My case was almost perfect. The only build quality problem that I had during my entire install was that one of the screws holding in the hard drive case stripped, but the 3 other screws were fine, so I just wrenched down a zip-tie in the last spot. I'm perfectly happy with this case.
What I needed:
1) Sound dampening. I wanted a case that balanced airflow with sound dampening, so it remain be cool without being too open.
2) Looks. My wife hated my old Cooler Master HAF, and honestly I don't need that big of a case today, so I wanted a good-looking case first and foremost.
3) Filters. I just bought a house and we have a cat, so between dust from renovation and cat hair, the filters will get a workout.
As of writing, the NZXT H710 was one of the top cases on the market for my particular set of needs. I was referred to this case by the YouTube channel "Gamer's Nexus", who rated it as a solid case when it came to running quiet with stock airflow - exactly what I wanted.
Pros:
-Minimalist design doubles as sound baffling. The top, front, and sides are almost entirely flat and metal or glass. This means a lot of sound dampening. The unit also has standard rubber feet, meaning with the right build this could be a very stealthy computer.
-Beautiful interior shown off with a full glass panel. When properly routed and lit, this could be a gorgeous box. Mine will mostly be hidden under a desk, but once in a while I'm going to need to haul it to an area where it's seen, so this is nice.
-One-button removal of front and back panels. The front panel actually comes off with just a pull as it's friction-fit, and the back panel is a one-button operation. I hope more cases go this way. Thumb screws are nice for long-term storage, but when I'm working, this ease is appreciated.
-Plenty of routing for cables. I'm not a cable guru so I'm fine with a rat's nest inside so long as the main airflow channel in the front is fine, and in my case the only cables really showing are the motherboard power connector and the extra power for the graphics card. It's hard to avoid those.
-All air intakes have wire filters. The power supply air filter is also externally mounted, so it's easy to clean.
-Plenty of upgrade space. There's a ton of fan mounting options. There's a ton of space for a graphics card (I think it's rated to 16"?). The power supply space isn't even rated - it fits anything on the market if you slide back the hard drive cage far enough. It has 5 slots for 2.5 hard drives on quick-swap trays that can be screwed in for safety, and "2+1" slots for 3.5 drives - with the final drive bolted on top of the cage. This will will hold pretty much any ATX build or smaller.
-Plenty of fans. The case comes with 3 fans up front and 1 in the back to pull air across the motherboard. I'd suggest everyone upgrade as I did with a couple 120mm fans up top to help draw air up and away from the hot interior. Some "silicone screws" aka fan standoffs would be a good idea for sound dampening.
Neutral:
-Airflow comes from grates that run along the sides of the computer, at the top and front of the side panel. Essentially all the intake and exhaust air is being sucked from behind the giant, flat faceplates. This means if you're going for an extreme airflow design, you'll actually create more noise from how hard the case will be sucking air, and you should look to something like a mesh front instead. This case does better with low-to-medium airflow designs, such as someone who's not planning to overclock their processor beyond what the stock fan can handle. Personally, with my totally non-overclocked build, airflow is as good as it ever was in my HAF case.
-Not a lot of ports. You get three USB-C ports, including two of the rectangular A style the oval type C. There's also one TRRS aux port, and the case comes with a splitter in case your headphones and microphone need separate ports. And that's it. Just 3 ports on the whole front panel, so you need to rely on your motherboard slots. Personally, I use a USB hub for most of my devices anyway, so that's not a big deal.
-Price. A lot of people in the current market are talking like this case is expensive. My old case was a Cooler Master HAF that retailed for $200, and this case is way less expensive than that. To get a modern case, that looks this good, for cheaper than my old case, is fine. Maybe it's not industry-leading, but it's fine.
-No front drive bays. Most people don't need optical drives anymore, but if that's a concern for you, you'll need to add an external. This case has a metal front panel, so you're not adding an optical drive without power tools.
Cons:
-Must remove the front panel to get at the front filter. The front panel comes on big plastic pegs. You'll have to open up the case and fight them a bit getting the panel off. That could be a hassle for someone with a lot of pet hair problems and needs to wash the filter frequently. I'm currently in a house with one shorthair cat, so this is maybe a twice-a-year job for me. I'm fine with that. Note that the power supply filter is externally mounted.
-Smart Device. I don't care about LED, so I totally ignore the "smart device" feature. If I wanted LED, I still hate the current field of controllers - most of which install spyware - so I wouldn't use this anyway. Most people say it's terrible.
-Build quality really is so-so. I've seen people have problems, but I myself only encountered one single screw stripping on the hard drive cage. The other 3 screws are fine, and that unit sits on the bottom of the case, so it's not like it's going anywhere. I zip-tied that last side in place just so it won't rattle. I'm happy, but definitely but definitely keep your receipt for returns just in case.
Overall:
For my particular preferences, this was one of the best cases on the market. It's got good sound dampening, and it looks great, without compromising airflow. If you have other priorities - such as high airflow thanks to overclocking, or not being concerned about sound dampening, you might prefer other cases. For me, this is a great case, and I'm totally happy.
| Number of USB 2.0 Ports | 2 |
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