What you need to know
- NZXT's H1 PC case is still a fire hazard.
- The company's CEO shared a message regarding the H1 safety issue.
- NZXT addressed the issue last month, but it was "not the complete solution for the H1 fire hazard," according to NZXT.
NZXT's CEO, Johnny Hou, issued a statement (opens in new tab) regarding the H1 PC case's safety issue. Despite NZXT addressing the issue last month, the company explains that its nylon screw solution was "not the complete solution for the H1 fire hazard." The company's fix did not address the root cause of the issue and left the H1 case as a fire hazard for anyone who swapped the nylon screws out for metal ones.
The H1 case from NZXT was recalled on December 22, 2020 following safety concerns. NZXT later made the case available for purchase again following some changes.
The fire hazard is caused by two screws that attach to the PCIe riser assembly that can cause an electrical short that can lead to a fire. The resolution to this issue was to replace the metal screws with nylon ones.
NZXT also sent out repair kits to people so that they could swap the screws on cases that had already been purchased.
The fix, however, did not address the root cause of the issue, as outlined by Hou. The company did not account for the fact that people might swap out the nylon screws for metal ones without recognizing the risk they'd be causing.
Now, NZXT is removing the H1 case from its store and sending out redesigned PCIe Gen3 riser assemblies to anyone with a current H1 case. The company also commits to a " more robust and thorough design processes" going forward.
NZXT's response to this issue has been met with criticism from customers and the media. Gamers Nexus posted a video on January 31, 2021 that goes over the risks of the NZXT H1 case. The video calls NZXT irresponsible and dangerous and calls or the H1 to be recalled. That video now has almost 485,000 views and is largely credited with drawing attention to the H1's issues. NZXT actually thanks Gamers Nexus in the Hou's statement.
Following today's message from the CEO of NZXT, several people posed questions to the company on Twitter. Below, we'll share some of the tweets, though the thread continues to grow with additional criticism.
Really sad that it took being publicly called out into doing the right thing..
Shoutout to Gamers Nexus having consumers backsReally sad that it took being publicly called out into doing the right thing..
Shoutout to Gamers Nexus having consumers backs— Dan :) (@itzcrazydan) February 2, 2021February 2, 2021
Shouldn't you have known how many cases have been sold? Tracking units moved seems like retail 101 pic.twitter.com/XPR98LCitrShouldn't you have known how many cases have been sold? Tracking units moved seems like retail 101 pic.twitter.com/XPR98LCitr— Maxli Catenby (@Maxli_C) February 2, 2021February 2, 2021
pic.twitter.com/YLEyfaCb2fpic.twitter.com/YLEyfaCb2f— Luke Quill (@lu_qll) February 2, 2021February 2, 2021
Hou's statement also has an FAQ section that address questions including, "I have an H1. What do I do now?" and "Why did NZXT take so long to address the PCIe Riser issue?"
If you're on the hunt for a PC case, you can check out our collection of the best PC cases.
