NZXT H5 Flow Case Review: Thermals, Cable Management, & Noise
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Date: 2022-10-25
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Comments and reviews: 15
The13thRonin
I'm starting to believe that the companies designing and manufacturing cases don't understand what they're doing at all. They either load the case up with tempered glass and RGB and the whole thing reaches the surface temperature of the sun or they panic when they realize that people actually want airflow and just punch some holes in the front and call it a day. I recognize that this case is far from the worst offender but it just kind of rubs me the wrong way that we have to start making excuses for such large companies because through repeated failure they have dropped the bar so low. It should not be this hard to make a metal box that solely exists to a) contain PC components in a tidy and organised manner and b) allow effective and quiet cooling of said components.
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I'm starting to believe that the companies designing and manufacturing cases don't understand what they're doing at all. They either load the case up with tempered glass and RGB and the whole thing reaches the surface temperature of the sun or they panic when they realize that people actually want airflow and just punch some holes in the front and call it a day. I recognize that this case is far from the worst offender but it just kind of rubs me the wrong way that we have to start making excuses for such large companies because through repeated failure they have dropped the bar so low. It should not be this hard to make a metal box that solely exists to a) contain PC components in a tidy and organised manner and b) allow effective and quiet cooling of said components.
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Corporalis
I really like the case tests but I will never understand how testing in stock config with 1 fan is a fair test...
Yes adding 2 fans here makes it more even but if we are honest one would add 2 fans front and 2 fans top.
I think testing them stock is okay as long as you also compare them in real use case with full fan config and then compare them to other cases with a realistic fan equipment.
Like a Case with 2 fans (one front one back) is outperformed by a cheaper case with 4 fans stock (3 front one back), duh, didnt see that comming...
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I really like the case tests but I will never understand how testing in stock config with 1 fan is a fair test...
Yes adding 2 fans here makes it more even but if we are honest one would add 2 fans front and 2 fans top.
I think testing them stock is okay as long as you also compare them in real use case with full fan config and then compare them to other cases with a realistic fan equipment.
Like a Case with 2 fans (one front one back) is outperformed by a cheaper case with 4 fans stock (3 front one back), duh, didnt see that comming...
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Eonymia
I took the hard drive cage out of my define 7 compact, and managed to fit the second fan from my NH-D15 down there thanks to the 120mm fan mounting holes it has. I had to replace the front fan on the D15 with a 120mm one due to case compatibility anyway. I imagine the duct would help direct the airflow better, but I found this an interesting solution in the define 7 in any case. Then again, I'm also blocking the front mounting location on the top panel with a HDD mount adapter, so my setup is kind of weird in multiple ways.
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I took the hard drive cage out of my define 7 compact, and managed to fit the second fan from my NH-D15 down there thanks to the 120mm fan mounting holes it has. I had to replace the front fan on the D15 with a 120mm one due to case compatibility anyway. I imagine the duct would help direct the airflow better, but I found this an interesting solution in the define 7 in any case. Then again, I'm also blocking the front mounting location on the top panel with a HDD mount adapter, so my setup is kind of weird in multiple ways.
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WallacEngineering
I would recommend to GN that you begin adding tests that add a reasonable amount of fans to a case. I have never met someone who bought a case and only ran the case with included fans unless the case comes with a VERY GOOD or almost perfect setup from the factory which is extremely rare. Almost everyone has to buy fans for their case. However, GN could balance these reviews by adding the prices of said fans to the price of the case and THEN comparing Apples to Apples on which is a better Bang-For-Your-Buck .
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I would recommend to GN that you begin adding tests that add a reasonable amount of fans to a case. I have never met someone who bought a case and only ran the case with included fans unless the case comes with a VERY GOOD or almost perfect setup from the factory which is extremely rare. Almost everyone has to buy fans for their case. However, GN could balance these reviews by adding the prices of said fans to the price of the case and THEN comparing Apples to Apples on which is a better Bang-For-Your-Buck .
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Narei
I think a toilet bowl fan is a great idea (context people, CONTEXT!), but it sounds like this case is a bit on the small side for it in addition to the missing front fans. I wonder if GPU thermals would improve much if you modded it with custom duct from the bottom fan directly to the under side of the GPU, preventing the air from bypassing around the sides. That, plus a couple of front fans could make for a decent build if you are into case modding and already have a couple extra fans laying around.
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I think a toilet bowl fan is a great idea (context people, CONTEXT!), but it sounds like this case is a bit on the small side for it in addition to the missing front fans. I wonder if GPU thermals would improve much if you modded it with custom duct from the bottom fan directly to the under side of the GPU, preventing the air from bypassing around the sides. That, plus a couple of front fans could make for a decent build if you are into case modding and already have a couple extra fans laying around.
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Corey
I know you are going to hate this, it's more work. But I would like to see this chart broken down by case class. The pop air is a mid tower, this case is matx. Facatal has an matx, the pop air mini, you have not tested. I believe that all other things being equal, a smaller case is going to run a little hotter. Both the pop air and flow have a least two sizes that are mostly identical, The H7 flow is also cooler than this case and I assume is the same basic design sans fan placement.
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I know you are going to hate this, it's more work. But I would like to see this chart broken down by case class. The pop air is a mid tower, this case is matx. Facatal has an matx, the pop air mini, you have not tested. I believe that all other things being equal, a smaller case is going to run a little hotter. Both the pop air and flow have a least two sizes that are mostly identical, The H7 flow is also cooler than this case and I assume is the same basic design sans fan placement.
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itech
I think it's time to move on from testing stock fan configuration. Or at least don't spend so much time on it. No one uses stock. That's like testing cpu's with stock heatsink and fan. Your audience doesn't use stock. People spend 350- 1000 for gpu's, hundreds for cpu's, etc.. and you think they won't spend 40 on fans after all the research they've done on building a pc? Most people yank out stock fans anyway because they are less than optimal.
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I think it's time to move on from testing stock fan configuration. Or at least don't spend so much time on it. No one uses stock. That's like testing cpu's with stock heatsink and fan. Your audience doesn't use stock. People spend 350- 1000 for gpu's, hundreds for cpu's, etc.. and you think they won't spend 40 on fans after all the research they've done on building a pc? Most people yank out stock fans anyway because they are less than optimal.
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Allan
AIOs are very popular and I'm not a fan of included fans in general anyway. That extra duct down there is a great feature in a case where you have the CPU AIO in the front. I think you are particularly harsh on the case and oddly even you guys put an AIO in the front and yet overlook this configuration for some reason. In fact, case testing should probably include an AIO in the front and top locations.
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AIOs are very popular and I'm not a fan of included fans in general anyway. That extra duct down there is a great feature in a case where you have the CPU AIO in the front. I think you are particularly harsh on the case and oddly even you guys put an AIO in the front and yet overlook this configuration for some reason. In fact, case testing should probably include an AIO in the front and top locations.
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aserta
10:46 i wonder... do they even know this thing? Is this a thing they're aware of? Because i was watching MCM, people who have worked and driven cars all their lives, made a living out of it, even if it's medium to pro level... and Marty didn't know a certain trick that's actually common. The more i go forward in time, the more i see this kind of stuff, the more i wonder: do they even know ???
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10:46 i wonder... do they even know this thing? Is this a thing they're aware of? Because i was watching MCM, people who have worked and driven cars all their lives, made a living out of it, even if it's medium to pro level... and Marty didn't know a certain trick that's actually common. The more i go forward in time, the more i see this kind of stuff, the more i wonder: do they even know ???
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Ioannis
I just ordered this case, what are the odds for this video dropping at the right time?
Also ordered a NZXT Kraken X63, NZXT C750 Watt PSU, N7 B550 Motherboard, 2x NZXT RGB Fans, and the Ryzen 7 5800x, which i kinda regret tbh. after watching some benchmarks, there is barely any difference in most games compared to a 5600x, and it runs significantly hotter (and paid more on top)
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I just ordered this case, what are the odds for this video dropping at the right time?
Also ordered a NZXT Kraken X63, NZXT C750 Watt PSU, N7 B550 Motherboard, 2x NZXT RGB Fans, and the Ryzen 7 5800x, which i kinda regret tbh. after watching some benchmarks, there is barely any difference in most games compared to a 5600x, and it runs significantly hotter (and paid more on top)
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itech
I could easily solve the problem of the high PC case prices. JUST... REMOVE... THE... STOCK... FANS!!! Nobody needs them! You can buy your own fans which could be in better quality, more durable and more silent, not the ones what most case manufacturers attach to their product. I don't want to pay extra money for some totally sh tty fans, I want to buy my own quality ones!
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I could easily solve the problem of the high PC case prices. JUST... REMOVE... THE... STOCK... FANS!!! Nobody needs them! You can buy your own fans which could be in better quality, more durable and more silent, not the ones what most case manufacturers attach to their product. I don't want to pay extra money for some totally sh tty fans, I want to buy my own quality ones!
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4RMUND
Hey Gamers Nexus,
short question to your charts. How do you choose which cases to show in the chart? Because in the overall comparision some cases show up in some charts but not in others. E.g. The Dark Base pro 900 on the noise level chart is at the top. But in all the other charts it's missing.
Great Videos as always! Very thorough testing, keep up the great work!
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Hey Gamers Nexus,
short question to your charts. How do you choose which cases to show in the chart? Because in the overall comparision some cases show up in some charts but not in others. E.g. The Dark Base pro 900 on the noise level chart is at the top. But in all the other charts it's missing.
Great Videos as always! Very thorough testing, keep up the great work!
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Jorge
wow!, they have changed those plastic legs to attach the front panel?, really?.
I had the Phantom and ten years later the h710i (what a crap case for more than 100 ) and they still used the same crap plastic legs instead of iman.
Perhaps they have changed the generic Chinese supplier that manufactures the products to put their name on it.(its just a guess)
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wow!, they have changed those plastic legs to attach the front panel?, really?.
I had the Phantom and ten years later the h710i (what a crap case for more than 100 ) and they still used the same crap plastic legs instead of iman.
Perhaps they have changed the generic Chinese supplier that manufactures the products to put their name on it.(its just a guess)
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Owen
Your product reviews are the ones I always wait for before biting the bullet. Would you consider reviewing the Jonsbo D30? I think it s very aesthetically nice, love how understated it is, and seems to have good reviews. The only thing i m worried about is the fan intake spots are slightly different than a standard case and Im curious if the thermals are okay
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Your product reviews are the ones I always wait for before biting the bullet. Would you consider reviewing the Jonsbo D30? I think it s very aesthetically nice, love how understated it is, and seems to have good reviews. The only thing i m worried about is the fan intake spots are slightly different than a standard case and Im curious if the thermals are okay
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Praxics
Hu... almost?
If they added holes to the back panel including the slot covers, increased the height to give better clearance between the PSU shroud and the GPU, add two front fans and one fan on the back top this could do actually really well.
The bottom forward fan is a pretty nifty idea I must say.
They were so close to make a really good case.
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Hu... almost?
If they added holes to the back panel including the slot covers, increased the height to give better clearance between the PSU shroud and the GPU, add two front fans and one fan on the back top this could do actually really well.
The bottom forward fan is a pretty nifty idea I must say.
They were so close to make a really good case.
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