After the H7 NZXT also renews its entry-level PC case offer. Thus, the H510 is now replaced by a new series: the H5.
For the moment, two versions are planned with a “Flow” model and a second one called “Elite”. If the first one is designed to maximize the air flow with a perforated front, the second one is more luxurious with two tempered glass panels. Moreover, it is this version that we received, so we will see what it gives through our test!
The exterior of the H5 Elite:
With this new series, the “small” case from NZXT gets significantly bigger. Where an H5 measured 210 (W) x 428 (D) x 460 (H) mm, this new generation now displays 227 (W) x 446 (D) x 464 (H) mm. We imagine that the brand is keeping in mind the ever-increasing size of new components, especially graphics cards. Moreover, this model remains quite heavy with 8.1 kg on the scale!
Nevertheless, despite a larger size, this model still keeps the sober design of the brand. Thus, the front panel and the left side have a nice tinted tempered glass panel running on 3/4 of the height of the case. The lines are therefore pure and the look minimalist. At the bottom of the front, we simply find the logo of the brand painted in a different color from the rest.
Ventilation will be through the side of the case, the steel side panel has perforations to let the ventilation breathe.
The control panel:
Unfortunately, the control panel remains as minimalist as ever and, as a result, quite non-functional. With only one USB type A port, you will certainly have to turn to a HUB to add new ports if you want to connect a USB key and a card reader for example.
Otherwise, we find a jack for microphone/headset as well as a USB type C to the 3.2 gen.2 standard. Finally, for powering up, we have the indispensable power button with its circular status diode.
The bottom :
Under the case, we find the four feet with a rubber coating that will adhere well to any support. When mounting, do not hesitate to lift the case rather than trying to slide it.
Otherwise, two filters are present, one in the rear position to protect your power supply. The second is in the front and will be used to protect a fan that will have a very specific use, but we’ll come back to that!
The back :
The rear of the case does not present anything original since we find the classic layout. At the top, we can see the motherboard slot, thanks to the opening of the I/O shield.
Just underneath, seven expansion slots are present with a small side plate to lock them. Moreover, we notice that the slots are not separated from each other, the adoption of a vertical support for the graphics card and even easier.
Finally, at the bottom, we have the right to the power supply slot.
The top :
The top of the case also remains very classic since we find the presence of a magnetic dust filter. Just underneath, we can see the upper ventilation slots and many round perforations
[nextpage title=”Inside the H5 Elite”]
The interior of the H5 Elite:
Unlike the Jonsbo D40 the removal of the side panels is much easier. The glass panel is simply maintained by a hand screw and a push-pin system while the steel panel has two hand screws
The chassis:
As we told you on the previous page, the interior of the case remains very classic since the motherboard will be installed above the power supply. Moreover, this H5 Elite will be able to accommodate a motherboard in ATX, micro-ATX and mini-ITX format. This will cover the vast majority of needs.
Otherwise, the openings of the tray (for the passage of cables) are present in sufficient number. First of all, we have a long one on the right side of the motherboard tray, and the same on the top. At the bottom, we also have two others.
The cabling part doesn’t look as problematic as with the Jonsbo D40. This model has a rear clearance of up to 23 mm
Storage slots:
For storage, NZXT greatly simplifies things with the presence of a removable plate. On the latter, we find two slots: one in 2.5″ and a second in 2.5″/3.5″. You will have understood it, finished the old hard disk cage not practical at all. On the other hand, with two slots dedicated to storage, it will not be necessary to collect hard drives at the risk of not being able to mount them all.
Power supply slot:
The power supply slot remains very basic as it offers studs directly stamped into the steel. No rubber pads are present, and the same goes for the foam on the rear perimeter. Unfortunately, the brand does not communicate on the maximum size of the power supply.
Cooling options:
Basically, the case arrives with a total of three fans. At the front, two F140 RGBs are present. They will run from 500 rpm to 1800 rpm and generate an airflow of 89.47 CFM and a static pressure of 3.39 mmH2O. Otherwise, a small F120Q is also in the bottom. This one will turn at 1200 rpm ±240 rpm and will generate an airflow of 62.17 CFM and a static pressure of 1.05 mmH2O
Aside from these three fans, we have a 120mm slot in the back and two in the top. Unfortunately, if you were to replace the front fans, you’ll have no choice but to go with 140mm models. There is no 120mm compatibility in the front
As for watercooling radiator compatibility, this H5 Elite will accommodate 280 x 45 mm radiators in the front. At the top, 240mm models are also compatible, compared to a small 120mm at the back
Finally, if you opt for an CPU air cooler, you will have 165 mm of height, so not too restrictive!
The bundle:
As far as the accessories are concerned, what do we find?
- A leaflet in the form of a brochure
- Ten nylon collars
- The screws in a bag
In short, the accessory part remains very basic and does not propose anything particular, we pass quickly to the continuation!
The small details
Unlike the Jonsbo case, the H5 Elite comes with some very interesting equipment and features, especially for wiring. Thus, velcro strips as well as metal trunking are present to help you guide your cables and to tackle them more easily!
A small box for the management of RGB lighting is also present. It must be said that the RGB connectivity of NZXT fans is special. Nevertheless, it has only one free port to manage up to three fans.
We also note that the front fans are mounted on a removable plate. Practical if you want to mount a watercooling radiator … In 280 mm only for recall.
Finally, in the power supply cover, we find an opening with the third fan. This one is oriented at about 45° and will allow you to fully and directly water your graphics card. An excellent idea!
In summary:
This new case is full of innovation and seems promising in terms of cooling the graphics card. On the other hand, you don’t need to have a big storage need and collect hard drives because of its capacity. On the other hand, it allows to do without their old hard disk cage far from being practical to use
[nextpage title=”Mounting”]
Mounting
We now move on to the assembly stage of our configuration inside this H5 Elite signed NZXT. Here are the components that will be used for the assembly:
- Motherboard : Asus Crosshair VI Hero
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 1700X
- Graphics card: ASUS HD 7970
- CPU cooler: NZXT T120 RGB
- Power supply : NZXT C1000 Gold
For this assembly, we received some components from the brand, so we will use them for the assembly of our configuration. On the other hand, the tests will be done with our usual configuration
The power supply:
Mounting the power supply unit is not a problem, since you just have to insert the unit laterally into its slot. Once in place, it is screwed directly from the back of the case. With a fully modular power supply, it’s even easier and the H5 Elite has enough space inside to allow for additional cables later.
Storage:
Mounting the storage units is very simple since you just have to remove the board hosting your SSD/HDD. Once removed, we will screw our storage media on it and then we put everything back in place. Let us specify that the plate is maintained by a single hand screw
Installation of the motherboard
The installation of the motherboard will not be a problem either, as it is simply a matter of placing it in its dedicated slot. Note that the central stud will help align the spacers with the fixing points present on the board
The wiring :
The control panel
So we start by wiring the control panel, which is very simple to do. To do this, we pass the cables above the RGB controller of the case and then we make them go down along the slot of the motherboard, in the channel provided for this purpose. Then, we bring the cables out in the lower openings, at the level of the power supply cover. We’ll use two small nylon collars to clamp the cables into the base of the chassis
The storage
For the storage part, we added a cable with four SATA connectors to our power supply
The storage units are close to each other, so we plug them in and reserve one of the connectors to power the RGB case
The SATA of the given part will go through the trunking and will form a loop to come down to the connectors of the motherboard
Motherboard:
For the motherboard, as usual, the EPS12V connector to the CPU goes back to the back of the case and up to the top opening. Moreover, NZXT has cleverly positioned a velcro strip on its passage to facilitate its positioning!
As for the ATX 24 pin, it uses the main cable duct and comes out at the top of the side opening. Once again, the cables are placed with the velcro strips scattered all along
The graphics card
For the graphics card, same topo as for the 24-pinATX : it goes through the main trunking!
Installation of the CPU cooler and the graphic card:
The installation of the cpu cooler is easy thanks to the large backplate access. To mount the T120 RGB you will have to tilt the case sideways and hold the backplate of the motherboard while screwing the cpu cooler.
As far as the graphics card is concerned, the procedure is familiar, since the PCIe slots on which the card will be installed will have to be freed. Once the brackets are removed, we can insert the card on its PCIe slot, then we will screw it to the case.
Overall :
Mounting is a blast in this H5 Elite. NZXT has provided everything needed to make cable routing and plating easy. Moreover, the generous space behind the motherboard tray allows to gather a number of cables in the same place without risking not being able to close the side panel!
[nextpage title=”Protocol”]
We have updated our test protocol in order to test the qualities of our enclosures. Thus, we will evaluate the performances offered by the different models according to three criteria:
- Isolation
- Noise of the original ventilation
- Air flow
For the addition of the ventilation, we choose to integrate a Silent Series R2 from Fractal Design at the back in extraction and a Riing 14 from Thermaltake at the top, in extraction.
Configuration:
- Processor : AMD Ryzen 7 1700X
- Motherboard : Asus Crosshair VI Hero
- Graphics card : ASUS HD 7970 reference
- CPU cooler : be quiet! Dark Rock 4
- SSD : Corsair Force GS180 Go
- Hard disk : Seagate Barracuda 2Tb
- Power supply : Corsair CS650M
[nextpage title=”Tests”]
Tests
Airflow:
The additional ventilation takes the form of a Fractal Silent Series R2 fan placed at the back in extraction and a Riing 14 also positioned in extraction at the top.
CPU airflow, original ventilation then completed :
We start first with the temperature of our CPU. We keep the front and the upper part of our test case. Let’s see if the airflow is sufficient for the good cooling of the Ryzen 7 1700X.
As far as the temperature of our CPU is concerned, clearly, there is nothing to worry about since the case does a good job with our Ryzen 7 1700X. As we can see, at low RPM, our CPU is kept under 63°C. It won’t even exceed 60°C with the case’s fans on full blast.
Obviously, adding ventilation does not bring much more since we measure 0.1°C better.
CPU airflow original ventilation without front panel or top :
In order to ascertain the limiting factor in the story (and how much), we remove the top as well as the front of the case. The goal here is to show the raw performance of the integrated ventilation.
Still, for our processor, the glass front remains somewhat limiting, but by a large margin. We notice a slight gain at full speed: about 6°C against 9.5°C at low speed. However, compared to other cases, this is not much, especially at high speed.
GPU airflow, original ventilation then completed:
We repeat the operation, but with measurements made on the graphics card. Here, we test with original ventilation and completed ventilation.
Inside this H5 Elite, our graphics card stays properly cooled with 77°C when the fan is running at full speed. At low speed, the temperature rises to 85°C, but this is not particularly worrying. Compared to other cases with solid or glass fronts, we can say that this model does better. Of course, the H510 Flow and H7 Flow have lower temperatures, but their perforated front panel allows for better breathability.
On the other hand, the fact of improving the extraction of the hot air allows to gain 4°C on our graphic card. Maybe there will be some work to do on this when purchasing.
GPU airflow original ventilation without front panel or top:
We redo the same test, but remove the front panel and the top of the case. Let’s see how this will affect the temperatures of the card.
Without the glass front panel, we notice that the front fans can fully express themselves. We gain 9°C at full speed against 12°C at low speed. Considering the configuration (glass front), we are quite happy to have a fan at the bottom that directly waters the graphics card.
Insulation:
Here we simply measure the noise emitted by our config when we run the CPU cooling and GPU cooling very fast.
The insulation remains classic with 55.5 dB, we should not expect a model that attenuates noise particularly well. Besides, when faced with a bare configuration, it is better to have a case.
Original fan noise:
This time we measure the noise emitted by the original case ventilation. To do this, the configuration runs in idle ( CPU and GPU ventilation at minimum) while the readings are taken successively in 5V, 8V and 12V on the case ventilation.
Unfortunately, as far as noise is concerned, two 140 mm fans running at 1800 rpm max, it makes some noise. This can also be felt in the sound meter since we read 44 dB! Fortunately, by reducing their speed, we obtain a quite bearable noise level with 37.5 dB at mid-range and 31.5 dB at low speed.
In summary:
When it comes to temperatures, our components don’t suffer particularly, especially our processor. As for the graphics card, fortunately NZXT has positioned an additional fan in the base to generously water it. With the glass front, we imagine that it would have been complicated without it.
As far as noise pollution is concerned, the base fan is still very noisy. The fault lies mainly with the 140 mm fans, which are rather fast. Fortunately, at half speed the noise is perfectly bearable when the fan is inaudible at low speed!
[nextpage title=”Conclusion”]
We are now at the end of our test of the H5 Elite from NZXT. So, good case or not? We tell you everything!
A design as sober and minimalist as ever:
With its H5 Elite, NZXT continues to offer us cases with a sober and pure design. If this is the style you like, you will surely be satisfied, especially since the finish is very clean with two glass panels and a well applied black paint.
On the other hand, it’s a shame to have a control panel that is still so poor with only one USB type A. Having a second one would not be a luxury.
Easy to assemble features
One of the big advantages of NZXT products is the options that are integrated in their cases to facilitate the assembly. This is also the case with the H5 Elite, which has a system of channels and velcro strips to facilitate wiring and cable layout. Nevertheless, we can also count on a generous rear space.
Otherwise, we are dealing with a reference that offers a number of interesting features. The front ventilation mounted on a removable plate for example, or the RGB hub sauce NZXT to control the lighting equipment of the brand.
On the other hand, you won’t have to collect hard drives since there are only two storage slots. Similarly, if you want to replace the front fans, you’ll have to switch to 140 mm! But, compared to the previous generation of cases, we have a support for watercooling radiator in 240 mm at the top.
Correct temperatures, beware of noise
In terms of temperatures, overall, this model keeps our components at decent levels, especially the processor where it does pretty well even. On the GPU side, the situation could be better, supplementing the already existing ventilation allows to gain a few more degrees. Fortunately, that the graphics card is watered by the additional fan at the bottom, which seriously limits the breakage in our opinion.
However, the ventilation inside this model is quite noisy, so if you are sensitive ears, do not hesitate to regulate it, especially since the natural insulation of this model is quite average.
A complicated availability… :
For the price, you should know that NZXT decides to position its box at a price of $139.99. The bill remains quite high despite everything. Nevertheless, you have to keep in mind its numerous features and its simplified installation. And if you don’t want to spend so much on a box, the H5 Flow is also offered at a price of $94.99. At this price, it loses the RGB feature, the glass on the front and only comes with two fans.
NZXT H5 Elite:
We liked:
- A sober design that we really like
- The finishes are of a good level
- The system of channels / velcro strips for easy wiring
- The generous rear space for wiring
- The simple assembly and without (bad) surprises
- The presence of three fans, including one dedicated to the graphics card
- The controlled temperatures, especially on the CPU
- The addition of a 240 mm watercooling radiator support at the top (compared to 120 mm for the previous generation)
We liked less:
- The price that becomes high, especially in comparison with the ” Flow ” version
- A control panel poor in USB type A port
- The noise of the basic ventilation
- The storage unit support which is reduced to two units
In the end, we choose to give the H5 Elite a silver award. Indeed, the price placement remains delicate, especially within the brand’s range. For its price, we can turn to a larger H7 Flow with superior thermal performance. On the other hand, we will keep in mind a well equipped and elegant case. And if you don’t have the budget, you have the much cheaper H5 Flow which does not have the RGB and the front glass panel
Many thanks to NZXT !
