NZXT H7 Elite - CM-H71EB-01 - ATX Mid Tower PC Gaming Case - Front I/O USB Type-C Port - Quick-Release Tempered Glass Side Panel - Vertical GPU Mount - Integrated RGB Lighting - Black

Product Information

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. The top also allows for plenty of room to hook in a range of AIO liquid cooler designs of sizes up to 360mm. For the build we used NZXT’s own Kraken X cooler, but it should work for most options on the market. The air vents give enough room for most radiators, and the large internal space makes it trivial to have the needed cables, fans, and accessories without having the internals of the PC looking messy. The vents in the top also make it great for dispersing the heat when your PC is running under heavy load and included handy dust filters to keep the inside of your system looking clean behind the clear glass panels.

H7, H7 Flow, and H7 Elite Review - OC3D - Overclock3D NZXT H7, H7 Flow, and H7 Elite Review - OC3D - Overclock3D

NZXT has made further improvements to the H710 PC case, providing choices for those who want maximum airflow with the H7 Flow, a streamlined design with the H7, or an additional window and RGB lighting with the H7 Elite. This is the H7 to go for if you prefer creating quite the light show.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 H7 Elite - CM-H71EB-01 - ATX Mid Tower PC Gaming Case

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. Let’s face it, this isn’t a normal case review. We’re reviewing three cases here, and while they all have their similarities, they are all designed for different types of PC builder.

NZXT's premium PC case with lots of glass.

As good as the H7 looks and as easy as it is to use, there is no getting around the fact that the H7 Flow exists and that it delivered much better thermals. Even if we added two more intake fans to the H7, its performance wouldn’t improve that much. How do we know this? Just look at our H7 Elite results. Even with more fans (that are also larger), the difference in thermal performance between the H7 and H7 Elite is minimal, and the H7 Flow outperforms both with ease. 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. Those changes to the panels are welcome, however they fix problems that should never have existed in the first place. When we dug in further and found the specification of the fans made little to no sense it felt like 2019 all over again. 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. 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.