Test System
System Parts for Case Reviews |
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Processor: | Intel Core i7‑8700K |
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Motherboards: | ATX: MSI Z390‑A PRO MATX: Z370M GAMING PRO CARBON Mini-ITX: MSI Z370i GAMING PRO CARBON Provided by: MSI |
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Graphics Card: | Long: ZOTAC GAMING GeForce RTX 2060 Twin Fan 6G GDDR6 Short: HIS Radeon 5350 HD |
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Memory: | Corsair Vengeance LPX 32 GB (2X16GB) DDR4 2666 MHzC16 1.2 V Provided by: Corsair |
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HDD: | Western Digital 320 GB 7200 RPM |
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SSD: | Crucial 500 GB SSD WD Black PCIe Gen3 x4 NVMe M.2 2280 500 GB |
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Power Supply: | EVGA SuperNOVA 650 GQ 650 W 80 PLUS Provided by: EVGA |
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Cooling: | be quiet! Dark Rock 4 be quiet! Pure Slim be quiet! Shadow Rock 2 be quiet! Shadow Rock LP Provided by: be quiet! |
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Assembly
Adding a motherboard is done by traditional means, with screws and spacers. Thankfully, NZXT has pre-installed the latter, so you simply put the board in place and screw it down. There is a little extra space above and below, which is a good for attaching any connectors along the motherboard's edges. This is especially true for the CPU power plug, which is traditionally in the top-left corner and can easily be reached by popping of the top of the chassis, and the H700i can hold a CPU cooler of up to 185 mm in height, which is a solid 20 mm more than the H500 series, so you can essentially go all out if you like.
Adding an SSD is quite easy due to the spring-loaded trays. Simply squeeze down on one side to pop them off the chassis panel, fill it with a drive using screws, and pop it back into the case—either on the shroud or the backside of the motherboard tray.
Adding 3.5" drives means you will have to pull the cage out of the chassis and screw the storage unit down with included screws. Once in place, simply put it back and use the thumb screws to ensure the filled contraption stays in place securely.
Inserting the power supply is pretty straightforward as you first get to place the frame on the PSU before sliding it right into the back of the H700i. NZXT does not mention a compatibility limit, and there is plenty of room, so even long units should easily fit.
Once everything is assembled, the NZXT H700i makes a very clean impression due to the metal cover within the case. Even the backside is tidy because of the cable trenches and plenty of mounting possibilities for cable ties in combination with the excellent wiring of existing leads out of the box.
Finished Looks
With everything back in place, you can clearly see all the components inside the system because of the clear window. The power button lights up white when it is turned on, and you are naturally able to adjust the RGB LED strips inside the case with NZXT's own CAM software.
I especially like the placement of that one SSD to show it off to curious and maybe even envious onlookers. In the rear, things are a bit more traditional, and you will find everything where you would expect it to be in a modern mid-tower chassis.