highest, entrance, and again.
Testing the H7 Circulation: Reaching Your Circulation State
So first, a have a look at our customary testing-component loadout for benchmarking ATX instances like this one…
We’ll map the outcomes towards some not too long ago examined massive ATX instances, a few of which have at the least a modicum of EATX assist: Cooler Grasp’s HAF 500, Corsair’s iCUE 5000T RGB, Lian Li’s O11 Dynamic EVO, and In Win’s N515.
Noticing that the H7 Circulation didn’t have practically as a lot air flowing out the highest (from our liquid cooler) as from the again, we determined to retest it with out the highest filter put in. Exhaust followers don’t profit from mud filters, although customers preferring to as a substitute draw air in by means of the lid will probably be glad that the filter is included.
With the highest filter put in, the H7 Circulation’s CPU temperatures are a detailed match to these of Corsair’s iCUE 5000T, beating each the Cooler Grasp HAF 500 and Lian Li O11D EVO. In Win’s N515 leads in CPU temperatures because of its completely different radiator placement, however the H7 Circulation virtually caught it once we eliminated the exhaust filter from our configuration.
Voltage regulator temperatures present why this builder prefers to place the radiator (and its further followers) on prime, because the N515 fell nicely behind the H7 Circulation’s clear win…
The iCUE 5000T and HAF 500 comply with intently behind the H7 Circulation’s lead.
Then, our testing of GPU thermals. The HAF 500 fed our GPU the good air, adopted by the H7 Circulation with out the highest exhaust filter fitted in place, after which the H7 Circulation with prime exhaust filter…
Lastly, onward to noise (acoustic) testing…
The H7 Circulation hangs in with the HAF 500 for middling noise ranges, beat solely by the O11D EVO’s diminished fan set. However that’s with all instances being measured from the front-left and front-right corners. What’s not proven in these numbers is that the H7 Circulation turned noticeably louder from above the highest panel after eradicating its prime filter, which is an angle that we didn’t produce other knowledge to check.
The Verdict: A Mainstream Winner of an ATX Tower
Primary performance—executing on the basics—wins ball video games and results in enterprise success. However it’s one factor that usually will get missed within the shuffle between one glamorous chassis design and one other distinctive characteristic set. Including glorious efficiency to that stable basis places NZXT’s H7 Circulation atop the pack and nets it the Editors’ Selection win we talked about up prime. With an MSRP of $130 that appears extra like final 12 months’s $100 (given current fiscal traits), it’s a case that ought to please skilled builders and newbies alike throughout every thing from mid-budget to semi-high-end builds.
Having suffered a number of weeks of every thing from jammed-in boards to damaged slot latches when coping with improperly designed instances, this builder definitely appreciates NZXT’s efforts with the H7 Circulation. Stepping into your movement (and Circulation) state when constructing on this case is simpler than with most chassis we have examined of late.
Like What You are Studying?
Join Lab Report to get the newest evaluations and prime product recommendation delivered proper to your inbox.
This text could include promoting, offers, or affiliate hyperlinks. Subscribing to a e-newsletter signifies your consent to our Phrases of Use and Privateness Coverage. You might unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time.
