A Closer Look - Inside

Looking at the interior there is a distinct sense that NZXT was really able to realize all their design ideas for a modern case with the H7 series. While the H5 looks nice, it is distinctly more traditional and still has a resemblance to the previous generations in some details. This H7 Flow in turn really detaches itself from design constraints its predecessors set. While the exterior of the enclosure is dictated by straight lines and sharp corners, the interior sports lots of gentle curves as if to guide the airflow gently around them. The motherboard tray is basically embedded, so it will melt into the design.


This is cohesive with how the fans in the floor are to be mounted, all of which should make for a beautiful looking system in the end. With the upright PSU, there is really no need for a big shroud anymore. Instead, the H7 Flow is essentially transformed into much more of a modern dual-chamber chassis. There is so much room at the bottom, but NZXT doesn't explicitly mention any other use except air cooling. As such, this feels a bit underutilized. The area behind the motherboard is tooled in a simple but very sensible fashion, as we will see later on.


Across the opening of the CPU are, you will find a mounting bracket for hard drives in the form of 2.5" or 3.5" drives. It is secured by a classic screw, which feels a bit odd. Instead, this design could be tweaked slightly to allow for a thumb screw instead. To the left of that, there are six smooth black, NZXT branded Velcro straps, with two additional ones across the top of edge of the case. These are secured with screws, so you are able to tighten them easily. While the H7 Flow doesn't have a lot of hooks for additional cable management, these Velcro strips are so well-placed that we will attempt to forgo zip ties altogether. There is a clean area at the top edge of the case, which is clearly intended for controllers and labeled as such.


On the floor of the case, you will find a small HDD cage which can hold two additional 2.5" drives, bringing the total to a solid four classic storage units that can be installed inside the NZXT H7 Flow. This cage is held in place by a thumbscrew, so removing does not require any tools. Above that, in the front, you can clearly see the three intake fans on the exterior of the frame. Unfortunately these are not PWM based, even though NZXT includes a 3-way splitter cable that is. The case is tall enough to allow for radiators of up to 420 mm in size, while also offering enough depth for uncompromising thick radiators or push/pull configurations.


In the rear, the upright PSU bay is simple, but effective with two rubber pads for the unit to rest on. The seven expansion slots are right next to a large mesh segment. This feels a bit underutilized as NZXT could have included mounting holes for a pump or reservoir in this part of the case for example. There are also very large cable routing holes, which feels like absolute overkill - especially without grommets. Instead of extending a corner up the motherboard backplate, these could have been on the flat and used grommets for the ultimate clean look. In the very top, you can clearly view the fan mounting holes. Thanks to the old school shape where the expansion slots are inside the case instead of outside the frame, there is extra depth for cooling here as well.


With all the unique design choices inside the NZXT H7 Flow, you still get their signature cable cover, but in a much more integrated fashion. While it looks best in an ATX configuration, you may move it over slightly to allow for E-ATX form factors as well, but by doing so, it will look slightly more out of place. The ceiling is intended for cooling and sports a dedicated cable routing opening which is nice and compact - just big enough to route wires through easily. There are also oversized openings at the top, which could have benefited from the same design tweak, but as you are far less likely to look up into your system, this isn't as big of a concern.


All the wires within the NZXT H7 Flow are black and the lead for the USB-A ports is a flat-band one for easier bends and cleaner looks. NZXT also employs a unified front panel connector, which makes this assembly step as simple and easy as can be.