Panorama cases clearly resonate with PC builders. When I wrote this Panorama Y60 case from Hyte took eighth place in Amazon’s list of best-selling PC cases (opens in new tab)But if you’ve been on any PC-related social media or game streaming site in the last year, you’ve no doubt seen it hundreds of times. No wonder the more established case companies took notice.
NZXT’s new H9 line is a clear attempt to offer an alternative to the Y60, with the H9 Elite offering glass front and side panels, but without a metal frame in between, which sit at 90-degree angles to each other. They face each other and allow an uninterrupted view. That model also has a glass panel on top. The H9 Flow shown in the photo has glass on the front and sides, but the top of the glass has been replaced with perforated steel to improve airflow. To make up for the shortfall, it has a fully perforated right side panel. This panel also features a huge removable dust filter that covers the entire surface area of the side panel. The bottom of the case also has a sliding filter that pulls out from the side for easy access.
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Both the H9 Elite and H9 Flow are available in white or black, with the black model having tinted glass. The H9 Flow sells for $159, while the H9 Elite, which includes a fan and RGB controller and three of his RGB fans, sells for $239 more.Both cases are available today, the Hyte Y60 ($199) and the new Height Y40 ($149). However, while both Hyte cases come with an attractive PCIe 4.0 riser cable for mounting the GPU vertically, NZXT offers an optional vertical GPU and cable kit for an additional $89.
NZXT specifications
| Dimensions (with feet) | W: 290mm H: 495mm D: 466mm |
| motherboard support | mini-ITX, micro-ATX, ATX |
| Case material | steel and tempered glass |
| weight | H9 Flow: 12.1 kg | H9 Elite: 13.1kg |
| compatibility and clearance | Max CPU Clearance: 165mm |
| Max GPU Clearance: 435mm | |
| Maximum PSU clearance: 200mm | |
| Cable management: 91mm | |
| Front I/O port | USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A x 2 |
| USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C x 1 | |
| Headset audio jack x 1 | |
| expansion slot | Standard 7 |
| drive bay | 2.5 inch: 4+2 |
| 3.5 inch: 2 | |
| fan included | H9 flow |
| 4 x F120Q Airflow Fan Case Version (Side & Rear) | |
| H9 elite | |
| 3 x 120 mm F-Series RGB Duo Fans (Side) | |
| 1 x 120 mm F Series Quiet Airflow Case Version (Back) |
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At 19.49 x 11.4 x 18.35 inches (HWD), the H9 case is over an inch taller than Hyte’s Y60 (18.19 x 11.22 x 17.95 inches), but other dimensions are pretty similar. With 6.5 inches of clearance for the CPU cooler and over 17 inches for the GPU, most core components should fit comfortably. Both H9 models come with four 120 mm fans (and support for up to ten). However, the Elite features three F-series RGB Duo fans on the front right side of the motherboard (with RGB on both sides) and one F-series Quiet Airflow fan on the rear exhaust.
H9 Flow is equipped with four F120Q fans front and rear that focus on quiet performance. But the Flow’s front fan is mounted as an air intake, which means you’re staring at the back of the fan inside the case, which isn’t as appealing as the front. Note that this may not be too much of an issue as it has RGB on both the front and back. seems like a bit of an odd choice for a case designed to show off your components.
I didn’t get my hands on the H9 Flow case in time to do some temperature and airflow testing, but I put in a few components to figure out how it fits in with its capabilities. I sent you a new C1200 Gold ATX 3.0 modular power supply. It packs a 1200 Watt rating (including 600 Watts for the GPU via the 12VHPWR connector) into a compact 150 x 150 x 86 mm chassis and 135 mm internals. fan. The C1200 PSU is priced at $219 and easily slides into a horizontal position behind the motherboard.
And behind the motherboard, some of the H9’s coolest features are hidden. Inside the magnetic swing-out door are mounts for four 2.5″ drives, and a removable cage near the back can support two 3.5″ drives (or two more 2.5″ drives). 6 SATA drives is enough for him for almost everyone as many motherboards have multiple M.2 drive slots these days.
Its magnetic swing-out SSD door also hides a huge cable routing channel with over 3 inches deep and 6 large Velcro straps on both the back of the motherboard area and the side panel near the front. The latter has the front panel and fan connectors pre-wired properly, while the former keeps the exhaust fan cables out of the box and has plenty of room for the motherboard cables. There are also three straps along the top of the motherboard area for routing headers and PSU power cables. I wish the straps were a little longer, as trying to route an entire system’s worth of wires into the same channel can still be tight.
Aside from the general lack of airflow that comes with a lot of glass, especially in Elite models, there’s a lot to be said for the H9’s design. It is recommended. There’s a reason this case supports up to 10. Cable routing and SSD placement in particular are standout features. And if you like the glassy look, the H9 line definitely gives Hyte a competitive edge.
But really, how attractive the H9 lineup is will come down to price and whether or not you mount your graphics card vertically.If the latter answer is yes, then at $199 he’s worth the Y60, especially New Y40 for $149Both cases come with attractive PCIe 4.0 cables for vertical mounting, but NZXT charges an extra $89 for that privilege. Add that and the total price for the H9 Elite comes to a pretty wild $330.
But we like the $159 H9 Flow for its combination of stunning aesthetics, ample storage, and excellent cable routing. It’s also much more affordable than the $239 H9 Elite. Keep in mind that the H9 Flow doesn’t come with its own lighting, so you’ll need to bring your own to show off your components in the dark. It still seems odd for a well-designed case. Hyte’s Y-series cases also don’t come with RGB fans, but do ship with PCIe vertical GPU mounts. This is also a $90 add-on to these H9 cases.
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