Latest from Windows Central in Pc-cases

I tested HYTE's cute X50 PC case to see its cat paws and curved glass in person – I can't believe how much I love it

ben.wilson@windowscentral.com (Ben Wilson) — Sat, 24 Jan 2026 14:00:00 +0000

I've been building desktop PCs for over a decade, and form rarely prioritized function when I was looking for cases. It's not like I wasn't tempted, but there were a few over the years that looked comically huge just for the sake of it. HYTE's work has nevertheless piqued my interest, particularly after I couldn't resist testing the absurd Y70 Touch and its case-mounted vertical touchscreen.

I mean, yeah, it was spacious and easy to build in, but that's mostly because it's the size of a common fish tank. Some lucky builders out there might have the space for a gigantic PC case, but our house isn't part of that collective. Fast forward to CES 2026, and our team caught a glimpse of the new HYTE X50 — a bubbly case with cat paws for feet. Now my wife wants it. She needs it.

Where can you buy the HYTE X50?

HYTE X50 in a prototype "Astral Orange" color at CES 2026. (Image credit: Cale Hunt | Windows Central)

The X50 sells at HYTE.com for $159.99 (MSRP) and comes in six colors: Snow White, Pitch Black, Wild Cherry (Red), Matcha (Green), Strawberry Milk (Pink), and Taro Milk (Purple).

HYTE X50 specs

Price (MSRP): $159.99 at HYTE.com
Motherboard: E-ATX, ATX, MATX, ITX
PSU: Up to 223mm
GPU: Up to 430 x 160mm
Dimensions: 485 x 510 x 255 mm
Chassis: 1mm steel, ABS
Glass: 4mm laminated acoustic
Weight: 979g (2.15 lbs)

There's also the cheaper HYTE X50 Air for $129.99 alternative that ditches the curved glass panel for an all-over metallic grill, covered in dotted holes for increased airflow.

For other stores, you can pick up the HYTE X50 at Amazon in its array of colors, and Best Buy lists the X50 at the same price. Ditto for shoppers who prefer Newegg, which also carries the X50.

Essentially, your options for storefronts are wide, and availability is healthy, so you shouldn't have any problems buying the HYTE X50 once you've decided on the color. I'd also recommend picking up a 4-pack of FA12 case fans at HYTE.com since the case doesn't include any.

HYTE's own fans are undoubtedly perfect, but they aren't cheap. (Image credit: Ben Wilson | Windows Central)

At the time of writing, there are HYTE FA12 listings on Amazon, but they're selling above MSRP. Best Buy doesn't appear to have the case fans available right now, and it's the same story at Newegg. Today, the best buying experience would be to pick up the case and its matching fans from HYTE.com. That way, you should have everything you need to build on the same day.

HYTE offers worldwide shipping if you buy directly, and usually has each color in stock, including Taro Milk.View Deal

If you want everything to match perfectly, you'll want at least one pack of these colored case fans.View Deal

Is the HYTE X50 a good PC case?

A bottom-mounted intake fan vent features a magnetic dust shield, and it's only one. (Image credit: Ben Wilson | Windows Central)

At its core, the X50 is a wide, chunky case with a gigantic tempered glass panel that curves around its front side and over the top. That means you don't get top-mounting options for radiators attached to AIO liquid CPU coolers, but you're hardly lacking in airflow options elsewhere. There are fan mounts all up and down this thing.

You don't get top-mounting options for radiators, but you're hardly lacking in airflow options.

Setting up this sample in the same configuration we saw at CES would mean 3x 120mm intake fans on the floor, 3x more intake at the front, and 1x rear exhaust fan. That leaves the side grill open for a 360mm AIO radiator, for a total of 10 fans inside the case — 11 if you count the power supply, but that's splitting hairs. I'll dig out a trio of ARCTIC P12 fans to help this along.

The top-mounted PSU shroud is spacious enough to work with, as odd as it may feel to some builders. (Image credit: Ben Wilson | Windows Central)

Besides the cutesy paw-printed feet and the appreciated magnetic dust grill on the underside, the top-mounted power supply shroud stood out as a particularly curious addition. It's almost a throwback to retro cases and comes with some divisive side effects, like pulling air from the case into the PSU.

Then again, even at first glance, I could imagine the sheer pressure of a single 120mm exhaust fan blowing hot air out the back, so there shouldn't be much ambient warmth left to rise to the top anyway, and the PSU's own exhaust fan should handle its cooling well enough. I suppose we'll see soon enough.

Does the HYTE X50 have any issues?

Front-facing USB options are fine, if a little tight when plugging in devices to the USB-A ports. (Image credit: Ben Wilson | Windows Central)

On the top side, the X50 has a single USB-C 3.2 Gen 2x2 port and a duo of USB-A 3.2 Gen 1x1 ports, alongside a combo audio jack. That means you'll need to connect four headers to your monitor, one for each. They're mostly unassuming, though the USB-A ports are a little crunchy, as if they're ever-so-slightly too small for peripherals. Don't get me wrong, they work just fine.

The USB-A ports are a little crunchy, as if they're ever-so-slightly too small for peripherals.

Perhaps that's even better than having too loose, and your cabled devices accidentally become unplugged with a slight pull — just something to note. Otherwise, we get a "tactile mechanical" power switch (seems overkill, but sure) with an LED surround. Yep, it's a button. Clicks real nice, and lights up to let you know that everything is working.

Fan cable management gets a little tricky as you get further from the motherboard. (Image credit: Ben Wilson | Windows Central)

The only genuine issue I had while building in the X50 was daisy-chaining HYTE's own FA12 Taro fans through the case to a convenient fan header. The fans come with a separate cable to link them together, but routing the top-most fan through any channel always left me slightly too short.

For that, it had to slip around the side of the old reliable be quiet! Light Loop 360 AIO cooler sample and find the first available opening. If you didn't look too closely, you wouldn't notice it, but it's the only imperfection I had during the entire process. Besides, a fan extension cable would solve it — hardly a big deal.

Should you buy the HYTE X50?

Ben Wilson | Windows Central

You should buy this if ...

✅ You want a unique, quirky case with great airflow

✅ You need extra space for multiple PCIe components

You should not buy this if ...

❌ You have a weak desk that won't handle heavy cases

❌ You prefer top-mounted cooling solutions

The HYTE X50 doesn't necessarily do anything wrong, and its cons are just a symptom of its subcategory — not a failure of design. It's the heaviest thing in the world, but most of that heft is in the curved glass, and I'd prefer it to be strong in the first place. Lacking an option for top-mounted AIO radiators is, again, just a style choice, and you get two 360mm options at the front anyway.

It's a gorgeous showpiece, with a cute and quirky secret hidden under its feet that you'll probably only see once in a blue moon. My wife loves the way it looks, and I love the way that it runs ice cold after loading it up with a wealth of case fans. Sure, HYTE could stand to discount its matching FA12 fans a little, but you aren't forced to use those anyway. I can't believe how much I like it.

Taro Milk

HYTE

X50

That curved glass is 4mm thick and heavier than it looks, but it's part of the X50's charm, and I love it.

This custom hardline watercooling concept PC looks amazing — here's what you can actually buy today

Jennifer Young — Wed, 07 Jan 2026 12:26:05 +0000

CES 2026 is always good for at least a few “look at this thing!” PCs, and this year, iBUYPOWER really leaned into that with their Trace X Custom Loop Concept.

It’s a flashy return to hardline liquid cooling in prebuilts, something that’s usually reserved for the hardcore DIY crowd or those "sell-a-kidney" expensive boutique systems. (Or should I say, "sell-both kidneys," given the current state of PC part prices). But while the custom loop is the eye candy, the real story is the stuff that’s going to hit shelves later this year.

But hey, let’s look at the fancy-shiny thing first.

The Trace X Custom Loop Concept PC

The goal here is to make custom hardline loops less of a nightmare. Custom cooling is notoriously intimidating (one wrong bend and you've got a puddle), so iBUYPOWER redesigned the distroplate.

It integrates the pump, reservoir, and all the coolant routing into one transparent unit to save space and stop the alignment headache. They even added sliding terminals so you can actually line up your ports with the CPU and GPU blocks without losing your mind. Yes, "your" because I would never attempt putting together something like this in a million years. But it looks neat!

It’s basically an evolution of their Element CL systems. It looks more modern, and at least in theory, way easier to maintain. Just keep in mind it’s still a concept. No need to start saving your rent, it's just a cool "what is possible." They have stated they look forward to feedback on it for developing future products, however.

Which brings us neatly to the part of the announcement that actually matters for most people.

The Gen 10 lineup (stuff you can actually buy soon)

Panoramic glass is the move for this reasonably priced range (Image credit: Jennifer Young - Windows Central with renders provided by iBuyerPowerPC)

iBUYPOWER is rolling out its Gen 10 cases and cooling gear, and it’s surprisingly solid.

The Trace X Case ($99.99): This is the standout for me. It’s got that panoramic fishbowl look with a single piece of curved glass wrapping around the front and side. It’s paired with a metallic grill and a flowing vent design on the top. My favorite part of this is that more options are being worked on for the trim, so coming soon, you'll be able to get pink and lavender for the white case and a faux wood for the black.

If you want RGB on top of your RGB, this is the case for you.ibuypower

ibuypower

Element Pulse X ($99.99): If you want your PC to be seen from the moon, this case has got integrated ARGB lighting running along the edges and that signature corner power button. You can swap between a mesh top for airflow or glass if you just want to admire the lights.
New cooling gear: They’re refreshing their AIOs with the AW5 360mm ($99.99), which adds a segmented display to the pump block so you can see your CPU temps at a glance. They also showed off a more traditional AC5 RGB tower air cooler for those of you who aren't ready to trust liquid near your expensive parts.
KM10 Keyboard and mouse ($34.99): Available soon as an add-on for certain systems or as a standalone bundle.

The Trace X Custom Loop is undeniably cool, and I love seeing a prebuilt company still experimenting with different features despite the current state of the consumer market.

Most importantly, though, the Gen 10 cases and coolers are reasonably priced, and they’ll actually be in builds you can buy this year. The official IBUYPOWER site indicates that all of these are releasing in Q1.

Do you think custom loops are the next big thing for PC prebuilds? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

NZXT H9 Flow RGB+ (2025) review: The one I've been dreaming about, but it might not be right for you

c.cale.hunt@gmail.com (Cale Hunt) — Tue, 20 May 2025 16:39:07 +0000

NZXT's PC cases are some of the most attractive options out there, and the company has redesigned its H9 Flow lineup for 2025.

The three new PC cases include the H9 Flow, H9 Flow RGB, and H9 Flow RGB+, with the biggest differences between the models being the included fans.

I received the new top-end NZXT H9 Flow RGB+ ahead of the launch, allowing me plenty of time to get to know the case.

After transplanting my gaming PC into the new case, I'm here to provide some insight into what it's like to use, how well it keeps performance hardware cool (and at what volume), and the extra goodies you don't usually see from the outside.

This review was made possible thanks to a review sample from NZXT. The company had no input nor saw the contents of this review prior to publication.

NZXT H9 Flow RGB (2025): Cheat Sheet

What is it? A premium PC case designed for maximum airflow while sporting plenty of glass to show off your build.
Who is it for? PC enthusiasts who need a huge case with lots of glass and included fans.
How much does it cost? The standard H9 Flow starts at $169.99, the RGB model jumps to $209.99, and the H9 Flow RGB+ I reviewed costs $289.99.
What did I like? Easy internal access, easy cable management, tons of airflow.
What did I not like? No adapters for the NZXT Control Hub, no fine screens for the front fans.

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NZXT H9 Flow RGB (2025): Pricing and specifications

NZXT's H9 Flow RGB+ sitting on a desk with multi-colored RGB fan lighting enabled. (Image credit: Future)

NZXT launched its updated H9 Flow cases for 2025 on May 20. They're available in white and black finishes, and they're made from steel and tempered glass.

The standard H9 Flow starts at $169.99 and includes one rear exhaust fan and three individual F140Q fans along the angled case section.

The H9 Flow RGB starts at $209.99 and upgrades the front three fans to an F420 RGB Core setup while keeping the same non-RGB rear exhaust fan.

The H9 Flow RGB+, which I'm reviewing here, starts at $289.99. It has the same F420 RGB triple-fan setup along the front, another F420 RGB setup on the bottom, and an F120 RGB Core exhaust fan.

Black and white models are all available at Newegg, but you can also buy directly from NZXT.

Here's a look at the specs that make up this PC case.

Spec	NZXT Flow H9 RGB+ (2025)
I/O	2x USB-A 3.2 (Gen 1), 1x USB-C 3.2 (Gen 2x2), 1x 3.5mm audio
Pre-installed fans	2x F420 RGB Core (with 3 fans each), 1x F120Q (rear)
Radiator support	Up to 420mm
Fan capacity	Up to 9x 140mm, 1x 120mm (rear)
Motherboard support	E-ATX (up to 277mm), ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX
CPU cooler clearance	165mm
PSU clearance	200mm
Rear-connecting motherboard support	ATX, Micro-ATX
SSD support	6x 2.5-inch SSDs or 4x 2.5-inch and 2x 3.5-inch SSDs
Expansion slots	7
Volume	76.7L
Dimensions	19.9 (H) x 18.9 (D) x 12.4 (W) inches (506mm x 481mm x 315mm)
Weight	27.78 pounds (12.6kg)
Materials	SGCC steel, tempered glass
Warranty	2 years

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NZXT H9 Flow RGB+ (2025): How I tested

NZXT's H9 Flow RGB+ open and lying on its side, showing the motherboard and AiO cooler installation. (Image credit: Future)

The best way to test a PC case is to build a full PC inside, and that's exactly what I did with the new NZXT H9 Flow RGB+ (2025).

I approached the review from the same angle as any regular buyer, and I've been sure to include my opinions regarding ease-of-build, internal layout, and extra features.

Beyond that, once I reassembled my PC inside the case, I took a look at supporting software, thermals, airflow, noise, and future expansion possibilities.

There's no paper analysis here: this is an in-depth look at the new NZXT H9 Flow RGB+ case.

NZXT H9 Flow RGB+ (2025): What I like

A narrow panel on the far side swings out for easier internal access.Future

The swing panel has mounts for 2.5-inch SSDs. You can see the cable channel with Velcro just behind it.Future

A 2.5-inch SSD installed on the swing panel.Future

A look at the bottom of the NZXT H9 Flow RGB+ — it's all fans.Future

To kick off the new PC build, I disassembled the H9 Flow RGB+ as far as the (mostly) toolless entry allows. It's unlike other cases that have a side panel or two that pull away.

The top panel, held in place with thumb screws, is removed first. This frees up the side glass and side metal panels for removal. While the front glass, rear panel, and angled fan section remain in place, you otherwise have full and easy access to the PC's internals.

There is a hinged panel held in place with screws along the far side, and it has pre-drilled holes for attaching 2.5-inch SSDs. It swings out of the way to not impede access while building.

The cabling that comes attached to the case — front panel, fans, etc. — is bundled up neatly at the bottom of the case, ready to be plugged in. The RGB for the included fans is plugged into the Control Hub and ready to go. More on that in the next section.

A look at the punch-out channel along the side of the motherboard, which makes for easy cable access. (Image credit: Future)

The transplant from my old PC case to the new NZXT H9 Flow RGB+ was largely painless. The H9 comes with offsets already in place for an ATX board, but included in the companion hardware is everything you need for other types of boards.

You could put a smaller motherboard into this case, but I think it looks great with a larger ATX board. The case is also set up for rear-mounted motherboards, though I can't comment on how easy the reverse setup is to install.

Much to my delight, the dreaded F_PANEL hookups come as a single connector rather than a bunch of smaller plugs.

Just to the right side of the motherboard riser is a tall, narrow slot made for cable passthrough. The slot comes covered, perfect if you're using a smaller motherboard.

For my ATX board, however, it's best removed. NZXT includes a smaller piece that can be reinserted around the cables for a cleaner look. It's a nice addition that shows attention to detail.

With the motherboard fastened in and the cables passed through to the front, I began plugging in. Much to my delight, the dreaded F_PANEL hookups come as a single connector rather than a bunch of smaller plugs. Nice.

Cutouts below and above the motherboard make it easy to get everything plugged in, but they hide the cables behind. (Image credit: Future)

Because the motherboard sits on a raised section, there's plenty of space for cutouts along the top and bottom for easy cabling.

The usual USB, power, and SATA connections only have to pop their heads out to be plugged in, leaving the rest of the cable hidden.

There's a ton of space behind the motherboard to work, the included HDD bay is easily removed with a thumb screw (further opening up the space), and it's almost impossible to clog the area with cables as long as you're OK with a few minutes of cable management along the included channels with Velcro straps.

The PSU sitting in its vertical mount, which is located about halfway up the case. (Image credit: Future)

I absolutely love the vertical PSU mount that sits about halfway up the case. No longer do you have to scrounge around the bottom of the case in cramped quarters, hoping to hit the right input. I've never had an easier experience getting everything plugged in after the PSU was installed.

I've never had an easier experience getting everything plugged in after the PSU was installed.

This design, with the PSU behind the motherboard rather than below, could quickly become cramped. But NZXT has largely done a great job with the layout, avoiding overlaps.

The NZXT Control Hub for the fans and lighting is the piece closest to the PSU, and even with the block installed, you can access all headers in the hub.

A look at some very basic cable management, on which I spent about two minutes. A bit of extra time would make it look way cleaner. (Image credit: Future)

Although the H9 Flow RGB+ is advertised for PC enthusiasts who presumably have a lot of building experience, there's no reason why a newcomer can't enjoy the spacious layout and smart cutouts inside the case.

If anything, building in a case this size will be easier than the cramped internals of a budget offering.

I didn't sit and plan the build; I plunked everything inside and hoped for the best. Despite a lack of planning, I didn't have to take any reverse steps to get something to fit properly.

In terms of how well the case is laid out for builders, I have to give NZXT full marks. I've used a fair share of cases in my time, but I've never used one with so much clearance that was so easy to work with.

The front panel includes a rare USB-C 3.2 Gen 2x2 port with 20Gbps bandwidth. (Image credit: Future)

With the PC fully built inside the H9 Flow RGB+, I could turn my attention to its other features.

The H9 Flow RGB+ is the new high-end option, sporting a row of three fans (F420 RGB Core) along the bottom of the case, the same F420 Core three-fan setup in an upright, angled orientation near the front, and a single rear-mounted exhaust fan.

These fans work out of the box with NZXT's CAM control software, providing easy customization for lighting and speeds.

The case has plenty of clearance below the bottom fans, all thanks to the chunky feet that keep it stable and prevent sliding around. Directly below the fans is a pull-out dust filter that can be easily cleaned.

A look at the NZXT H9 Flow RGB+ top panel, which slides into place and is held there with thumb screws. (Image credit: Future)

Along the top of the case is where up to a 420mm AiO radiator can be installed, with plenty of space to spare. The same setup in my last case had the AiO dangerously close to the motherboard's VRM cover, but that's no longer the situation.

The PC's ports are located along the bottom front edge of the case rather than the top. As someone who keeps their tower on a desk, this is a perfect setup. No more cables snaking down from the top of the PC.

The panel includes dual USB-A 3.2 (Gen 1), USB-C Gen 2x2, and a 3.5mm audio jack. The USB-C Gen 2x2 port is interesting, as it's not the usual USB-C port. The "2x2" part of it means you're doubling the usual 10Gbps bandwidth to 20Gbps.

There aren't a ton of devices that can make use of the port — the ADATA Elite SE880 SSD I reviewed comes to mind — but it'll work fine with any standard USB-C device.

NZXT CAM software comes with a few preset fan curves.Future

You can also adjust each fan to better suit your system.Future

NZXT CAM software has a bunch of preset RGB modes for the fans.Future

NZXT CAM software lets you use practically any color.Future

NZXT's CAM software is fuller than I expected, with performance, accessory, and system metrics available alongside controls for lighting and fan speed.

There are a few preset fan models — Silent, Performance, Fixed, and Default — but most users will no doubt use the customization tool to adjust fan curves to their liking.

The RGB lighting has a ton of different presets, plus there's a palette color picker with access to basically every color imaginable.

Finally, I tested thermals inside the new case. With the included fans set to the default "Silent" mode, there was no risk of overheating.

Granted, I am using an AiO to keep my CPU cool, which pushes any hot air out of the case before it has a chance to collect inside. But the RTX 5070 Ti puts out a fair bit of heat itself, on top of the heat generated by the motherboard, RAM, and storage.

I first ran a rather undemanding game (Diablo 2: Resurrected) for 10 minutes to check temperatures. My sensors showed a maximum temperature of 42.5°C on the mobo sensor with Silent mode enabled. With Performance mode enabled, temperatures dropped to 41°C at max.

I then booted up DOOM: The Dark Ages to put my PC to the test. With Silent mode enabled, the mobo sensor hit 41.5°C maximum. With Performance mode enabled, temperatures dropped to 38°C maximum.

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NZXT H9 Flow RGB+ (2025): What I don't like

A look at the back of the case. It isn't exactly pretty, but it's hidden out of the way. (Image credit: Future)

NZXT's H9 Flow RGB+ (2025) is an easy recommendation for PC builders, but there are some quirks and annoyances that you should know about.

Most pressing is the stock fan noise. Setting the fans to Performance mode has them top out at around 2,000RPM, with noise climbing to about 65dBa. It's not as loud as a vacuum cleaner, but it's close. It's easy to hear even when wearing a headset.

The good news is that the fan curves can be customized through the NZXT CAM app. And as I explained in the previous section, there's not a huge gap in heat even when using the Silent fan preset.

I never saw noise climb beyond 49dBa with the fans at 1,000RPM, and it seems like the system can keep itself cool at those speeds. At the lowest, I measured 40dBa, which is better than my previous case.

Another issue I have is with the NZXT Control Hub for RGB lighting.

As I understand it, buying the hub separately gets you a number of adapters for use with non-NZXT products. When it comes within the case, however, there are no included adapters.

That means I need to go out and buy a splitter for my Cooler Master AiO if I want its fans and pump header to sync with NZXT's built-in system fans. It's certainly annoying when you're spending nearly $300 on a case.

The bottom fans have a pull-out filter with fine screen, but the rest of the fans have a larger mesh covering that will allow dust into the system. (Image credit: Future)

As a pet owner, I love the slide-out screen on the bottom of the PC. It has a fine mesh that will catch particles, and it's easy to remove and clean.

The rest of the fans are covered with a steel mesh that's not nearly as fine. And because there's a tiny gap between the two pieces of glass at the front edge, I expect to have to clean the PC more often than before.

Finally, the case leaves your GPU hanging. Because it's designed to house fans along the bottom, there's a massive gap that can't be spanned with my usual GPU support.

I'll have to get creative with something larger that doesn't get in the way of the fans, but it'd be nice if NZXT included something to get started.

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NZXT H9 Flow RGB (2025): Also consider

NZXT H7 Flow (2024)
Buy now: $129.99 at Best Buy

We reviewed the NZXT H7 Flow (2022) favorably here at Windows Central, and the design has only improved since then. It has a roomy interior for thick cooling solutions and large GPUs, it comes in black or white colors, and its interior is streamlined for easy building. It's available with or without RGB fans already installed.

👉 See at: BestBuy.com or Newegg.com

Fractal Design North
Buy now: $139.99 at Newegg

There's no other case quite like the Fractal Design North. It features a front panel with real oak or walnut strips that hide a fine mesh panel for excellent ventilation. The internal layout makes for easy building, and there are a few different color combinations. Also see the North XL version for larger builds.

👉 See at: Newegg.com or BestBuy.com or Amazon.com

NZXT H6 Flow
Buy now: From $110 at Newegg

The H6 Flow is what inspired the redesign of the H9 Flow. It has the same angled fans at the front, quite a bit of space inside for hardware, and excellent airflow. It's a lot more affordable, and it won't take up nearly as much space.

👉 See at: Newegg.com

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NZXT H9 Flow RGB (2025): My final thoughts

NZXT's H9 Flow RGB+ sitting on a desk in a dark room with multi-colored fans glowing. (Image credit: Future)

✅ You should buy this if ...

You want a massive case with ample room for the latest and greatest PC performance hardware.
You want maximum airflow in a case that's aesthetically beautiful.
You're a stickler for cable management and love RGB lighting.

❌ You should NOT buy this if ...

You want the quietest case possible.
You'd rather spend your budget on performance hardware rather than aesthetics.
You don't have a lot of space to spare for a huge PC case.

Sitting down to build a new PC is always exciting, but jumping into a case that's new on the market and unproven can cause some anxiety.

But after transplanting my gaming PC into the NZXT H9 Flow RGB+, it became clear that my worries were unfounded.

This is a gorgeous PC case with easy access throughout. Smart design decisions like the swing panel for SSDs, the mid-mounted PSU, and the dual-chamber spacing behind the motherboard contribute to the ease of use.

You'll be in heaven if you love proper cable management, and there's more than enough airflow to keep my gaming hardware cool.

Stock fan settings might be hilariously loud, but they're easily fixed through the NZXT CAM app. There you'll also find RGB settings for the included fans. It's just too bad that adapters for non-NZXT RGB hardware aren't included.

Considering the H9 Flow RGB+ for 2025 costs about $290, it's mainly reserved for enthusiasts who don't mind spending more on their gaming PC.

And if you already have a bunch of fans ready to go from an older build (or you prefer less RGB), you can drop the price down to about $170.

I can easily recommend even the most expensive H9 Flow RGB+. It's that good. As long as you have the budget and the space, this should be near the top of the list for your next PC build or upgrade.

If you love the design but want to save money and space, be sure to check out the NZXT H6 Flow instead.

Stunning PC case

NZXT H9 Flow RGB+ (2025)

NZXT's H9 Flow RGB+ for 2025 is the best PC case I've used. Building inside was easy, cable management is a breeze, and it has enough airflow to keep any system cool. If you don't have the budget or the space for this huge case, check out the H6 Flow instead.

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HYTE Y70 Touch review: A 4K 60Hz screen built into an extravagant PC case let down by bloated software

ben.wilson@windowscentral.com (Ben Wilson) — Wed, 07 Feb 2024 16:55:34 +0000

Quick menu

1. Price & availability
2. Design and function
3. Touch screen
4. Should you buy?

Building a custom desktop PC is, for the most part, a straightforward affair of matching compatible components. However, one of the most challenging problems is whether your chosen parts will comfortably fit together.

Some of the best PC cases will excel in one area but fall short in others, lacking enough space for modern behemoth graphics cards or making it a hassle to manage components and cables properly.

HYTE looks to solve most issues suffered by custom builders by modifying the previously reviewed Y60 PC case with a quirky 4K touchscreen while retaining the gigantic space inside since the fish tank-esque frame remains the same.

Disclaimer: This hands-on article was made possible by a sample unit provided by HYTE. The company did not see the contents before publishing.

HYTE Y70 Touch: Price and availability

It's as huge as you would expect but not as heavy as you otherwise might. (Image credit: Ben Wilson | Windows Central)

How much? $359.99
When? October 24, 2023
Where? HYTE store and third-party retailers

HYTE sells the Y70 Touch PC case with an MSRP of $359.99 through its official store. Third-party retailers in the US and Canada, including Amazon, Best Buy, Newegg, B&H Photo, Newegg, Walmart, and more, are expected to launch their listings soon. It launched on October 24, 2023, and the Y70 Touch still comes in various colorways, including 'Snow White,' white and black, red and black, and all black.

The Y70 Touch includes a small box of accessories, including velcro cable ties and a combination 3.5mm audio splitter for separated headphones and microphones, alongside a short DisplayPort cable for connecting the 4K touchscreen to a compatible graphics card.

Specifications

An ATX motherboard fits snug into the Y70 Touch. (Image credit: Ben Wilson | Windows Central)

Category	Spec
Type	Dual chamber mid-tower ATX
Case materials	ABS, steel, tempered glass
Motherboard support	E-ATX, ATX, mATX, ITX
Power supply	ATX up to 235mm in length
Graphics card support	422mm (length) 105mm (height) <90mm height recommended for best cooling
Top radiator and fans	3x 120mm or 2x 140mm fans Up to 360mm or 280mm radiator (68mm thick)
Side radiator and fans	3x 120mm or 2x 140mm fans Up to 360mm or 280mm radiator (125mm thick)
Rear radiator and fans	1x 120mm or 1x 140mm fan Up to 120mm or 140mm radiator
Bottom fans	3x 120mm or 2x 140mm fans (32mm thick)
CPU cooler height	Up to 180mm
Internal 2.5" drives	4
Internal 3.5" drives	2
Expansion slots	4x vertical 7x half-height
Interfaces	14.1-inch (283 PPI) 1100 x 3840 (4K) 60Hz capacitive touchscreen 10 point multi-touch
PCI riser	4.0 PCIe x16 included
Dust filters	Top, side, and bottom

Although the HYTE Y70 Touch lists seven half-height PCIe expansion slots, only six are realistically usable. The seventh is reserved for a DisplayPort bay, and its included miniature cable is designed to connect to a spare slot on your dedicated GPU and power the built-in touchscreen. It's the entire appeal of the case, so consider it if you plan to use several smaller modules, like PCIe Wi-Fi expansion cards.

A standout feature is support for a 360mm AIO radiator, or three 120mm case fans, on the top and side panels of the Y70 Touch. It's relieving if you're picking up a high-end motherboard with oversized heatsinks around the CPU socket, which previously forced me to rethink my CPU cooler placement in more compact PC cases. There's even more space in the bottom section for a triplet of fans and a sizeable grill on the rear for a single exhaust fan.

The dual-chamber design has plenty of space for routing cables, but I can't recommend using E-ATX motherboards.

It's worth noting that HYTE claims the Y70 Touch supports E-ATX motherboards, but after fitting an ASUS ROG STRIX B650-A Gaming Wi-Fi and ASUS ROG Strix X670E-E Gaming Wi-Fi in test builds, both ATX boards were already filling the interior to the border of what would be considered reasonable. The dual-chamber design has plenty of space for routing cables out of sight, but I can't recommend any E-ATX motherboards for this PC case.

HYTE Y70 Touch: Design and function

It's designed for airflow first, but the sharp lines are a fantastic part of HYTE's style. (Image credit: Ben Wilson | Windows Central)

If you've ever looked at the most famous cases from HYTE, this sharp-angled design probably won't strike you as particularly revolutionary, but it's stunning in person. When offered a choice of colors, I couldn't resist picking my favorite red and black, and it pops beautifully, even if the red sheen is somewhat excessively lacquered. However, none of the exposed parts are particularly sharp, so I don't mind the thick coating.

It's plain to see why HYTE has such confidence in its Y-series cases regarding airflow since there are tactically placed vents across the entire chassis. There's no lack of options for mounting fans and radiators. Still, an implied preference for a 360mm AIO like the previously reviewed Corsair H150i Elite Capellix becomes apparent when you inspect the corner. Air coolers would work fine, too, with a massive rear-fan exhaust space well-suited to a traditional setup, but this case is anything but conventional.

I'm getting NAS vibes from these slide-out drive bays.Ben Wilson | Windows Central

Plenty of space for cramming cables into the rear chamber, modular or otherwise.Ben Wilson | Windows Central

Around the rear side, two clever storage bays slide out quickly once you remove the thumb screws. Both are fully coated in the accent color for your chosen Y70 Touch model and can fit a single 3.5" mechanical hard drive each. Alternatively, you could fit individual 2.5" solid-state drives in both bays or double up with two SSDs in a single bay by using an alternative mounting pattern. I stick to M.2 sockets where possible (without turning off critical PCIe lanes,) but this is a superb option for anyone with up to four extra drives.

Your chosen power supply rests on a quaint, partially sliced shelf highlighted again by the accent color.

Underneath, a reasonably straightforward slot for your best power supply, up to 230mm in length, isn't exceptional from this view, but there is a hidden appeal inside. Rather than sliding along a metallic floor, your chosen PSU rests on a quaint, partially sliced shelf. It's another piece highlighted by the accent color, if a little pointlessly, since you will hardly see it once your rig is complete, but it's charming and favors cable management.

A 360mm AIO radiator could take pride of place on the side panel.Ben Wilson | Windows Central

These pop-out grommets are fine for most panels, but it feels risky on the glass side.Ben Wilson | Windows Central

You'll come to appreciate this bottom-ended panel when it comes to connecting header pins.Ben Wilson | Windows Central

Naturally, the focus of the Y70 Touch is undoubtedly the 4K multi-touch 60Hz screen rigged to the front panel. However, I immediately recognized that HYTE understands the woes of custom-built gaming PCs because so much of this gigantic beauty is focused on convenience. Each panel, top, bottom, and side, comes off with a firm pull without the need to remove screws. I don't necessarily agree that this method best suits the fragile glass panel, but I understand the appeal.

Besides the extra space in the back panel that I expect in a dual-chamber case, a raised floor is accessible from a clip-on dust shield underneath to make routing cables to your PSU as simple as possible. Even the flagship touchscreen pops out of the way if you ensure that you unplug its pair of removable cables first, giving unparalleled freedom to fit even the chunkiest options among the best graphics cards. Just don't lean anything on this unsupported corner while it's exposed to avoid bending it.

Plenty of space to work with, but the pre-installed riser cable seems a little obtuse.Ben Wilson | Windows Central

Thank you, HYTE, for a generous amount of front-facing USB ports.Ben Wilson | Windows Central

A cute PCIe 4.0 vertical GPU riser is another accessory that matches the color theme and boasts the HYTE logo. Four vertical expansion slots at the rear are purely here for a dedicated graphics card, ready for the market's thickest, most outrageously oversized options. However, you won't be able to fit a second full-size PCIe expansion module in the Y70 Touch, so this is all about highlighting a fancy GPU. Screw standoffs for motherboards are equipped and ready to go in an ATX pattern, with a collection of Velcro and plastic cable ties included with a slim cardboard box of goodies.

A bottom-ended power button confirms that the Y70 Touch is designed to be placed on a desk, not the floor.

Finally, the front panel includes a welcoming pair of USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports, a single USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, and a 3.5 mm combo audio jack. I've owned many cases that stick to a single port, but I maintain that a double offering is perfect for wireless dongles if you have wireless mice and keyboards.

Plus, the bottom-ended power button confirms that the Y70 Touch is undoubtedly designed to be placed on a desk, not on the floor. Ignoring the gorgeous 4K touchscreen seems absurd anyway.

HYTE Y70 Touch: 4K screen

Display any animated GIF you like. It's no surprise I went with an iconic logo. (Image credit: Ben Wilson | Windows Central)

The minimum necessary connections to make the 4K touchscreen work involve SATA power, a USB 2.0 header, and a DisplayPort connection to a GPU, all available inside the case with a miniature DP cable in the box. Windows 11 detects the multi-touch 4K panel as a standard monitor, which unfortunately defaults to an incorrect rotation. Not to worry, as the HYTE Nexus app remedies all these issues upon installation, including deactivating Windows-specific touch gestures to prevent accidentally triggering irrelevant functions.

If your motherboard is lacking USB 2.0 headers or you're loading four solid-state drives into the Y70 Touch, there's a chance you might struggle for SATA power and spare ports. Then again, this case is hardly designed as a budget option for low-end hardware, so it seems highly unlikely that anyone would pair it with a bargain-grade motherboard. For the minimum requirements, choose a motherboard with enough USB headers for the front-facing Type-C port and your remaining hardware.

Plenty of cables to hook up before you start adding your components. (Image credit: Ben Wilson | Windows Central)

A beta version of the HYTE Nexus companion app I used for an initial hands-on experience with the 4K touchscreen was far from flawless and hasn't changed much in the following months. It still lacks some essential functions like a scroll bar if you connect any external monitor with a default resolution lower than 1920x1080, which might seem niche, but it's problematic when I rely on a small 720p panel just for the build stage. Hitting the tab key to reach buttons lurking further down each screen is far from convenient but shouldn't prevent enthusiasts from completing the setup.

Adding animated widgets pushed the Nexus app higher in Windows Task Manager, consuming around 3.1GB of memory.

From here, a sprawling menu of adjustable widgets appears, promising plenty of customization. Unfortunately, those promises are still somewhat delayed as some widgets are greyed out and labeled 'coming soon.' Moreover, an overall issue with RAM usage still plagues the Nexus app.

The more widgets I added to the touchscreen, particularly anything animated, pushed it higher in Windows Task Manager with around 3.1GB of memory consumed. Simple .GIF files begin to slow down, and animated backgrounds offered in Nexus become painful slideshows.

Even after a clean reboot, HYTE Nexus is an utter RAM hog. (Image credit: Ben Wilson | Windows Central)

Calibrating the touchscreen can temporarily remedy the slowdown, though I suspect it might simply be flushing its bloated cache from RAM as the issue slowly returns. The Nexus app becomes less appealing when you realize it's still treated as a second monitor at inopportune times. It occasionally had my mouse scrolling over to the skinny screen in games using a borderless windowed mode setup, and every screenshot includes the gigantic 4K vertical panel unless you specify which monitor to capture.

In essence, this is how multiple monitors are supposed to work. However, the Y70 Touch implies to be a separate entity from your desktop, offering quick access to shortcuts and helpful widgets visible at head height on your desk, but it's just a slimline app running on a second screen. For further frustration, Nexus forgets my preferred configurations for some widgets after a reboot, defaulting the CPU and GPU usage screens to voltage rather than percent of usage. The app is already suffering from a sluggish performance in its current state, so requiring me to venture back into its settings to restore my widgets is less than ideal.

After all the slowdowns and laggy widgets, perhaps it's better just to use a standard Windows desktop in vertical touch mode. (Image credit: Ben Wilson | Windows Central)

Overall, the touchscreen is a neat feature. It's a gimmick, no doubt, but the technology behind it is excellent and has the potential to shine. The downside lies in the HYTE Nexus companion app, which struggles to display simple animated widgets and touchscreen shortcut icons without bloating my RAM worse than a set of Google Chrome tabs. Simply using the vertical screen as a second Windows monitor can yield more interesting results when paired with suitable apps (yes, you can play DOOM on it.)

It's the centerpiece of an already bougie PC case intended to show off your high-end hardware in something that resembles a cyberpunk fish tank. I can't recommend loading anything other than ultra-basic widgets or a simple Twitch chat window while livestreaming because the memory management issues are too intense. It doesn't detract from the iconic Y-Series case because it replaces an otherwise plain glass panel, but the software needs work before it can be truly iconic.

HYTE Y70 Touch: Should you buy it?

I almost immediately fell in love with this red-and-black fish tank of a case. (Image credit: Ben Wilson | Windows Central)

You should buy this if ...

You should avoid this if ...

It's been a while since I was genuinely excited to build an entire desktop PC from scratch. Not that I don't enjoy the process, but it often comes with inevitable headaches involving tight cable management or finicky clearance between VRM heatsinks and AIO radiators. My usual test machine is already crammed into one of the best PC cases, but the Y70 Touch promises a refreshing build experience with plenty of room to maneuver.

The 4K touchscreen is undoubtedly a gimmick, presumably limited to live streamers who show off their rig in clear view of their webcams or perhaps those deep into the aesthetics side of custom builds. Still, the multi-touch panel could offer more genuinely helpful information at a glance than color-coded case fans linked to CPU and GPU temperatures can if only the Nexus companion app weren't such a RAM hog. It has potential, and if ever discounted to the same price as the reviewed HYTE Y60, it's a no-brainer to grab the Y70 Touch.

HYTE Y70 Touch

A tall and vibrant 14.1-inch 4K 60Hz multi-touchscreen sits up front on this gorgeous tweak to the already beautiful HYTE cases that came before it. Display PC stats or quickly access apps from the capacitive screen and enjoy straightforward custom builds in this gigantic dual-chamber option.

Corsair iCUE 5000T RGB review, one year later: This case is an RGB masterpiece

harish.jonnalagadda@futurenet.com (Harish Jonnalagadda) — Mon, 29 May 2023 08:37:50 +0000

I don't tend to switch between a lot of cases, and for the last three years, I've used a variety of Corsair's mid-tower cases. While the iCUE 465X and 4000D series of cases were great in their own right, it was only when I moved to the iCUE 5000T RGB that I realized just how different it was from Corsair's other offerings.

We've already reviewed the iCUE 5000T RGB back when it launched last year, so if you're interested in seeing photos of the case pre-build and getting a better sense of its dimensions, I'd suggest reading that post first. In this article, I'm going to talk about what it's been like to use it for over a year.

iCUE 5000T RGB: Price and availability

This case demands attention like no other. (Image credit: Harish Jonnalagadda / Windows Central)

For starters, the 5000T is absolutely massive — while it's still technically classified as a mid-tower chassis, it looms over all of the other cases I have at home. It is 40mm taller and 10mm longer than the recently-launched 5000D case (I'll be reviewing that shortly), and it easily commands attention on your desk.

I got the white variant of the case, and it looks absolutely stunning. That's a given considering how much the 5000T costs; it debuted at $399, and you can get your hands on it these days for $369 from Corsair's website as well as Amazon. That's nearly three times the cost of most mid-tower cases, so what exactly does the 5000T offer?

iCUE 5000T RGB: Still perfect

The large glass side panel does a great job showing off the internal hardware, and the cable cover to the right is very handy. Harish Jonnalagadda / Windows Central

There's more than enough room here for just about any hardware. Harish Jonnalagadda / Windows Central

My RTX 4090 FE slotted in comfortably in the chassis. Harish Jonnalagadda / Windows Central

The side panels swing outward, making it easier to get to the innards. Harish Jonnalagadda / Windows Central

Well, the main reason why I haven't switched away from it is the sheer space and the RGB lighting. Corsair went overboard with RGB lighting on this case, and there are a total of 208 RGB LEDs; 160 LEDs on the light strips and 48 on the bundled fans.

You'll find light strips just about everywhere — two at the top, two at the front, and two at the bottom, and they look striking — particularly on the white color option. The dynamic lighting gives the 5000T the kind of presence that you just don't get with any other case today.

The large glass side panel allows you to show off your gaming hardware in style, and there's a nifty cable cover that hides the motherboard and video card cables. The front panel has four USB-A ports in addition to a USB-C port, and I used the latter more than I thought I would.

The lightstrips do a great job showing off the case. Harish Jonnalagadda / Windows Central

There's enough customizable lighting here to satiate RGB enthusiasts. Harish Jonnalagadda / Windows Central

The lightstrips at the bottom offer diffused lighting that looks great. Harish Jonnalagadda / Windows Central

And as for the space, the 5000T has enough room to house the largest radiators, video cards, or motherboards. This case can accommodate an E-ATX motherboard, and it housed my RTX 4090 GPU comfortably. It can also fit a 360mm radiator at the top or front, and if you're going the custom route or considering Corsair's Hydro X series, there's enough space inside for an elaborate setup.

While the aesthetics are clearly a differentiator, it's the accessibility that has made a bigger difference over the course of the last year. Now that I'm covering more hardware, I routinely switch out parts and make modifications, and the 5000T solves a lot of pain points.

Both side panels swing outward and have a toolless design, making it that much easier to access the internal components, and the mesh covering at the front is easily removable — allowing you to switch out the fans should you need to.

Four USB-A and a USB-C port means you get all the connectivity you need. Harish Jonnalagadda / Windows Central

The LL120 fans aren't Corsair's best, but they have good RGB lighting. And of course, you'll find lightstrips at the front. Harish Jonnalagadda / Windows Central

The front panel comes off easily — a little too easily. Harish Jonnalagadda / Windows Central

There's minimal branding on this case; all you'll find on the front is Corsair's logo. Harish Jonnalagadda / Windows Central

The top section also comes off easily enough, although it needs a little more force than the front panel. This made a big difference when installing Corsair's H150i Elite LCD XT cooler and the 360mm radiator slotted in at the top with plenty of space to spare. Another plus point for the 5000T is the cable management; Corsair did a magnificent job in this area, and the case lets you easily route and tidy up all the cables at the back.

With RGB being such a key focus for the 5000T, the case includes Corsair's Commander Core XT module, which has the potential to power and control the lighting of six fans in total. It ties into Corsair's iCUE software and does a stellar job of syncing lighting effects throughout the case.

Corsair's iCUE software has extensive customization options. Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central

Corsair overhauled iCUE earlier this year, and the software is one of the best around for controlling RGB lighting. You get extensive options to tweak just about every facet of RGB lighting in this case, and I had a lot of fun customizing the lighting configuration over the course of the last year.

The only issue I have with the 5000T is Corsair's choice of bundled fans. You get three LL120 fans at the front as standard, and these don't quite cut it on such a high-end case. They're loud and don't deliver the best airflow in Corsair's portfolio, and the brand should have included QL series fans at the least — or the excellent new AF120 RGB fans — considering what the 5000T costs.

That said, there's plenty of ventilation and airflow, and I didn't have to worry about overheating issues or dust.

You can easily fit a 360mm radiator in any configuration you choose. Harish Jonnalagadda / Windows Central

There's excellent ventilation here. Harish Jonnalagadda / Windows Central

Corsair should have bundled its QL series fans here, because the LL120 doesn't quite cut it on such a premium product. Harish Jonnalagadda / Windows Central

If you're going all-out on RGB lighting, the 5000T is one of the best choices available — but it'll cost you. Harish Jonnalagadda / Windows Central

A year later, I don't see myself switching to another case. Yes, the 5000T is costly and isn't a good value, but it isn't meant to be — this is a flagship case that's designed to grab attention, and it delivers on that front in a big way. If you want a large case that'll house all your hardware with ease and has excellent RGB lighting, the 5000T is among the best mid-tower cases you can get today.

Corsair iCUE 5000T RGB

If you don't mind the cost, the iCUE 5000T RGB is one of the best cases you can get today. The design is incredible, Corsair put a lot of thought into cable management, you get excellent airflow and ventilation, and the case's RGB lighting is second to none.

Front panel power switches — which side is positive or negative for your PC case?

ben.wilson@windowscentral.com (Ben Wilson) — Wed, 08 Feb 2023 16:00:01 +0000

Which side of a PC case power or reset switch is positive or negative?

(and can I damage my motherboard by connecting it incorrectly?)

No, you won't damage a motherboard by connecting the power and reset switches 'upside down' from the front panel of your PC case. There are two pin connectors for each, and some might display an arrow indicating the implied positive side, but it doesn't matter which way you connect a switch. For convenience, attach them in a way that displays text facing outward or provides the least cable resistance.

What order do front panel connectors go in?

Cable management is fun for some but can be intimidating for newcomers. (Image credit: Ben Wilson | Windows Central)

You should always follow the instructions from your motherboard documentation, reading the manual carefully. Thankfully, for front panel PC case switches, there generally is no strict order to their connection. Typically, I follow the steps for connecting cables with defined positive and negative sides, such as case LEDs, and then follow up with power switches facing the same direction.

If you're unsure which side of your connector is positive due to a lack of an identifying mark, the negative side often features a white motif on its cable. Whether all-white or just a stripe, there should be some distinguishing mark. When in doubt, check the documentation of your case and refer to the front panel connector diagrams if available. The best PC cases often make it easier, but it's worth making sure before connecting all of your cables.

Can I turn my computer on without a PC case switch?

The power and reset switches are incredibly primitive; they only bridge a connection between the two pins to trigger an implied button push. If you're testing components on an exposed motherboard when learning how to build your PC, you can activate the switch by contacting both pins simultaneously.

A simple screwdriver can contact both power pins and trigger the same effect, but be careful not to accidentally knock other sensitive parts on the motherboard. For safety, connect a PC case power switch button even if the board isn't mounted inside, and use that to turn the computer on instead.

Cooler Master launches the sleek-looking MasterBox 520 with tempered glass and cooler mesh options

rich.edmonds@futurenet.com (Rich Edmonds) — Thu, 01 Sep 2022 16:56:12 +0000

What you need to know

Cooler Master launched the MasterBox 520 PC case in two variants, one with a tempered glass front window and another with a mesh panel.
This ATX PC case comes with three pre-installed ARGB fans from Cooler Master and can support up to seven in total.
Dual 360mm radiator support allows for the installation of AIO liquid coolers and a custom water-cooling loop.
The MasterBox 520 and MasterBox 520 Mesh will be available for $89.99 and $84.99, respectively.

Cooler Master launched three new products at IFA, comprising two cases and a vertical GPU bracket. The Cooler Master MasterBox 520 is a new ATX PC case with two versions available, one with a tempered glass window up front and another replacing it with a mesh panel. To accompany these new cases, Cooler Master also outed the Vertical Graphics Card Holder Kit V3.

Whether you're a beginner who's putting together a first PC build or one who's built more systems than you can recall, the new MasterBox 520 offers some impressive features for everyone. Available in black or white, the MasterBox 520 is versatile with most panels being removed without requiring the aid of a screwdriver. Compared to the classic MasterBox design, there's a new more robust dust filter bracket.

For cooling out of the box, Cooler Master includes three preinstalled CF120 ARGB fans. Being full ATX cases, you can install pretty much anything (and yes, that includes an E-ATX motherboard). Even the best graphics card will fit inside this chassis without an issue.

(Image credit: Cooler Master)

Specification	Cooler Master MasterBox 520	Cooler Master MasterBox 520 Mesh
Form factor	Mid-tower	Mid-tower
Motherboard	ATX, MicroATX, Mini-ITX	ATX, MicroATX, Mini-ITX
I/O	1x USB-A 3.2 Gen1	1x USB-A 3.2 Gen1
	1x USB-C 3.2 Gen2	1x USB-C 3.2 Gen2
	1x 3.5mm audio jack	1x 3.5mm audio jack
Expansion	7x Horizontal	7x Horizontal
Storage	SSD: 3+2	SSD: 3+2
	HDD: 2	HDD: 2
PSU	ATX	ATX
Included fans	3x 120mm F120 ARGB	3x 120mm F120 ARGB
	1x 120mm MasterFan Lite 120
Front fans	3x 120mm/2x 140mm	3x 120mm/2x 140mm
Top fans	3x 120mm/2x 140mm	3x 120mm/2x 140mm
Rear fans	1x 120mm	1x 120mm
Front rads	Up to 360mm	Up to 360mm
Top rads	Up to 360mm	Up to 360mm
Rear rads	Up to 120mm	Up to 120mm
Filters	Bottom, Front, Top	Bottom, Front, Top
Clearance	CPU: 165mm	CPU: 165mm
	GPU: 410mm	GPU: 410mm
Dimensions	443 x 210 x 498mm	443 x 210 x 498mm
Weight	7.44kg	7.14kg
Materials	SGCC steel, tempered glass	SGCC steel, tempered glass
Warranty	2 Years	2 Years
Colors	Black, White	Black, White

Up to two 360mm radiators can be installed for maximum cooling performance when using an AIO liquid cooler or custom water-cooling loop. Regardless of which route one takes, the MasterBox 520 offers plenty of customizability for creating a unique PC build. An ARGB fan hub is included to bring everything together and synchronize all the installed lighting.

On paper, these new cases seem to have everything one would expect to see from something included in our best PC cases collection. The new Cooler MasterBox 520 and MasterBox 520 Mesh will be available for $89.99 and $84.99, respectively.

NZXT H7 Elite review: A gorgeous mid-tower case with plenty of tempered glass

Rich Edmonds — Wed, 25 May 2022 15:00:58 +0000

I was a big fan of the NZXT H510 Elite, which was the first of the company's modern chassis to introduce a front tempered glass panel as well as a side window. The only issues I had with it were the lack of a vertical GPU mount included with the case, as well as some vibrations with the top fan mount.

NZXT has addressed the latter with the new NZXT H7 Elite, part of the H7 series of PC cases. Compared to the H510 Elite and outgoing H710i, NZXT added a vent to the side panel and redesigned the top panel to help with airflow. The all-new H7 Elite promises better thermal performance.

One advantage the NZXT H7 Elite has over the H510 Elite is internal space and radiator support. It's possible to install up to two 360mm radiators to help cool powerful components. Could this become one of the best PC cases for 2022?

NZXT H7 Elite: Price, specs and availability

(Image credit: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

The NZXT H7 Elite is a little pricey, coming in at $199.99. Compared to the other two versions of the H7, which cost $119.99, it's a premium to pay for the additional benefits. These include the additional glass panel, a preinstalled RGB and fan controller hub, and three F Series RGB fans.

Specification	NZXT H7 Flow
Form factor	Mid-tower
Motherboard	EATX, ATX, MicroATX, Mini-ITX
I/O	2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1
	1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2
	1x 3.5mm audio jack
Expansion	7x Horizontal
Storage	SSD: 4+2
	HDD: 2
PSU	ATX
Included fans	3x 140mm F Series RGB fans
	1x 140mm F Series Quiet Airflow
Front fans	3x 120mm/140mm
Top fans	3x 120mm/2x 140mm
Rear fans	1x 120mm/140mm
Front rads	Up to 360mm
Top rads	Up to 360mm
Rear rads	Up to 140mm
Filters	Front, Top
Clearance	CPU: 185mm
	GPU: 400mm
Dimensions	230 x 505 x 480mm
Weight	11.36kg
Materials	SGCC steel, tempered glass
Warranty	2 Years
Colors	Black, White

Compared to the H710i and H510 Elite, the new NZXT H7 Elite is capable of holding up a 360mm radiator on the front panel. This allows an AIO liquid cooler to draw in air through the front and use it to cool the processor.

NZXT H7 Elite: What I like

(Image credit: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

The NZXT H7 Elite is the range-topping model that launched alongside the H7 Flow and H7. This case is special in that NZXT included an additional tempered glass panel for the front of the chassis. There are also three RGB-equipped fans installed on the front panel hooked up to an RGB and fan controller, only available with the H7 Elite.

The most important upgrade for the H7 Elite over the outgoing NZXT H710i is the redesign of the top panel and the inclusion of a side vent to aid airflow. While this wasn't a problem for anyone who wasn't rocking an Intel Core i9 or AMD Ryzen 9 processor, it's a vast improvement that creates a cleaner PC.

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.

On the top, you'll find two USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports, one USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 port, and a 3.5mm audio jack, followed by perforated vents for the 360mm radiator and three fan mounts. A dust filter is present both here and on the side and bottom of the H7 Elite to help prevent dust from entering the chassis.

Rich Edmonds / Windows Central

A 360mm radiator can be installed up top, as well as on the front behind the glass panel. Finally, a 140mm fan can be installed on the rear panel, resulting in a total of seven fans for cooling. One issue you may notice if you install a GPU vertically is the lack of any vertical PCI slots. All seven are horizontal for the H7 Elite.

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.

The NZXT H7 Elite is a stunning PC case with more tempered glass than you'll know what to do with.

Present on all NZXT H7 cases is cable routing on the rear of the motherboard tray. This is invaluable for creating a clean PC build without a mess of cables to work around when wanting to dive back inside. Two 2.5-inch drive bays can be removed behind the motherboard, as well as a 3.5-inch HDD cage for even more space below the PSU shroud.

To test this case, I used the same AMD Ryzen 9 5950X, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, and Asetek-based 360mm AIO cooler setup used inside other PC cases we review here. All fan mounts were populated with everything set to 50%.

AMD Ryzen 9 5950X temperature in games.
PC cases	Temperatures
Corsair iCUE 5000T RGB	63 C (145 F)
be quiet! Silent Base 802	65 C (149 F)
NZXT H7 Flow	65 C (149 F)
Fractal Design Meshify C	68 C (155 F)
NZXT H7 Elite	69 C (156 F)
NZXT H7	71 C (160 F)
NZXT H710i	73 C (163 F)
Razer Tomahawk	73 C (163 F)
NZXT H510i	75 C (167 F)

The NZXT H7 Elite performed well under load in tests. For gaming, we experienced an average temperature of 69C, which isn't terrible. It's a 5% improvement over the H710i, but falls short of the NZXT H7 Flow. Being able to install a 360mm AIO or your own loop with two radiators makes the H7 Elite a good starter for water cooling PC builds.

NZXT H7 Elite: What I don't like

(Image credit: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

Just like the H7 Flow, I miss the availability of vertical PCI slots for the best graphics card. NZXT does have an optional bracket that can be used, but it just doesn't look as clean. Then there are the thermals. If you're wanting the coolest possible PC build, this won't be a great foundation to go with.

The H7 Elite doesn't get too hot for thermal throttling to kick in, at least in our testing, but it still falls behind competitor cases. NZXT may have the upper hand with the front-facing tempered glass panel for better aesthetics, but this does come at the cost of reduced airflow. The new side vent does help mitigate this issue.

NZXT H7 Elite: Competition

(Image credit: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

There's plenty of competition within the NZXT H7 family alone. So long as you're set on the H7 as a PC case, the H7, H7 Flow, and H7 Elite provide ample choice. There's not a lot that separates the three cases, aside from weight, included fans, and the front panel. The H7 Elite has the best configuration of included fans.

Specification	NZXT H7 Flow	NZXT H7 Elite	NZXT H7
Form factor	Mid-tower	Mid-tower	Mid-tower
Motherboard	EATX, ATX, microATX, Mini-ITX	EATX, ATX, microATX, Mini-ITX	EATX, ATX, microATX, Mini-ITX
I/O	2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1	2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1	2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1
	1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2	1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2	1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2
	1x 3.5mm audio jack	1x 3.5mm audio jack	1x 3.5mm audio jack
Expansion	7x Horizontal	7x Horizontal	7x Horizontal
Storage	SSD: 4+2	SSD: 4+2	SSD: 4+2
	HDD: 2	HDD: 2	HDD: 2
PSU	ATX	ATX	ATX
Included fans	2x NZXT F120Q	3x 140mm F Series RGB fans	2x NZXT F120Q
		1x 140mm F Series Quiet Airflow
Front fans	3x 120mm/140mm	3x 120mm/140mm	3x 120mm/140mm
Top fans	3x 120mm/2x 140mm	3x 120mm/2x 140mm	3x 120mm/2x 140mm
Rear fans	1x 120mm/140mm	1x 120mm/140mm	1x 120mm/140mm
Front rads	Up to 360mm	Up to 360mm	Up to 360mm
Top rads	Up to 360mm	Up to 360mm	Up to 360mm
Rear rads	Up to 140mm	Up to 140mm	Up to 140mm
Filters	Front, Top	Front, Top	Front, Top
Clearance	CPU: 185mm	CPU: 185mm	CPU: 185mm
	GPU: 400mm	GPU: 400mm	GPU: 400mm
RGB controller	❎	✅	❎
Dimensions	230mm x 505mm x 480mm	230mm x 505mm x 480mm	230mm x 505mm x 480mm
Weight	10.05kg	11.36kg	10.26kg
Materials	SGCC steel, tempered glass	SGCC steel, tempered glass	SGCC steel, tempered glass
Warranty	2 years	2 years	2 years
Colors	Black, white	Black, white	Black, white

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.

I also like the Lian Li PC-O11 Dynamic (having reviewed the more compact Lian Li O11D Mini) as having a unique design with good support for water cooling setups. You do need an SFX power supply which can increase the overall cost of the PC build.

NZXT H7 Elite: Should you buy it?

(Image credit: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

You should buy if

You want a large mid-tower PC case
You want to show off more of the inside
You plan on using AIO liquid cooling
You want a preinstalled RGB and fan controller

You shouldn't buy if

You want a compact chassis
You don't want to use NZXT CAM
You have more than two 3.5-inch drives
You want to install the GPU vertically

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.

While there aren't any RGB LED strips, the included three RGB fans upfront create enough light to shine on internal components. There are also a further three fan mounts on the top panel where an additional three blowers with integrated RGB LEDs can be installed.

Thermal performance is slightly improved compared to the H710, but falls short of the H7 Flow. The front-facing tempered glass window acts as a hindrance for the front fans to pull in cool air. It's not an issue that leads to thermal throttling and degraded performance, but it's certainly something to plan around.

Even with a power-hungry AMD Ryzen 9 5950X, so long as you're using a capable AIO liquid cooler (with a 360mm radiator in our test rig), the NZXT H7 Elite will perform well enough. This is easily one of the best-looking mid-tower cases.

NZXT H7 Elite

The NZXT H7 Elite is designed for those who wish to show off their internal components. Happy you managed to finally buy an RTX 3090? Show it off with this stunning chassis.

NZXT H7 Flow review: NZXT just perfected the H710 with vastly improved thermals

Rich Edmonds — Wed, 25 May 2022 15:00:44 +0000

I was taken by the excellent NZXT H510 Flow. It took what made the H510, an already brilliant case, and allowed for a substantial amount of air to be pulled in through the perforated front panel. The end result was improved thermal performance without sacrifice. The company just carried out the same job with the brand-new NZXT H7 Flow.

Instead of a solid panel upfront, NZXT replaced it with one rocking numerous perforated holes. Traditionally, the NZXT H710 would pull in cool air through the bottom of the front panel, which restricted the amount of pressure the fans could create. By opening up the front part of the chassis, NZXT plans to improve thermal capacity.

Desktop processor series like 12th Gen Intel and AMD Ryzen 5000 contain some seriously power-hungry chips. These usually require AIO liquid coolers for maximum performance, which work best when paired with cases that provide unobstructed access to cool air. The NZXT H7 Flow is one such chassis, and we're going to take a look at it to see whether it's one of the best PC cases.

NZXT H7 Flow: Price, specs, and availability

(Image credit: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

The NZXT H7 range starts at $129.99 for the H7 and H7 Flow. The NZXT H7 Elite costs $199.99. All three versions of the case are available now for purchase. Windows Central was provided a sample of the NZXT H7 Flow in white for this review. It's a mid-tower PC case with support for up to EATX motherboards.

Specification	NZXT H7 Flow
Form factor	Mid-tower
Motherboard	EATX, ATX, microATX, Mini-ITX
I/O	2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1
	1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2
	1x 3.5mm audio jack
Expansion	7x Horizontal
Storage	SSD: 4+2
	HDD: 2
PSU	ATX
Included fans	2x NZXT F120Q
Front fans	3x 120mm/140mm
Top fans	3x 120mm/2x 140mm
Rear fans	1x 120mm/140mm
Front rads	Up to 360mm
Top rads	Up to 360mm
Rear rads	Up to 140mm
Filters	Front, top
Clearance	CPU: 185mm
	GPU: 400mm
Dimensions	230mm x 505mm x 480mm
Weight	10.05kg
Materials	SGCC steel, tempered glass
Warranty	2 years
Colors	Black, white

Compared to the old NZXT H710, the new H7 Flow has an additional bottom dust filter, the perforated front panel, is lighter and more compact, and has support for up to three 140mm fans on the front panel, as opposed to just two 140mm fans with the H710.

NZXT H7 Flow: What I like

(Image credit: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

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.

NZXT's H710 had a slight problem with ventilation. The front panel was solid, leaving the front fans to draw air through restricted bottom and side vents. It wasn't a huge problem for most PC builds unless you were rocking a range-topping Intel Core i9 or AMD Ryzen 9 processor.

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.

Although a mid-tower chassis, the NZXT H7 Flow is relatively compact, measuring 230mm x 505mm x 480mm. Our review sample was in white with a black interior. On the top panel are two USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports, one USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 port, and a 3.5mm audio jack. Behind these are more perforated holes for the 360mm radiator exhaust.

Rich Edmonds / Windows Central

The NZXT H7 Flow is capable of handling not one, but two 360mm radiators — one on the front and another up top. The rear panel has a 140mm fan and radiator mount, atop of seven horizontal PCI slots. There aren't any vertical slots with the NZXT H7 series. Finally, we've got the single tempered-glass window panel, which showcases everything instead within the case.

The excellent cable management, better thermals, and updated design make the NZXT H7 series one to watch out for.

The top, front, and side panels are easily removed without a screwdriver. NZXT has done a stellar job redesigning how the panels attach to the main chassis. With everything removed, it's easy to build a PC inside the NZXT H7 Flow thanks to the vast amount of space. The cable hiding bracket can be removed to make it more convenient to route and manage cabling to and from the motherboard.

And behind the motherboard is where NZXT's years of experience truly shine. The cable management with this case (and other NZXT H7 series cases) is in a league of its own. It's exceptionally good and makes it possible for even novices building their first computers to put together a tidy rig.

The two 2.5-inch trays for SSDs can be removed if they're not required, and so too can the 3.5-inch drive cage, opening up the PSU shroud to hide the mess of power cabling. To test the NZXT H7 Flow, I installed the trusty AMD Ryzen 9 5950X, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, and an Asetek-based 360mm AIO cooler, the same setup used inside other PC cases we review here. All fan mounts were populated with everything set to 50%.

AMD Ryzen 9 5950X temperature in games.
PC cases	Temperatures
Corsair iCUE 5000T RGB	63 C (145 F)
be quiet! Silent Base 802	65 C (149 F)
NZXT H7 Flow	65 C (149 F)
Fractal Design Meshify C	68 C (155 F)
NZXT H7 Elite	69 C (156 F)
NZXT H7	71 C (160 F)
NZXT H710i	73 C (163 F)
Razer Tomahawk	73 C (163 F)
NZXT H510i	75 C (167 F)

The NZXT H710i certainly ran warmer than other PC cases, and NZXT has done a great job bringing down temperatures, especially with the perforated front panel on the NZXT H7 Flow. Compared to the outgoing model, this case in particular brought the average CPU temperature in games down by more than 10%.

The excellent cable management, better thermals, and updated design make the NZXT H7 series one to watch out for when shopping around for a new PC build foundation.

NZXT H7 Flow: What I don't like

(Image credit: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

I love pretty much everything about the NZXT H7 Flow. It's almost perfect. One thing I miss is vertical PCI slots. This means you won't be able to install your best graphics card vertically. It's a shame, but NZXT does have optional vertical mounts that can be bought and used with the NZXT H7 Flow.

Another minor gripe is with the front panel. I'd rather NZXT not cut through the holes on either side in half and have full circles throughout. This is a personal preference and the design still looks great.

NZXT H7 Flow: Competition

(Image credit: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

For direct competition, NZXT offers three models of the H7. The NZXT H7 Flow focuses on maximizing airflow to aid in the cooling of more power-hungry components. The baseline H7 has a solid front panel, and the NZXT H7 Elite swaps out the front panel for a second tempered-glass window. The below chart compares the three versions.

Specification	NZXT H7 Flow	NZXT H7 Elite	NZXT H7
Form factor	Mid-tower	Mid-tower	Mid-tower
Motherboard	EATX, ATX, microATX, Mini-ITX	EATX, ATX, microATX, Mini-ITX	EATX, ATX, microATX, Mini-ITX
I/O	2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1	2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1	2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1
	1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2	1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2	1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2
	1x 3.5mm audio jack	1x 3.5mm audio jack	1x 3.5mm audio jack
Expansion	7x Horizontal	7x Horizontal	7x Horizontal
Storage	SSD: 4+2	SSD: 4+2	SSD: 4+2
	HDD: 2	HDD: 2	HDD: 2
PSU	ATX	ATX	ATX
Included fans	2x NZXT F120Q	3x 140mm F Series RGB fans	2x NZXT F120Q
		1x 140mm F Series Quiet Airflow
Front fans	3x 120mm/140mm	3x 120mm/140mm	3x 120mm/140mm
Top fans	3x 120mm/2x 140mm	3x 120mm/2x 140mm	3x 120mm/2x 140mm
Rear fans	1x 120mm/140mm	1x 120mm/140mm	1x 120mm/140mm
Front rads	Up to 360mm	Up to 360mm	Up to 360mm
Top rads	Up to 360mm	Up to 360mm	Up to 360mm
Rear rads	Up to 140mm	Up to 140mm	Up to 140mm
Filters	Front, Top	Front, Top	Front, Top
Clearance	CPU: 185mm	CPU: 185mm	CPU: 185mm
	GPU: 400mm	GPU: 400mm	GPU: 400mm
RGB controller	❎	✅	❎
Dimensions	230mm x 505mm x 480mm	230mm x 505mm x 480mm	230mm x 505mm x 480mm
Weight	10.05kg	11.36kg	10.26kg
Materials	SGCC steel, tempered glass	SGCC steel, tempered glass	SGCC steel, tempered glass
Warranty	2 years	2 years	2 years
Colors	Black, white	Black, white	Black, white

For other brands, you're looking at numerous worthy cases to consider. One of my favorite mid-tower cases is the Corsair iCUE 5000T RGB, which is slightly larger (and heavier) but has more space inside for water cooling and larger motherboards. Then there's the popular Lian Li PC-O11 Dynamic range with its stylish design.

NZXT H7 Flow: Should you buy it?

(Image credit: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

You should buy if

You want a large mid-tower PC case
You want great airflow for powerful components
You plan on using AIO liquid cooling
You want to create a compact custom water-cooling loop

You shouldn't buy if

You want a compact chassis
You want an RGB controller out the box
You have more than two 3.5-inch drives
You want to install the GPU vertically

NZXT has made great cases for years now. Even with the issues surrounding the NZXT H1 and other chassis for cooling, the company consistently makes it into the top selection of premium cases for PC builds. The H710i was a brilliant case that had a few issues with the restricted airflow through the front panel. NZXT largely addressed everything to create one amazing chassis.

The NZXT H7 Elite is good for those who want to create a statement visually with the front window, whereas the normal H7 would have been good for those who don't wish to pay as much if the H7 Flow didn't cost the same. This makes it the best NZXT H7 option for those who don't want more than one tempered-glass panel (and the included RGB/fan controller hub).

If you're after one of the best mid-tower PC cases around, the NZXT H7 Flow is worth considering. Whether you're planning to use an Intel Core i5-12600K or an AMD Ryzen 9 5950X, this case will allow you to cool everything in games and during intense usage with the seven fan slots and three radiator mount locations. It's perfect for all-in-one coolers.

NZXT H7 Flow

NZXT H7 Flow is a brilliant mid-tower PC case. It has exceptionally good cable management, gorgeous looks, and is super-easy to build a very powerful PC inside.

NZXT H7 review: A good mid-tower refresh, but one I cannot recommend

Rich Edmonds — Wed, 25 May 2022 15:00:26 +0000

The NZXT H710 was a good case, but I found it to get a little too hot. NZXT took this feedback and worked it into a refresh that brought to market three new H7 cases. We've got the NZXT H7, the spiritual successor to the H710, as well as Elite and Flow variants. In this review, I'm going to be tackling the baseline H7.

The new NZXT H7 comes with a new side vent for the front panel to aid in providing the up to three fans with more airflow. Then there's the perforated top panel, which helps exhaust fans more easily blow out hot air. All this should provide a small improvement to cooling performance.

Read on to find out whether NZXT has made grounds on cooling down this mid-tower case to make it one of the best PC cases, or if you should just buy the NZXT H7 Flow.

NZXT H7: Price, specs, and availability

(Image credit: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

The new NZXT H7 range starts from $129.99 for the H7 and H7 Flow. The H7 Elite bumps the price up to $199.99, but includes an additional tempered-glass panel, RGB fans, and RGB/fan controller hub. Windows Central was provided a sample of the NZXT H7 in black for this review.

Specification	NZXT H7
Form factor	Mid-tower
Motherboard	EATX, ATX, microATX, Mini-ITX
I/O	2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1
	1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2
	1x 3.5mm audio jack
Expansion	7x Horizontal
Storage	SSD: 4+2
	HDD: 2
PSU	ATX
Included fans	2x NZXT F120Q
Front fans	3x 120mm/140mm
Top fans	3x 120mm/2x 140mm
Rear fans	1x 120mm/140mm
Front rads	Up to 360mm
Top rads	Up to 360mm
Rear rads	Up to 140mm
Filters	Front, top
Clearance	CPU: 185mm
	GPU: 400mm
Dimensions	230mm x 505mm x 480mm
Weight	10.26kg
Materials	SGCC steel, tempered glass
Warranty	2 years
Colors	Black, white

Like other H7 cases, you can use up to an EATX motherboard, though you likely won't want to use enthusiast-grade hardware inside the NZXT H7. Compared to the old H710, the new H7 comes with a new perforated top panel and redesigned front panel for better airflow, as well as improved cable management.

NZXT H7: What I like

(Image credit: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

I've gone into some detail about the NZXT H7 series refresh in my NZXT H7 Flow review, but the goal NZXT's designers had in mind was to keep the same look but refine the cooling performance. This was carried out by adding a new side vent for the front fans to gain access to more cool air, as well as a redesigned top panel.

The main issue with the NZXT H710 was cooling. It wasn't brilliant due to the lack of access for the front fans to draw in cool air. If you were wanting to use more powerful (and power-hungry) processors, you would quickly encounter issues if not using all fan mounts. With the new NZXT H7, the company made some changes to alleviate this.

The front panel is completely bare, aside from subtle NZXT branding near the bottom. The same goes for the side panel which only has a small vent strip toward the front. The tempered-glass window is the same that's used for the H7 Flow and H7 Elite. Finally we've got a vent on the top panel with two USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports, one USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 port, and a 3.5mm audio jack for front I/O.

It's a super clean-looking PC case, especially in black. While NZXT does not include an RGB and fan controller, it would be easy to install an aftermarket solution and create a light show.

Rich Edmonds / Windows Central

Impressively, the NZXT H7 can contain not one but two 360mm radiators. This won't be needed as even the more power-hungry Core i9 and Ryzen 9 processors will only really require a single 240mm or 360mm radiator, making this case ideal for AIO liquid coolers. With up to seven fans to install, it's possible to offset the restricted airflow.

To see just how much of an improvement the NZXT H7 is compared to the older H710, we're going to be using the same testbench with an AMD Ryzen 9 5950X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti.

AMD Ryzen 9 5950X temperature in games
PC cases	Temperatures
Corsair iCUE 5000T RGB	63 C (145 F)
be quiet! Silent Base 802	65 C (149 F)
NZXT H7 Flow	65 C (149 F)
Fractal Design Meshify C	68 C (155 F)
NZXT H7 Elite	69 C (156 F)
NZXT H7	71 C (160 F)
NZXT H710i	73 C (163 F)
Razer Tomahawk	73 C (163 F)
NZXT H510i	75 C (167 F)

The NZXT H710i measured in at an average of 73 C for gaming on the aforementioned CPU. Stress testing through benchmarks saw temperatures approach 90 C at bursts before settling in the mid-80s. The NZXT H7 saw a reduction in the temperature of about 5% across the board. Gaming saw an average of 71 C, which is better than the outgoing case, but still short of the N7 Flow.

It's worth bearing in mind that the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X gets hot and certainly requires a capable case to keep up. NZXT's H7 is $129.99 and is considerably more affordable than some of the other mid-tower cases we've compared it against. A 12th Gen Intel Core i5 or i7 processor would work extremely well inside the NZXT H7.

NZXT H7: What I don't like

(Image credit: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

The NZXT H7 is in quite the predicament. The H7 Flow is by far the better PC case. It has better thermals, is the same price, has all the same features and has a completely clean side panel thanks to the large intake vent upfront. If you want something a little fancier, the NZXT H7 Elite has more tempered glass than you'll know what to do with.

This leaves the NZXT H7 on its own. If it cost $100 or $110, I could understand, but for the same price as the H7 Flow, it just doesn't make sense to me. That's entirely subjective since I'm talking about design and some may want a solid front panel, but I would rather see NZXT simply include both panels with a single SKU and bump the price by $10.

If you are considering the H7, I would keep an eye on thermals, especially if you're planning to use a processor with a thermal design power (TDP) rating of 150W or higher. This is also a no-go for those wanting to mount their GPU vertically, unless you don't mind buying NZXT's optional bracket.

NZXT H7: Competition

(Image credit: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

NZXT offers three flavors of the NZXT H7. You can choose the NZXT H7, H7 Flow, and H7 Elite. The former is the direct replacement for the H710. The Elite swaps out the front panel for tempered glass, adds some RGB fans and a controller hub. Finally, we've got the H7 Flow, which swaps out the front panel for one that's perforated with numerous small holes.

Specification	NZXT H7 Flow	NZXT H7 Elite	NZXT H7
Form factor	Mid-tower	Mid-tower	Mid-tower
Motherboard	EATX, ATX, microATX, Mini-ITX	EATX, ATX, microATX, Mini-ITX	EATX, ATX, microATX, Mini-ITX
I/O	2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1	2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1	2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1
	1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2	1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2	1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2
	1x 3.5mm audio jack	1x 3.5mm audio jack	1x 3.5mm audio jack
Expansion	7x Horizontal	7x Horizontal	7x Horizontal
Storage	SSD: 4+2	SSD: 4+2	SSD: 4+2
	HDD: 2	HDD: 2	HDD: 2
PSU	ATX	ATX	ATX
Included fans	2x NZXT F120Q	3x 140mm F Series RGB fans	2x NZXT F120Q
		1x 140mm F Series Quiet Airflow
Front fans	3x 120mm/140mm	3x 120mm/140mm	3x 120mm/140mm
Top fans	3x 120mm/2x 140mm	3x 120mm/2x 140mm	3x 120mm/2x 140mm
Rear fans	1x 120mm/140mm	1x 120mm/140mm	1x 120mm/140mm
Front rads	Up to 360mm	Up to 360mm	Up to 360mm
Top rads	Up to 360mm	Up to 360mm	Up to 360mm
Rear rads	Up to 140mm	Up to 140mm	Up to 140mm
Filters	Front, Top	Front, top	Front, top
Clearance	CPU: 185mm	CPU: 185mm	CPU: 185mm
	GPU: 400mm	GPU: 400mm	GPU: 400mm
RGB controller	❎	✅	❎
Dimensions	230mm x 505mm x 480mm	230mm x 505mm x 480mm	230mm x 505mm x 480mm
Weight	10.05kg	11.36kg	10.26kg
Materials	SGCC steel, tempered glass	SGCC steel, tempered glass	SGCC steel, tempered glass
Warranty	2 years	2 years	2 years
Colors	Black, white	Black, white	Black, white

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.

NZXT H7: Should you buy it?

(Image credit: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

You should buy if

You want a simple modern design
You want a large mid-tower PC case
You plan on using AIO liquid cooling
You want to create a compact custom water cooling loop
You don't like the perforated front panel on the H7 Flow

You shouldn't buy if

You want a compact chassis
You want an RGB controller out the box
You have more than two 3.5-inch drives
You want to install the GPU vertically
You want the best-performing NZXT H7

The NZXT H710 was a great PC case that ran a little warm. It was perfect for lesser powerful processors, but once you get up to an Intel Core i9 or AMD Ryzen 9, you may encounter some issues, especially if you're running intensive applications for long periods of time. The NZXT H7 addresses this with a slight redesign to the ventilation.

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.

I'm a fan of the H7 series and while the NZXT H7 is an upgrade over its predecessor, I just cannot help but recommend the NZXT H7 Flow. It's better in every way and costs just the same. I think at this point NZXT should scrap the H7 and ship a solid panel with the H7 Flow so one can decide which panel to use.

NZXT H7

The new NZXT H7 takes what made the NZXT H710 good and addressed some of concerns for the cooling performance. It's not perfect, but a great value mid-tower chassis.

NZXT refreshes the H710 range with three new mid-tower PC cases

Rich Edmonds — Wed, 25 May 2022 15:00:00 +0000

What you need to know

NZXT launches three new mid-tower PC cases to replace the aging H710.
The NZXT H7 Flow is designed for maximum airflow and the H7 Elite is the showcase chassis.
The new cases start from $119.99 and are available from today.

Today, NZXT launched three new PC cases, the H7, H7 Flow, and H7 Elite. The brand has been making cases for many years and knows a thing or two about design. Instead of starting fresh, NZXT took the H710i and ramped up what made it good while fixing a few notable issues we had with the mid-tower chassis.

Compared to the previous generation PC case, these new cases come with better thermal performance, at least according to NZXT. Our own testing of the NZXT H7, NZXT H7 Flow, and NZXT H7 Elite showed positive results with the H7 Flow taking the crown for best thermals.

The panels have been redesigned to make it easier to access what's inside without fetching for a screwdriver and NZXT has made full use of softer catches so the process doesn't require considerable force. Each version of the new H7 features a new top panel that can be removed to mount up to a 360mm radiator.

The existing H710 had excellent cable management with channels but even this was given a refresh to bring it up to speed for 2022. A variety of colors are available with the H7 and H7 Flow coming in white and black, all white, or all black. The H7 Elite is available in all white or all black with the front-facing tempered glass panel.

Specification	NZXT H7 Flow	NZXT H7 Elite	NZXT H7
Form factor	Mid-tower	Mid-tower	Mid-tower
Motherboard	EATX, ATX, microATX, Mini-ITX	EATX, ATX, microATX, Mini-ITX	EATX, ATX, microATX, Mini-ITX
I/O	2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1	2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1	2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1
	1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2	1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2	1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2
	1x 3.5mm audio jack	1x 3.5mm audio jack	1x 3.5mm audio jack
Expansion	7x Horizontal	7x Horizontal	7x Horizontal
Storage	SSD: 4+2	SSD: 4+2	SSD: 4+2
	HDD: 2	HDD: 2	HDD: 2
PSU	ATX	ATX	ATX
Included fans	2x NZXT F120Q	3x 140mm F Series RGB fans	2x NZXT F120Q
		1x 140mm F Series Quiet Airflow
Front fans	3x 120mm/140mm	3x 120mm/140mm	3x 120mm/140mm
Top fans	3x 120mm/2x 140mm	3x 120mm/2x 140mm	3x 120mm/2x 140mm
Rear fans	1x 120mm/140mm	1x 120mm/140mm	1x 120mm/140mm
Front rads	Up to 360mm	Up to 360mm	Up to 360mm
Top rads	Up to 360mm	Up to 360mm	Up to 360mm
Rear rads	Up to 140mm	Up to 140mm	Up to 140mm
Filters	Front, Top	Front, Top	Front, Top
Clearance	CPU: 185mm	CPU: 185mm	CPU: 185mm
	GPU: 400mm	GPU: 400mm	GPU: 400mm
RGB controller	❎	✅	❎
Dimensions	230mm x 505mm x 480mm	230mm x 505mm x 480mm	230mm x 505mm x 480mm
Weight	10.05kg	11.36kg	10.26kg
Materials	SGCC steel, tempered glass	SGCC steel, tempered glass	SGCC steel, tempered glass
Warranty	2 years	2 years	2 years
Colors	Black, white	Black, white	Black, white

As well as the tempered glass front panel, the H7 Elite also ships with three 120mm NZXT RGB fans and an RGB and fan controller preinstalled. For pricing, the H7 and H7 Flow will be available for $129.99 while the H7 Elite costs $199.99. The vertical mounting kit for GPUs can be purchased separately for $79.99 and the RGB and fan controller will set you back $34.99.

XPG Cruiser review: Going for the minimalist look? You'll want this PC case.

rich.edmonds@futurenet.com (Rich Edmonds) — Mon, 25 Apr 2022 16:00:01 +0000

ADATA is going all-out with its gaming range of PC hardware under its XPG brand, and the XPG Cruiser is yet another fine addition to this product arsenal. The XPG Cruiser is a mid-tower PC case with plenty of internal space for more powerful gaming and enthusiast builds, supporting radiators for both AIO and custom loop liquid cooling.

Despite its mid-tower chassis size, the XPG Cruiser supports motherboard sizes up to E-ATX, which is usually reserved for more advanced components. Throw in support for up to a 380mm radiator, an integrated RGB controller, and space to install seven case fans, and the XPG Cruiser should have no issue with power-hungry components.

The mid-tower segment of the PC case market is a competitive one, but we'll see in this review whether the XPG Cruiser has what it takes to grab a spot in our best PC cases collection.

XPG Cruiser

Bottom line: The XPG Cruiser not only looks great, but it's also capable of handling even more power-hungry components, thanks to the expansive liquid-cooling support.

Pros

Sleek design
Plenty of internal space
Supports up to 380mm radiators
Can handle E-ATX motherboards
Good thermal performance

Cons

Cable management

XPG Cruiser: Price and availability

Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

The XPG Cruiser isn't the most expensive case on the block, but it still commands a price tag of $110. This is a decent chunk of change for a mid-tower PC case and puts the Cruiser on the same stage as NZXT, Corsair, and be quiet! cases. Considering this chassis rocks not one, but two tempered glass panels, the price is an aggressive move from ADATA.

Category	XPG Cruiser
Motherboard	E-ATX, ATX, microATX, ITX
I/O	2x USB-A 3.0 1x USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 1x audio jack
Expansion	7x horizontal, 2x vertical
Storage	2x 2.5-inch SSD/2x 3.5-inch HDD
PSU	ATX
Included fans	3
Front fans	3x 120mm, 3x 140mm
Top fans	2x 120mm, 2x 140mm
Rear fan	1x 120mm, 1x 140mm
Front rad	Up to 360mm
Top rad	Up to 280mm
Filters	Front, top
Clearance	GPU: 350mm CPU: 170mm
Dimensions	19.4 x 9.2 x 18.3 inches (493mm x 234mm x 466mm)
Weight	10.7 pounds (8.5kg)
Materials	Steel, tempered glass
Warranty	2 years
Color	Black, White

XPG Cruiser: What's good

Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

The XPG Cruiser is packaged well, and our review sample suffered no damage during transit. ADATA provides you with everything you need to create a PC inside the XPG Cruiser, including cable ties and screws. The two tempered glass panels each have a single strip of protective film to be removed. At first glance, the XPG Cruiser is an interestingly designed case.

At first glance, the XPG Cruiser is an interestingly designed case.

Upfront, there's an angled piece of glass with a large cutout to the side to allow the front three preinstalled XPG fans to pull in cool air. The right side of this panel has the XPG branding and a brushed aluminum effect. Up top is where you'll locate the power button, two USB-A 3.0 and single USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 ports, as well as a dual audio jack for headsets.

Behind this array of front I/O are two fan mounts and a magnetic dust filter. The left side panel is a large pane of tempered glass. The opposite side panel is bare metal and the rear is the usual affair of seven PCI slots (as well as two horizontal), ATX PSU mount, motherboard cutout, and a single 120/140mm fan mount.

Installing a PC inside the XPG Cruiser is a straightforward process, the same as every other mid-tower case on the market. An ATX PSU goes underneath the shroud that's commonplace with most chassis of today. Up to an E-ATX motherboard can be installed up front, as well as a large GPU.

There's ample space to install a radiator and fans for an AIO liquid-cooling solution for the CPU, and you could build your own custom loop, so long as you use a fan mount for the pump and reservoir combo unit. While there are only six fan mounts, the XPG Cruiser is still capable of pushing through serious amounts of air, thanks to the unobstructed access on the front panel.

Interestingly, the XPG Cruiser only has a few grommet cutouts for routing cables from behind the motherboard tray to components on the front side. This does result in quite the basic look on the inside with no cable brackets or other design elements to break up a single sheet of metal. But this does mean you can route cables better to the GPU, power, and other ports on the motherboard.

Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

Thermal performance is good. I threw an Intel Core i5-12600K processor and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 GPU inside the XPG Cruiser with 32GB of DDR5 RAM to see how it would perform with mid-tier components. Playing games wouldn't see the temperature for the 10-core CPU surpass 36 C with a 360mm AIO cooler.

XPG Cruiser: What's not good

Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

Cable management inside the XPG Cruiser is not a strong point of this case. You're going to have to battle the lack of any cable routing on the rear side of the motherboard tray. Clearance is around 40mm, which is enough for most builds, but should you want to add your own fan and RGB controller, it will start to turn messy.

Still, this could be considered a minor complaint for those who don't really care about a messy cable situation where one cannot see with all side panels installed. It's possible to create a clean-looking PC build through tempered glass, and that's all that truly matters for most PC owners.

XPG Cruiser: Competition

Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

There's plenty of competition for the XPG Cruiser. NZXT is a big name in the PC case business and has a few gorgeous chassis available, namely the NZXT H510. This case comes in a variety of flavors, including some special CRFT versions that are themed around popular video games.

NZXT does a stellar job with cable management on all of its PC cases, allowing you to tidy everything up once all your components have been installed. The company is also working on adding mesh to its collection of chassis, further enhancing airflow and thermal performance.

be quiet! is another big name for PC cases and its Silent Base 802 is fantastic. While a little larger than the NZXT H510 and XPG Cruiser, the 802 packs a punch where it matters most. You can install pretty much anything inside this case and have more than adequate airflow for cooling.

Finally, there's the exceptionally good Lian Li O11D. I reviewed the smaller Lian Li O11D Mini, which gives all the aforementioned cases a run for their money. If you want the best PC case money can buy right now, I'd recommend the O11D range.

XPG Cruiser: Should you buy it?

Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

You should buy this if ...

You want a sleek-looking, affordable PC case
You don't feel comfortable spending more than $110
You have a full-sized motherboard and large GPU
You want a PC case with good thermal performance

You shouldn't buy this if ...

You want a PC case with excellent cable management
You want a compact small-form-factor PC case
You want to install a radiator larger than 280mm up top

The XPG Cruiser from ADATA is a very compelling case if you want a compact, sleek-looking PC. There's enough internal space to hold an E-ATX motherboard, the largest GPU you can throw at it, and a few storage drives. The price is both attractive and aggressive, allowing one to pick up a case with good thermal performance for a little over $100.

It's not all good news with the XPG Cruiser, however. This chassis doesn't have the best cable management. In fact, it's not good for 2022 standards, especially when compared to some of its competition. Still, so long as you can overlook an awkward mess of cables behind the motherboard tray, you can create one awesome-looking PC with this case.

XPG Cruiser

Bottom line: While it performs incredibly well for its price, and looks great with components installed within, the XPG Cruiser is let down by cable management.

Fractal Design Node 804 review: The perfect PC case for building your own NAS

rich.edmonds@futurenet.com (Rich Edmonds) — Thu, 21 Apr 2022 16:00:01 +0000

Building a compact PC with a microATX motherboard for a streaming box or running a server requires a small form factor chassis that supports the installation of more than a few hard drives. That's precisely where the Fractal Design Node 804 comes into play. It's compact enough to fit inside a TV stand but has more than enough internal space for a capable media PC.

The Fractal Design 804 is actually a fairly old PC case at this point, but I'm reviewing it more as a NAS or server chassis than a PC, though you can absolutely set up a gaming PC using this thing. In fact, after removing the HDD cages, you could even go all out with some custom water-cooling, should you be feeling particularly adventurous.

So if you're wanting to create your own server at home (or for the office), read on to find out why I recommend you purchase one of these for your next build.

Fractal Design Node 804

Bottom line: Fractal Design has made an excellent cube chassis with the Node 804. This thing has been around for years, and it's just as good today, especially if you want to build your own NAS.

Pros

Supports up to 10 3.5-inch drives
Sleek design
Good cooling options
Supports up to microATX motherboards
Good value

Cons

Outdated front I/O
HDD cages are fiddly

Fractal Design Node 804: Price and availability

Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

The Fractal Design Node 804 is designed for use as a server as well as a microATX PC, resulting in a price that can range between $100 and $200, depending on demand and chosen retailer. This chassis is only available in black. Find a full list of specifications in the table below.

Category	Fractal Design Node 804
Motherboard	microATX, ITX
I/O	2x USB-A 3.0 1x headphone audio jack 1x microphone jack
Expansion	5x horizontal
Storage	12x 2.5-inch SSD/10x 3.5-inch HDD
PSU	ATX
Included fans	3
Front fans	4x 120mm
Top rads	4x 140mm
Rear fan	1x 120mm, 1x 140mm
Bottom fans	2x 120mm/140mm
Front rad	Up to 240mm
Top rad	Up to 280mm
Filters	Front, top, bottom
Clearance	GPU: 320mm CPU: 160mm
Dimensions	12.09 x 13.55 x 15.32 inches (307mm x 344mm x 389mm)
Weight	13.2 pounds (6kg)
Materials	Steel
Warranty	2 years
Color	Black

Fractal Design Node 804: What's good

Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

The Fractal Design Node 804 is packaged well, as is the case with most of the company's products. Included with the chassis are a few accessories, including cable ties to help with the installation of a PC. Much like its packaging, the Node 804 is designed with a minimalist brief, resulting in a sleek black cube PC case.

Fractal Design Node 804 is designed with a minimalist brief, resulting in a sleek black cube PC case.

This isn't a super-compact chassis, measuring in at 307mm x 344mm x 389mm with an internal volume of 40 liters. This does allow one to install plenty of hard drives, which will be immediately apparent as soon as the side window panel is removed. The unit we have in for review is finished in black, which is the only color option available.

Upfront is a removable cover rocking a brush aluminum effect finish. The lower section of this panel features a grill for the four fans to draw in cool air. The left side is taken up by the window panel and the right is bare aside from the front I/O, which consists of two audio jacks and two USB-A 3.0 ports.

The top plays host to four fan mounts as well as a filter cover while the rear of the Node 804 is a similar PC case affair with five horizontal PCI slots and two fan mounts. Being a cube design, you can get away with additional airflow through the rear panel whilst having room for an ATX power supply to be fitted.

The front panel can be easily removed by pulling it away from the main chassis to reveal the four fan mounts and dual dust filter setup. The two side panels are secured to the Node 804 using screws, and once those are extracted, you have unobstructed access to pretty much everywhere inside the case.

Two 3.5-inch HDD cages are preinstalled behind the motherboard tray and can hold up to eight drives. Two SSD bays can be found on the inside of the front panel, and a further two 3.5/2.5-inch bays are located on the bottom of the Fractal Design Node 804. There's more than enough room to pack this thing full of storage and even get away with an AIO liquid cooler or custom loop.

If you don't fancy installing any hard drives, the two white cages can be removed. Interestingly, when throwing a PC together inside the Node 804, careful planning of cable management needs to occur to avoid creating a hot mess. Having the PSU and main storage array located behind the motherboard and other components helps keep everything simple.

If you don't plan on using AIO solutions, the Node 804 will easily handle CPU coolers up to 160mm tall. Regardless of which route you decide to take, you won't have any problems keeping the Fractal Design Node 804 adequately cooled, even with an AMD Ryzen 9 5950X installed. Without installing additional fans, the three blowers included with the case are more than enough for a powerful NAS server or gaming PC.

Fractal Design Node 804: What's not good

Something to bear in mind with the Fractal Design Node 804 is the nature of the HDD cages. These are excellent for holding up to eight hard drives (four in each), but there's no support for hot-swapping. To remove a hard drive, you need to extract the bracket as a whole.

This shouldn't be too much of a concern since you won't be required to carry out this task unless you're adding new drives or replacing failed units, but it's definitely something that could be improved.

Fractal Design Node 804: Competition

Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

There aren't too many cube PC cases out there. This is more of a niche category, much like a small form factor chassis. Thermaltake's Core V21 is another fine cube case that would also make for a good NAS box or gaming PC case, but it doesn't support as many 3.5-inch drives as the Node 804 from Fractal Design.

Then there's the SilverStone Technology SUGO 14, which like the Core V21 doesn't support as many drives for high-capacity server use, but is a slightly more compact chassis, allowing one to set up their own home NAS in more restrictive positions. All of these cube cases support microATX motherboards and larger GPUs, so it largely comes down to price, storage requirements, and design.

Fractal Design Node 804: Should you buy it?

Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

You should buy this if ...

You have multiple hard drives to install inside a PC
You want a decent cube-like PC case
You want to build your own high-capacity NAS

You shouldn't buy this if ...

You have a larger motherboard than microATX
You want hot-swappable drive bays

Whether you're looking to build your very own NAS or a more compact cube PC, the Fractal Design Node 804 is a solid choice. It has excellent cooling performance thanks to its array of vents and countless fan mounts. The ability to install up to 10 3.5-inch drives is also a highlight feature, especially for servers with a lot of data to hold.

While the maximum size support for motherboards is microATX, you can get a good deal on older boards that work with powerful Intel processors for running Plex Media Server, virtual instances, and other server-related tasks. There are also some good gaming motherboards in this segment that will make for great PC foundations.

I would have loved Fractal Design to alter the design of the HDD cages to allow the removal and installation of drives without needing to take them out of the case, but this is a minor complaint. The Fractal Design Node 804 is one of the best PC cases for putting together your own NAS.

Fractal Design Node 804

Bottom line: Fractal Design's Node 804 isn't only a good PC case, but it's also suitable for use as a NAS chassis thanks to the 10 3.5-inch drive bays.

Best PC cases in 2024 for airflow, cooling, cable management, and more

rich.edmonds@futurenet.com (Rich Edmonds) — Tue, 12 Apr 2022 15:00:02 +0000

Quick menu

(Image credit: Windows Central)

• The list in brief ↴
1. Best overall
2. Best Mini-ITX
3. Best for airflow
4. Best value
5. Best for water cooling
6. Best design
• How to choose

Building a great PC starts with the case. It's what determines how you'll build your new rig, which parts you can use, and how easy it'll be. We've gone through some of the best PC cases and picked out a select few that we feel really shine above the rest in various categories. Whether you need a case for maximum airflow or water-cooling capabilities, we've got you covered.

There are so many PC cases out there, so you will find plenty that takes to your liking. It's impossible for us to expand this guide to cover more PC cases and keep it updated with all the latest models. We feel this collection of PC cases reflects the very best available on the market.

We're regularly reviewing PC cases from various vendors. Should we come across new cases that deserve a spot in our best PC case collection, we'll consider replacing an existing listing or creating a new category altogether. PC cases come in all shapes and sizes, but the best part is (so long as you make sure everything fits) there's no wrong choice since it's all down to what you prefer your PC to look like.

The quick list

Best overall

Lian Li PC-O11 Dynamic

Best overall

Compact PC cases like the Lian Li O11D Mini usually cut corners in places, but it seems Lian Li managed to create such a platform without doing so. This small case can even handle full-sized ATX motherboards, water-cooling, and 3.5-inch drives.

Read more below

Best Mini-ITX

NZXT H210i

Best Mini-ITX

The new H210i is better than ever, allowing you to put together a compact mini-ITX PC build in a small form factor case with smart features and a solid design.

Read more below

Best airflow

be quiet! Silent Base 802

Best airflow

be quiet! almost nailed it with the Silent Base 802. If the company can address the awkward feet, update the cable management on the rear of the motherboard tray, and make it just a bit more compact, it would be among the best in its class.

Read more below

Load the next 3 cases..

Best value

Lian Li Lancool 205 Mesh

Best value

A stunning, high-quality, easy-to-build in PC case that should definitely be on your shortlist in the mid-range. It's easily one of the simplest and most enjoyable cases I've ever built a PC in, and while it's a little more expensive than some of its competitors, the Lancool 205 Mesh is great value for it and well worth housing your next build.

Read more below

Best for liquid cooling

Thermaltake Tower 900

Best for liquid cooling

This truly is one of the best PC cases around and easily a top pick for builds with custom water-cooling loops. So long as you can fit it into your budget, I would recommend checking out the Thermaltake Tower 900 in person to witness its greatness.

Read more below

Best design

HYTE Y70 Touch

Best design

The Y70 Touch is a stunning upgrade to the already impressive HYTE Y-Series cases, featuring a mesmerizing 14.1-inch 4K multi-touchscreen and support for spacious custom builds in a dual-chamber design.

Read more below

Best overall PC case

Lian Li O11 Dynamic Mini (Image credit: Rich Edmonds | Windows Central)

Lian Li PC-O11 Dynamic

Best overall

Gorgeous design

Plenty of fans and radiator mounts

Excellent customization

Great airflow

Supports up to ATX motherboards

No fans included

Somewhat sluggish front I/O

There are some stunning PC cases out there, but if you want something exceptional, you'll want to check out the Lian Li PC-O11 Dynamic. Not only does this case look good, but it's also straightforward to build a PC inside of, supports water cooling with plenty of radiator mounting options, and can even take two PSUs.

On paper, the Lian Li O11 Dynamic looks like your everyday PC case, but it's not. This sleek and well-designed chassis is a gorgeous piece of engineering. It's not all about looks either. Since Lian Li brought DER8AUER on board, you know it's going to perform well. With enough space for up to three 360mm radiators, there's plenty of room for a custom water-cooling loop.

You can throw up to nine 120mm fans inside the O11 Dynamic from Lian Li, allowing ample air to be pushed through the four filters. There are also a few variants of this chassis, with our own review taking shape inside the Mini, a more compact version that's still able to take a full-sized ATX motherboard (though you do lose out to an SFX PSU.)

As well as rocking a striking design made up of steel, tempered glass, and aluminum, the HDD cage can be removed for a second PSU to be installed. Lian Li made sure to include plenty of cable management features, and you can easily create a clean PC with powerful hardware. Overall, the PC-O11 Dynamic is simply sublime, especially if you choose the Mini.

Best Mini-ITX tower

NZXT H210i (Image credit: Rich Edmonds | Windows Central)

NZXT H210i

Best Mini-ITX

Gorgeous design

Compact size

Good airflow

Excellent cable management

Limited to Mini-ITX

NZXT makes some compelling PC cases, and the company has tried shaking the industry up with concepts like the NZXT H1, but for our Mini-ITX tower pick, it has to be the H210i. This small form factor chassis has plenty going for it, rivaling features found in larger cases. It's our favorite Mini-ITX case because of its exquisite design, expansion, and cable management. It's available in black, black and red, and black and white.

Because it only fits Mini-ITX motherboards, you'll only be able to use two PCI slots, but this should fit most GPUs considering the clearance available hits up to 325mm before you're going through the front panel. It may be a compact package, but NZXT managed to work in up to two front 140mm fans, a single 120mm on top, and another in the rear.

You could even get away with up to a 240mm radiator in front, 280mm up top, and 120mm in the rear. There are plenty of configuration options here, allowing you to utilize more than one AIO loop (one for the CPU and another for the GPU). There are also two dust filters, one in the front and another for the PSU intake.

The H210i is quiet, allows your components to run cool, and looks great. Throw in some RGB lighting you can control from within Windows 10 using NZXT CAM software, and you've got a winner. This is a sound option for anyone wanting to put together a Mini-ITX build that won't be housed inside a cube.

Best for maximizing airflow

be quiet! Silent Base 802 (Image credit: Rich Edmonds | Windows Central)

be quiet! Silent Base 802

Best for airflow

Minimalist design

Plenty of fans and radiator mounts

Excellent customization

Great airflow

Supports up to E-ATX motherboards

Cable management

Awkward case feet

Colossal size

The be quiet! Silent Base 802 is the case to buy if you value noise dampening over all else. It's a subtle case that doesn't scream gaming and the focus on airflow and cooling makes it one of the best around if you want the lowest system temperatures. You can buy this case in black, black with a window, white, and white with a window.

This behemoth of a case supports motherboards up to E-ATX, has nine PCI slots on the rear for all your GPUs and expansion cards, and comes rocking plenty of 2.5 and 3.5-inch drive bays for an insane amount of storage space. The best part is the mesh front panel, which allows for a substantial amount of cool air to be sucked into the chassis.

be quiet! also made sure to include two dust filters to keep the insides clean, with one being on top and another on the front. I get the call that top-mounted dust filters are a little silly due to the top vents usually being used for exhaust, but this does help trap dust as it falls onto the case when not in use.

There's so much room inside the Silent Base 802 that you can easily put together a custom water-cooling loop, but even if you don't go down that route, the result will be a whisper-quiet PC build. It's pretty massive, so this case will only be suitable for you if you don't mind such a thing being located on or underneath your desk. Additionally, if you ask us, the version with the side panel window is well worth the additional $10.

Best value PC case

Lian Li Lancool 205 (Image credit: Lian Li)

Lian Li Lancool 205 Mesh

Best value PC case

Gorgeous design

Plenty of fans and radiator mounts

Great airflow

Supports up to ATX motherboards

Cable management

No 360mm rad support

The Lian Li Lancool 205 Mesh is a fine example of the company successfully branching out into the more affordable PC case segment. It's towards the higher reaches of the mid-range, but it's still an affordable PC case. Better still, it's an affordable PC case packed with that premium Lian Li style.

This mid-tower is capable of holding inside an ATX, Mini-ITX, or microATX motherboard. For cooling, you can install up to five 120mm fans or four 140mm fans (with one 120mm rear blower). Radiator support allows for the installation of up to two 280mm units. It's a mesh case with filters on the front, bottom, and top panels.

It's a clean-looking, yet highly functional case. You could throw inside a power-hungry Intel Core i9 or AMD Ryzen 9 processor and not have any cooling issues. So many times have we seen manufacturers try to stand out from the crowd by going for form over functionality. Thankfully, Lian Li knows how to make excellent cases.

Best PC case for water cooling

Thermaltake Tower 900 (Image credit: Thermaltake)

Thermaltake Tower 900

Best for water cooling

Gorgeous unique design

Plenty of fans and radiator mounts

Great airflow

Supports up to E-ATX motherboards

Amazing water-cooling support

Super heavy

Top panel isn't magnetic

Tricky cable management

You won't find another case that looks like the Thermaltake Tower 900, and it doesn't even cost a lot when considering its massive size. Up close, you'd be forgiven for thinking it was one of those claw machines you find in an arcade. However, if you're looking for a solid platform for a water-cooled behemoth, this case, which comes in black and white, is about as good as it gets.

If you're planning a particularly ambitious, water-cooled build, though, that size is perfect. The Tower 900 accepts up to E-ATX motherboards, over a dozen fans, and a pair of enormous 560mm radiators. The space inside is plentiful for pumps, reservoirs, pipes, and the layout of your dreams.

It's been around for a little while now; as such, you won't find USB-C on the front, nor anything newer than USB 3.0. And you will need a pretty sturdy place to keep it since on its own; it weighs 54 pounds (24.5kg). But in either black or white and trimmed with glass on three sides, this case is going to lead to one killer build.

This is the case to get if you want to build a custom water-cooling loop. And if you don't quite know where to start with a custom loop, we've put together a comprehensive PC water-cooling beginner's guide. That'll run you through all the parts you'll be able to cram inside the Tower 900 with plenty of room to spare.

Best PC case design

(Image credit: Ben Wilson | Windows Central)

HYTE Y70 Touch

Best design

Several color options

Accessible from all angles

4K multi-touchscreen

Removable storage bays

Spacious but cable routing isn't perfect

The HYTE Y70 Touch is a case that features a flashy 4K touchscreen on the front panel, allowing users to display PC stats, access apps, or display anything else since it acts as a standard monitor. It has a spacious dual-chamber design that simplifies custom builds and supports massive graphics cards, though it isn't quite as well suited to cable management as some more compact competitors.

You also get the classic panoramic glass panel found in HYTE's Y-Series cases, and it comes in four color options. However, the case is fragile if you're not careful with the quick-release grommets, has limited expansion slots for anything besides a dedicated GPU, and requires (currently) bloated Nexus software to run the touchscreen.

The case is a gimmick but stunning for enthusiasts who want to show off their high-end hardware. You'll need a huge desk to display it at your eye line, but it's a treat for the eyes and undoubtedly geared towards content creators or live streamers who have their rig in plain view of their audience.

How to choose the best PC case

Choosing the best PC case for you largely comes down to personal preference. Mostly, it's about the look of the case, which is entirely subjective. We may have a soft spot for the excellent Lian Li PC-O11 Dynamic, but it may not be to your liking. We will focus on the best PC cases on paper instead of in this collection, so we take into account how many fans you can screw into the case, what size motherboards you can install, and more.

If you want the most space available, you're going to want to choose a full-tower case, something like the Thermaltake Tower 900. For more compact PC builds, an ITX case will do the job just fine, which is where the excellent NZXT H210i comes into play. Other shortlisted PC cases cover specialist categories like airflow, where the be quiet! Silent Base 802 excels.

But again, the choice of a PC case is largely down to what you want to build. Take a look at our recommendations here to kick-start your creativity in putting together a PC representing who you are as an individual. Be sure to also check out our PC case deals roundup to see whether you can save on any of our favorites below.

When choosing a PC case for your next build, you'll need to consider a few factors. First, do you want a large or compact design? Does it need to support a beefy 360mm radiator for your all-in-one CPU cooler, or are you planning to maximize airflow with all the fans in the world? Once you've got a rough idea in mind, you can start browsing specific categories and form factors.

The more you spend on a case (and some of our choices here are fairly pricey), the better the construction, materials, finish, and features usually are. By going with a barebones $10 basic case, you'll likely have issues with effectively managing cable routing (though it's still possible to do a good job), you may not be able to create a custom water-cooling loop, and chances are it'll not have a fancy glass side panel.

Motherboard size doesn't matter too much since that largely boils down to how many onboard features you require and whether you intend on installing more than a GPU to use up all the PCIe expansion slots. ATX is generally a good size to go with, though if you really want that compact PC case, microATX is a great substitute that doesn't sacrifice too much on functionality.

What to look for

While you can technically choose any case you want for a PC build, it's best to bear a few important factors in mind. Here are a few things we like to consider when shopping for (and reviewing) PC cases:

Motherboard support.
Support for AIO and water-cooling radiators.
Front I/O.
Dimensions if you have tight desk space.
Effective cable management support.
Number of SSDs and HDDs that can be installed.
Dust filters.

Motherboard support is important if the case is the last part you're buying for a PC build. Larger PC cases like mid- and full-towers will be able to support all sizes of motherboards (ATX down to Mini-ITX), but smaller cases will likely only support Mini-ITX and microATX, so bear this in mind.

Not all cases offer support for AIO and custom water-loop radiators. Even if you can bolt a 360mm radiator to the inside of the chassis, does it allow you to mount a pump and provide enough space for the necessary tubing? Front I/O is a minor consideration since most cases come with USB 3.0 ports and audio jacks.

If you have a tight space where the PC will lay rest, dimensions will play a major part in your decision-making. And if you want the insides of your case to look neat and tidy, effective cable management is a must with grommets, ties, and other useful features. Finally, you're going to want to consider dust filtering to keep it clean and any SSDs or HDDs that need to be installed.

Our recommendations are a great place to start. We rounded up the very best PC cases for a variety of builds.

HYTE Y60 review: Create a slick-looking PC with vast amounts of tempered glass

rich.edmonds@futurenet.com (Rich Edmonds) — Tue, 15 Mar 2022 13:00:01 +0000

Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

HYTE is a sub-brand for iBuyPower and is what the systems integrator is using to launch its own PC hardware. Since 1999, the systems integrator has been building PCs for everyone using off-the-shelf parts, but now we're onto case number two from iBuyPower. The HYTE Y60 is a more traditional PC chassis compared to the HYTE Revolt 3 whilst continuing to stand out from the crowd.

The first case closely resembled the excellent NZXT H1, and the Y60 is HYTE's take on the massively popular Lian Li PC O11. We reviewed the O11 Dynamic Mini and found it to be one of the best PC cases available. HYTE has taken largely what made the Lian Li PC O11 and made some notable changes to create something that can stand on its own.

We received a sample in red and took it for a spin with quite the gaming PC installed, just to see how easy it would be to build a PC inside the chassis, and how one would perform in daily tasks.

HYTE Y60

Bottom line: HYTE gets more right than wrong with the Y60, its second PC case. If there were more space for cable management, this would be a dream to build a powerful gaming PC inside.

Pros

Striking design, especially in red
Included PCIe 4.0 riser
Supports up to 360mm radiator
Great internal volume (60L)

Cons

Terrible cable management
Thumbscrews not captive
No covers for removing HDD brackets
Pricey

HYTE Y60: Price and availability

Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

The HYTE Y60 is about the same price as the Lian Li O11 when it launched. Costing $200, it's a large pill to swallow for many who are looking to keep costs down with a new PC build. That said, you do get quite the package, including a wrap-around tempered glass design that lets your PC take center stage in the office.

HYTE Y60: What's good

Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

The HYTE Y60 is a compact mid-tower with an impressive 60L of internal volume. The most notable part of its design is the angled tempered glass that creates a wrap-around effect. There are actually three removable physical tempered glass panels with no steel to separate them. This creates an unobstructed view of all the happenings inside the chassis.

Category	HYTE Y60
Motherboard	EATX, ATX, mATX, ITX
I/O	1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 2x USB-A 3.0 1x headset audio jack
Expansion	3 vertical PCI 6x half-height horizontal
Storage	4x 2.5-inch SSD/2x 3.5-inch HDD
PSU	ATX
Included fans	3
Side fans	2x 120mm/140mm
Top rads	3x 120mm, 2x 140mm
Rear fan	1x 120mm
Bottom fans	2x 120mm/140mm
Side rad	Up to 280mm
Top rad	Up to 360mm
Filters	Side, bottom, top
Clearance	GPU: 375mm CPU: 160mm
Dimensions	17.9 x 11.2 x 18.1 inches (456mm x 285mm x 462mm)
Weight	# pounds (# kg)
Materials	Steel Tempered glass ABS
Warranty	2 years
Color	Black White Red

It's a large case and is capable of supporting even an EATX motherboard. For front-facing I/O, we've got a single USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 port, two USB-A 3.0 ports, and a headset audio jack. The Y60 comes with a PCIe 4.0 riser cable preinstalled that has a plastic shroud as part of the main PCI slot connection.

The use of tempered glass on the HYTE Y60 creates one clean-looking PC.

From the outside, it's easy to spot the cooling capacity. For intake, HYTE relies on two 120mm/140mm fan slots underneath the floor and two 120mm/140mm fans on the side. The latter can also take up to a 280mm radiator. The rear single 120mm and top three 120mm (or two 140mm) fan mounts act as exhausts.

The top panel is capable of holding a 360mm radiator, though if you want the lowest CPU temperatures I'd recommend using a 230mm or 280mm radiator on the side mount. In total, this allows for the installation of up to eight fans, which is a solid number for a case of this size. Because there's so much space inside the Y60, the CPU and GPU clearances are massive, coming in at 375mm and 160mm, respectively.

The two side panels are easily removed using just one rear thumbscrew for each. The top panel is lightly held onto the main chassis with pop joints and can be extracted without much effort. This reveals the top radiator bracket, which can be removed for easier installation of a radiator. (Note that the actual radiator itself needs to be installed atop the bracket with the fans underneath to fit inside the frame.)

The front glass panel can be removed using a few screws on the side and the same goes for the small strip of glass. There's no physical support here with the three glass panels removed, so be sure not to lean or rest anything on the Y60 (HYTE even mentions this in the case manual).

With all panels removed, there's plenty of access for installing a PC inside the HYTE Y60. Even though space is a little limited behind the motherboard tray, you can install a full-size ATX power supply. There are two 2.5-inch SSD mounts here, as well as two HDD brackets that can take 2.5- or 3.5-inch drives.

It would have been nice to have a cover to replace these HDD brackets if you don't require them, but you'll have to work around them when it comes to cable routing. Gazing at this side of the case and it quickly becomes apparent just how little room there is for this job. If you don't have anything other than a PSU to route, it's absolutely fine, but throw in an RGB and fan controller, and you'll quickly use up the available space.

Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

To test the thermal performance of the HYTE Y60, I employed the Corsair H510i Elite LCD 360mm AIO cooler. I also swapped out the rear HYTE fan for a Corsair Ml120 to join a further two installed on the side panel. The two HYTE blowers remained below the floor of the Y60. Using the same components as I did with the Lian Li O11D Mini, the numbers were largely the same for GPU and CPU readings.

The AMD Ryzen 9 5950X didn't go above 72 C (162 F) under load in games or running synthetic benchmarks. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti ran cool at around 60 C (140 F). Noise from running fans wasn't too bad either, coming in at 36dBA. One should be pretty happy with those numbers considering we're running a 16-core processor and fairly powerful gaming GPU.

HYTE Y60: What's not good

I have to mention the cable management or lack thereof. HYTE doesn't include any channels to use for routing cables and there are two large grommets that take cables from the rear of the motherboard tray to components upfront. Because the volume is massive inside the front area of the Y60, the rear of the motherboard can get really tight with ATX power supplies.

I found it odd that HYTE doesn't include two covers for attachment to the case if one wants to remove the two HDD brackets. 3.5-inch drives are slowly becoming a thing of the past, especially for desktop PCs, and it would have been good to have a way of filling the holes left by removing these bays.

The thumbscrews for the tempered glass and metal side panels are not captive, which is a small gripe for a case in 2022. This simply means you'll have to keep them separated instead of them remaining hooked to the panels. It's something plenty of other cases have as a feature, and it's a strange omission here.

HYTE Y60: Competition

Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

As aforementioned a few times, the closest rival to the HYTE Y60 is the Lian Li O11. The two cases are very similar, but there are a few small differences that set them apart. HYTE attempted to make the main internal space of the chassis as large as possible, sacrificing what some would class as vital space for cable management.

It all comes down to how you approach PC building and what's more important. There's enough metal to separate the two sections so you don't have to gaze at the cable mess behind the motherboard, but this could have been alleviated by throwing in a few covers for those who want to remove the HDD brackets.

I feel even the Lian Li O11D Mini gets more right with this compact chassis design, but I do appreciate what HYTE attempted to do with the Y60.

HYTE Y60: Should you buy it?

Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

You should buy this if ...

You want a more unique-looking PC
You aim at water cooling your PC
You have a radiator up to 360mm
You need to use an ATX motherboard and PSU

You shouldn't buy this if ...

You need plenty of space for cable management
You don't want to use your GPU vertically
You want an affordable PC case (less than $200)

Building a PC in 2022 unlocks so many choices, especially for the PC case. There are literally hundreds of great cases out there to pick from, and the HYTE Y60 is yet another fine example to add to that ever-growing list. It's perfect for an AIO-cooled PC, so long as you don't mind leaving an absolute disaster of a cable management effort hidden away.

Thermal performance is pretty good and is in line with what one can expect from similar designs and builds. Even using a power-hungry AMD Ryzen 9 5950X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti failed to encounter any issues in modern PC games like Elden Ring or Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord.

It's incredibly easy to create a good-looking build with the HYTE Y60. It's a great case to work with. If HYTE is able to ship out some covers for the HDD brackets, this would open up additional volume behind the motherboard for cable routing. It's also a little pricey, which may put some potential buyers off, but if you do make the plunge you won't be disappointed.

HYTE Y60

Bottom line: The HYTE Y60 is a gorgeous PC case that needs a few alterations to make it almost perfect. Even with my noted concerns, it's still an excellent chassis for showcasing your expensive GPU.

Corsair iCUE 5000T RGB review: This bright and colorful PC case will make a lasting impression

rich.edmonds@futurenet.com (Rich Edmonds) — Tue, 15 Feb 2022 17:10:02 +0000

Corsair makes some of the best PC cases in terms of design. The Corsair iCUE 5000X RGB was praised by my colleague and Windows Central senior writer Cale Hunt for its intuitive design and excellent airflow. The company is back with the iCUE 5000T RGB, which is essentially the same case but with some notable improvements, including preinstalled RGB fans and a far more capable fan and LED hub controller.

It's also designed with more of an emphasis on airflow, thanks to the swap of the front glass panel for one with countless small, perforated holes. There's plenty of expansion too, thanks to its mid-tower form factor, allowing one to install up to three 360mm radiators for far more thermal cooling capacity than you'll likely require.

Do these changes make the Corsair iCUE 5000T RGB one of the best PC cases around?

Corsair iCUE 5000T RGB

Bottom line: RGB lighting? Check. Strong airflow? Check. Water-cooling support? Check. The iCUE 5000T RGB is a glorious PC case.

Pros

Gorgeous design, especially in white
Impressive amount of internal space
Great radiator support for AIO and water cooling
Excellent airflow with two main intake points
Intuitive layout with expansive RGB and fan controller
Premium build quality

Cons

Expensive
No pump or reservoir mounts

Corsair iCUE 5000T RGB: Price and availability

Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

The Corsair iCUE 5000T RGB costs $400 at launch, which is a sizeable chunk of change for just a PC case alone. You get for what you pay for with this chassis, however. It's built to an incredibly high standard, has solid thermal performance, and is designed with more advanced PC builds in mind.

Corsair iCUE 5000T RGB: At a glance

Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

As a larger mid-tower PC case, the Corsair iCUE 5000T RGB will easily handle a motherboard up to the size of E-ATX. You've got countless mounting points for radiators (up to three 360mm in total) and fans, and even the best graphics card with a monstrous shroud will easily fit inside.

It's heavy, thanks to all the materials used, so I recommend caution when initially unpacking the 5000T RGB. Included with the case are all the necessary screws to install components, some Velcro cable ties, normal plastic cable ties, and other accessories you may require. That's all you really need as everything else is preinstalled.

Category	Corsair iCUE 5000T RGB
Motherboard	E-ATX ATX MicroATX Mini-ITX
I/O	4x USB-A 3.0 1x USB-C 3.1 1x Headphone/microphone
Expansion	9 PCI (2 vertical)
Storage	2x 2.5-inch SSD 2x 2.5-inch SSD/3.5-inch HDD
PSU	ATX
Included fans	3x Corsair LL120 on front
Front rad	360mm/280mm
Side rad	360mm/280mm
Top rad	360mm/280mm
Rear rad	120mm
Filters	Side Top Bottom Front
Clearance	GPU: 400mm CPU: 170mm
Dimensions	20.87 x 9.88 x 22.05 inches (530mm x 251mm x 560mm)
Weight	33 pounds (15kg)
Materials	Steel ABS
Warranty	2 years
Color	Black, white

Corsair iCUE 5000T RGB: Hardware & design

Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

Receiving the Corsair iCUE 5000T RGB in white, the case is quite the looker. Upfront is a panel with a triangular hole design for the front fans to draw in cool air. This is a major switch from the 5000X RGB, which had a full tempered glass window. This can quickly be removed thanks to the use of magnets.

Corsair iCUE 5000T RGB gets airflow and design just right for a stunning PC case.

The same goes for the two side panels, one being tempered glass so you can gaze at the clean interior. The doors themselves are hinged, so accessing the inside of the PC is easier than ever if you want to make a quick change/fix. They're weighty but don't cause the case to topple over.

The top panel is held on using plastic clips. They're the old, traditional style, which is a shame as magnets would be a far superior option, but it doesn't require too much force to remove the panel. With all the panels out the way, it's quickly apparent just how much space there is with which to work.

This case comes with three preinstalled 120mm Corsair LL120 fans on the front. There isn't any present up top or on the rear, so you will need to bring some cooling of your own for a fully functional PC build. Corsair makes it easy to hook up to five RGB fans to the RGB and fan controller located on the rear of the motherboard tray.

This Commander Core XT controller is able to handle up to six fans without the use of splitters, as well as an additional channel for any RGB strips you may have. And there are four of these installed already from Corsair's factory. The company puts additional emphasis on RGB lighting outside the case with two located on the top and two below.

The primary radiator locations are top and front. There's an additional location on the side, behind the cable motherboard tray cover. This needs to be removed if you plan on installing a radiator here, which does open up the rear of the case internally. Luckily, Corsair thought of this and routes cabling around the side of the cutout so they're kept out the way.

One feature of the 5000X RGB that didn't make the cut for the 5000T RGB is the internal swing door that hides all the cabling. This isn't required since there's no tempered glass on this side, but worth noting in case you don't enjoy neatly routing cables inside your case. An HDD tray is present with two bays but can be removed if you need more space for the PSU.

Two SSD mounts are found on the rear of the motherboard tray, and that's it for storage. This shouldn't be a problem with modern motherboards, especially enthusiast-grade as they usually come with three or more M.2 slots. The rear of the 5000T RGB has seven PCI slots, as well as two vertical and your usual layout for motherboard I/O and a single 120mm fan mount.

Corsair did an amazing job designing the 5000 series and the iCUE 5000T RGB is simply stunning.

Corsair iCUE 5000T RGB: Building a PC

Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

The process of actually building a computer using the Corsair iCUE 5000T RGB is a streamlined process. Removing all the panels is easy and accessing all the internal compartments doesn't require any tools. I went with an ATX motherboard for the foundation of this test PC. So long as you know how to build your own PC the right way, you'll be fine here.

You'll have no issues with cooling using the Corsair iCUE 5000T RGB.

You can have up to three radiators installed inside the 5000T RGB, though you'll struggle to install one on the front and side simultaneously. The vertical metal cable shroud doesn't actually hide any cables, so if you do go with installing a radiator alongside the motherboard, you won't need to worry about seeing a spaghetti junction.

Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

Corsair did a fine job routing the preinstalled cabling, and those from your PSU and other components will be easy to tidy up for a clean finish. Corsair's fan controller is perfect for installing numerous fans on all mount locations for maximum airflow. If you have supported RGB blowers that will work with the RGB headers, you can use iCUE to control all lighting.

The X570 motherboard has more than enough M.2 slots for my test drives, but having the optional 2.5-inch and 3.5-inch bays is ideal for PCs where you'll store lots of data, like a gaming desktop. You'll have no issue fitting even the biggest GPU inside the iCUE 5000T RGB, though larger power supplies may cause a problem with a tight fit below the PSU shroud.

Even though 12th Gen Intel Core processors are here, I'm sticking with the AMD Ryzen 5950X for now since it pumps out a lot of heat even when running at stock settings, which is precisely what were used for this review. The be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 was attached to the top of the CPU, and the trusty ASUS ROG Strix X570-E Gaming was used as the foundation.

Case	CPU temp	GPU temp	Noise
Corsair iCUE 5000T RGB	63 C	52 C	36 dBA
be quiet! Silent Base 802	65 C	54 C	37 dBA
Fractal Design Meshify C	68 C	56 C	40 dBA
Razer Tomahawk	73 C	64 C	42 dBA
NZXT H510i	75 C	63 C	43 dBA

The highest reading for the processor was 63 C when under load in games and synthetic benchmarks. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti didn't pass 52 C, which puts this case in a similar range to the excellent be quiet! Silent Base 802.

You'll have no issues with cooling using the Corsair iCUE 5000T RGB. These temperatures were measured using a standard blower attached to a heatsink. Swap this out for an AIO liquid cooler and you should see cooler readings, especially when taking advantage of one of the 360mm radiator mounts.

Corsair iCUE 5000T RGB: Competition

Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

There's strong competition in the mid-tower market. It's the most popular form factor of chassis for desktop computers. Even Corsair's own lineup has countless models from which to pick, including the excellent Corsair iCUE 5000X RGB. This case is a full $200 more affordable than the 5000T RGB, but you lose some features like the RGB and fan controller.

Then there's NZXT, which takes a different approach to mid-tower PC case design. The NZXT H710i is a good option and can even be found in a variety of themes like the stunning NZXT H750i Cyberpunk Edition case.

Corsair iCUE 5000T RGB: Should you buy it?

Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

You should buy this if ...

You love RGB lighting
You have large radiators to install
You plan to overclock your CPU
You want a high-quality PC case

You shouldn't buy this if ...

You don't feel comfortable spending $400 on a case
You don't like RGB lighting

There's no dancing around the price. This is one expensive case, especially if you're used to the more budget-friendly chassis available. But if you want a case with plenty of RGB lighting (as well as three premium RGB fans included) and more than one place to install a 360mm radiator, and plan to do a little overclocking, the Corsair iCUE 5000T RGB is a great foundation.

We're big fans of the 5000 series from Corsair. The iCUE 5000T RGB is yet another fine example of a premium case at a premium price. With support for E-ATX motherboards and up to three 360mm radiators, you've got plenty of space to plan out an enthusiast-grade PC build without encountering any issues relating to temperatures.

Corsair made it incredibly easy to install all your components inside the iCUE 5000T RGB. The two swinging hinged doors are superb and allow for quick access to all sides of the case. The front and top panels come off with ease too. The cable management is excellent, so too is the ability to install your GPU vertically and swap out the front PSU shroud bracket for a cleaner look.

The price may put many off buying the Corsair iCUE 5000T RGB, but if you want the very best from the company, you should consider buying one for your next PC build.

Corsair iCUE 5000T RGB

Bottom line: There's very little to complain about the Corsair iCUE 5000T RGB. It ticks all the right boxes for more advanced PC builds and has more features than you'll know what to do with.

NZXT H1 V2 review: A vastly improved version of an excellent compact PC case

rich.edmonds@futurenet.com (Rich Edmonds) — Tue, 08 Feb 2022 16:00:02 +0000

The original NZXT H1 was a big launch for the company. It was a unique compact PC case that made the H210 look like a large beast. We awarded the NZXT H1 with full stars for its design, functionality, and performance. Unfortunately for NZXT, the PCIe riser cable wasn't designed and manufactured to a safe standard, which eventually caused a fire-related recall.

It's a shame as the H1 was one of the best PC cases for compact builds. NZXT did release a revised version of the PCIe riser cable for case owners, but if you already returned your H1 to hold off for a new version, that's exactly what we're looking at today. NZXT has made numerous improvements to the H1 to bring it up to standard in 2022 with the NZXT H1 V2.

There's a new PCIe riser cable, power supply, as well as enlarged dimensions so you can install even the best graphics card. Will it be able to compete against the HYTE Revolt 3 and is this a candidate for the best PC case crown?

NZXT H1 V2

Bottom line: NZXT made some notable improvements to the already excellent H1 PC case, including more internal space, higher capacity PSU, and a new (fire-free) PCIe riser cable. This is the compact PC case to get.

Pros

Gorgeous design
Fits most GPUs
Small footprint
Good airflow
Easy to build in

Cons

Can't use horizontally
PSU switch located behind a panel
Limited modding

NZXT H1 V2: Price and availability

Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

The original NZXT H1 launched for $350 and included an AIO and PSU. It's the same with the H1 V2, but with all the improvements included, as well as a better PSU, NZXT has bumped the price up to $400. This isn't terrible, considering what's included. All you need to add is a motherboard, processor, RAM, and (optionally) a GPU.

If you're wanting to build a compact budget-friendly PC, this isn't the case for you. It would be a better move to choose another small form factor case like the excellent NZXT H210i.

NZXT H1 V2: What's good

Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

If you're not familiar with its predecessor, the NZXT H1 V2 looks like any other NZXT PC case from afar. It's only until you analyze the dimensions and take a look around the sides would you notice something different. It's incredibly small, even compared to the NZXT H210i. The revised H1 is a little larger than the original, but it's still small enough for most ITX PC builds.

NZXT took the H1 PC case and made it even better.

The front panel is tempered glass, allowing you to peek inside at installed components. The two sides have numerous larger perforated holes and have dust filters to pull in cool, clean air. The rear has the same hole array and is used as the sole exhaust. It's a good design, allowing the CPU AIO cooler on the left and GPU on the right to get direct access to air in such a tight space.

But this meant NZXT decided to use a PCIe riser cable for the GPU, which has been an issue not only for the company and the H1, but also for other brands with other cases. The H1 V2 comes with a revised design for the riser and should run just fine, though this should have been shipped with the original. Coming from the NZXT H1, it's easy to notice the larger internal space for beefy graphics cards.

There's a 750W (up from 650W) 80 Plus Gold-rated power supply and 140mm AIO preinstalled, which is what help bump the price up considerably. This does allow one to focus on installing the motherboard (with CPU and RAM) and GPU without having to worry about choosing a PSU and working on cable management. The HZXT H1 V2 is a blank canvas with some guidelines lending a helping hand.

Category	NZXT H1 V2
Motherboard	Mini-ITX
I/O	1x USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 2x USB-A 3.1 Gen 1 1x Headset Audio Jack
Expansion	2 horizontal PCI
Storage	2x 2.5-inch SSD
PSU	SFX (750W Gold included)
Included fans	2
Side fans	1x 140mm
Rear fan	1x 120mm
Side rad	140mm
Filters	Sides
Clearance	GPU: 324mm
Dimensions	15.9 x 7.7 x 7.7 inches (405mm x 196mm x 196mm)
Weight	16.75 pounds (7.6 kg)
Materials	Steel Tempered glass
Warranty	2 years
Color	Black White

An additional fan was installed to help direct air through the enlarged chassis. We didn't have an issue with heat when running an AMD Ryzen 9 3900X in the first version of the H1, but the better thermal performance is always a good improvement. This added internal volume even allowed NZXT to install a fan controller, which can be managed by NZXT CAM software.

It's the same great case that's easier to build a PC inside, with most of the major original complaints addressed. We installed a system with an Intel Core i5-12600K processor, DDR5 RAM, and an RTX 3060 Ti GPU. This is a mid-range build that would be ideal for a chassis like the NZXT H1 V2.

Temperatures were great for this mid-range 12th Gen Intel processor. At idle, the 12600K sits comfortably at 35 C (95 F), gaming takes it up to 47 C (117 F) and stress tests pushed the CPU to 56 C (133 F). Compared to the original NZXT H1, you're looking at about a 10-15% improvement to thermals for the CPU and GPU in a variety of tests.

NZXT H1 V2: What's not good

Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

While I really liked the improvements NZXT made to the H1 for version 2.0, there are still a few things you may not like about the chassis. The ports remain underneath the H1, requiring you to tilt the unit to gain access to motherboard I/O. You also won't be able to use the H1 horizontally.

The enlarged internal space will let you install an LED strip or two, but that's about all you can get away with for modding the H1.

NZXT H1 V2: Competition

Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

There wasn't much competition when the NZXT H1 was released in 2020, but companies have joined NZXT by launching similar PC cases. iBUYPOWER is probably the closest competition for the NZXT H1 V2 with the HYTE Revolt 3. The Revolt 3 is far more affordable but doesn't come with a PSU or AIO cooler.

Both cases differ in design too. HYTE opted to go with a direct contact for the GPU and motherboard negating the need for a PCIe riser cable. NZXT continues to require one with the H1 V2, and we've seen reliability issues with these risers in a variety of PC cases. The Revolt 3 also has a carry handle and headphone holders.

It largely comes down to which design you prefer, but I'd go with the Revolt 3 if I had to choose a case for a compact gaming PC.

NZXT H1 V2: Should you buy it?

Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

You should buy this if ...

You want a well-designed compact PC case
You want a PC case with a PSU and AIO preinstalled
You want to use NZXT CAM software

You shouldn't buy this if ...

You have a motherboard larger than ITX
You want a budget-friendly compact case

I really liked the original NZXT H1, and I'm glad the company kept most of what made it so good for version 2.0. This is a well-designed compact PC case with a preinstalled PSU and AIO cooler, allowing you to get up and running in no time at all. There's also integrated NZXT CAM software to control fan curves and more. Just make sure your motherboard will fit.

The changes made to the NZXT H1 are welcome. I'm glad the company made an effort to ensure the PCIe riser is safe to use for everyone, though I'd much rather it be removed altogether and the GPU connected to the motherboard directly. The 750W Gold PSU allows one to install more powerful NVIDIA RTX 30-series GPUs, and the additional fan helps with thermals.

The NZXT H1 V2 is a brilliant compact PC case. It's not perfect, especially with the HYTE Revolt 3 out in the wild, but there's plenty to love about this chassis. When going for a compact PC build with an ITX motherboard, it's important to consider dimensions when looking at high-end GPUs from AMD and NVIDIA. Luckily, you can build a very powerful PC inside this case.

NZXT H1 V2

Bottom line: The NZXT H1 V2 is a brilliant PC case. NZXT took everything that made the original case amazing and turned it up to 11.

CyberPowerPC KINETIC is a living, breathing PC case and it looks incredible

rich.edmonds@futurenet.com (Rich Edmonds) — Tue, 04 Jan 2022 17:47:26 +0000

What you need to know

CyberPowerPC is releasing a case designed around airflow with a smart ventilation system upfront.
The full ATX chassis has 18 vents on the front panel and reacts accordingly depending on current internal case temperatures.
The KINETIC case range is expected in Q3 2022 and will cost $249.

CyberPowerPC may be a brand you're familiar with for putting together custom desktops that are ready to go, but the company is working on some interesting chassis ideas for PC builders. A new development, codenamed KINETIC, allows a prototype case to adjust ventilation on the front panel, depending on the requirements of the system cooling at that time.

Many cases have average thermal performance due to having solid front panels, be it plastic or glass. The best PC case for airflow would typically have a mesh front panel to allow as much cool air to be drawn in by the fans as possible. CyberPowerPC is wanting to mix the best of both worlds to combine style with functionality.

How it works is by using 18 individually controlled articulating vents that can open and close at various degrees, depending on current system internal temperature readings. CyberPowerPC will make use of software for allowing the customization of how this will take place and what temperature ranges will cause the vents to adjust.

The new KINETIC series of cases will be available in black and white variants. They'll accommodate radiators of up to 360mm, making them ideal for powerful gaming rigs and enthusiast builds. Up to seven 120mm fans or five 140mm fans can be installed internally and full ATX-sized motherboards can be installed without issue.

It's the best of both worlds. You get the full performance of uninterrupted airflow at high loads as well as lower noise and less dust accumulated at lower temperatures. CyberPowerPC expects the KINTETIC series will ship in Q3 2022 with a retail price of $249.

Corsair 275R Airflow review: Good thermals let down by too many cut corners

rich.edmonds@futurenet.com (Rich Edmonds) — Tue, 21 Sep 2021 13:00:02 +0000

There are so many PC cases to choose from, especially in the mid-tower segment. In this highly competitive space, Corsair is attempting to differentiate its more affordable offering in the form of the 275R with an Airflow version that focuses on maximizing how much air can be pushed through the chassis.

Available in either black or white, this value case comes with a tempered glass side panel, which is a luxury feature in itself. As well as the glass viewing window, there's a front panel with lattice cutout lines for both style and function. Support for up to a 360mm radiator allows for considerably powerful processors and larger AIO solutions.

Not everything is great for this affordable Corsair case. Upon closer inspection, it's clear there's a lack of any USB-C ports on the front panel. This could be a deal-breaker for those using accessories that lack a USB-A adapter and is something even value competition offerings offer.

Corsair 275R Airflow

Bottom line: If you consider the Corsair 275R Airflow with the price in mind, this is a difficult case to beat, so long as you don't require front USB-C. It has three fans to get you started, plenty of AIO support, and enough space for larger motherboards and GPUs.

Pros

Good out-the-box cooling
Excellent AIO support
Great thermal performance
Spacious internals
Striking design

Cons

Some parts feel cheap
Outdated cable management
No front panel USB-C
Front panel is difficult to remove

Corsair 275R Airflow: Price and availability

Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

The main highlight of the Corsair 275R Airflow is the price. It's available for around $80, though you'll be able to find it less when on sale. We managed to snag one in the UK for £40 ($55). For a case with a tempered glass panel and good airflow, this is an absolute steal for those on tighter budgets.

Corsair 275R Airflow: What's good

Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

Corsair PC cases cover a wide spectrum, ranging from aggressive gamer styling to outrageous functionality. The 1000D is a super tower that can house two computers (yes, two) with up to eight fans on the front panel alone. That's more than what the Corsair 275R Airflow can handle altogether. But that case also costs considerably more than this one.

Where the 275R fits in is between the super affordable and mid-range, offering some premium features reserved for more expensive cases. After unboxing the cases, it doesn't look cheap at all. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised at just how well designed the 275R is, aside from the small gap between the front panel and main body.

Speaking of the front panel, we've got the lattice style cutouts for pulling in air. This is on the sides of the front panel too and it looks great in black. On the right side, it's the usual bare metal side panel. The opposite side is the tempered glass window, which is held to the chassis with four thumbscrews. The top houses the dust filter and fan grill.

Category	Corsair 275R Airflow
Motherboard	Mini-ITX Micro-ATX ATX
I/O	2x USB-A 3.0 1x Headphone/Microphone
Expansion	7 horizontal PCI 2 vertical PCI
Storage	4x 2.5-inch SSD 2x 3.5-inch HDD
PSU	ATX
Included fans	3
Top fans	2x 120mm 1x 140mm
Rear fan	1x 120mm
Front fans	3x 120mm 2x 140mm
Top rad	240mm
Front rad	360mm, 280mm
Filters	Front Top Bottom
Clearance	GPU: 370mm CPU: 170mm
Dimensions	17.99 x 8.5 x 17.91 inches (457mm x 216mm x 455mm)
Weight	15.2 pounds (6.9kg)
Materials	Steel Tempered glass
Warranty	Two years
Color	Black White

The Corsair 275R supports motherboard sizes up to ATX. Don't even consider installing a larger board as the tray protrudes with the cable grommets. Seven horizontal PCI expansion slots are located on the rear, though Corsair does allow the vertical mounting of GPUs and two further PCI slots are available for this reason.

It's possible to install up to four 2.5-inch and two 3.5-inch drives. Up to seven fans can be installed, allowing for one super-cooled PC. The hard drive cage does not need to be removed in order to maximize front space for a 360mm radiator. This is an issue I found with the Fractal Design Meshify C. Fan filtering is present on front, top, and bottom panels.

Where things become a little basic and dated is behind the motherboard tray. The grommets are large for routing cables, but there aren't any channels and minimal mounting locations. This doesn't mean you can't create a clean finish but makes it a little trickier to get everything in place.

The Corsair 275R Airflow offers impressive thermal performance for the price.

As for building inside the Corsair 275R, which is the most important part of even the best PC cases, it's a smooth process. There's plenty of space to work in and panels can be removed with thumbscrews. The front panel is held on via plastic clips and requires some considerable force. It would have been nice to see the use of magnets here.

The PSU shroud will support ATX power supplies, though I'd avoid installing any that are larger than the standard dimensions. It's possible, but you will eat into valuable cable management space. As with all the other recent case reviews, I put together a test rig with an AMD Ryzen 9 5950X to see how the Corsair 275R would handle even the more power-hungry processors.

This CPU pumps out plenty of heat, which the be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 was more than happy to manage. To allow for convenient fan management, the ASUS ROG X570 Crosshair VIII Extreme was used as the foundation.

Case	CPU temp	GPU temp	Noise
be quiet! Silent Base 802	65C	54C	37 dBA
Corsair 275R Airflow	66C	56C	39 dBA
Fractal Design Meshify C	68C	56C	40 dBA
Razer Tomahawk	73C	64C	42 dBA
NZXT H510i	75C	63C	43 dBA

As expected, the Corsair case performed really well, beating out the Fractal Design Meshify C, but within a margin of error. These cases are priced similarly, though you often find the Corsair 275R on sale more frequently. The be quiet! Silent Base 802 is still the go-to case for maximum cooling performance in this segment of cases, however.

Corsair 275R Airflow: What's not good

Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

There are a few drawbacks to the Corsair 275R Airflow, which starts with the feeling of cheapness in areas. Corsair clearly cut corners to keep the price low, and there's no more obvious part than the front panel. It's held to the main body with outdated plastic clips that prove difficult to remove.

The cable management is also from before 2020, and you may find it difficult to keep everything tidy behind the motherboard tray. If you'd rather have the case maker provide specific channels for routing spaghetti, this case isn't for you. Oddly enough, there's no front panel USB-C, which isn't good considering many motherboards today support the feature.

Corsair 275R Airflow: Competition

Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

The competition is fierce in this price range. There are numerous solid PC cases to choose from, including the aforementioned Fractal Design Meshify C, which is a little more modern with better cable management. The NZXT H510i Elite has weaker thermal performance, but has a vastly more premium styling, making it appear far more expensive.

Then there's the impressive be quiet! Silent Base 802, which costs more than the 275R, but comes with more features and better overall build quality, should your budget be able to stretch.

Corsair 275R Airflow: Should you buy it?

Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

You should buy this if ...

You're on a tight budget
You want a cool PC under load
You plan on using a 360mm radiator AIO
You want an understated design

You shouldn't buy this if ...

You want RGB lighting out the box
You want more premium features
You want the best cable management
You need front panel USB-C

You should consider the Corsair 275R Airflow if you're on a tighter budget, want a cooler PC under load, plan on using AIO for CPU cooling, and prefer a subtle design. It's an attractive case that's easy to work with. It's just a shame it doesn't have better cable management and front panel USB-C connectivity.

I appreciate what Corsair has done with the 275R Airflow. It's aggressively priced and frequently on sale, offers those with tighter budgets tempered glass, and performs admirably in synthetic benchmark tests. It's not the most modern case around, nor will it win any awards, but this is one seriously good value case.

Corsair 275R Airflow

Bottom line: The Corsair Z275R Airflow has plenty of positive points, including a large intake, good thermal performance, and a fantastic price.

Build a small form factor PC with Cooler Master's NR200 case up to $25 off

jd.levite@futurenet.com (John Levite) — Mon, 20 Sep 2021 15:30:02 +0000

If you're the sort that likes to build your own PC and you've been considering a small form-factor PC, then you'll definitely be interested in this deal. The Cooler Master NR200 mini-ITX case is on sale for $64.85 in white and $69.99 in black. These cases have spent most of the year selling for around $90 or more, and even before this year they were selling for around $80. This is the lowest price we've seen on Amazon, and if that's not enough incentive you can actually get an extra $10 off using a post-purchase mail-in rebate form (found here). That, of course, requires a little extra effort and won't be immediate, but it's definitely a nice extra bit of savings.

Cooler Master NR200 mini-ITX PC case | up to $25 off

In addition to this discount, you can get another $10 off the price with a mail-in rebate if you order the case before Sept. 26. This is a fan favorite case for small form factor PCs. It can hold up to seven fans, fits a full-sized GPU, and has 360-degree accessibility since every panel can be removed.

When you think of building a PC, you usually think of large towers with a huge amount of space. A small form factor PC can be amazing, though. They look great, and if you know what you're doing they can be just as good as a regular-sized PC. Plus, building one is almost an art form since you have to account for every inch of room when putting your components together.

The NR200 case seeks to make that as easy and as classy as possible. It has unrestricted airflow thanks to the five ventilated steel panels. It can also hold up to seven fans and fits CPU coolers that are up to 155mm tall or radiators that are 280mm long. There are even some dual radiator setups out there, so cooling your internal components shouldn't be a problem here.

It can be hard sometimes to work with a small form factor PC case like this, especially if you can't reach everything you need to reach. The NR200 solves that problem by making every panel and frame part removable. Dismantle it all and get 360 degrees of accessibility while you're working.

You can even fit a full-size graphics card in this case. It supports triple slot GPUs with a maximum length of 330mm and a maximum width of 156mm. Everything is secured with pins that are easy to remove and don't require any extra tools.

HYTE Revolt 3 review: The PC case to buy for a compact gaming rig

rich.edmonds@futurenet.com (Rich Edmonds) — Wed, 01 Sep 2021 13:00:02 +0000

There are more options than ever for compact small form factor (SFF) PC builds and HYTE has yet another case for Mini-ITX motherboards. You might not be familiar with the brand and that's because this is the debut product launch from the iBuyPower subsidiary. That's right, system integrator iBuyPower is now in the business of making PC components.

Today we're looking at the HYTE Revolt 3, a small PC case that supports the smallest motherboard and power supply standard sizes yet has enough space for up to a 280mm AIO radiator. It's difficult to get Mini-ITX cases right as you're dealing with far less internal airflow, which doesn't help with thermals.

We've seen well-established brands like NZXT and Phanteks struggle with teething issues related to either a component catching fire or thermal throttling, but HYTE promises a far better experience for PC builders. While this may be the first product to be launched under the new subsidiary brand, iBuyPower is taking the Revolt 3 extremely seriously.

HYTE Revolt 3

Bottom line: This may be the first PC case HYTE has launched, but already it's a winner. Be prepared for impressive thermal performance and an easy build process that can result in one insane compact gaming PC.

Pros

Easy build process
Support for up to 280mm AIO
Good expandability
Even larger aftermarket GPUs will fit
Stunning clean design
No PCIe riser extension cable

Cons

AIO door doesn't stay open due to weight
Front I/O is a little too close to the bottom
Preinstalled PSU cables may be a little short

HYTE Revolt 3: Price and availability

Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

There are two ways to get the HYTE Revolt 3. The first is through iBuyPower as a pre-built gaming PC that's ready to go. The company offers two configurations, costing $2,600 and $4,200. The base model houses an Intel Core i7-11700KF, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080, Z590I motherboard, 240mm AIO, 16GB DDR4 RAM, iBuyPower 700W 80 Plus Gold PSU, and a 1TB NVMe SSD.

The second route is to purchase the Revolt 3 as you would any other case from a reputable retailer. The HYTE Revolt 3 costs $129, which is a great starting point for a PC build. This doesn't include any components, so you will need to factor in a full PC build, including an SFX PSU and AIO CPU cooler.

HYTE Revolt 3: Specifications

Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

Category	HYTE Revolt 3
Motherboard	Mini-ITX
I/O	2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 1x Headphone/Microphone
Expansion	3 PCI
Storage	2x 2.5-inch SSD 1x 2.5-inch SSD/3.5-inch HDD
PSU	SFX SFX-L
Included fans	-
Side fans	2x 120mm 2x 140mm
Side rad	240mm, 280mm (35mm thick)
Filters	Side Top Bottom Rear
Clearance	GPU: 335mm CPU: 140mm
Dimensions	9.9 x 7 x 16.1 inches (253 x 178 x 409 mm)
Weight	14 lbs (6.35 kg)
Materials	Steel ABS Aluminum
Warranty	One year
Color	Black, White

HYTE Revolt 3: Hardware & design

Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

It's difficult to make a PC case in 2021 that doesn't already resemble something previously released. With the HYTE Revolt 3, that's the existing NZXT H1. It's clear that the company has taken a few cues, but that's nothing bad as this isn't a mere clone. HYTE approached the Mini-ITX tower case design in a different way.

The HYTE Revolt 3 is a sleek, compact, high-performing PC case.

The Revolt 3 is incredibly small. Measuring in at just 253 x 178 x 409 mm, this case won't take up much desk space and you'll be wondering how it's possible to cram in so much technology. To celebrate the launch of the Revolt 3, HYTE shipped one of the Special Edition review samples, which comes with its own flight case.

This isn't solely a gimmick as it's an actual flight case that will allow for some serious miles to be flown with the Revolt 3 in tow. As well as the case itself, the Special Edition has an optional bronze front metal mesh panel that can replace the preinstalled black counterpart. It's a way of HYTE thanking the first 200 orders placed on its official website and looks superb.

Upfront, we have a large grill with an internal mesh panel, accompanied below by the front I/O layout, which comprises a single USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 ports, two USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports, and a single headphone/microphone audio jack. The top has another grill for airflow with a mesh internal panel. There's also a pop-out aluminum handle.

The two side panels are identical, sporting a grill and internal mesh, as well as pop-out tabs to hold headphones and other accessories or gadgets. The rear yet again has a grill and mesh combo for airflow and, alongside the top panel, it acts as the main exhaust outlet for all the heat produced inside the chassis.

It's an incredibly clean design with very little in terms of lighting or aggressive "gamer" styling. The only part of the external case that lights up is the front power button.

All the panels are easily removed tool-free thanks to the use of rubber grommets. You can pull each panel from the bottom and they pop out with little effort. The top panel is the only one that's fixed, but that too can be removed by extracting just four internal screws. This allows for vast amounts of working space inside the chassis.

From there, the radiator bracket is an actual door hinged to the main chassis. With this open, it's easy to work out how the motherboard and all other components will be installed. The recommended route is PSU > motherboard (preassembled) > SSD > CPU cooler/AIO > GPU. HYTE includes a fantastic quick start manual that walks through each step.

HYTE Revolt 3: Buidling a PC

Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

The actual process of building a PC inside the HYTE Revolt 3 was a pleasant experience. If you're unfamiliar with Mini-ITX cases, they can be troublesome when it comes to installing everything inside, simply due to how cramped the internal space can be. Removing the four external panels takes but a moment to reveal the barebone chassis.

HYTE designed the Revolt 3 to make building inside it an absolute breeze.

The review sample we received was the Special Edition, which comes rocking an iBuyPower 700W 80 Plus Gold PSU already preinstalled. It's a solid little unit that runs nigh silent, even when pushing the system hard as the two 140mm fans located right next to it kick out far more noise when required.

Cables were already routed for the motherboard, though I was unable to manage the 4+4pin CPU connector since it was only just long enough to reach the port on our GIGABYTE X570-I PRO WIFI Mini-ITX motherboard. It would be nice to have a good few more centimeters of play on this cable, which would not only make it look neater but easier to install the CPU cooler.

If you're using your own PSU, this is a non-issue. There are only a handful of other cables that need to be connected, including storage and front panel I/O. Really, you won't be able to see inside the case, unless you have RGB lighting installed, so cable management should only ensure that no cables get trapped inside the fans while in operation.

The AIO door swings out to allow full access to the motherboard tray, but it only stays open if there's no radiator present. If you prefer to work on a PC with the motherboard parallel to the work surface, you'll need to hold the AIO bracket to prevent it from swinging shut. This is likely why HYTE recommends installing the AIO later on in the build process, but would be good to have some form of a latch.

You won't have any issues installing RAM inside the HYTE Revolt 3. We used Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro, which is renowned for being a little too tall for some more compact cases, including the NZXT H1. SSDs were installed onto the motherboard directly, though there's ample space for two 2.5-inch drives and even a 3.5-inch HDD if you want additional capacity.

There's no issue with installing a GPU and even a larger best graphics card should fit without issue. Best of all, HYTE designed the inside to not require a PCIe riser cable. These are notorious for issues, ranging from being dead on arrival all the way to catching fire. The GPU connects directly to the motherboard in the Revolt 3.

In order to test the Revolt 3, we decided to pack it full of serious equipment. An AMD Ryzen 9 5950X is joined by an NZXT Kraken X53 AIO, 32GB of Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro RAM, and an ASUS Strix GeForce RTX 3080. Temperatures were excellent for a compact Mini-ITX PC case. For the temperature tests, all fans were set to 50%.

Category	CPU	GPU	Chipset
Idle	37C	44C	54C
Gaming	64C	73C	60C
Stress test	71C	78C	64C

The large mesh holes on every panel allow for considerable airflow to be pushed and pulled through the dual 140mm fan AIO, PSU, and three fans of the RTX 3080. Using a 280mm AIO is a great cooling solution for not only the CPU but for all components on the motherboard, including the chipset. Even under load, it's easier to hear the GPU fans ramping up over the AIO or PSU.

HYTE Revolt 3: Competition

This may be HYTE's first PC case, but the Revolt 3 is well-positioned to hold its own against established brands and competing Mini-ITX cases. The closest competitor product to the HYTE Revolt 3 is the NZXT H1, which we also reviewed positively. Putting aside the PCIe riser cable fire issues of the past, the H1 is an excellent compact case.

But the Revolt 3 does it better. While the dimensions make it a little larger than the NZXT H1, the lack of any PCIe riser cable, the addition of a 3.5-inch drive, the better thermal performance, and other handy features like the handle and pop-out tabs make it a fantastic, well-designed chassis.

Then there's the price. Coming in at just $129, the HYTE revolt is aggressively priced, especially when you consider the lack of an option to purchase the NZXT H1 as a barebones unit. You will need to fork out $350 for the included PSU and 140mm AIO. Other similar products would be found within the Phanteks Shift line-up of cases.

HYTE Revolt 3: Should you buy it?

Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

You should buy this if ...

You want a unique-looking PC case.
You want to build a compact gaming PC.
You have a powerful Intel or AMD processor.
You have an SFX PSU and ITX motherboard.

You shouldn't buy this if ...

You don't have nor want to buy an AIO.
You have more than one 3.5-inch HDD to install.
You don't have nor want to buy an ITX motherboard.
You want to create a custom water-cooling loop.

Want to create a unique PC? This is now one of the best PC cases for Mini-ITX motherboards. iBuyPower may be a new kid to the PC components block, but the company has years of building experience — they should know what works (and what doesn't) with a PC case and the Revolt 3 is a fine example of this.

The ability to install a large GPU, as well as a full 280mm AIO makes it possible to create a seriously powerful gaming rig that takes up very little desk space. We managed to pack it full of hardware that's capable of 4K gaming and it barely makes any sound under load. That makes the Revolt 3 perfect for SFF builds.

The only drawbacks we could find involved nitpicking. The preinstalled PSU that came with our sample had some short cables, making it a little tricky to install everything. The AIO door doesn't stay open when working with the motherboard parallel to the workspace, and the front I/O ports might be a little too low for some accessories and SD card adapters. Other than that, this PC case fits the bill.

HYTE Revolt 3

Bottom line: HYTE created its first PC case and it's one of the best we've tested thus far. If you're wanting to build a compact ITX PC, look no further than this chassis.

Lian Li Lancool 205 Mesh review: My new favorite PC case might be yours too

richard.devine@futurenet.com (Richard Devine) — Fri, 16 Jul 2021 16:00:01 +0000

Source: Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Windows Central)

Lian Li is a brand anyone hunting for the best PC case will be familiar with. The company is known for exquisite style and phenomenal build quality, making any PC build stun. But some of the company's best comes with a price premium. It's probably not the first brand you're going to think of if you're trying to build a lower-budget gaming PC.

That's where the Lancool 205 Mesh comes in. It's towards the higher reaches of what you might consider mid-range, but it's still an affordable PC case. Better still, it's an affordable PC case packed with that premium Lian Li style.

This mid-tower PC case ticks so many boxes it's tough to know where to begin. Ultimately if you're looking for style, value, build quality and ease of use, it's going to have to be towards the top of your shortlist.

Lian Li Lancool 205 Mesh

Bottom line: A stunning, high-quality, easy-to-build in PC case that should definitely be on your shortlist in the mid-range.

Pros

Looks incredible
Masses of drive bays
Great cable management
Integrated PSU shroud
Three 120mm fans included
Great airflow

Cons

No 360mm radiator support
Radiator bracket could use additional fixing points
GPU support bracket for longer/heavier cards would be nice

Lian Li Lancool 205 Mesh: Price and availability

The Lian Li Lancool 205 Mesh is available now in Lian Li's supported markets through its network of partner resellers. Pricing is around $100 and it's available in either black or white.

Be careful not to confuse it with the cheaper Lancool 205, which doesn't come with the mesh front design and has fewer 120mm fans included as standard.

Lian Li Lancool 205 Mesh: Specifications

Category	Lian Li Lancool 205 Mesh
Motherboard	Mini-ITX Micro-ATX ATX
I/O	2x USB-A 3.0 1x headphone/microphone RGB controls
Expansion	7 horizontal PCI
Storage	4x 2.5-inch SSD 2x 2.5-inch SSD + 2x 3.5-inch HDD
PSU	165mm
Included fans	1 x 120mm w/RGB 2 x 140mm w/RGB
Top fans	2x 120mm 2x 140mm 280mm radiator
Rear fan	1x 120mm
Front fans	2x 120mm 2x 140mm 280mm radiator
Filters	Mesh front panel Bottom Top
GPU clearance	160mm
GPU length	350mm
Dimensions	205mm x 415mm x 485mm
Weight	18.73 pounds (8.5 kg)
Materials	Steel Tempered glass
Color	Black, white

Lian Li Lancool 205 Mesh: Design and hardware

Source: Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Windows Central)

The Lancool 205 Mesh is a variation of Lian Li's existing Lancool 205, with the main difference being the introduction of a mesh panel on the front of the case. This improves airflow over the original dramatically, and the fine holes also seem to do a decent job at acting as a dust filter, too. In the space of a week of constant use, there's no sign of any significant dust intrusion into the case's interior.

As a piece of design, other than that mesh front, it's a fairly standard affair, yet somehow still quite striking. It's constructed entirely of steel, so it feels solid, but at the same time it isn't so heavy you'll need a concrete block to stand it on. The left side panel is all tempered glass, though only reaches about 75% of the way down the case.

The rest of that side is taken up by a PSU shroud that is integrated into the exterior of the case but is also removable for easy access to your power supply. It's held in by a single screw and simply slides out. Nothing fancy, but it's a seamless design integration that fits perfectly with the aesthetics of the case.

The right side panel is all metal and behind it you find your 2.5-inch SSD caddies, cable management points, and access to the 3.5-inch drive bays hidden just behind the front panel. If you don't want them, however, the entire thing can be removed leaving you with additional space to hide your power supply cables in.

Source: Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Windows Central)

The Lancool 205 Mesh takes up to an ATX motherboard and a whole bunch of cooling. The front can take a pair of 140mm fans or a 280mm radiator, the back is good for a 120mm exhaust fan and in the top, there's also space for another pair of 140mm fans or 280mm radiator. Of particular note is the radiator bracket built into the top of the case, which simply unscrews and slides out, making it so much easier to fix your cooling solution in place.

It's not a particularly hefty bracket, mind, and it does only fix in place with a single screw once slotted into position. It shouldn't move about, but there's still some definite chance of movement, so it would have been nice to have an additional screw to fix it in place at the other end as well. If you're planning to use a 360mm radiator, too, you're out of luck. 280mm is the maximum the Lancool 205 Mesh supports either at the top or in the front.

The construction is absolutely first-rate, and on the white one I have here there are no corners cut with the paint job. All of the interior is painted white, even the bits you can't see, leaving for a striking finish. Access is tool-free, too, with thumbscrews used on everything from the side panels to the drive bays. The only two places you need a screwdriver to access the case are removing the PSU shroud and the radiator bracket in the top.

Lian Li Lancool 205 Mesh: What it's like to build in

Source: Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Windows Central)

The best-looking, best-quality case in the world is no good if it's a nightmare to build in. So what about the Lancool 205 Mesh? For the purposes of this review, I've built a system that not only showcases its good looks, but that makes as much use as possible of the space inside. Here's a quick rundown of the main parts list:

NZXT N7 Z590 ATX motherboard
MSI RTX 2080 8GB GPU
be quiet! Dark Power 12 750W PSU
ID-Cooling 280mm AIO cooler
Samsung 870 Evo 2.5-inch SSD

ATX is the maximum size motherboard the Lancool 205 Mesh will take, and you get a full complement of available PCIe expansion slots on the rear of the case as a companion. The NZXT N7 Z590 has a lot of important bits on the very bottom of the motherboard, but feeding cables to the right headers is simple thanks to the two sizeable, but still discreet-looking access holes in the bottom.

Likewise to the sides and top of the motherboard you're left with ample space to feed cables without the need for much swearing, and even with a radiator installed there's just enough clearance to get your fingers in to connect things up without having to remove it first. Out front it's a very clean, tidy design, and in the back, there are plenty of loops to attach cable ties and keep things neat.

Source: Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Windows Central)

Removing the 3.5-inch drive bays also makes the basement of this case a joy to work in. Ordinarily, when building a PC I'll attach the power supply cables before mounting it inside. But in the Lancool 205 Mesh without those drive bays installed you get so much space to work in that you can attach and tidy as you go. The Dark Power 12 isn't the smallest 750W power supply around, but this cavernous case gobbles it up with ease.

How about performance, though? With an Intel Core i5-11600K and an RTX 2080 installed, things have been nice and cool under idle and light workloads. The CPU sits around the 30C (86F) mark, while the GPU is usually also at around 30C (86F) when not called into action. The two included fans on the front of the case suck in a lot of air, and by mounting a radiator in the roof the heat from the CPU rises straight out.

Source: Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Windows Central)

Even when cranking up the loads, heat dissipation is superb, with the rear exhaust fan never struggling and rarely feeling like it's actually warm air coming out. Maximum CPU temperatures under a full stress test only ever reached the low 70s Celsius (158F) and the fully open top did a great job at venting the heat. You could expect similar results using a blower-style GPU as well, and if you're air cooling the amount of air that the front 140mm fans pull through, this means you're going to have no issues cooling even a warm CPU.

The included fans are whisper quiet, too, and as an added bonus Lian Li includes a fan controller in the rear of the case so you don't even have to worry about running cables all around your motherboard as it's good enough for up to five fans, as well as five RGB cables from those fans.

There's also enough room for some modest water cooling, though it's still a fairly compact case despite all the space inside to build in. If you're looking for a full water-cooled setup, you might be better served by something larger.

Source: Windows CentralSomething a bit more elegant than this might have been nice. (Image credit: Source: Windows Central)

I'd also have liked some kind of GPU support integrated, though admittedly I'm really picking here. The case will easily accommodate today's hugest, heaviest graphics cards, but unless your motherboard has slots of steel you're probably going to fight some sag. Indeed, the heavy old RTX 2080 I've used here sags a little, and I've taken to using a white power brick to prop it up (and also not ruin the white aesthetics!) Obviously, if you're not using a giant GPU it won't be a problem, but something more elegant than my homemade solution would have been welcome.

Lian Li Lancool 205 Mesh: Competition

Source: Richard Devine / Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Richard Devine / Windows Central)

The mid-range PC case is packed with great choices right now, with Phanteks and Corsair, in particular, two of the main competitors with the P350X and 275R Airflow respectively.

The Phanteks P350X doesn't have a full mesh front, but still provides excellent airflow and like the Lancool 205 Mesh, accepts an ATX motherboard and boasts plenty of space inside to build. It's a quality PC case and costs a little less than the Lancool 205 Mesh, though admittedly doesn't look as good and comes with fewer included fans.

The Corsair 275R Airflow is also a little cheaper than the Lancool 205 Mesh and also has a front panel designed purely for drawing in as much air as possible. It's available in white, too, though takes a different approach to its PSU shroud and doesn't have the same all-white exterior you find from Lian Li. It does take a 360mm radiator though and it has a trio of 120mm fans included.

Lian Li Lancool 205 Mesh: Should you buy it?

Source: Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Windows Central)

You should buy this if ...

You want a high-quality, good-looking case that doesn't break the bank
You're looking for plenty of interior space to easily build in
You're looking for great airflow to keep your rig nice and frosty

You shouldn't buy this if ...

You're building a full water-cooled setup
You need to use a 360mm radiator

The Lian Li Lancool 205 Mesh is almost impossible to fault, offering a stunning design at a reasonable price that lends itself to a truly special-looking PC build.

Lian Li consistently makes outstanding PC cases and the Lancool 205 Mesh is no exception. I am a little nervous about the long-term dust factor of having a mesh front and no traditional dust filter, but at the same time, it's incredible how much air it pulls through and how cool everything is inside.

It's easily one of the simplest and most enjoyable cases I've ever built a PC in, and while it's a little more expensive than some of its competitors, the Lancool 205 Mesh is great value for it and well worth housing your next build.

Lian Li Lancool 205 Mesh

Bottom line: A stunning, high-quality, easy-to-build in PC case that should definitely be on your shortlist in the mid-range.

Lian Li's Odyssey X is a transforming PC case built for water cooling

sean.endicott@futurenet.com (Sean Endicott) — Mon, 21 Jun 2021 17:05:21 +0000

What you need to know

Lian Li announced the Odyssey X PC case today.
The case can transform into three different configurations with different airflow setups.
The Odyssey X is available starting today for $500.

Lian Li announced the Odyssey X PC case that can transform into three configurations to adjust airflow. In addition to altering how air flows through the case, the different modes each provide a different look. Lian Li already makes the best PC case on the market. Now, people have a unique option from the same company in the Odyssey X. The new case is available starting today for $500.

When shipped, the Odyssey X is in Dynamic mode, which supports up to two 360 mm radiators. It includes parts needed to switch it to Dynamic-R (rotate) mode, which rotates the motherboard tray to improve GPU cooling. The rotated mode also swaps access to the motherboard's ports to the top of the case. Dynamic-R mode supports a 480 mm radiator and a 380 mm radiator or two 360 mm radiators.

The final configuration is called Performance mode. It flips the case 90 degrees to deliver better airflow. It also supports either two 360 mm radiators or a 480 mm radiator and a 380 mm radiator.

No matter what configuration the Odyssey X is in, the case supports water cooling components. It fits radiators up to 480 mm, nine 120 mm fans, or seven 140 mm fans.

In addition to having three configuration options, the Odyssey X is available in two colors, black or a black/silver combination.

Transformable PC case

Lian Li Odyssey X

Built for airflow and water cooling

This case can transform between three configurations to deliver different looks and airflow setups. It's also available in two different colors.

G.Skill's pentagonal Z5i Mini-ITX PC case changes the gaming mold

Robert Carnevale — Tue, 15 Jun 2021 19:14:01 +0000

What you need to know

G.Skill has announced its pentagonal Z5i Mini-ITX PC case.
It can house a maximum of three storage drives.
It supports 3-slot graphics cards, meaning it can fit RTX cards.

G.Skill's Z5i Mini-ITX PC case doesn't have a price or release date attached to it yet, but what it does have are some striking press photos and interesting tech specs. It's not every day that a pentagonal case comes along to shake up the desktop PC form factor status quo, so it's nice to see one break the established mold and do its own thing.

Here's a snippet from G.Skill's press release to give you an idea of what this case was designed to handle. "Designed to accommodate high-end hardware components, the Z5i mini-ITX case supports large 3-slot graphics cards of up to 330mm in length and supports up to a 280mm AIO radiator or two 140mm case fans in the rear for cooling. Ample data storage is also essential in a high performance system, so the Z5i is constructed to house up to three storage drives, including two 2.5' SSDs and a third convertible 2.5'/3.5' SSD/HDD drive space."

Beyond that, G.Skill also notes that the case packs two USB 3.0 ports and a USB 3.1 Type-C port.

If you're wondering how the case maintains its five-sided (sans top or bottom) shape, know that it's using curved four-millimeter tempered glass panels to create that neat wraparound effect.

When pricing and release date details become available, rest assured, Windows Central will be there. In the meantime, keep abreast of all the latest news pertaining to PC gaming hardware, such as the associated software that you'll likely soon need to run PC games. Did you hear about the Windows 11 release leak?

Fractal Design Meshify C review: This affordable PC case is a winner for airflow

rich.edmonds@futurenet.com (Rich Edmonds) — Tue, 18 May 2021 16:00:02 +0000

Like Lian Li, Fractal Design was regarded as a premium chassis manufacturer that produced some of the best PC cases. The company still does just that but it has since expanded into the more affordable segment of the market. The Fractal Design Meshify C is a case that ditches the company's exceptional sound damping and aluminum parts for an all-steel construct that focuses on airflow.

This chassis follows the same design principles as most mid-tower ATX cases out there. You can configure it with or without a tempered glass panel, and that mesh front panel is a sure upgrade on competitor cases that restrict airflow using small side vents for style over functionality. On paper, the Fractal Design Meshify C should be the case for anyone wanting a good value PC chassis with expansion.

Fractal Design Meshify C

Bottom line: There's so much to love with the Fractal Design Meshify C. The meshed front panel allows plenty of air to be pulled in through a 360mm radiator, resulting in a cooler yet slightly noisy PC build.

Pros

Multiple water-cooling radiator support
Plenty of dusty filters
Excellent airflow thanks to mesh front panel
Good cable management
Solid build quality with optional tempered glass panel

Cons

Drive cage removal for 360mm front radiator
Not the quietest PC case around
Compact spacing for PSU
Not designed with water cooling in mind
Weak front panel I/O

Fractal Design Meshify C: Price and availability

Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

The Fractal Design Meshify C has been out for many years now and it's easy to find the case available for $90 at various online retailers. Like other PC cases in this price bracket, you can be sure to see it go on sale for promotions like Prime Day. For what you're getting in terms of quality and features, even at full price, this is a good deal.

Fractal Design Meshify C: What's good

Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

The Fractal Design Meshify C is an interesting PC case since it doesn't resemble much else in the company's catalog. You'd be hard-pressed to tell it was from Fractal Design if it weren't for the branding plaque on the front panel. Speaking of which, the main panel is the highlight of this case and is included in the name.

The Meshify C isn't your typical Fractal Design case, but it performs just as well as pricier chassis.

It's a mesh panel that has numerous perforated holes instead of a flab of plastic or tempered glass. Usually, you'd find the latter two materials here, but Fractal went all out with catering to large amounts of airflow. All that's required to achieve maximum results are three 120mm fans. On top of the front panel is the rather limited I/O, which consists of two USB-A 3.0 ports and a combined audio jack.

The Meshify C can be bought in a variety of models. There's the choice of black or white for color, then tempered glass or metal for the side panel. The tempered glass will allow for additional sounds to escape, so if you're going for absolute silence, it's best to pick the steel panel, which can also have some sound damping added to the interior side.

The top and far side panels are bare, so too is the rear aside from the 120mm adjustable fan mount, rear I/O for motherboard cutout, and seven expansion slots. The PSU, as usual with mid-tower cases is installed in the lower chamber, which is separated from the main area inside the chassis by a plastic PSU shroud.

Category	Fractal Design Meshify C
Motherboard	Mini-ITX Micro-ATX ATX
I/O	2x USB-A 3.0 1x Headphone/Microphone
Expansion	7 horizontal PCI
Storage	3x 2.5-inch SSD 2x 2.5-inch SSD/3.5-inch HDD
PSU	ATX
Included fans	2
Top fans	2x 120mm
Rear fan	1x 120mm
Bottom fan	1x 120mm
Front fans	3x 120mm 2x 140mm
Top rad	240mm
Front rad	360mm, 280mm
Filters	Front Top Bottom
Clearance	GPU: 315mm CPU: 170mm
Dimensions	15.5 x 8.3 x 17.3 inches (395mm x 212mm x 440 mm)
Weight	14.2 pounds (6.45 kg)
Materials	Steel Tempered glass
Warranty	One year
Color	Black White

This case supports up to an ATX motherboard, which is a little restricting since other mid-tower cases can take E-ATX boards. There are the usual seven PCI slots for expansion, as well as three 2.5-inch bays and a further two 2.5-inch or 3.5-inch bays with the removable bracket. Up to seven fans can be installed, allowing for one super-cooled PC.

For radiator support, Fractal Design allows for up to a 24mm radiator up top and a 360mm radiator on the front panel. The latter does require the HDD cage to be removed, however. Filters are available for the top, front, and bottom panels. Cable management is pretty good with grommets and routing behind the motherboard tray.

The front mesh panel allows for serious volumes of cool air to pass through this case.

Building inside the Meshify C is a breeze. There's plenty of room to work with and all panels remove easily using a few screws. The front panel is a challenge since it uses the old plastic clips to hold it onto the frame. I always prefer magnets here since these clips can (and often do) break with the amount of force required to pop them out.

Installing a large PSU like the be quiet! Dark Power 12 would be difficult since there's only a small amount of space beneath the shroud. It's possible but you will need to spend more time fiddling around with cable management to get everything just right. Removing the 3.5-inch drive tray to allow for a radiator is recommended since 2.5-inch SSDs are the way to go in 2021.

Like all other PC cases I've reviewed recently, I put together a test rig with an AMD Ryzen 9 5950X to see how the Fractal Design Meshify C would handle even the more power-hungry processors. This CPU pumps out plenty of heat, which the be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 will be more than happy to manage. To allow for convenient fan management, the NZXT N7 B550 was used as the foundation.

Case	CPU temp	GPU temp	Noise
be quiet! Silent Base 802	65C	54C	37 dBA
Fractal Design Meshify C	68C	56C	40 dBA
Razer Tomahawk	73C	64C	42 dBA
NZXT H510i	75C	63C	43 dBA

Through rigorous testing, the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X didn't go above 68C (154F) during synthetic benchmarks and gaming. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti also ran cool at around 56C (133F), which was also aided by the amount of air being pulled in through the front panel. Noise levels weren't too bad, measuring 40 dBA. It should be slightly quieter with the metal side panel and with some aftermarket sound damping.

Fractal Design Meshify C: What's not good

Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

That mesh panel is a double-edged sword. While it's excellent having such unrestricted access to clean air upfront, this does mean sound from within the PC will be able to escape. Fans will be able to run slower, but you may notice a slight uptick in the volume of noise terminating from the case. It won't be anywhere close to unbearable but is worth bearing in mind if you're going for a silent build.

There's also the case (pun not intended) that the HDD cage needs to be removed to allow for a 360mm radiator to be installed behind the front panel. Should you have an AIO cooler for the CPU with a larger radiator and some 3.5-inch drives to install, you may need to reconsider which is more important for the overall build.

This case simply wasn't designed with water-cooling in mind since you won't find any pump/reservoir mounts. It's also a little tight in the PSU department with a clearance of just 175mm. If you have a high-end PSU (that tends to be a little larger in size), you may find the installation a little too tight on free space for managing cables.

Fractal Design Meshify C: Competition

Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

The mid-tower segment for PC cases is incredibly competitive since it's the sweet spot for most PC builds. If you're building a PC in 2021, there's a good chance you'll be using a mid-tower chassis. There are more companies than ever making cases now too — even Razer came out with the Razer Tomahawk ATX case that's really good even if you're not a company fan.

Fractal Design priced the Meshify C accordingly since the company cut a few premium features usually on the specification sheet. At $90, it's a solid deal even at full price. An equivalent case in the form of the NZXT H510 Elite runs a little hotter (and louder) and costs $150. Cases also come down to personal preference and judging on looks alone the Meshify C can look a little lost in a sea of glass and RGB lighting.

Fractal Design Meshify C: Should you buy it?

Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

You should buy this if you ...

Want a case with optimal airflow
Need a chassis with good thermal performance
Have a 240mm or 360mm AIO CPU cooler

You shouldn't buy this if you ...

Want to build a custom water-cooling loop
Desire the quietest PC case available
Need to install HDDs and a 360mm AIO CPU cooler
Have a large high-end PSU

The Meshify C was an interesting case for me to review since it's the first PC case from the manufacturer I've looked at in years. It's a departure from the premium feature set I'm used to with Fractal Design, but the company has done an excellent job at keeping cost low and ensuring there are enough reasons for someone to buy this case over everything else on the market.

This case is perfect if you want a case with optimal airflow. A 360mm radiator for a CPU AIO can be installed upfront and a single 120mm fan down below, with a further three 120mm blowers to handle exhausting all the heat. You'll be able to pack some considerable computing performance inside the Meshify C without encountering any thermal throttling.

Fractal Design had to cut corners with the case to keep the price down low. Because of this, you shouldn't buy one with the expectation of seeing plenty of audio damping. There's also a lack of support for water-cooling. While there's more than enough space inside for a small custom loop, Fractal Design has not provided any mounting options for pumps and reservoirs.

That doesn't negate the fact this is a killer mid-range case at a somewhat affordable price. There's far more to like than dislike about the Fractal Design Meshify C.

Fractal Design Meshify C

Bottom line: While Fractal Design is clearly targeting a different market here with the Meshify C compared to the usual premium high-end cases, there's plenty to like about this chassis. It's one of the better value cases out there.

Corsair just added UV-printed designs to one of its best PC cases

sean.endicott@futurenet.com (Sean Endicott) — Thu, 06 May 2021 17:07:31 +0000

What you need to know

Corsair announced the 5000D RGB Hydro X Edition and 5000X RGB Signature Series mid-tower PC cases today.
The 5000X RGB Hydro X is built to work with custom cooling loops.
The 5000X RGB Signature series cases are available in five different themes.

Corsair just announced its iCUE 5000D RGB Hydro X Edition and iCUE 5000X RGB Signature Series mid-tower PC cases. The 5000D RGB Hydro X Edition is designed to fit custom cooling loops. It also maximizes airflow. The 5000X RGB Signature Series of cases adds custom designs to one of the best PC cases on the market, the Corsair 5000X RGB. It's available in five different themes; Triptych, Neon Night, Planetary, Glitch, and Shift.

The 5000D RGB Hydro X Edition is available starting today in the U.S., and the 5000X RGB Signature Series is available today for preorder. Pricing for the new cases is not available at this time.

The 5000D RGB Hydro X debuts alongside a new Hydro X Series component, the XD7 RGB Pump/Reservoir Combo. It's a 360mm distribution plate that's pre-installed in the 5000D RGB Hydro X. The plate is driven by an integrated Xylem D5 pump. The XD7 RGB also has 36 individually addressable RGB LEDs.

You can fit up to seven 120mm or two 140mm cooling fans inside the 5000D RGB Hydro X. It can fit an additional 360mm radiator on its side as well. The case features a ventilated roof and tempered glass side and front panels. It supports up to three 2.5-inch SSDs and two 3.5-inch HDDs, so you should have room for all of your storage. It also includes a USB 3.1 Type-C port and two USB 3.0 3.0 ports.

The 5000X RGB Signature Series focuses more on colorful themes. Each case from the series has UV-printed graphics on the front and both side panels. The Glitch and Shift designs feature vertical streaks, while the Planetary and Neon Night designs lean more into a sci-fi vibe. Triptych is more of a geometric design.

Lian Li O11D Mini review: My new favorite compact mid-tower PC case

rich.edmonds@futurenet.com (Rich Edmonds) — Mon, 19 Apr 2021 13:00:21 +0000

Lian Li is known for its range of premium aluminum PC cases that are among the best out there, but they also cost an arm and a leg to purchase. In order to appeal to a wider audience, Lian Li has removed some of the aluminum in favor of more affordable steel and came up with the O11 Dynamic in partnership with renowned water-cooling and overclocking enthusiast DER8AUR.

The O11 Dynamic may be a little large for some PC builds, which leads us to this review. The Lian Li O11D Mini is a more compact version of the excellent (and popular) mid-tower chassis that cuts down on the overall dimensions without sacrificing functionality. This isn't a small-form-factor (SFF) case, but it's one of the best compact mid-tower PC cases you'll come across.

In fact, the O11D Mini is unlike anything we've previously seen on our best PC cases list. It won't be for everyone, much like every PC case out there, but this review will run you through some of the highlight features that made it one of my all-time favorite chassis to build a PC.

Lian Li O11D Mini: Price and availability

(Image credit: Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

While the O11D Mini may be a Lian Li case, it's not priced at the same level as the company's more expensive offerings. Thanks to some smart cost-cutting (largely using steel instead of aluminum), you can easily find this case at around the $100 mark.

Lian Li O11D Mini: Specifications

(Image credit: Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

Category	Lian Li O11D Mini
Motherboard	Mini-ITX Micro-ATX ATX
I/O	2x USB-A 3.0 1x USB-C 3.1 1x Headphone/Microphone
Expansion	7 horizontal PCI
Storage	2x 2.5-inch SSD 2x 2.5-inch SSD/3.5-inch HDD
PSU	SFX SFX-L
Included fans	-
Top fans	3x 120mm 2x 140mm
Rear fan	1x 120mm
Bottom fans	3x 120mm 2x 140mm
Side fans	2x 120mm 2x 140mm
Top rad	360mm, 280mm
Bottom rad	360mm, 280mm
Side rad	240mm, 280mm
Filters	Side Top Bottom
Clearance	GPU: 395mm CPU: 170mm
Dimensions	16.5 x 10.6 x 14.96 inches (420 x 269.5 x 380 mm)
Weight	18.73 pounds (8.5 kg)
Materials	Steel Tempered glass Aluminum
Warranty	One year
Color	Black, White

Lian Li O11D Mini: Hardware & design

The Lian Li O11D Mini is based on the PC-O11 Dynamic, but there are some notable changes to the design. Firstly, there are no longer two strips for feet. Instead, you'll find four feet located underneath the case. The front I/O has been moved too and is now situated up top instead of on the front panel. There's also a little more aluminum used in this case.

Lian Li's O11D Mini is a gorgeous mid-tower PC case that looks vastly more expensive.

This $100 PC case actually contains plenty of aluminum. The top and side panels are both brushed aluminum, so too are the front and top strips. Interestingly, if you choose the black version of this chassis, the top I/O strip is replaced with acrylic. Overall, the Lian Li O11D Mini looks sublime and vastly more expensive than $100.

To accompany the aluminum panels, Lian Li includes two glass panels, one on the side and the other up front. Speaking of the front, that I/O could be an issue if you want USB 3.2 speeds since the two Type-A ports are USB 3.0 only, but at least there's a USB 3.1 Type-C port. As well as the USB, you can utilize a headphone/microphone combo jack.

The rest of the case is clean. There's plenty of ventilation for airflow with perforated holes found underneath, on the rear, up top, and on the right side of the chassis. It's both a blessing and a curse. Lian Li doesn't include fans with the O11D Mini, but with up to nine fans installed, you'll be able to pass through plenty of cool air for all your heated components.

I'm not the biggest fan of the bottom air filter. Instead of making it magnetic, Lian Li decided to go with a slider, which requires a protruding handle you can clearly spot on the side of the case. It's also a pain to extract and install. I would have much preferred a magnetic filter strip that can quickly be removed for a quick clean. Still, it's nice to have.

To remove the panels, it's actually a relatively simple process. Firstly, the top panel will need to be extracted to gain access to the two tempered glass panels. If you only want to gain access to the aluminum side panel, that can be removed using two thumbscrews on the rear of the case.

For the top panel, there are also two thumbscrews on the rear, which then allows it to slide backward. Once removed, the two glass panels simply lift upwards and out. With all four panels off the chassis, there's plenty of access to each side of the O11D Mini.

The rear of the PC case has the usual 7 PCI slot layout you'd expect from such a chassis, but since the PSU isn't installed beneath a shroud, it's a little surprising to see the PSU cutout on the left-hand side. Moreso, this is an SFX PSU cutout, which is the only size of power supply the O11D Mini will support. If you don't have a smaller PSU at hand, tough luck, it seems.

The expansion slots and rear fan mount brackets can actually be removed using the various thumbscrews and can be rearranged depending on how you wish the motherboard to be installed. It's a nice touch that will cater to those who plan on using the best ITX motherboards.

Lian Li O11D Mini: Building a PC

Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

By default, the Lian Li O11D Mini is configured for use with an ITX motherboard but fear not, as an extension bracket can be installed with a few screws to expand the surface area for larger motherboard sizes. This is one of the first tasks I'd recommend completing if you aim to use a Micro ATX or ATX board with this case.

It's amazing how easy you can install a full-sized ATX motherboard inside the Lian Li O11D Mini.

In our test rig, I'll be using the excellent NZXT N7 B550, which should fit in with the overall aesthetics of the Lian Li O11D Mini. The SFX/SFX-L power supply can be installed behind the motherboard tray, and there's plenty of space to work with for cabling. The central bracket that doubles up as an SSD mount can be removed for better access.

The lower 3.5-inch HDD cage can be extracted from the rear of the case, and Lian Li includes a few plates if you plan on not using any larger drives. It's also where you'll find one of three spaces for mounting a radiator for water-cooling loops or AIO coolers. This side section can take a 240mm or 280mm radiator combo, and we'll be using the NZXT Kraken X63 RGB.

Moving on from the first radiator mount, the second is located at the bottom. This area can handle up to a 360mm or 280mm radiator. You could also simply use three 120mm or two 140mm fans, depending on how you wish to cool the case. This area draws in cool air, as well as the side vent. The final radiator space is up top, which is identical in that it can take a 360mm or 280mm radiator.

Lastly, a 120mm fan can be installed on the rear. With up to nine fans installed, you'll have plenty of cool air flowing through the O11D Mini. Our test rig has two 140mm fans on the NZXT Kraken radiator, as well as two 140mm fans on the bottom panel and a further three 120mm fans up top. With the N7 B550, it would be easy to add the last 120mm fan on the rear, but I don't believe the build requires it.

With the motherboard, PSU and cooling installed. Cabling is a breeze thanks to the grommets located to the right of the motherboard tray. There are also small cut-outs up top for CPU ATX power and another cabling, as well as down below for USB, front panel, and more. Using a board like NZXT's N7 B550 allows for a cleaner finish, thanks to most of the fan headers being grouped together.

An EVGA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti was installed to pair impressive gaming performance up with an AMD Ryzen 9 5950X processor. throw in 16GB of DDR4 G.SKILL Trident Royal Z RAM running at 4000MHz, and you've got one powerful PC. What's equally impressive is just how much you can cram inside this compact mid-tower chassis.

(Image credit: Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

Once everything is in place, and the test run was a success, the center SSD panel behind the motherboard tray can be installed to hide most of the cabling, which creates one clean PC build. Thermal performance is solid too. There's plenty of airflow here, and when using a capable AIO cooler or custom water-cooling loop, you'll see positive results.

The AMD Ryzen 9 5950X doesn't go above 70C (158F) under load in games or running synthetic benchmarks. The RTX 3060 Ti is also running rather cool at around 60C (140F). Noise is a little on the loud side at 39 dBA, thanks to the lack of acoustic insulation and massive glass panels. A custom water-cooling loop with perhaps two large radiators will allow for a quieter PC.

Lian Li O11D Mini: Competition

(Image credit: Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

It's difficult to compare the Lian Li O11D Mini with other PC cases as it sits in between Mini-ITX (or small form factor) and mid-tower sizes. A close comparison would be the NZXT H210i, but even that case is restricted to only ITX motherboards but supports ATX power supplies. Lian Li created something unique with the O11D Mini.

Lian Li O11D Mini: Should you buy it?

(Image credit: Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

You should buy this if ...

You want a unique-looking PC case.
You want to build a clean PC with excellent cable management.
You plan on using water-cooling.

You shouldn't buy this if ...

You don't have many fans to install.
You have more than four storage drives to install.
You don't want to buy an SFX power supply.

If you're on the lookout for something a little more unique, the Lian Li O11D Mini should be on your shortlist. It's a compact mid-tower, so it will hold an ATX motherboard without issue but does require an SFX (or SFX-L) power supply. Still, once you have everything installed, this is one of the best-looking $100 PC cases you'll come across.

There's so much to like about the O11D Mini too. The cable management is great, so too is the sheer amount of cooling you can install. While it's possible to go with an all-air cooled PC build, this wouldn't do the case justice. An AIO should be the minimum with a custom water-cooling loop on the cards if you have the budget to spare.

The Lian Li O11D Mini is unlike anything else I've had the pleasure of building a PC inside thus far. Not only is it one of my favorite compact PC cases right now, but it's right up there with my all-time favorite chassis.

Lian Li O11D Mini

Razer Tomahawk review: Razer's first ATX case is close to a slam dunk for fans

rich.edmonds@futurenet.com (Rich Edmonds) — Wed, 17 Mar 2021 16:00:03 +0000

Razer has been on a roll with new product category launches. Originally, it was just PC peripherals, resulting in some of the best PC headsets, keyboards, mice, and more. Then Razer ventured into gaming laptops and took the world by storm with the Blade series. Today, I'm looking at the new Razer Tomahawk mid-tower PC case, a first for the gaming company.

There are countless PC cases out there. We rounded up some of the best PC cases you can find out there in the wild, but now Razer believes its Tomahawk deserves a place on the list. Rocking an all-metal black design with the usual RGB lighting and sleek styling elements, the Tomahawk will certainly appeal to Razer fans, but how does it fare as a PC case?

Razer Tomahawk

Bottom line: Razer has worked with case makers before to come out with branded special products for fans, but now the company wants to provide its community with PC cases of its own. The mid-tower Tomahawk is an excellent first try that gets way more right than wrong. With but a few improvements, this will be a slam dunk chassis for Razer fans.

Pros

Impressive features
Subtle lighting effects
Gorgeous design
Easy to build a PC inside
Supports AIO and custom water-cooling

Cons

A little cramped in the side
Front needs larger intakes
No fan or RGB controller included
Pricey

Razer Tomahawk at a glance

Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

Razer shipped us a Tomahawk mid-tower review sample, as well as various components to install inside for testing. I not only utilized the parts shipped with our sample but also some from our inventory to see how the Tomahawk performed compared to other PC cases we've reviewed.

Category	Spec
Motherboard	Mini-ITX Micro-ATX ATX E-ATX
I/O	2x USB-A 3.2 Gen1 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen2 1x Microphone 1x Headphone
Expansion	Seven horizontal PCI
Storage	2x 2.5-inch SSD 3x 2.5-inch SSD/3.5-inch HDD
Included fans	1x 120mm (rear)
Front fans	3x 120mm 2x 140mm
Top fans	2x 120mm 2x 140mm
Rear fan	1x 120mm
Bottom fans	2x 120mm 2x 140mm
Front rad	280mm, 360mm
Top rad	240mm, 280mm
Filters	Front Top Bottom
Clearance	GPU: 384mm CPU: 176mm
Dimensions	19.47 x 9.26 x 18.70 inches (495 x 235 x 475 mm)
Weight	29.85 pounds (13.5kg)
Materials	Steel Tempered glass Plastic
Warranty	One year
Color	Black

What the Razer Tomahawk has to offer

The Tomahawk is essentially a black slab of metal. Even though it's priced at around $250, we're still talking steel here and not aluminum. But if you were to take one of the company's vast catalog of products and turn it into a PC case, this would be the end result. PC case vendors have attempted to add aggressive styling and other elements to the chassis design, but this can often have a negative impact on thermal performance.

The Tomahawk is as expected from Razer, sleek-looking, slightly understated, and colorful.

Razer tries to keep it simple with an attractive, yet understated design. You know from first glance that it's a Razer case, but it doesn't scream "gamer" as you would expect. Upfront is a large Razer logo (with LED backlighting, of course!) and that's all you'll find on the front panel. The two sides feature tempered glass, as well as intake vents.

The top panel is where you'll locate all the I/O ports and a large filtered exhaust cutout for up to two 140mm fans. Finally, beneath the Tomahawk is another filter for the two internal bottom fan mount points, as well as some fancy underglow lighting. Once you've got Razer's Synapse software up and running, your PC will be able to race in Fast & Furious.

Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

The entire case is rather heavy, coming in at 13.5kg. The majority of this heft is made up of steel and massive tempered glass side panels. It's not overly heavy, but you'll notice the bulk even before installing any components. Size-wise, it's about as standard as you can get for a mid-tower PC case, which will surprise you once you learn about the interior layout.

Building a PC with the Razer Tomahawk

The Razer Tomahawk may look the part, but the great design may all be for nothing if the case doesn't perform well in thermal tests. Thankfully, Razer considered cooling while designing the chassis and there are more fan mounts than you'll likely know what to do with. The components Razer shipped with our review sample are located to the right.

The Razer Tomahawk is an absolute joy to build a PC inside.

The RGB LED fans from Thermaltake are a highlight since they'll be connected to Razer's RGB lighting hub for full integration into Synapse. (They're also pretty good at cooling too.) The Dark Rock Pro 4 will be more than a match for the Intel Core i7-10700K, though it will be interesting to see how much of a difference switching from all-air to an AIO cooler will make inside the Tomahawk.

Opening the two magnetically-attached glass panels is such a joy that I found myself closing them a few times to just appreciate how well-designed this system is. They can also be completely removed from each hinge by simply lifting them up. With both panels removed and out the way, there's easy access to either side of the case, which is good because there's plenty of space to play with.

Taking the main section of the case where you'll be installing all your components, Razer allows for radiators to be installed in the front or up top. Up to three 120mm fans can be thrown into the front, as well as a further two up top and two on the bottom to pull air up through the PSU shroud. While the front panel is a little on the tight side, much like other cases with a similar design, there's enough for positive pressure and effective cooling.

The case itself supports Mini-ITX, MicroATX, and ATX sized motherboards and has ample space for even the largest best graphics card and CPU coolers. It's recommended to install as much on the motherboard as possible before moving it to the chassis, which in our case included the be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 cooler.

Even with the motherboard and GPU inside the case, there's still enough room for a custom water-cooling loop if you'd prefer to go down that route. Things get a little tight on the rear of the motherboard tray, which is where all the cable management takes place. Before installing the PSU, it's not too bad, but once there are thicker cables that need to be tied down, it can get messy.

Razer does include two panels that can be attached with thumbscrews to hide your cable mess since both sides of the case are tempered glass, but these can prove restricting at best when trying to cram as much behind them as possible. In the end, it would have been good to have a few more millimeters of clearance between the central wall and the tempered glass panel.

Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

Thermals-wise, the Tomahawk is pretty good. It's nowhere near the best-performing case we've tested, but you won't run into any throttling issues with even a beefy Intel Core i7-10700K. Running the CPU with an RTX 3060 Ti GPU and playing some demanding titles like Grand Theft Auto V, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, and Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord, I didn't encounter any temperature-related problems.

I prefer to leave everything at default to see how cases perform before some tinkering. It's difficult to hear the Thermaltake fans ramp up a little as temperatures within the case rise. The bottom and front-mounted fans are able to pull in ample airflow for the exhausts to remove the heat from the Tomahawk. I would have liked to see an RGB or fan controller hub included to help install all the necessary cooling (and lighting), especially at this price.

Should you buy the Razer Tomahawk?

Who it's for

Razer fans
Those who love the look of tempered glass
Those who want to spend more than $200 on a PC case
Those who love RGB lighting

Who it isn't for

Those who want an affordable PC case
Those who want the best thermal performance
Those who want easier cable management

You should consider the Razer Tomahawk if you're a Razer fan. You should also look at the chassis for your next PC build even if you're not. This is a fantastic unit that can hold even more enthusiast-grade builds. The cable management could be improved slightly, but the internal panels aid in creating a clean finish with dual glass side panels.

The Tomahawk makes for a compelling foundation if you plan on using RGB LEDs throughout the build, but it'll also happily sit in the corner without a single light if you'd prefer. The case itself looks sleek with very few accents to catch the eye, but you'll still stop to notice just how premium this case looks.

In terms of features, the Tomahawk from Razer outclasses many PC cases out there, but it should at this price point. There are a few minor points I'd like to see improved in a future revision, but in its current form, this is one amazing chassis and firmly establishes Razer in the PC case game.

Razer Chassis

Razer Tomahawk

Premium gaming PC case

PC cases come in all shapes and sizes, but none of them have been made by gaming company Razer, until now. The Tomahawk is a great first attempt by the company that only requires a few improvements to make it a must-buy for Razer fans.

Thermaltake Tower 900 review: One of the best foundations for a custom water-cooled enthusiast gaming PC

rich.edmonds@futurenet.com (Rich Edmonds) — Tue, 16 Mar 2021 16:00:02 +0000

Thermaltake makes plenty of PC cases and some of them are worthy of being added to our best PC cases collection, but many fall into the category of style over functionality. The Tower 900 aims to not only look the part, but provide ample thermal performance, especially with a custom water-cooling loop solution.

I put together a fairly powerful PC inside the Tower 900 with a single water-cooling loop for the processor. This chassis supports two loops and I'll be sure to add another with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 series graphics card, but that'll be for a time when water blocks (and GPUs) are easier to pick up.

Thermaltake Tower 900

Bottom line: There's a lot to love about the Thermaltake Tower 900. It's expensive, huge, heavy, and cumbersome, but this also provides ample space inside for even the most ridiculous enthusiast PC builds. Want to go all-out with a multi-GPU and CPU water-cooled PC? That's entirely possible with this behemoth.

Pros

Massive amounts of internal space
Great for showcasing internal parts
Supports up to 480mm and 560mm radiators
Panoramic view with three tempered glass panels
Great thermal performance

Cons

Seriously heavy and bulky
Top panel isn't magnetic
Cable management can be tricky

Thermaltake Tower 900 at a glance

Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

The Thermaltake Tower 900 is a full-tower case that's absolutely massive, even when compared against other full-tower chassis. This monster of a case will easily hold a Mini-ITX, Micro-ATX, ATX, and E-ATX motherboards, and there's more space than most PC builders will know what to use for.

The best graphics card will fit without issue and you could install up to two water-cooling loops inside. Available in black or white, there's enough thermal capacity with plenty of fan mounts and the possibility of installing two large radiators behind the main motherboard tray.

Category	Spec
Motherboard	E-ATX, ATX, microATX, Mini-ITX
I/O	4x USB 3.0 HD Audio
Expansion	8x PCIe 8 x 2.5-inch (or 6 x 3.5-inch and 2 x 2.5-inch)
Included fans	2x 140mm (top)
Top fans	2x 120mm/140mm
Bottom fans	1x 120mm/140mm
Rear fans	2x 120mm/140mm
Side fans	Up to 8x 120mm/140mm
Left radiator	Up to 480mm
Right radiator	Up to 560mm
Filters	Front, sides, bottom, rear
Clearance	GPU: 400 mm CPU: 260mm PSU length: 220mm
Dimensions	752 x 423 x 483mm (16.7 (H) x 19 (W) x 29.6 (D) inches)
Weight	12.59 kg (lbs)
Materials	Steel Tempered glass Plastic
Warranty	Two years

What the Thermaltake Tower 900 has to offer

Looking at the PC case, it looks like a miniature claw machine you'd typically find at an arcade. It's huge. The front and half of either side is tempered glass, while the rest is metal aside from the plastic top cover. In black or white, it will look really good.

As is the case with Thermaltake's see-through panels, the tempered glass is held onto the case with large screws. The two side panels that cover the radiators can be removed by using a lever just beneath the top panel (accessed without removing it), which is a really nice touch.

The rear panel is held on with some thumbscrews, but it's the top panel I have an issue with. Much like front panels in more affordable cases (though some case vendors still like to use them in more expensive chassis), it's held to the main body using those plastic pop-out push posts that have always been a royal pain.

Luckily, the top just pops off using the rear as leverage, but it's still an issue since this is actually what covers the motherboard I/O. That's right, the rear panel of the Tower 900 is dedicated to two 140mm fan mounts and a dust filter. Beneath the top panel is where you'll find the rear of your GPU and motherboard ports.

Frequently plugging things in can be a pain, which is why I feel like it's strange Thermaltake didn't use magnets.

Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

Luckily, that's about as bad as it gets for the design. The rest of it is pretty much spot on. The glass panels are tinted and gorgeous to look through. The metal panels are solid, so too is the main body with all the panels removed. This is one heavy, but sturdy and well-built case from Thermaltake.

Thermaltake's Tower 900 is one sturdy and well-built case.

Cooling was the main factor in Tower 900's design, which was carried out in collaboration with Watermod France. The inside of the case is separated into two sections, which is where the tempered glass and metal panels meet on the sides. The front is reserved for all your components, while the rear section is for all the cabling and radiators.

Inside the front portion, you can install up to two 140mm blowers. In the rear section of the Tower 900, it's possible to add a further 11. Yes, 11 fans, bringing the total up to 13. For radiators, the Tower 900 can handle up to 560mm (four 140mm fans) or 480mm (four 120mm fans). One can be attached to both the left and right sides, though you will need to remove the pre-installed HDD cage.

Included with the case are two 140mm fans, though these lack RGB LED lighting and you'll likely want to use some to showcase all your components. The bottom fan should be used as an intake; likewise with the two radiator side panels. The top and rear fans should be used as exhausts.

This configuration will create plenty of positive pressure which will prevent any air (and dust) from being sucked in holes and other areas where a dust filter isn't present. All filters on the Tower 900 are easily accessed.

The inside of the case is fairly modular, allowing you to remove the motherboard tray and install everything outside the case, and you can remove some of the other panels that hold cable grommets, as well as the two pump and reservoir brackets up front.

The rear portion of the case has plenty of space for some cable management, though if you use RGB fans from companies like Thermaltake, it can get a little messy with all the additional cabling. The radiator brackets can be removed with a few screws, allowing you to attach radiators and fans outside the case for easy installation.

Building a PC with the Thermaltake Tower 900

Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

The Tower 900 boasts some excellent thermal performance for enthusiast systems.

Thermaltake's Tower 900 is a daunting PC case and you may find yourself wondering "Where do I start?" Once you've started the process, it becomes relatively straightforward. First, it's important to remove the motherboard tray and install as much as you can outside the case.

Most PC builds with the Tower 900 will utilize some form of water-cooling, likely a custom loop, which is what this review will focus on. Regardless of how you plan to cool your PC, we've got a guide on how to build your own PC the right way, and this also applies to this Thermaltake case.

Once the motherboard, CPU, and RAM are installed on the motherboard, it's time to re-attach it to the main chassis and start planning how the water-cooling loop will run. This is also a perfect opportunity to install the PSU in the rear section of the case, as well as radiators on the necessary brackets.

Thermaltake provides plenty of room in the rear for all your cabling, tubing, and other accessories, though you may find it a little tight around the lower section with the PSU. I planned tubes to run from the radiator on the right side through the bottom to the front of the case and up to the CPU and reservoir/pump combo unit.

Speaking of reservoirs and pumps, Thermaltake provides two brackets in the front to showcase your water-cooling loop, but these really only support the company's own products. This isn't an issue if you don't have anything to install yet, but it's worth bearing in mind if you have products from other brands (some drilling may be required).

Interestingly, the motherboard actually installs 90-degrees clockwise compared to most cases, which is how the I/O ends up at the top of the Tower 900. This can cause some of the PSU cabling to be stretched a little, so plan ahead to make sure everything can reach the necessary ports.

Source: Thermaltake Tower 900 (Image credit: Source: Thermaltake Tower 900)

Installing all the water-cooling components went without issue and I was able to create an easy-to-use outlet valve at the rear of the case to make draining the loop a little easier for cleaning. It'll be easy to install a second loop (with radiator and reservoir/pump combo unit) for a GPU with a water block.

And that's really where the Tower 900 shines. I'm rocking a 480mm radiator from EKWB, which is 60mm thick, and is using four 120mm radiator optimized fans to cool an AMD Ryzen 9 5950X. This is a 16-core, 32-thread processor that can comfortably sit at 5.0Ghz without going above 70C under full system load.

With everything installed and up and running, the Tower 900 is simply gorgeous to gaze at. So long as you have bright enough LED lighting inside (maybe add a few strips down the sides), your internal components will be on display for all to see. Running some intense games for a while (Shadow of the Tomb Raider, GTA V, and Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord) saw temperatures well within safe limits.

An NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti managed to top out at 64C, while the CPU sat at 68C on average. The inside of the case measured at 47C. Water-cooled PCs usually have hotter components due to specific areas being connected to the loop; in this case, the CPU. Thermaltake got the Tower 900 just right with some impressive performance.

Should you buy the Thermaltake Tower 900?

Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

Who it's for

PC enthusiasts who want plenty of space for custom builds
Those who want impressive thermal performance
Those who love the look of tempered glass
Those who want to spend more than $200 on a PC case
Those who want to create a custom water-cooling loop

Who it isn't for

Those who prefer a simple build
Those who prefer a compact build
Those who want to stick to a tight budget
Those who want a small PC case

The most important factor of any case is thermal performance. It's going to need to ensure enough airflow hits your components and heatsinks or radiators. Thermaltake has been known to come a little short with regards to this, but the Tower 900 shows just how capable the company is. It's a brilliantly designed chassis.

If you want to go all-out with a custom water-cooling loop for your PC, there's really no better case around, especially when more than one loop is utilized. Being able to have both the CPU and GPU on separate loops with dedicated radiators is brilliant for more efficient cooling.

There are a few drawbacks to the Tower 900, however. It's expensive, but you're getting plenty of materials for your money. This case is huge and terribly heavy, making it difficult to move without requesting backup. So long as you don't need to move it (or open the top panel) often, it'll look amazing.

So Much Space

Thermaltake Tower 900

The best for water cooling

We added the Thermaltake Tower 900 to our best PC case collection because it's one of the best foundations for a water-cooled PC build. You can build literally anything inside this chassis.

Lian Li shows off four prototype PC cases, including the massive V3000+

sean.endicott@futurenet.com (Sean Endicott) — Thu, 18 Feb 2021 15:24:26 +0000

What you need to know

Lian Li showed off four PC case prototypes at its Lian Li 2021 Digital Expo.
The Q58, A4-H2O, V3000+, and O11D EVO cases were shown off at the expo.
These are just prototypes, so they don't have a release date at this time.

Lian Li showcased four prototype PC cases at the Lian Li 2021 Digital Expo. The Q58, A4-H2O, V3000+, and O11D EVO cases are all prototypes, so we won't see them for sale any time soon. They do, however, show us the direction that Lian Li wants to go with its PC cases. Lian Li is looking for feedback on the prototypes to help them be the best PC cases.

The Q58 is a 14.3L SSF case that has split hinged panels made of tempered glass and aluminum mesh. It also has a dual-tone front solid aluminum panel. It's a MINI-ITX case, with room for GPUs up to 320mm and radiators up to 280mm.

Source: Lian Li (Image credit: Source: Lian Li)

The A4-H2O SFF case is made in collaboration with DAN Cases from Germany. It's a smaller 10.4L case that's compatible with mini-ITX motherboards and SFX or SFX-L power supplies. Despite its smaller size, it can fit GPUs up to 315mm long and 2.7 slots thick. It can also fit any 240AIO with a CPU block clearance of 56mm. The case has mesh top, right, and left panels for airflow.

Source: Lian Li (Image credit: Source: Lian Li)

The V3000+ earns the "+" in its name. It's a full tower case with water cooling, modularity, and compatibility with high-performance components. It supports up to three 480mm radiators and a 360mm radiator. It can have up to 16 120mm fans, two systems, two PSUs, and a horizontal or vertical GPU up to 420mm in length. You can place up to 16 HDDs or 19 SSDs inside, which lets the case also house a storage server. On top of all of those specs, it also has RGB accents around the front.

Seeing the V3000+ in a photo by itself doesn't really do it justice. If you jump to the 11:35 mark of the Lian Li 2021 Digital Expo video, you'll see the presenter jump from the smaller A4-H2O to the V3000+.

The O11D EVO has aims to deliver the same features as the O11D XL but in a footprint the size of the O11 Dynamic. The case supports motherboards from E-ATX to MINI ITX and GPUs up to 445mm long. It also supports PSUs up to 200mm in length.

Source: Lian Li (Image credit: Source: Lian Li)

Lian Li also details cases that are available for purchase at its expo. You can head over to the company's website to see more case news from the event.

The Meshlicious PC case is built to let your PC breathe

sean.endicott@futurenet.com (Sean Endicott) — Wed, 10 Feb 2021 14:18:11 +0000

What you need to know

SSUPD announced the Meshlicious PC case this week.
The case features three mesh panels with an option to get a fourth mesh panel.
The Meshlicious PC case is available for preorder now.

SSUPD introduced the Meshlicious PC case this week. It's an ITX case that's built in collaboration with Ncase. It features three full mesh panels to help improve airflow for your PC while also having a unique look. The Meshlicious is available for preorder in matte black and white finishes starting at $110. The Meshlicious should be available starting mid-March.

Many of the best PC cases) have closed panels or tempered glass sides. The Meshlicious takes a different approach, which emphasizes airflow.

The standard Meshlicious PC case has three mesh panels and a tempered glass panel, but you can choose to get a fourth 1mm steel full mesh panel if you'd like. This completes the mesh look of the PC case while also improving airflow.

Category	Spec
Form Factor	Mini ITX Case
Volume	14.67 Liters
Dimensions	245 mm x 166.4 mm x 360 mm (L x W x H)
Graphics Card	Full Length GPU: Up to 334 mm in length and 155 mm tall Small Form Factor GPU: Up to 211 mm in length (without radiator
CPU Cooler	Up to 73mm in height with a 3-slot GPU Up to 53mm in height with 4-slot GPU
Power Supply	ATX (Up to 160mm in length) / SFX-L / SFX
Storage	Up to 3 x 2.5" SSD (with full length GPU) Up to 2 x 3.5" HDD and 3 x 2.5" SSD or 7 x 2.5" SSD (with small form factor GPU)
Expansion Slots Full Length GPU	Up to 4 slots
Slots Small Form Factor GPU	Up to 3 slots
Front I/O	USB Type-C 3.1 Gen 2; USB 3.0; Power LED
Fan Options	2 x 120mm / 2 x 140mm Fans
Water Cooling	120/140/240/280 mm (Up to 143 mm width, 62 mm thickness with fans depending on GPU position and type)

Accessories for the Meshlicious will be available in mid-March, including the additional mesh panel, an HDMI/Displayport cable, and a PCIe 4.0/3.0 riser cable.

Meshlicious Mini ITX PC case

This PC case features three mesh panels to increase airflow. You can even take it one step further with an optional fourth mesh panel.

Thermaltake's new mini ITX case can fit an NVIDIA RTX 3090 inside

sean.endicott@futurenet.com (Sean Endicott) — Fri, 08 Jan 2021 17:37:11 +0000

What you need to know

Thermaltake launched its new Tower 100 Mini Chassis.
The Tower 100 Mini Chassis is a vertically-designed mini ITX tower.
The chassis is available now starting it $89 from Thermaltake.

Just in time for CES 2021, Thermaltake launched its new Tower 100 Mini Chassis. It's a vertically-designed mini ITX tower with a tempered glass front panel. Its side panels are vented steel, which helps improve airflow while giving it a sleek look. The Tower 100 Mini Chassis is available in black for $90 or snow (white) for $100.

While the Tower 100 Mini Chassis is a mini ITX case, Thermaltake points out that it's not the smallest one on the market. The company designed the case with a bit more room so it can fit high-end components like the NVIDIA RTX 30 series of GPUs. The result is a relatively small case that can still fit in some of the best graphics cards.

The glass panel of the case is triple tempered glass, which is scratch-resistant and thicker than standard panels. The glass panel also shows off any RGB lights that people have as part of their PC build. Around the back of the case, there are removal magnetic fan filters to protect components from dust and dirt.

Heat dissipation is often a concern of smaller PC cases. Thermaltake highlights that the Tower 100 Mini Chassis has cold air intakes and hot air exhausts to help control temperatures. It also supports a CPU color with a maximum height of 190mm.

The tower is 266 mm x 266 mm x 462 mm (10.5 in x 10.5 in x 18.2 in) and weighs 6.1 kg (13.4 lbs). The chassis has two expansion slots, one USB-C 3.2 port, two USB 3.0 ports, and two HD audio ports. It supports a top fan, rear fan, and top of the PSU cover fan.

Thermaltake Tower 100 Mini Chassis

This mini ITX case has a triple tempered glass panel to show off your build and is big enough to fit an NVIDIA RTX 3090.

be quiet! Silent Base 802 review: A stunning, silent PC case with a few flaws

rich.edmonds@futurenet.com (Rich Edmonds) — Tue, 17 Nov 2020 15:15:02 +0000

be quiet! has been making cases and other PC hardware in Germany for more than a decade. These guys know what they're doing when it comes to creating premium chassis to build your own PC inside. The Silent Base 802 is the company's latest iteration of the mid-tower PC case, emphasizing sound insulation, flexibility, and design.

With the Silent Base 802, be quiet! worked in better airflow, which is becoming far more important as system builders and enthusiasts work in more powerful hardware with higher temperatures during operation. With the new Silent Base 802, be quiet! added optional front and top panel covers, three Pure Wings 2 140mm fans, and dust filters to the chassis' front and bottom.

How does this case perform when attempting to build a capable gaming rig? Is it worth the asking price?

be quiet! Silent Base 802

Bottom line: be quiet! has seen how mesh PC cases have a place in 2020 with the rise of Intel's 14nm CPUs and NVIDIA's power-hungry graphics cards. While it falls a little short for cable management, the sheer size of the case, and awkward case feet, the Silent Base 802 is a joy to build inside and performs extremely well.

Pros

Gorgeous, subtle styling
Easy to build a PC inside
Includes optional mesh panel
Great AIO water-cooling support
Amazing airflow and performance

Cons

Size
Awkward case feet
Cable management

be quiet! Silent Base 802 tech specs

Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

Category	NZXT H1
Motherboards	E-ATX, ATX, microATX, Mini-ITX
I/O	1x USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C 2x USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A HD Audio Fan controls
Expansion	9x PCI (2x vertical) 15x 2.5-inch 7x 3.5-inch
Fans	Front: 3x 120/140 mm Top: 3x 120/140 mm Rear: 1x 120/140 mm
Radiators	Front: Up to 420 mm Top: Up to 360 mm Rear: Up to 140 mm
Filters	Front, top
Clearance	GPU: 432 mm (287 mm with HDD cages)
Weight	12.59 kg (Glass window: 13.15 kg)
Dimensions	539 x 281 x 553 mm
Materials	SGCC Steel, Tempered Glass
Warranty	3 years

be quiet! Silent Base 802 design and features

be quiet!'s range of PC cases aren't obnoxious by design. The German company prefers the subtle approach to designing a case, making sure to balance functionality and practicality with aesthetics, which can so easily be upset with plenty of "gaming" cases out there. The Silent Base 802 follows much of the same design principles of other be quiet! cases, and this isn't a bad thing.

be quiet! improved the Silent Base case with better airflow for great thermal performance.

The Silent Base 802 looks great. It screams premium at you after unboxing, but it's fairly daunting as a mid-tower case since it comes in at a whopping 539 x 281 x 553mm. To put that into context, I view the NZXT H710i (one of the best PC cases) as quite the beefy case for size, but that comes in at 494 x 230 x 516mm, making the Silent Base 802 quite the beast.

It's also hefty to move thanks to the full metal construct with an optional tempered glass side panel. You won't be accidentally knocking this case over. But aside from the materials used, be quiet! went all out with the insulation for noise dampening. You'll find up to 10mm thick padding on the side and front panel.

Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

But if the full plastic front cover isn't quite your thing, be quiet! includes an optional mesh panel, which can easily be swapped out. The case itself is fairly modular, allowing you to swap out the top panels to reveal the long exhaust vent. It's even possible to invert the motherboard tray and have your board installed upside down. And popping off the two side panels is a joy, thanks to the easy release buttons. No more screws!

be quiet! did a good job with the inside of the Silent Base 802 as well. There are plenty of HDD case mounts that can be installed in place of some removable covers. The PSU shroud is also removable, letting you extract the front section to allow for installing a massive 420mm radiator. This is a dream case for AIO water-cooling.

It's only when you turn the case around to look behind the motherboard tray does it get a little strange for this rather pricey PC case ($160 for the base model and $170 for the glass). The cable management is ... well, non-existent. be quiet! includes some velcro cable tiers with the case, but there's nothing pre-installed on the inside of the chassis, which is strange. NZXT and Fractal nail the cable management of their cases, which makes it strange to see be quiet! fall short here.

be quiet! Silent Base 802 building a PC

Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

If you don't mind doing all of the cable management yourself without any runners or other handy features to guide you, the Silent Base 802 is a joy to build inside. There's so much space, almost too much space, inside for all of your parts. It's possible to install an E-ATX motherboard inside this thing.

I opted to install an ATX X470 motherboard with a Ryzen 9 3900X to really test out how good airflow and support is for AIO cooling. Using the NZXT Z73, which is more than capable of handling the heat output of the Ryzen 9 CPU with its massive 360mm radiator, cramming everything inside the Silent Base 802 was a breeze.

Only a few flaws hold the Silent Base 802 back from being truly spectacular.

Throwing in an RTX 2060 SUPER for good measure, it was now time to run some tests. Comparing the results to the NZXT H710i and be quiet's own Dark Base 900 (rev. 2), we're looking at numbers well within expectations. I ran multiple tests with the plastic and mesh covers.

All fans were set to 50%, and I left the default configuration installed that ships with the Silent Base 802, so these numbers are relevant if you were to simply throw in your components and an AIO to call it a day.

Category	Idle	Load
Plastic cover	52 C (126 F)	68C (154 F)
Mesh cover	49 C (120 F)	63C (145 F)

For noise, with a room recording level of 38dB, the Silent Base 802 performed extremely well, coming in at 39dB with the plastic front panel and 41dB with the mesh cover. You'll be able to hear a little more noise from the front fans and GPU with the mesh cover installed, so if you're going to a super-quiet build, it's best to go with the plastic front panel.

I really dig just how easy everything is to take apart. be quiet! has done a stellar job with the case's accessibility, especially if you only want to remove the dust filters for cleaning. Too often, I've found cases require long and tiring processes to extract dust filters, so it's good to see the Silent Base 802 simply requires removing the front panel.

The top filter sits atop the main panel, so it's even more straightforward. How everything comes together makes it possible to go all-out with RGB lighting if you so desire or keep a low profile with nothing other than a glow from the motherboard. The Silent Base 802 is all about noise dampening and airflow, which it achieves with flying colors. It's just a shame about the cable management and some other questionable design choices.

Should you buy the be quiet! Silent Base 802?

Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

Who it's for

If you want to build a silent PC
If you have countless HDDs to install
If you want to use excessively large radiators
If you plan on using a custom water-cooling loop

Who it isn't for

If you want an aluminum case
If you want an easy case for cable management
If you want a case that isn't too big

There's no real wrong case to buy for your PC build. It all comes down to what you require from a chassis. If you need it to be as quiet as possible, the be quiet! Silent Base 802 is a solid choice. If you want plenty of space inside to install all your components and maybe even use AIO or a custom loop for water-cooling, the Silent Base 802 is a great choice.

If you're someone who doesn't really find the time to tidy up your cabling and instead wants a case to do most of the leg work, the Silent Base 802 really isn't for you. This mid-tower chassis is brilliant at thermal performance and acoustics, but it sadly falls short in cable management for a clean build. It's possible to achieve the desired results, but you have far fewer options than competing cases.

There's plenty to love about the case, too, as the ease of installing PC components, support for up to a 420mm radiator on the front and 360mm on the top panel, and gorgeous subtle design makes for quite the finish. There's also a lack of RGB lighting, making this more of a sleeper case for 2020. If be quiet! could sort out our few minor complaints, this would become one of the best in the mid-tower class.

Pure Silence

be quiet! Silent Base 802

Almost no compromise

be quiet! Pure Base 500DX PC case review: Gorgeous design and plenty of airflow

rich.edmonds@futurenet.com (Rich Edmonds) — Wed, 23 Sep 2020 09:00:00 +0000

PC cases are similar in many ways, aside from looks. However, not all PC cases are built the same, and be quiet! knows more people today are considering essential factors like airflow and space and compatibility with other components. Cue the new be quiet! Pure Base 500DX.

This new mid-tower PC chassis from the German PC builder promises high airflow, plenty of addressable RGB lighting, and compatibility with your favorite AIO coolers for maximum performance. Does it live up to the marketing hype? Is it worth spending the extra money over the existing Pure Base 500?

But before you carry on with the review, do bear in mind the usual pricing for this case, which is around $150, so if you manage to spot the 500DX on sale for promotions like Black Friday for less, you should consider building your next PC inside the chassis. Now, let me run you through how good this case is.

be quiet! Pure Base 500DX

$155Bottom line: The Pure Base 500DX is a fantastic PC case, hitting all the important marks.

Pros

Amazing airflow
Stunning design
RGB lighting
Radiator support
Cable management

Cons

Have to remove front panel for dust filter
Top filter vibrates with high fan RPM

A beautiful mid-tower PC case

Source: Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Windows Central)

There are plenty of great-looking cases out there that showcase all your favorite PC components to the world, but many of them sacrifice thermal performance. be quiet! understands this all too well, thanks to its lineup of beefy CPU coolers.

Category	Spec
Motherboards	E-ATX ATX MicroATX Mini-ITX
I/O	One USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C Two USB 3.0 Type-A Headphone/Mic jack
Expansion	7 PCI 2 HDD 5 SSD
Fans	Front: 3x 120/2x 140mm Top: 2x 120mm/2x 140mm Rear: 1x 120/140mm
Filters	Front Bottom Top
Radiators	Front: up to 360/280mm Top: up to 240mm Rear: 120/140mm
Clearance	GPU: up to 369mm CPU: up to 190mm
Weight	6.95 kg (15.32 lbs)
Dimensions	450mm x 231 mm x 463mm
Materials	ABS, steel, tempered glass
Warranty	Three years

Its PC cases are a little more relaxed when it comes to tight vents and restricted intakes for cooling. Take the impressive full-tower Dark Base Pro 900 (rev. 2) with its massive front-panel intake and impressive radiator support on the top panel. The chassis is built for enthusiast systems, with cooling in mind.

The same goes for the new Pure Base 500DX, which is actually a special version of the existing Pure Base 500 mid-tower, with a few changes to make it even better. Even if you're familiar with the Pure Base 500, it's worth going over these substantial improvements as it switches things up considerably.

The case itself is made up of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) steel and tempered glass for the side panel. It's a compact mid-tower chassis, coming in at 450 mm x 231 mm x 463mm and weighs just shy of 7kg. On the front is one of the highlights of the Pure Base 500DX, the massive filtered mesh intake. This is joined by two RGB LED strips down the center.

The left side features the familiar tempered glass panel most PC cases now rock. The right-side is bare. On the rear, we have the usual 140mm fan mount and all the various I/O cut-outs for motherboard and expansion cards. Lastly, the top of the case has support for two 120 mm or 140 mm fans and sports a magnetic dust filter to stop anything falling inside while the PC is powered down.

It's a clean design that allows for some degree of customization, especially if you're a modder. And thanks to that considerable intake mesh on the front panel, you can kit this thing out with an AMD Ryzen or Intel Xeon CPU without issue when it comes to providing enough air for installed cooling. In fact, you could even go all out with a custom water-cooling loop.

For cooling, it's possible to install up to three 120 mm or two 140 mm fans on the front, two 120 mm or 140 mm fans up top, and a single 120 mm or 140 mm blower on the rear. Radiator support includes up to 280 mm up top and up to 360 mm (or 280 mm for 140 mm fans) on the front. Regardless of what CPU you choose, you'll likely find it hard to run into cooling issues as far as the case is concerned.

The be quiet! Pure Base 500DX is all about cooling, and the front mesh panel is glorious for hot PC builds.

Moving on from cooling, let's talk over the rest of the spec sheet that builders will need to bear in mind. You've got the usual 7 PCI slot expansion bars, two HDD mounts in a removable cage, alongside five SSD mount options. Dust filters are located on the top, bottom, and front. GPU and CPU cooler clearance is in line with other mid-tower PC cases and should fit most cards and crazy big coolers.

The HDD cage is removable, and you'll need to do so to fit a 360 mm radiator upfront, but so too is the rear shield with be quiet! branding, just in case you wish to fit something else in its place. Note that this shield also acts as an SSD mount for two drives, so if you have a few storage devices to install, you may want to leave it be.

A good-looking chassis that performs well

Source: Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Windows Central)

Building a PC inside the be quiet! Pure Base 500DX is a straightforward process. The sides come apart as you'd expect, and everything is easily accessible from within. The PSU mounts to a removable bracket, which makes installation a little less tiresome. Thumbscrews secure the HDD cage and rear panel shield to the main chassis, and you've then got a blank canvas to work with.

Building a PC inside the be quiet! Pure Base 500DX is a breeze.

I decided to fit a full ATX motherboard inside the Pure Base 500DX since that's the form factor most owners will deploy. Everything fit snuggly, and the sheer number of holes on the rear of the motherboard tray for cable management is a joy to see. The two SSD brackets behind the motherboard were chosen for our speedy storage drives.

After hooking everything up and throwing in a ZOTAC RTX 2060 SUPER, it was time to add some additional lighting. The case comes with two RGB LED strips on the front, as well as an additional LED strip inside on the top panel. I decided to add some NZXT magic to the mix and install two of its RGB-addressable fans, as well as some fancy Corsair Vengeance RGB RAM.

To top it all off is the NZXT Kraken Z73. We used this with the Ryzen 9 3900X and it handled the processor without breaking a sweat, and since this case allows for a 360 mm radiator on the front, the AIO was a perfect addition. To effectively manage everything, we attached the NZXT RGB & Fan controller hub behind the main panel shield.

Source: Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Windows Central)

There was a lot installed inside the Pure Base 500DX, but you wouldn't notice if you were unaware. Cables were neat and tidy, and everything was hidden from view. All you could gaze at were the RGB lighting effects throughout the chassis. So the case looks good, and it's a breeze to build inside and even do some modding. But how's performance?

Category	Idle	Load
Baseline	35 C (0 F)	57C (0 F)
Door open	34 C (0 F)	53C (0 F)

That huge mesh front panel is excellent for power-hungry processors like the Ryzen 9 3900X. The Kraken Z73 had no issues drawing as much air as possible through the main front panel and dust filter. The temperatures are well within comfortable operating limits, and you could easily get away with overclocking or even moving into enthusiast processor territory. Using the bundled and pre-installed high-quality Silent Wings 3 fans from be quiet! is also viable.

Sound-wise, there's ample noise dampening, though I did notice since metallic magnets are used to secure the top panel dust filter, and you may notice some vibrations creating considerable noise. The test rig I built had six fans total, and it was only really an issue when the front three 120 mm blowers mounted to the radiator really ramped up. Slightly adjusting the filter solved the issue, so your mileage may vary.

What you may dislike about the be quiet! Pure Base 500DX

I really don't understand why — in 2020 — be quiet! still uses dated plastic thumb mounts to hold the front panel to the main chassis. There are plenty of magnets throughout the build, and I wonder why a few more weren't thrown in. This wouldn't be an issue if you didn't need to remove the front panel often, but you do.

Overall, this is a killer case.

The front panel dust filter cannot be removed without first removing the panel. This is an oversight I'm baffled with, as so much attention to detail is present with the rest of the case. Keeping your filters clear of dust is incredibly essential for maximum performance and low noise, which is something I'd expect be quiet! to be champions at encouraging.

I would have perhaps liked to have seen that modular PSU shroud from the larger Dark Base Pro series make an appearance here. I think allowing the choice of how the shroud appears for modular builds is an excellent addition to a PC chassis and one I hope be quiet! expands across its product range to better differentiate its own cases from the competition.

So should you buy the be quiet! Pure Base 500DX?

That's an easy one: yes. You should definitely consider the be quiet! Pure Base 500DX when browsing for a new PC case. Should you dig the design and respect the brand, the Pure Base 500DX is a solid chassis to build even the more demanding systems that produce high levels of heat.

The massive mesh front panel is a highlight for those who enjoy putting together systems that not only look the part but also allow for considerable cooling to take place. No one wants to sit beside a machine that sounds like a jet engine spooling up, and be quiet! feels like you shouldn't have to.

There are plenty of options to customize the PC, too, including up to a 360 mm radiator on the front — perfect for custom water-cooling loops — and there are more holes than I could count for cable management to keep the overall finish looking clean. Overall, this is one killer case, let down only by the silly front panel attachment mechanism.

Mid-tower PC case

be quiet! Pure Base 500DX

Gorgeous design meets amazing thermals

If you want a good-looking PC case that'll not only showcase all your pricey components but want a chassis that will actually keep everything cool, look no further than the Pure Base 500DX.

NZXT H210i review: A small, mighty, and seriously good-looking Mini-ITX PC case

rich.edmonds@futurenet.com (Rich Edmonds) — Sun, 24 Nov 2019 21:44:22 +0000

Part of NZXT's H series case refresh is the launch of the new H210i, replacing the older H200i PC case. This new model comes equipped with the latest Smart Device V2 for managing all your RGB lighting and cooling, USB Type-C on the front panel I/O, and sleek-looking tempered glass, all in the same small-form-factor (SFF) chassis. So just how good is this new Mini-ITX case? Keep reading.

Editor's note: NZXT provided Windows Central with a review sample, which was used for in-depth testing and this review. We received a consumer package to emulate exactly what you'll receive should you purchase this PC case.

NZXT H210i

Costs $120Bottom line: A stunning, high-quality mini-ITX case.

Pros

Gorgeous design
Good airflow
Cable management
High-quality build
Can take larger GPUs

Cons

Larger than other ITX cases
Pricey

You'll love how compact the H210i is

NZXT H210i (Image credit: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

The H210i is NZXT's most compact case that's part of the H series. It's essentially the H510i but smaller. Coming in at just 210 mm x 349 mm x 372 mm, this case only supports Mini-ITX motherboards, which limits the number of available PCIe slots to just one. But the H210i comes rocking two expansion bays, just in case you want to create a gaming rig with a decent GPU. If you've never built a Mini-ITX-based platform before, you'll be surprised at just how little space there is compared to a mid-tower.

Category	Spec
Motherboards	Mini-ITX
I/O	One USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C One USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A One Headset Audio Jack
Expansion	Two PCI Two + one SSD (one HDD)
Fans	Front: Two 120/140 mm Top: One 120 mm Rear: One 120 mm
Filters	Front PSU
Radiators	Front: 120/240 mm and 140/280 mm Rear: 120 mm
Clearance	GPU: up to 325 mm CPU: up to 165 mm
Weight	6 kg
Dimensions	210 mm x 349 mm x 372 mm
Materials	SGCC Steel, Tempered Glass
Warranty	Two years

The design is stunning and follows the rest of the H series, sporting a full metal chassis with everything painted black. Unlike the H510 Elite, which only has two intake strips on the front panel, the new H210i has a total of three, which allows installed fans to pull in more air to cool components. The case supports two 120/140 mm fans (or up to a 480 mm radiator) on the front, 120/140 mm fan up top, and a 120 mm (or 120 mm radiator) in the back. NZXT includes two Aer fans installed on the top and rear.

Up top on the I/O front, you get USB 3.1 Type-A and Type-C to hook up all your devices. As part of our test build, we used a Ryzen 5 2600 CPU, Aorus B450 I AORUS PRO WIFI, MSI GTX 1060 GPU, Corsair VS650 PSU, and Kingston SATA SSD. Installation was just as easy as any other H series case from NZXT, and removing both panels required unscrewing just three thumbscrews.

You have the choice between bays beneath the PSU shroud or using the tray that's on show. The shroud isn't part of the side panel, so you have ample room to show off your metallic SSD once the tempered glass panel is installed. Much like most cases available today, there isn't much room for cable management, but you have the same NZXT cable routing channels to make it easier to keep everything looking tidy.

The bracket that protrudes from the backplate is easier to work with, especially given a Mini-ITX motherboard is compact when it comes to connections. We had no issue routing cabling to and from the mainboard to various parts of the chassis. NZXT goes the extra mile throughout this case, even packaging a small grommet that can fit inside the mesh above the PSU shroud to prop up a sagging GPU to give it adequate clearance.

Overall, the exterior is stunning with premium filters installed on all intake ports, as well as the PSU. Opting for the H210i gets you pre-installed RGB lighting, which adds character to your finished build, utilizing the tempered glass side panel. Who wouldn't want to show off all their expensive internals inside this good-looking chassis?

The H210i is smart but larger than ITX

NZXT RGB & Fan Controller (Image credit: Windows Central)

A drawback to the H210i would be the size. It's small, for sure, and takes Mini-ITX motherboards only, but the case is larger than competitor SFF offerings out there, and that's worth bearing in mind if you want the absolute smallest chassis possible. The flipside to this is NZXT gives you more room to get all your cabling sorted and install multiple SSDs and even a large GPU.

Easily one of the best-looking small form-factor cases available.

The increase in volume allows for more air to be pushed through, which aids in keeping temperatures low. While running some stress tests on the Ryzen 5 2600 CPU and GTX 1060 GPU, even when overclocked and using nothing more than an Evo 212 CPU cooler from Cooler Master, temperatures didn't surpass 60 degrees Celcius (140 degrees Fahrenheit) for the processor. That was with two NZXT Aer fans running in the front, a Corsair AF120 on top and a Corsair AF120 in the rear.

So should you buy the NZXT H210i?

NZXT H210i (Image credit: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central)

You should consider buying the H210i case if you want to build a new small form-factor PC. It takes only Mini-ITX motherboards, which are usually more expensive than their ATX counterparts, but it's worth the extra cost if you don't fancy a tall desktop tower. This case can even take your larger dual-slot GPUs with beefy coolers.

The H210i is quiet, allows your components to run cool and looks great. Throw in some RGB lighting you can control from within Windows 10, and you've got a winner. This is a sound option for anyone wanting to put together a Mini-ITX build that won't be housed inside a cube.

Mighty ITX

NZXT H210i

A stunning, high-quality mini-ITX case

The new H210i is better than ever, allowing you to put together a compact mini-ITX PC build in a small form factor case with smart features and a solid design.

NZXT H710i review: Gorgeous looks matched with spacious design

rich.edmonds@futurenet.com (Rich Edmonds) — Mon, 16 Sep 2019 16:00:03 +0000

NZXT is best known for its elegant looking PC cases, and the H710i is set to take everything that makes the compact H510i work so well and turn it up to 11. You've got more space within the chassis, even though it's still technically a mid-tower case, as well as a large tempered glass side panel paired up with a sleek painted finish.

NZXT H710i

Costs $170Bottom line: A premium, yet spacious mid-tower PC case.

Pros

Sleek design
Bags of space
USB Type-C port
Tempered glass side
Plenty of airflow

Cons

Limited colors

NZXT H710i is stunning

NZXT H710i (Image credit: Windows Central)

The first thing to notice about any modern H-series case from NZXT is the design. They're all stunning to look at, as is the H710. This new refresh from the company is almost identical to the outgoing H700i, aside from new USB 3.1 Gen 2 USB Type-C port on the front panel. If you're already rocking an H700 case, there's no point in upgrading, but the H710i variant comes with the new Smart Device V2 for controlling fans and lighting.

Category	Spec
Motherboards	ATX MicroATX Mini-ITX
I/O	1x USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C 2x USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A 1x Headset Audio Jack
Expansion	7 PCI 7 2.5-inch 2+2 3.5-inch
Fans	Front: 3x 120 / 2x 140 mm Top: 3x 120 / 2x 140 mm Rear: 1x 120/140 mm
Filters	Front PSU
Radiators	Front: 120/240/360 mm and 140/280 mm Top: Front: 120/240/360 mm and 140/280 mm Rear: 120/140 mm
Clearance	GPU: up to 413mm CPU: up to 185mm
Weight	12.3 kg
Dimensions	230 mm x 516 mm x 494 mm
Materials	SGCC Steel, Tempered Glass
Warranty	Two years

The front of the H710i is clean with but a small and subtle NZXT logo towards the bottom of the panel. On top is a similar story, showcasing the small array of ports, comprised of two USB 3.1 Type-A, a single USB 3.1 Type-C, audio jack, and power button. The radiator mounting and vents for the top panel are actually hidden beneath, resulting in a clutter-free look, as well as better shielding from dust falling into the PC while off.

The secondary side panel is bare, as you'd expect from most PC cases, while the main side panel is a tempered glass monstrosity, allowing you to peek inside and gaze at just how spacious the chassis is. NZXT provided ample vent space for air to be sucked in the front and out the rear and top. A perforated section of each side of the case starts from the lower front and wraps around the top rear.

I really dig how NZXT handles the removal of tempered glass side windows. They're held on with rubber grommets along with a single thumbscrew on the rear, which makes it not only easy to remove the panel but also less likely to cause damage due to accidental slippage.

The packaging inside the main box for NZXT cases is always good, providing enough protection for the H710i to arrive without a scratch. A small bag of goodies is included with the H710i, allowing you to mount all your internal components, should you be a little low on screws.

NZXT H710i

For looks, NZXT has nailed it with the H-series, and it's good to see the company further refine the chassis with latest technologies.

Easy to build inside the spacious H710i

NZXT H710i

NZXT cases aren't all about looks. The company took steps to help system builders with cable management before it became a trend with the majority of cases released today. Interestingly, while the H510 Elite had the Smart Device V2, which essentially acts as a smart connected hub for all your fans and RGB lighting, installed behind the motherboard tray, the H710i has it on the front side, behind the main metal bracket.

Install everything and the kitchen sink inside the gorgeous NZXT H710i.

Everything up to a full-sized ATX motherboard will fit inside the H710i and you can throw in countless storage drives for all your games and software. After that, you can install a custom water loop with two large radiators without issue. There's that much space to work with here.

NZXT has four AER fans pre-installed, as well as a single RGB strip for lighting. All these are hooked up to the Smart Device V2, allowing you to control them through NZXT's CAM software.

NZXT H710i

Even power-hungry enthusiast builds should be just fine with the available airflow. After putting together a test rig with an AMD Ryzen 9 3900X CPU (with be quiet! Dark Pro 4), ZOTAC AMP! Extreme GTX 1070 GPU, and 32GB RAM with a Seagate FireCuda NVMe SSD, we found no issues when running games, benchmarks and leaving the PC for some time. Using NZXT's E500W PSU allowed us to hook everything up to CAM. Temperatures were well within expected ranges and even knocked off a few degrees compared to the H510 Elite.

Fan filters for the front and underbelly of the H710i are easily accessible, making it less of a chore when keeping dust out of your PC on a regular basis.

You'll dislike the color choice

NZXT H710i

White and black cases are great, but it's nice to have a selection of colors to choose from. NZXT only provides a small selection for the H710i. There's no shade of grey, nor are there vibrant colors. One could argue that there simply wouldn't be enough demand for such options, but it would have been good to see, nonetheless.

The H710i also supports vertical mounting of GPUs, but no riser cable is included, requiring you to pay extra to pick one up if you wish to have your GPU installed vertically.

So should you buy the NZXT H710i?

NZXT H710i

NZXT's H710i is the largest H-series case being produced right now, allowing you to throw even more components inside the chassis than the H510. Should you have a larger radiator and more SSDs to install, the H710i will make the process of connecting everything together that much easier.

Not only does the H710i have ample space to install your dream PC, but it's also great for airflow and looks great as a showcase piece. Throw some RGB lighting and other case mods, and you can create quite the exquisite-looking PC that you may even forget exists thanks to more than adequate sound dampening.

Premium Mid-tower

NZXT H710i

A premium, yet spacious mid-tower PC case

A killer-looking full tower case with plenty of space for even more enthusiast builds with water-cooling and more.

Be quiet! Dark Base Pro 900 Rev. 2 review: A PC case modder's dream (with one unfortunate flaw)

rich.edmonds@futurenet.com (Rich Edmonds) — Fri, 16 Aug 2019 12:00:02 +0000

Mid-tower cases are brilliant for putting together a compact PC, but if you want to go all out with a unique, interesting build with the potential for a custom water-cooling loop, a full-tower provides ample space to get creative. The Be quiet! Dark Base Pro 900 Rev. 2 is the second revision of this massive PC case, and it adds a power supply unit (PSU) shroud and some faster case fans.

Is this behemoth worth the asking price?

Be quiet! Dark Base Pro 900 Rev. 2

$269Bottom line: Be quiet! almost made the perfect PC case.

Pros

Build quality
Loads of space
Whisper quiet
Tempered glass window
Modular chassis

Cons

PSU mount and access
Not the best airflow

Excellent soundproofed modular case design

The Dark Base Pro 900 Rev. 2 is a monster on paper. Weighing in at just over 14 kg, it's a challenge to simply unbox the case. This weight is because of the aluminum and steel construction with a hefty tempered glass side panel — as is the norm with PC cases in 2019. Our review unit arrived with some orange accents both inside and on the exterior of the Dark Base Pro 900 Rev. 2.

Category	Spec
Motherboards	E-ATX ATX MicroATX Mini-ITX
I/O	One USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C Two USB 3.0 Type-A Headphone/Mic jack Qi wireless charger
Expansion	8 PCI 7 HDD 14 SSD
Fans	Front: Three 120/140mm Top: Four 120mm/3x 140mm Rear: One 120/140mm Bottom: Two 120/140mm
Filters	Front Bottom Side
Radiators	Front: up to 360/420mm Top: up to 360/420mm Rear: 120/140mm
Clearance	GPU: up to 472mm CPU: up to 185mm
Weight	14.39 kg (31.72 lbs)
Dimensions	655 mm x 325 mm x 680mm
Materials	ABS, aluminum, steel, tempered glass
Warranty	Three years

The goal with the Dark Base Pro 900 Rev. 2 is to provide system builders with everything they need to put together solid-looking PCs; keep everything well ventilated; and ensure barely any noise escapes the nooks and crannies. Since this is a full-tower case, you have support for all motherboard sizes up to E-ATX, and dimensions come in at a whopping 655 mm x 325 mm x 680 mm. It's massive.

Speaking of system builders, if you like to create and manage your own water-cooling loop, Be quiet! has you covered with plenty of radiator mount options. You can throw up to a 360 mm or 42 0mm in the front and top, as well as a 120 mm or 140 mm radiator in the rear (ideal for AIO cooler kits). There's also plenty of space within the case for running tubing and installing any pumps, reservoirs and other water-cooling equipment.

Three dust filters are pre-installed on the bottom, front and side of the case, and there are a total of 10 fan mounts available to hook up all your favorite blades. Providing just enough air for all these spinning blades are two side mesh rails that go from top to bottom, keeping the case looking fresh without having any protruding vents.

The Dark Base Pro 900 Rev. 2 looks just as premium as the price suggests. The company utilized a strange set of materials, including ABS plastic, steel, and aluminum throughout, but the end result is quite something. The front panel is actually a door that's held on by two latches and magnets, hiding the front panel dust filter and Silent Wings 3 fans.

The Dark Base Pro 900 Rev. 2 is a damn fine looking PC case.

The right side of the case is clear, aside from the removable panel that covers fan mounts and an additional filter, just in case you need some extra airflow. The left side houses the full tempered glass panel, while the top plays host to a Qi wireless charger, and a few minor vents to aid with heat dissipation from any installed fans and radiators beneath. Lastly, the rear of the Dark Base Pro 900 Rev. 2 is standard if you overlook the modular design (more on this in a moment).

The front panel I/O is where things get a little interesting, and, yes, I did just mention the Qi wireless charger — you can lay down your compatible smartphone on this case and charge it without connecting any cables. We have the usual power button, HDD activity LED, and two audio 3.5 mm jacks. There are also two USB 3.0 ports, a USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C port, and a further USB port to connect all the things.

On the exterior, Be quiet! did a tremendous job with the original Dark Base Pro 900 Rev. 2 and it's great the design is unchanged with this second iteration.

Building inside the Dark Base Pro 900 Rev. 2

Taking off the tempered glass side panel, you're greeted by a clean inside, the new PSU shroud located at the bottom, and a retro-style dual-ODD chamber up top. It's apparent from the get-go just how much space is available with plenty of expansion slots for all your PCI cards, radiators, and fans.

What's even more exciting with the Dark Base Pro 900 Rev. 2 is that pretty much everything is modular. Want to invert the motherboard? You can do that. Wish to switch out the mesh rear panels? That's possible. Don't like the PSU shroud? Remove it entirely or just detach a few of the top panels. All of this modularity makes it easier to clear the room required to add personal touches to the case, if not for an expansive cooling solution.

Be quiet! includes a whole host of optional extras, too. Bundled inside the case on shipping is a rather large box full of accessories, including extra HDD cages, water pump mounting, further fan brackets, and all the screws you'll need. There are also two RGB LED strips that can be connected to the fan or lighting hub controller, located behind the motherboard tray.

There's more than enough space for even the most complicated water-cooling loops.

This hub can control the speed of connected fans, as well as the lighting using the button on the front panel or the fan control slider behind the front door. Interestingly, you can also connect this hub to your motherboard to synchronize all your installed lighting.

Actually building inside the Dark Base Pro 900 Rev. 2 is a blissful experience, and you can literally pull the case apart before installing anything. This provides so many angles to work with, making the actual process of building a PC almost painless thanks to just how much space is available.

We put together a quick test build to see just how silent the Dark Base Pro 900 Rev. 2 is and to measure thermal performance. We left the default case fan setup intact and tested the case as is, as well as with the front door open, to see if the panel itself restricted airflow enough to impact cooling. Average temperatures were recorded after ten minutes of idle and then a stress test. CPU is an AMD Ryzen 9 3900X. Room temperature was 21 C (70 F).

Category	Idle	Load
Baseline	50 C (122 F)	65C (149 F)
Door open	49 C (120 F)	62C (144 F)

The Dark Base Pro 900 Rev. 2 came in at just 41dB with a room recording of 39dB. This case has enough dampening to prevent most noise from components and fans to barely register on equipment. I was unable to pick up any noise at all from just a foot away.

Where the Be quiet! Dark Base Pro 900 Rev. 2 falls short

The PSU mount and pass-through is annoying to use, and it baffles me why Be quiet! needed to ditch the standard rear bracket for the PSU and have the power supply installed inside the case with an extension cord to reach the rear panel. That means you'll be using the usual power cable, which is then further extended to reach the PSU inside the chassis.

I hope Be quiet! will address this in the third revision, especially because PSU shroud now forces you to remove it to toy with the PSU itself, which is then bolted to this internal bracket. Another improvement that would make a world of difference would be to replace the front magnetic plastic door with a mesh version to aid with airflow. A dust filter could be attached to the rear of the door itself, but such a move would restrict airflow — that's not bad but not fix the best either.

Finally, the tempered glass side window is rather large, making it weigh a fair amount. There's no hinge or latch to secure it to the chassis while you attempt to remove or install the panel. For added peace of mind, it would be nice to see a hinge or latch, mimicking how other case makers like NZXT handle the tempered glass side window.

So should you buy Be quiet! Dark Base Pro 900 Rev. 2?

The Base Pro 900 Rev. 2 is an amazing case, and it should be at this price, but Be quiet! made some strange design choices with the PSU, which may result in some frustration. Aside from that, it's a case modder's dream, with full support for all kinds of builds and water-cooling loops.

If your budget can accommodate such an expensive PC case, you'll be able to tinker around with all the modular parts that make up the Base Pro 900 Rev. 2. The Silent Wings 3 fans are great for providing ample air over components without causing a racket, and the case does a fine job at preventing sound from escaping. It's whisper quiet.

Overall, the case performs really well in tests, allowing enough airflow to pass through the bottom and front vents — though I'd love to see a mesh front door panel for additional fresh air — and it looks just stunning. There's plenty of expansion with most parts of the chassis being modular.

It is truly close to being perfect.

Modder's dream

Be quiet! Dark Base Pro 900 Rev. 2

It's almost a perfect case for PC modding

Be quiet! made a great case with the Dark Base Pro 900 and improved on a few things with this second revision, but the company should have used a normal PSU bracket and ditched the extension.

AeroCool Playa Slim review: A stylish budget PC case with a few compromises

richard.devine@futurenet.com (Richard Devine) — Thu, 27 Jun 2019 13:00:03 +0000

AeroCool Playa Slim

Building a PC both starts and ends with the case you want to put it all in. After all, it'll decide whether you have the space for the build you'd like to create, while also being the thing you'll see the most when it's all assembled.

There is a heap of great PC cases out there, but finding something for a smaller build, particularly on a tighter budget, can still be tricky.

Enter the AeroCool Playa Slim. It looks a fair bit like a games console, and it's not a great deal bigger, either, while still having space inside for a micro ATX motherboard. But is it as good as it looks? Almost.

AeroCool Playa Slim

Bottom line: A solid budget PC case for small builds if you get over the quirks.

Pros

Compact size but supports mATX
RGB lighting on the front
Space for an optical drive
Great price
Decent cable management

Cons

SSD bracket is awkward
Limited on graphics card use
PSU cable can be tough to install
No sync for RGB lighting

What you'll like about the AeroCool Playa Slim

Despite costing less than $40, the Playa Slim is a really nice looking PC case. I've heard it described as a "flattened out PS4", and that's as good a description as any. The front is broken in two by an RGB strip, which is bright and has a few different modes. It adds a bit of flair to what's otherwise a dark metal box.

Small cases have to compromise, but this is surprisingly spacious

It's not unusual that there's no glass window on a case this small or affordable, but it's also one way the cost can be kept so low. You can still peek inside your build, however, thanks to a large perforated section on the left side of the case. There's a similar, but smaller, section on the other side for your power supply to exhaust heat through.

Naturally, with a case this size there are a number of compromises you may have to make. Even so, it's surprisingly spacious, with even a slot for an optical drive, making this a good choice for an HTPC build, too. The case accepts up to a micro ATX motherboard, which is handy since they're usually much more affordable than mini-ITX.

AeroCool Playa Slim

Such a motherboard will handily fill the space allocated to it, but there are still some solid cable routing holes to utilize at the top and bottom. With the right-hand side panel removed, it's no more difficult to route cables than in a much larger case than this. There's also a handy gap behind the optical drive bay big enough to hide any unused cable excess.

Good cable routing is especially important given the location of the power supply. The Playa Slim requires a smaller, SFX size PSU, and it's mounted at the front of the case in a dedicated chamber. Particularly nice is that it's completely hidden from view (even though there's no window), leaving you with a very clean, neatly organized interior.

For my test build, I went with a modest budget setup:

300W GameMax SFX PSU
ASRock B450M-HDV mATX motherboard
AMD Athlon 200GE APU
8GB Corsair Vengeance 2666MHz DDR4 RAM
Samsung 960 Evo 250GB and Crucial 120GB SSD.
A pair of Be Quiet 80mm case fans

There's actually quite a bit of room for storage given the size of this case. Most modern motherboards will have an M.2 SSD slot on them anyway, but the bracket in the Playa Slim allows you to have up to two more 2.5-inch SSDs or a combination 2.5-inch SSD and 3.5-inch HDD if you don't install an optical drive. It's actually quite impressive.

AeroCool Playa Slim

You do get a single 80mm fan included as exhaust, but you're really going to need one on the bottom as well to pull some cool air into the case. When the case is stood in its leg brackets, there's a nice little gap of about 10mm for the bottom fan to draw air in. You don't get any dust filters, though, so you'll need to supply your own. For this build, I simply added a pair of Silverstone 80mm filters over the Be Quiet fans I used.

Even though I've built a budget system in this case, it's still impressive that it stays cool and quiet. There's great airflow running top to bottom, and while there's no GPU installed, a low profile card (all that's supported) like the NVIDIA GT 1030 would be a decent fit.

What you'll dislike about the AeroCool Playa Slim

AeroCool Playa Slim

While there's a lot to like about the AeroCool Playa Slim and the experience of building in it, there are some irritations with it. For one, while you get some fairly sturdy, and actually quite nice looking legs to stand the case up on, there's nothing similar if you want to lay it flat.

You get four foam pads in the parts bag that stick to the right-hand panel so you can lay it down without completely covering up the power supply exhaust holes. They're a means to an end, but this is a case that's very much designed to be stood up.

AeroCool Playa Slim

It's not a deal breaker, but since the product description says you can use it both ways, it's just something to be mindful of. It looks better stood up, anyway.

Depending on your choice of power supply, connecting it could be pretty tight

And while we're on the subject of the power supply, depending on which model you get will depend on how much difficulty you have hooking it up to the pre-installed power cable. Because of its location, the case has a power socket already installed on the back with an extension cable to the chamber. But I found with my PSU, where the connector was facing the top of the case, it was an incredibly tight fit.

The SSD bracket is also needlessly awkward. At first glance, simply undoing two screws removes the whole thing for easy installation of storage or optical drives, but then you actually screw them in. Whichever way around you mount an SSD on the top bracket, you're left with almost no clearance to install a SATA power cable. Moving the screw mounting holes a matter of millimeters in either direction would solve this.

AeroCool Playa Slim

Most of this is irritating, but ultimately problems that can be overcome. In a case like this, you will always have to compromise, and the Playa Slim makes surprisingly few. But the one that might be a deal breaker is that you're severely limited by the type of graphics card you can use.

The case will only house a low profile graphics card, such as the NVIDIA GT 1030 I mentioned above. Not only does that limit your overall performance potential, it limits what you can actually buy. It would have been perhaps better to include a riser card that would allow a vertical mounting of a regular graphics card with two matching slots on the back of the case.

As such, it really is the budget builders that will be looking at this case.

Should you buy the AeroCool Playa Slim?

AeroCool Playa Slim

If you're going to build a budget PC then it should be on your radar. But exactly what type of PC you build will dictate your final decision.

If you're not interested in a graphics card at all, perhaps building with a Ryzen APU or going down the HTPC route, then it's a really good choice. It looks pretty stylish, it's surprisingly easy to build in, even with the irritations and compromises, gets good bottom to top airflow and has a pleasing amount of space for storage.

The biggest compromise and potentially the dealbreaker for you may be the graphics card situation. I'm not an engineer, but there are plenty of small cases in the world that still allow you to use a full-sized graphics card in your build. Not being able to pick one of the best graphics cards available will kill it for many.

But if this fits your build, then it's a good choice at a really great price.

Budget building

AeroCool Playa Slim

Some awkwardness and compromises, but pretty good value

You won't be building a monster gaming rig in this tiny case, but if you get over the compromises and the awkward nature of the SSD bracket and PSU location, it's actually a really nice case for a budget PC build.

NZXT H500 vs H500i: Which PC case should you buy?

rich.edmonds@futurenet.com (Rich Edmonds) — Thu, 20 Jun 2019 12:00:02 +0000

NZXT H500

Sleek mid-tower

The H500 is a great mid-tower PC case with some awesome features like good airflow, support for cable management, and it even comes with a front-panel USB 3.0 ports. If you're not a fan of lighting and other PC mods, this is the case for you.

Pros

Sleek design
Good airflow
Value
Cable management

Cons

No Smart Device
No GPU mount

NZXT H500i

Colorful upgrade

The H500i is a solid upgrade over the "normal" version. All that's different is the inclusion of NZXT's Smart Device, which can hook up to LED strips and fans with full support for CAM software. You get the same good airflow, support for cable management, and USB 3.0 ports, but you're paying more for the additional mods.

Pros

Sleek design
Good airflow
Smart lighting
Cable management

Cons

More expensive

Choosing between the H500 and H500i comes down to how large your budget is, as well as whether you need (or want) to install RGB lighting and connect compatible fans for CAM software to control everything. There's also the fact the H500i has vertical GPU mount support.

NZXT H500 vs H500i specifications

Both the NZXT H500 and H500i are nearly identical on paper, sporting the same dimensions, ports, build quality, tempered glass window side, and more. NZXT bundles two Aer F120mm fans with the H500 and H500i, which can be installed when putting together your build.

	NZXT H500	NZXT H500i
Size	Mid-tower	Mid-tower
Fans	Front: 2x 120/140mm Top: 1x 120/140mm Rear: 1x 120mm	Front: 2x 120/140mm Top: 1x 120/140mm Rear: 1x 120mm
Radiators	Front: up to 280mm Rear: 1x 120mm	Front: up to 280mm Rear: 1x 120mm
Material	SECC Steel Tempered Glass	SECC Steel Tempered Glass
Motherboard	ATX Micro-ATX Mini-ITX	ATX Micro-ATX Mini-ITX
I/O	2x USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A 1x Headset audio jack 1x microphone jack	2x USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A 1x Headset audio jack 1x microphone jack
HDD bays	2.5-inch: 2+1 3.5-inch: 2+1	2.5-inch: 2+1 3.5-inch: 2+1
Filters	All intakes	All intakes
RGB lighting	-	✓
Vertical GPU	-	✓
Weight	6.6kg	6.8kg
Dimensions	210 x 460 x 428mm	210 x 460 x 428mm
Warranty	2-years	2-years

NZXT H500 vs H500i colorful differences

The H500 and H500i are mostly the same with both chassis coming with similar color options and internal layouts. While the "intelligent" model includes some RGB lighting strips and Smart Device, there's also the inclusion of a vertical GPU mount. This kit allows you to mount your GPU vertically, showing off the fans and overall design of the GPU while also providing better clearance between it and the motherboard.

The RGB strips are part of the latest HUE family of NZXT products, providing illumination for the entire case. The money required for these additional features actually works out to be a better value compared to buying the H500 and necessary NZXT RGB kit thereafter. There is a slight drawback to having an RGB kit included with the case, but that's only if you want to use a third-party lighting solution.

While the Smart Device is a great addition to make the H500i price easier to digest, it would have been good to see the vertical mount support implemented into the baseline H500. You'd need to put up with colorful lighting effects or remove the kit altogether, which would make the additional cost harder to justify.

When you only want a decent case

If all you care about is grabbing a PC case that looks good and works well as a base for some killer builds, look no further than the H500. If RGB lighting isn't quite your thing, this version of the H500i will save you money and weight.

Sleek mid-tower

NZXT H500

Excellent mid-tower PC case for stunning builds.

NZXT has done a great job with the aesthetics of the H-series and the H500 is a great middle ground for most PC builds. If you want your PC to look as good as it runs, this is a killer option.

Go with the H500i to create a light show

When the standard H500 is a little too boring for those who want to go all out with lighting and other case mods, the H500i is a solid upgrade for the price. The additional cost bags you the Smart Device, which can hook up to the included RGB strips and any compatible fans, as well as vertical GPU mounting support.

Colorful upgrade

NZXT H500i

For those who love packing in RGB lighting and more into a PC.

The i, standing for "intelligent", is an advanced version of the H500, taking everything that makes the case so good and adding full support for NZXT's Smart Device, so you can hook up all your LED strips and fans.

NZXT emerges from the vault with Fallout-themed H500 PC case

rich.edmonds@futurenet.com (Rich Edmonds) — Tue, 16 Apr 2019 14:07:41 +0000

NZXT teamed up with Bethesda to roll out a new PC case for Fallout fans. The new Vault Boy H500 case offers all the great features system builders appreciate with the case and throws some excellent design elements from the post-apocalyptic world of vaults. As well as the new H500 case, NZXT has some custom painted metal covers for the upcoming N7 Z390 motherboard.

When putting together a themed system, it's ideal to use a case with custom design elements that match your chosen theme. The new Vault Boy H500 is blue with yellow accents both inside and outside of the chassis. The Vault-Tech logo is also present with the H500 tempered glass side window to showcase all installed components. Using both the N7 Z390 metal covers with the Vault Boy case allows you to create your very own Fallout PC with ease.

Since manufacturing in a post-apocalyptic environment is limited, only 1,000 Vault Boy H500 cases and 400 N7 Z390 metal covers will be produced. As an added bonus, when purchasing the H500 case, you'll receive a unique numbered limited edition plaque and a Fallout puck for your headset.

The Vault Boy H500 will set you back $165 in the U.S. and $150 worldwide and is available right now, while the N7 Z390 Vault Boy cover will be released alongside the motherboard in May for $50.

NZXT launches new Overwatch-themed H500 PC case for system builders

rich.edmonds@futurenet.com (Rich Edmonds) — Tue, 19 Feb 2019 15:00:03 +0000

Blizzard and NZXT have teamed up to create a new H500 PC chassis themed to the popular FPS game Overwatch. The H500 is already a stellar platform to build a PC, featuring a sleek tempered glass side window to show off all your expensive internal components. Now, Overwatch fans have a new way to showcase support for their favorite PC game.

The case itself is made of steel, painted black internally with plenty of cable management points for streamline and clean builds. It wouldn't be an Overwatch case without some branding, and this H500 case houses a luminous logo on the front panel. Black, white, and orange colors are also employed throughout the outer shell.

You can also go all out in terms of performance by installing a water cooling system. This mid-tower case is perfect for most gaming rig builds and the best part is it's available now for $149.99. If you're not a fan of Overwatch, the H500 from NZXT is still a fantastic case, and you can buy one without the fancy branding.

Phanteks P400 review: An exquisite (and affordable) PC case with tempered glass

rich.edmonds@futurenet.com (Rich Edmonds) — Tue, 01 Aug 2017 13:00:02 +0000

Coming in at just $90, the P400 Tempered Glass by Phanteks is an affordable but premium case for stunning PC builds. Tempered glass is becoming more common in cases as companies look to differentiate their options from the competition, and glass allows builders to showcase internals clearer than traditional plastic panels. The P400 actually comes in at $10 less than the Tempered Glass edition but sacrifices the glass for a side panel with a smaller plastic window.

How's the case in general? And is the Tempered Glass version worth the full $90? Let's find out.

See at Amazon

Hey, good lookin'

The first thing that will catch your eye is the design. After unboxing the case, it's required to take a moment to step back and just take in the overall look and build. It's difficult to believe this case costs less than $90, which is excellent news for those looking to build showcase PCs that effectively hide the price tag. Taking this case to a LAN event will turn some heads for all the right reasons.

On the front, we have a metal front panel that can be easily removed to gain access to fan mounts and two dust filters. What surprised me is the design of the connectors that hold the panel in place. These hooks make it far easier to detach and reattach the panel compared to other cases.

The right panel is completely clean, just your usual sheet of metal that screws on the rear. The glass panel on the left is a full window without any metal bezels, so Phanteks has made it so the tempered glass is screwed on the side, as opposed to the rear as normal. For the top, we have the usual array of I/O ports, including two USB 3.0 connections, as well as dedicated jacks for headphones and a microphone. A central power button is joined by three buttons hidden under the ridge — reset, fan speed, and LED control.

We reviewed the white version of the P400 Tempered Glass, but this case is also available in black, gray, black and white, and black and red. Pricing may vary, depending on which option you opt for. What's great about tempered glass is how not only does the material look vastly improved compared to plastic, but there are also other benefits like enhanced sound insulation (ideal for noisy GPU fans), and durability — just remember to pay careful attention when removing or attaching the panel so you don't scratch it.

Phanteks has clearly gone down the route of less is more when it comes to internals and clutter. There are no drive bays visible, same with the PSU, and both are contained within a shroud, which is commonplace in more expensive PC cases. This makes it easy to plan out more interesting builds with even full-sized ATX motherboards and look at the installation of water-cooling loop radiators.

The LED lighting on the front hooks up to Phantek's own management circuitry that can be added to and controlled by motherboard utilities (think ASUS Strix). There's a nice glow underneath the front panel, which lights up the Phanteks logo. Hitting the LED switch on the front will cycle through ten colors, while holding it down will disable the lighting altogether. The power button light is also hooked up to this system, making it possible to have all lighting on the case controlled by software.

A strong foundation

A case isn't all about good looks, however. Luckily, Phanteks paid extra attention to throwing in a number of components and hooking everything up. Dimensions come in at 210 mm x 465 mm x 470 mm, so it's not massive but large enough to house many components. From the get-go, we have a total of four expansion slots to play with, two for 3.5-inch drivers, and two for 2.5-inch drivers. The former two can also be used to house a further two solid state drives (SSDs). If more than two 3.5-inch mechanical drives need to be installed, it's possible to add a mounting kit to unlock four more

That's the storage, but one needs the power to provide juice to everything, and this is where a full-sized PSU comes into play, which (as covered already) sits comfortably beneath the lower shroud. This also allows for massive, power-hungry GPUs to be installed, and in SLI or CrossFire configuration if required. Throw in a powerful CPU and we now have quite the heat generator. Thankfully, there are a number of cooling options available with the P400.

As for the case quality, Phanteks used premium materials to put everything together, and there's little in the way of flex. Sharp edging has been rounded. As an added bonus, there are a number of extras included for good measures, such as excellent cable management, rubber grommets, and full support for RGB lighting.

And when it's time to show all of this off to the outside world, the P400 is lightweight, even when fully packed with gear. Before installing internals, the case itself only weighs 7 kg (15.4 lbs).

Purchasing the Tempered Glass edition of the P400 also lands the owner with a bundled magnetic LED strip. This can be hooked up to the lighting controller inside the case, which can then be controlled by the switch on the front of the motherboard. Again, this is yet another handy addition that adds value to the case as a whole. Should you wish to add some lighting to your PC build, there's essentially everything you require to get started.

Installation

We encountered no issues with the installation of a full-sized ATX motherboard, GTX 1070 (Zotac AMP! Extreme) and a total of five Corsair AF fans. We opted for a Cooler Master Evo cooler for the Intel CPU to see just how much clearing was left between the top of the fan tower and the glass panel but were not disappointed. Cable management was a breeze, utilizing the built-in velcro straps on the rear of the motherboard tray. It's a shame that one has to route GRPU power cabling through the rubber grommets, which can make things a little difficult to adequately tidy up. But overall it wasn't a problem.

Having the SSD bays located alongside the right panel behind the motherboard is a solid design choice to help keep everything in the main bay area looking clean. As noted already, you're going to hit some hurdles when it comes to water-cooling. All-in-one solutions shouldn't be much of an issue, but attempting to install a custom loop in the P400 is going to be a challenge. The top fan mounts will not be able to house a radiator, which only leaves the front panel that could intrude on precious space required for a reservoir and pump.

Cabling for the front I/O had more than enough length, and hooking everything up to the onboard lighting controller was easy. It's a mid-tower PC case with ample space inside for everything that should fit inside such a form factor.

Wrapping up

Overall, this case is a solid investment. Phanteks has shown that just because savings can be had on a case, it doesn't mean basic features should be skipped. For $90, it's possible to pick up a PC case with a tempered glass window panel, excellent cable management for powerful builds, and full support for advanced RGB lighting featured in more expensive motherboards.

It's difficult to pick faults once everything has been put together and even more of a challenge to locate a case that offers better value.

Pros

Solid construction.
Stunning design.
Excellent value.
Tempered glass.

Cons

Limited space for water-cooling.
Cost-savings include lack of a manual.

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Show off your compact PC with the NZXT S340

rich.edmonds@futurenet.com (Rich Edmonds) — Mon, 26 Dec 2016 13:00:07 +0000

The S340 is a mid-tower from NZXT and offers an array of handy features that not only make the case a joy to use in most PC builds, but also makes operating an overclocked system a breeze (quite literally). From the get-go you have a stunning chassis with a transparent side panel. This isn't glass and is easily scratched and smudged with fingerprints, but can be deployed to showcase all the LEDs in the world and RGB components. Just, you know, don't go fondling it.

It's not the largest case by any means, measuring in at 203mm x 474mm x 432mm. Up front you have a clean panel that's actually connected to the main unit via a few clips. This allows for ample airflow to be drawn from both the top and bottom of this pane. There's the NZXT logo towards the bottom and that's about it. Up top on the main body is the power button, two USB 3.0 ports and headphone and microphone jacks.

Behind the I/O panel is a 140mm fan grill (which also supports 120mm fans). This can be used to either draw in or exhaust air, depending on how you have everything else configured. On the back is a single 120mm fan grill along with an opening for a motherboard shield, PSU mount and a total of 7 PCI slots.You can easily run multiple graphics cards in this case in SLI and CrossFire modes.

Underneath there's a grill for the PSU. Unfortunately, if you happen to be one who enjoys having the PSU facing upwards and exhausting warm air from within the chassis, you'll need to install the unit facing down in the S340. This is due to the shroud that separates the PSU and messy cabling from the rest of the case. It's worth the switch and makes everything look tidy.

Speaking of grills and fan vents, there are two dust filters included with the S340 that should help keep the components free from dust. One attaches to the PSU grill, while another covers the entire length of the front panel and is held in place by a single clip and a few magnets. They're both easy to remove to clean and add to the overall presentation of your PC, because this is one of those cases you want to take to a LAN party to show off — ideally without everything inside being caked in dust.

The front panel can hold up to a 240mm radiator, ideal for all-in-one water-cooling solutions for the CPU or GPU. Alternatively, you can install a 120mm radiator on the rear vent. Due to the restriction of space, especially if you happen to install a GPU with a massive shroud, you'll be hard pressed to design a custom water-cooling solution for the S340.

It certainly is a compact platform to build in, but the available cut outs on the central panel make it easy to route cables and install various cable ties to avoid creating Spaghetti City. Full ATX motherboards and even the largest GPUs will be able to call the S340 a home. I really like how even though everything looks cramped inside, it's actually well ventilated with certain components, like the PSU and hard drives, hidden away.

If you're hunting down a case that not only looks the part, but can keep your components cool under load and is also easy to maintain, take a good look at the NZXT S340. Just be careful when placing things on the matte finish top. It can scratch real easy.

At the time of writing, the S340 is priced at $69.99, and is available in glossy white, black, matte black and blue, matte black and red, as well as a special Razer edition ($94.99).

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