The PC case market seems to be stuck in a stagnation with nothing being released to drive competition. It's still the same old Lian Li O11 Dynamic clone affair, but thankfully NZXT is trying to perfect its popular H7 Flow with a small redesign to get even more cool air into the case, allowing for better thermal management. This 2024 version of the NZXT H7 Flow features a few changes, most notably the base plate, PSU shroud, and case feet. The rest of the case is almost identical to its predecessor, which isn't a bad thing since the H7 Flow was a great platform.
Like the previous generation H7 Flow, there's easy access to plenty of cool air through the front and now the bottom as well. Cable management is some of the best in the PC case industry. Assembling a PC in the NZXT H7 Flow is so straightforward that even a novice can put together a neat system. It's not too expensive and looks premium regardless of whether you opt for one in black or white. This is one of the best mid-tower PC cases if you don't like the aquarium look. It's just a shame there's no RGB lighting.
About this review: NZXT provided XDA with a sample for this review but had no influence on the content.
NZXT H7 Flow
I was a fan of the previous H7 Flow and this latest version improves on the formula with better cooling performance, a cleaner design, and the same easy build process and cable management that I love and expect from NZXT.
- Excellent thermal performance
- Cleaner look with smaller power supply cover
- First-class cable routing
- Stunning minimalist design
- Processing quality and finish
- No RGB lighting
- Dust filtration
- No vertical GPU support
Price, specifications and availability
For $127, the NZXT Flow (2024) offers good value for money with some premium features and a clean design. With dimensions of 544 x 244 x 468mm, you will have no problem fitting an E-ATX motherboard into the case. There is enough space inside for a GPU up to 410mm long and the separate PSU partition can accommodate a 200mm unit. Two 3.5″ drive slots can be used for larger hard drives or smaller 2.5″ SSDs and two more 2.5″ mounts are located behind the motherboard tray. You can install numerous drives with a few M.2 slots on the motherboard.
A CPU cooler under 185mm will easily fit inside the tempered glass side panel, although you probably won't need a huge cooler given the number of fans that can be installed in the NZXT Flow. It's a compact case with plenty of high-end features at a reasonable price.
What I like
This is the second generation H7 since the original came out in 2023 to replace the outdated NZXT H700. The redesigned mid-tower case offers improved airflow, cleaner aesthetics, and solid build quality. The 2024 NZXT H7 Flow ups the ante with additional fan mounts, a cleaner interior design, and more room for larger components. NZXT has managed to do this without increasing the case's footprint. The dimensions are slightly different, but compared to the 2023 H7, it's not much bigger.
The NZXT H7 Flow continues to resemble any other modern NZXT case. There is a large mesh panel at the front for maximum airflow. The right side is empty except for the PSU fan grill. The left panel is a huge piece of tempered glass and the back has the usual PCI slots, I/O cutout and single fan mount. NZXT has made changes to the bottom of the case so that up to three 120mm fans can be installed for better GPU cooling. To achieve this, the PSU is installed sideways behind the smaller PSU shroud and draws cool air in through the side panel.
Front I/O consists of two USB-A ports, a single USB-C port, and a 3.5mm audio jack. It's not quite as good as some other PC cases with almost twice as many USB ports, but it's not terrible. All panels slide out without the need for a screwdriver, making PC building (and maintenance) easy. There's impressive clearance for even the biggest and best graphics card you can afford. It's a good-looking case with excellent features. The build quality is immediately apparent. The packaging has been improved to better protect the larger glass panel, and the minimalist interior design has been ramped up to the best.
As you'd expect from an NZXT case, there's ample cable routing and up to 10 fans ensure your components will never experience thermal throttling unless you plan on pushing the limits by overclocking.
Putting together a system in the NZXT H7 Flow is easy. All panels can be removed without tools and everything is held together with high-quality clips. As you would expect from an NZXT case, there is ample cable routing and up to 10 fans ensure that your components will never suffer from thermal throttling unless you plan on pushing the limits by overclocking. The H7 Flow accommodates air coolers and AIO liquid kits depending on your preference. Access to everything is easy and since the PSU is behind the motherboard rather than in its own cover, quick cable changes are possible.
With this case, you can plan a mid-range budget system or one with a custom open-loop cooling solution with multiple radiators. Anything is possible. Temperatures were in the range of other PC cases, partly due to the enormous amount of air that can be drawn through the vents. You can even run an AMD Ryzen 9 or Intel Core i9 processor comfortably.
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What I don't like
No PC case is perfect, and the NZXT H7 Flow has a few areas that could be improved. The first is dust filtration. Since there are no removable filters, you have to rely on the perforated holes to catch enough particles and wipe all surfaces clean, but that doesn't stop all dust from entering the case. Fortunately, the inside of the H7 Flow is so minimalistic that a thorough cleaning of the system shouldn't take as long as some other cases. NZXT's own N7 motherboards have two internal USB-A 3 headers, but this case has “only” two USB-A 3 ports and a single USB-C 3 port. It would have been nice to see two additional ports to connect absolutely everything.
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Should you buy the NZXT H7 Flow?
You should buy the NZXT H7 Flow if:
- You want outstanding cooling performance.
- They have powerful internal components.
- You want a PC case that is easy to work with.
You should not buy the NZXT H7 Flow if:
- You want a PC case for under $100.
- You want RGB lighting.
Building a PC in the NZXT H7 Flow is a breeze (pardon the pun). It's a beautiful case with plenty of premium features, but still priced aggressively to take on competition from Corsair, Lian Li, be quiet!, and other brands. The build quality is superb. The panels fit perfectly and everything seems to have been designed with intent rather than form, which has sometimes been the case with NZXT in the past. One flaw I found with this design is dust filtration, or lack thereof. There is none. NZXT relies on mash-style perforated panels for this task and I haven't had enough time to see if they work.
I am a huge fan of this case and believe the H7 Flow 2024 is one of the best NZXT has made to date.
The previous generation NZXT H-series cases had removable dust filters, so the design team must have put this thing through its paces to see how much dust it could keep out. I'll update this review after the test system has been running for a month or so to check on the dust buildup inside the case. Aside from that, and the lack of RGB lighting on this particular SKU, you have a beautiful foundation for a powerful PC. The huge tempered glass side panel is beautiful, and the inside of the NZXT H7 Flow is incredibly clean, especially when using an NZXT motherboard with a white (or black) cover.
I am a huge fan of this case and believe the H7 Flow 2024 is one of the best NZXT has made to date.
NZXT H7 Flow
The 2024 version of the NZXT H7 Flow transforms the mid-tower case into a dual-chamber PC case with a smaller PSU shroud and space for even more fans. With up to three 120mm fans on the bottom, there is enough thermal capacity for more powerful PC builds.