NZXT H9 Flow Series Provides Calming Effect

Is slanting the front corner of a PC case the future of case design and air flow innovation? NZXT appears to think so. The company introduced the innovation with the H6 Flow series two years ago to make sure that cool air is hitting the most important parts of the build, and now they have introduced the H9 Flow series, combining the enormous full ATX (NZXT says Mid-Tower) case with innovations introduced with the H6 Flow series. There are three trims available, each with increasing RGB capabilities, but this mansion of a PC case isn’t stuck in the past at all and provides every modern caveat a builder could want.

There’s So Much Room for Activities

A full ATX and dual chamber design for the H9 Flow series allows fan sizes up to 420 mm. This thing is thicc. Three trims are available and the review unit from NZXT that was sent over is the middle trim, simply the H9 Flow RGB. The non-RGB version retails for the least and offers none of the flash, while the H9 Flow RGB+ includes the proprietary NZXT Control Hub for its proprietary RGB cable connections. Thankfully, this case and the 420 mm fans come with a breakout cable allowing for use of the standard 5V RGB for motherboards.

Having the option is a great improvement over being forced to buy the hub that you most likely didn’t know that you needed to get to change the RGB options and fan profiles. Even though this build is using the standard 5V connectors and it’s receiving RGB lighting, the ASUS Armoury Crate software doesn’t appear to allow any changes to it. Either way, users aren’t left in the dark this time around with these new fan and case releases when it comes to lighting. This isn’t an issue if choosing the top tier of the H9 Flow series.

A 420 mm fan sits flush in a dedication location at the bottom of the case. The other is included and mounted to the front-right corner of the angled design. Using the same metallic screen design to help further filter air, the bottom area actually has a screen that can be pulled out. Having just the 120mm fan for the rear without RGB makes the area feel dark, but this could be due to the fact that the tempered glass appears to have a smoke tint on it.

Using the F120 fans in the prior H6 Flow Series brightly illuminated that setup. In the black setup with the H9 Flow and the giant size, the lighting isn’t as vibrant despite being set to 100% brightness in the NZXT CAM software. This has been attempted with both the NZXT Control Hub and the standard 5V cables. It varies on the person if this meets their preference, though. The lighting comes off more comforting and atmospheric, which is a welcoming surprise.

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Trying to Get That Cable Management Right

The H9 Flow Series does more for cable management than any other NZXT case has. For one, this series hasn’t forgotten about the latest technology as placement exists for motherboards that feature rear connections, something that has been introduced within the last year. These include the ASUS BTF and the MSI Project Zero, so those looking to go with the extremely clean internals have that option with the H9 Flow.

The rear has a magnetic hinged door for SSD mounting. This accommodates either six 2.5″ SSDs, or a combination of four 2.5″ and two 3.5″ SSDs. The only question is why? Most people have moved on to NVME drives for some time. There’s also no bracket for large 3.5″ HDDs besides just tucking them at the bottom. Cable management is simple coming off the back of these, but this just comes off as a strange decision.

There’s a dedicated location for both the power supply in the rear of the unit and a location to mount or place the NZXT Control Hub. Cable flow is handled via included velcro and there’s a plastic tab for removal to run cables from the side. Power cables for the CPU and cables for AIO pumps can be run two different ways at the top, but it’s still difficult trying to get CPU power cables installed. There are also two gaps on the bottom to alternate cabling for front panel connections.

Usually, cable management can be a bit much to handle, but the H9 Flow RGB provides a few different options that allows time to be invested in cleaning up the rear area. There’s so much space in here that there won’t be much “tucking under the rug” for the cables. This is a bonus for those with a rear connecting motherboard to have the option of leaving a plastic cover over something that isn’t used.

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The Case Design and Performance

It’s safe to say that the H9 Flow is a beautiful house. It keeps the same front panel connection with two USB-A, one USB-C and one audio jack. The H6 Flow did not fast charge, but the USB-C on this is fast charging. This wasn’t a fresh build, so the motherboard remained the same. The front and top can support 420mm radiators and the case can support up to nine fans. There are clearly no concerns with GPUs fitting in this case, yet due to the size, GPU sag can become a thing. The included stand with the MSI RTX 5080 is useless in this case.

The last H9 Flow simply brought air in from the side, but with the angled design, the air flows exactly where it needs to. Most of the recent NVIDIA cards have an intake fan on that side of the card, so this allows forced air into the GPU to help with these temps. The same would go for air coolers to push everything out of the back. Fans for AIO coolers can also pull this fresh air in directly. A one inch gap underneath the case allows for more air to be pulled in than the H6 Flow as well. The screen is removable to clean off dust at the bottom. The top panel also is held in with two screws, so it can’t easily be slid off like on the H6 Flow.

The system temperature never went above 25 degrees Celsius in benchmarking. The fans will get loud under load, but only noticeable in local proximity. When the intake fans are just running, even when set to performance, it’s not even noticeable. The black metal is rugged and rigid, but most of the case features holes for air flow. This includes the opposite side where the power supply is so it can promote airflow. Technically, the bottom can support a 360 mm radiator. The only other notable case in this class that supports multiple 420 mm AIO coolers is the Lian-Li O11 Dynamic EVO XL and it’s about $80 more.

The pricing on the three H9 Flow cases are competitive, but premium. The lowest tier H9 Flow, which doesn’t feature RGB, comes in at $169.99. This is up from 2023, but this case is larger and allows for more possibilities. This case retails for $209.99 and includes the front F420 Core RGB fan. The H9 Flow RGB+ includes the NZXT Control Hub, the RGB F420 on the front and top (not the bottom), and the rear fan is the F120 RGB Core fan. It retails for $289.99. Users installing an AIO cooler can move that included fan from the top to the bottom.

Closing Comments:

Pictures simply won’t do any justice to the H9 Flow series of PC cases. The size and scale of this will quell any fears of any component being a tight fit. The amount of allowed air flow and potential air flow configuration are abundant. The fans can get noticeably loud under load, but the overall aura of this case is comforting. If you’re playing a game and chatting right next to this as the fans kick on, someone may ask what that is. The cable management options are welcoming, but offering a dedicated door to old SSD architecture is strange. NZXT classes this as a mid-tower case and frankly that’s hard to believe. That’s more on the H6 Flow and even NZXT recommends that case if you don’t have the room for this behemoth. The H9 Flow RGB is a case you didn’t know you wanted until you laid eyes on it.