The shadow cast by Lian Li O11 is long and glassy. No need to adjust your monitor’s aspect ratio or search for pictures online. NZXT’s H9 Elite actually looks like that. This chassis is about 11.5 inches wide, which makes him look much shorter in the photo than he is 19.5 inches tall in real life. We’ve certainly seen these proportions before, but it’s hard to prepare for the sheer grandeur of some cases without actually seeing them.In fact, 19.5 inches is just an inch taller than your average mid-tower, but the H9 Elite is bulky and faceThe only problem is that it takes a certain amount of finesse and expertise to make it work as well as it looks.
Designed for full exposure
Viewing the empty H9 Elite from almost any angle reveals the extra width behind the motherboard tray as the power mounts are clearly visible through the tray’s CPU cooler bracket access holes. It also shows that the case is at least he designed for maximum visibility of the components from two sides, with the front radiator mount positioned on the right side. The right side is full of ventilation holes, and the included intake fan has a lighting ring on the back (frame) side. Please take the time to review all the details.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
The tempered glass treatment isn’t just for the face and left side. The huge part of the top is also clear. More on that later. From this angle we can see the power switch, two USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports, one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port and a headphone/mic combo in the front right corner. Jack. The dust filter sheet is also visible through the top and right panel vents.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
On the topic of dust filters, a wide filter covers most of the bottom panel and is vented to fit up to three 120mm or two 140mm fans. Conveniently, this filter slides out from under the left side of his H9 Elite.
(Credit: Thomas Soderstrom)
Looking back, you can see the holes in the motherboard’s I/O panel between the full-size power mounts and the 120mm fan. The extra space above and below the motherboard area hints at some of the case’s cooling options.A barless expansion slot panel makes it easy to install an optional vertical graphics card adapter bracket, and a A handle allows for easy removal of the snap-on top panel.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
The H9 Elite’s dual chamber design is even more apparent when viewed from the rear/right angle. The power bay is located between the motherboard tray and a fully vented steel side panel.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
The top, right front and bottom are equipped to hold so-called ‘360mm’ radiators, while the bottom has additional slots to hold 240mm class units. Side-mounted fans are recessed flush with the motherboard tray, and panels that hide cables visually divide these sections.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
Behind the fully vented steel right panel are a factory intake fan, a vertical 4-bay 2.5″ drive tray, a dual-bay 3.5″ drive cage and lots of wires. We’ve already seen the back of these fans in the first photo, so you can see the fan’s factory feature lighting blaring. both side. From any angle, you can see it shining from either side.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
It’s recessed enough to mount a 25mm thick fan flush with the motherboard tray, but the H9 Elite leaves a 2.5 inch gap between the removable radiator side mounts and the outer side panel. increase. A 40mm deep recess in the bottom of this fan mount allows long radiators to clear the bottom edge, making it a great place to place a 38mm thick radiator up to 410mm long (thus I’m reluctant to call this size truly “360mm”). ).
(Credit: Thomas Soderstrom)
Equipped with a SATA drive power cable and partially hidden in the 2.5″ drive tray, the included controller supports up to 6 NZXT proprietary RGB devices and 3 fans. His PWM cable for each included fan has a pass-through connection, allowing a total of 6 fans to be powered from this hub. Also, the included USB 2.0 internal interface cable allows the user to address this controller via his CAM software on his NZXT.
(Credit: Thomas Soderstrom)
Located next to the RGB controller and below the power bay, the H9 Elite’s dual drive 3.5″ cage has additional holes on the top and bottom to allow you to swap two 2.5″ drives.
(Credit: Thomas Soderstrom)
Before we go any further, we need to remove the top panel, which is easy as it’s held in place by six ball snaps. (Note the removable mesh filter next to the port cutout on the front panel.) For reference, the side panels are secured with ball snaps on top, hooks on the bottom, and extra security screws, and at least Prevents accidental removal of one corner.
(Credit: Thomas Soderstrom)
With a divider that separates the side fan section from the rest of the right side, the H9 Elite is designed to draw air in through the front of the right side panel, push it over the motherboard tray, and exhaust it out the back. on the right side panel. Still, these sections are not hermetically sealed. That divider also has a cable access hole.
(Credit: Thomas Soderstrom)
The top panel tray installed on the H9 Elite is designed to hold only three 120mm fans, so the NZXT includes a second tray for those who prefer to use two 140mm fans. It is
(Credit: Thomas Soderstrom)
Incorporating the NZXT H9 Elite
The H9 Elite’s mounting hardware is separated into separate openable bags. This might not have been so convenient had NZXT not opted to include a resealable bag for cable ties. , but I don’t know which bay it is because it fell out of the bay during shipping.
(Credit: Thomas Soderstrom)
Front panel cables include Gen 2 and Gen 1 USB 3 (technically 3.2, but all this now), HD audio, and the now-standard 9-pin FPANEL button/LED connector. The other two cables shown are the data interface and power cord for the included RGB/fan controller.
(Credit: Thomas Soderstrom)
The sample buildout uses a standardized case test kit and its ATX motherboard option.
Our full-size components fit easily apart from one annoying issue this reviewer hasn’t seen in nearly 20 years(opens in new window): It looks like an imperial to metric conversion error, there are no standoffs properly aligned with the holes in the motherboard.To make readjustment even more difficult, the factory center standoff has a peg instead of a screw, and that peg fits snugly enough in the middle mounting hole of the motherboard to allow adjustment of the other holes. It was almost impossible to slide the pegs in order to teeth It is possible with a little effort and a lot of frustration, but before tightening everything, replace the center standoff with the supplied non-stud standoff and install all 9 screws loosely to facilitate alignment is recommended.
(Credit: Thomas Soderstrom)
The H9 Elite is designed with a specific flow path that is partially interrupted if there is a gap at the edge of the installed radiator. Trying out his new 3x120mm radiator, the other he simply blocked rather than testing three cases and collecting new comparison data. Cover the gap with black cardboard.
(Credit: Thomas Soderstrom)
The H9 Elite lights up in the closest to white color of our component set for maximum component visibility.
(Credit: Thomas Soderstrom)
NZXT H9 Elite test: benchmark results
We tried to prevent backflow at the edges of the radiator by sealing the gap, but the H9 Elite still shows its effect on CPU temperature. Perhaps the intake fan was drawing heat from the adjacent chamber through all these gaps and access holes?
The temperature of the voltage regulator is mid-pack. This indicates that the top half of the motherboard has plenty of airflow.
Graphics card temperature ranks roughly in third place, but the distance between these results is small enough to be ignored in a real-world buying scenario.
We always test all fans at full speed and major components at maximum load, but the H9 Elite’s side fans had a bigger impact on noise levels than fans in other cases in this lot. That’s most likely why it’s quietest when viewed from the left front corner and loudest when viewed from the right front corner. To my ears this was really good, this was bad.
Verdict: The Enigma Case
We always recommend setting thermal fan control in real-world builds, so the high noise level from one side was acceptable as long as the H9 Elite was cool. Instead, ideas are flying about how to use fan placement to solve heat problems.For example, put the H9 Elite’s stock fan on top with the radiator mounted on the side, or put the factory fan on the bottom Attach it to the air intake port.
Some users with advanced cooling systems in mind are convinced to utilize all mounting positions in a way that prevents waste heat from being sucked back into the CPU’s radiator. But regular builders shouldn’t expect anything special from the H9 Elite, aside from its fancy looks.
do you like what you are reading?
Apply research report Get the latest reviews and top product advice delivered straight to your inbox.
This newsletter may contain advertising, deals or affiliate links. By subscribing to our newsletter, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe from our newsletter at any time.
