[SOLVED] NZXT H510 Flow vs H7 Flow

[FlamingPC]

Hey guys, looking for an answer asap as I might be returning my current purchases tomorrow if possible since I'm off.

So I have an i9 11900k ready to put in to an ATX mobo. No graphic card purchased yet. My simple question is, what would be ideal regarding heat situation? I purchased already the H7 as it has more space and can allow a triple fan liquid cooler so I also purchased the iCUE H150i Elite Capellix. Yet despite this, I couldn't help but admire the beauty that was the more compact, sleek H510 over the H7. At my local Microcenter, I saw those compact midtower builds everywhere and they are a beauty to look at, not to mention a bit of a space saver.

So my final question is, would you exchange the H7 Flow for an H510 Flow as well as the cooler from triple fan to double? I know the obvious answer is, you're getting more cooling with a triple fan vs double so then the question is, can at least the H510 Flow being compact and can only support a double fan cooler, still cool ENOUGH the i9 with whatever graphic card I go with? Ideally it will be either a 3080 or 3090... No overclocking of anything will be involved. Would it handle the heat enough?

 

[Lutfij]

Welcome to the forums, newcomer!

I'd stick with the H7 Flow, since the H510 is merely a hotbox at this point...you'll see how Steve on gamer Nexus has been criticizing NZXT for years after every case that came from NZXT since the S340. The H7 has more intake compared to the H510, meaning more cooler ambient air being drawn in.

 

[FlamingPC]

Welcome to the forums, newcomer!

I'd stick with the H7 Flow, since the H510 is merely a hotbox at this point...you'll see how Steve on gamer Nexus has been criticizing NZXT for years after every case that came from NZXT since the S340. The H7 has more intake compared to the H510, meaning more cooler ambient air being drawn in.

I appreciate your reply. I'm assuming when you said H510 is a hotbox, you're referring to the H510 Flow? If that is the case however, how come there are a lot of builds with them these days (compact mid-towers)? Keeping in mind, no overclocking will be involved, would a compact mid tower suffice? I know the cooling would be better overall in a larger case since you have the room to fit better cooling equipment, plus the extra space inside lets the heat expand to more areas (I guess?) but I'm just wondering if a non overclocked build for gaming at under 4k, if it would still be able to perform enough? If you still think the H7 Flow is the better option, then I would support that and I'll just keep what I already purchased.

Thanks again for your thoughts.

EDIT - I also don't want you to think I'm being too argumentive or don't trust your opinion. I'm just honestly curious why I see compact mid tower builds everywhere I go these days. Wondering if the fact that people want to overclock plays into a factor in building a larger case that supports better cooling, where I'm not going that route. Consider this a basic build with quality parts for current gen gaming.

 

[Lutfij]

Yes, sorry, I got the two mixed up. The H510 Flow version has less intake space at the front when compared to the H7 Flow. Let's put it this way, in the future, as you hold onto the build for longer spells of time, software/driver updates will only demand more from the system(not less) causing things to run slightly hotter than usual. So in the long run, the more airflow you can give, the better you end up in terms of thermals.

Nah, it's alright.. I would like to stand corrected as opposed to being right(there's a difference between the two). If you do overclock, all you need to do is make sure you're dealing with the heat and you're not pumping unnecessary voltage(which also degrades the component/chip over a long period of time). If you can gain a thermal advantage, you get a performance advantage, that's how I see it.

 

[FlamingPC]

Thanks man. I think I had the answer in my head all along, I was just hoping someone would convince me otherwise to try to go with the compact mid tower. Looks like I won't be making any trips tomorrow Thanks again!