Introduction: NZXT H6 Flow Case Review
NZXT’s overhaul of their chassis line-up for modern audience has culminated in a take that keeps their elegant, minimalist style yet integrates modern design cues that has made the NZXT H-series of chassis have a very distinct feel. From the H9, H7 all to the way H5 and H1, all of these chassis feature a very distinct design language: straight lines and 90* angles. That changes with the NZXT H6, the company’s newer dual-chamber chassis that integrates a dual-chamber design but also a tighter footprint all the while featuring a take on the curved front, albeit this time its literally a bend in the front.
In this review, we’ll go over the NZXT H6 Flow: part of the new H6 series focusing on airflow much like its other Flow siblings. If you’re looking for a compact dualchamber midtower airflow case, then then its worth checking out the NZXT H6 Flow so keep reading to find out more.
Features & Specification
Features
- Wraparound glass panels with a seamless edge provides an unobstructed view of the inside to highlight key components.
- Compact dual-chamber design improves overall thermal performance and creates a clean, uncrowded aesthetic.
- Includes three pre-installed 120mm fans positioned at an ideal angle for superb out-of-the-box cooling.
- The top and side panels feature an airflow-optimized perforation pattern to enhance overall performance and filter dust.
- An intuitive cable management system simplifies the build process by using wide channels and straps.
- Tool-free access to the top and side panels makes upgrading quick and convenient.
- Top panel supports radiators up to 360mm in length. Up to 365mm GPU and 200mm PSU clearance
Specification
Detail | Details |
---|---|
KEY SPECS | Motherboard Support: ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX Enclosure Type: Mid-Tower Case Material: SGCC Steel, Ultra-Clear Tempered Glass, Dark Tinted Tempered Glass (Black SKU only) |
DIMENSIONS | Height (with feet): 435 mm / 17.13 in Width: 287 mm / 11.3 in Depth: 415 mm / 16.34 in Weight: 9.4 kg |
COMPATIBILITY & CLEARANCE | CPU Cooler Height: 163 mm / 6.42 in GPU Length: 365 mm / 14.37 in PSU Length: 200 mm / 7.87 in Cable Management: 91 mm / 3.58 in Top Radiator: 30 mm / 1.18 in |
FRONT I/O PORTS | USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A: 2 USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C: 1 Headset Audio Jack: 1 |
EXPANSION SLOTS | Standard: 7 Vertical: 0 |
DRIVE BAYS | 2.5″: 2 3.5″: 1 |
FAN SUPPORT | Front-Right: 3 x 120 mm (3 x F120Q included) Top: 3 x 120 mm / 2 x 140 mm Bottom: 2 x 140 mm Rear: 1 x 120 mm Filters: High-Performance Mesh |
RADIATOR SUPPORT | Top: Up to 360 mm Rear: Up to 120 mm |
FAN SPECS | Model: F120Q Airflow Fan (Case Version) Speed: 1200 ± 240RPM Airflow: 62.18 CFM Static: 1.05 mm – H2O Noise: 25.1 dBA Fan Connector: 3-pin |
GENERAL | Warranty: 2 Years Model Number: CC-H61FW-01 (White) / CC-H61FB-01 (Black) UPC: 810074844130 (White) / 810074844147 (Black) EAN: 5056547204048 (White) / 5056547204055 (Black) |
Closer Look: Packaging
Box Design and Details
NZXT ships the H6 Flow chassis in a plain brown, cardboard box. A lineart of the case is printed in one of the broad sides with a sticker noting the model while the other side has the name of the product as well, in this case (literally), H6 Flow.
The narrow sides list the specs and features of the product.
Inside the box
The case is held in place with a styrofoam lining and a plastic bag. I’ve been vocal before about having inserts to protect the tempered glass more but I’ve been told that should stress be enough to damage the glass, it would literally have to cause the cardboard to fold in, causing a very visible deformity, large enough to show the cause of the damage. It is highly advised that these boxes always be transited upright.
Package Inclusion
The accessory kit is in a box inside the case during shipping, kept in the 3.5″ drive bay. Everything is already installed so all the accessory kit includes is a bunch of screws for the motherboard, drives and fans plus some zip ties.
Closer Look: Exterior
Front
If you’re not familiar with dual-chamber chassis and cases, the logic is actually quite simple. While technically not a true chamber, the design logic dictates that the case have 2 distinct areas: the main chamber for the components and the rear chamber for the power supply and hard drive.
This gives heavy emphasis on both aesthetic as it provides a cleaner look and also for airflow, as there’s not a direct feed of air from the bottom to the top. But here’s where case makers usually differ in their take on dual-chamber chassis: if they prioritize aesthetic, the front is going to be glass. But that limits front intake, meaning the design will need to feed off the rear case air which may already be pre-heated to case ambient.
Well, the NZXT H6 solves that be angling the front intake.
Sides and Front Intake
The front glass is literally the front of the case but the angle vent means it also still retains front intake. The tradeoff for this is that it reduces the space in the back but with modern power supplies now having much less cable and with some smart cable management, there’s really no need to worry about this. What we get dual-chamber chassis that has all the benefits of front airflow for the main component without losing the front glass.
This does lead to a unique look. Where we have slanted and curved front glass on the likes of the Y6 or curved ones from other makes, they’re inherently more for looks than anything else. Now, in the case of the NZXT H6, the bend is actually on the side, away from the user if you’re viewing this from the glass side.
Tempered Glass
This also skews the front fan a bit, positioning them to face the user but with the stock fans placed as intake by default, you’ll be greeted by an array of rear fans. While is cool and all, users are free to swap these out OR they can just buy the NZXT H6 Flow RGB version that swaps out the default fans for RGB fans, an option if you want a midtower airflow case with RGB fans.
Case Rear
Continuing our tour of the case exterior, we go over to the back and see the heavily perforated rear area. The dedicated fan mounting can take in a 120mm fan but allows slight variation in height placement. The PSU chamber shows us the PSU is mounting on the high side of the case which we’ll check out more a bit later.
Rear Panel
Like most of the Airflow type cases from NZXT, the H6 Airflow also has a perforated back cover. This one featurees much finer holes than the H9 Flow we’ve seen before and also positions the vents on the rear half to give the PSU some intake.
Case Feet
The bottom of th case features rubber feet, notably a large foot for angled front. Rubber lining reduce slipping. There are no dust filters included with the H6 Flow for all the vents included the bottom intake.
Top Panel
The top panel features subtle venting as well with no other details on the top.
Front I/O
NZXT has moved the ports and power buttons to the front chin. The front I/O features a 3.5mm combo audio/mic port, a Type-C port and two USB3 Type-A ports along with the power button which is also illuminated with the LED indicator light.
Case Screws and Panel
NZXT uses captive screws to secure the side panels in place while the front and top vents are fixed in place using snaps. The main tempered glass side panel is actually recessed inside a groove on the bottom of the case so when loosening the screws of the glass, it will catch on this groove so it doesn’t fall on the side and break.
Now let’s proceed to the internals.
Closer Look: Interior
Main Chamber Internal Layout
One of the good things about dual-chamber chassis is what-you-see-is-what-you-get so it is as clean as it can be on the inside. The NZXT H6 Flow/Flow RGB supports ATX, mATX and mITX motherboards and can fit ~14-inch long GPUs.
Top and Bottom Fan Mounts
The top panel supports up to 360mm radiators and while you can probably find a way to mount a radiator on the front intake and the bottom intake, due to their indented mounting, its hard to get a general fit so I can see why NZXT only officially lists 360m radiators to fit at the top.
You probably can get away with fans that use excessively thick rubber grommets to line their mounting holes to offset a radiator and mount them as push config. Still, a 360mm rad is a lot of cooling and you can probably get away with a thicker 45mm radiator.
Front Fans
NZXT includes F120Q fans on the H6 Flow and F120 RGB Core on the H6 Flow RGB. The case is available in either Black or White and the fans that come with them will also be in either color. These fans are embedded on the angled front corner which really keeps them clean as they sit flush to the case wall. As mentioned, this does prevent mounting anything larger than a 120×120 dimension on the holes meaning if you’re mounting anything, you have to do it on top of the fans.
Moving on to more DIY quality-of-life features, we have this nice cutout for accessing the back of the CPU socket for cooling upgrades and maintenance. You may have also noticed that the motherboard standoffs are also already pre-installed.
Motherboard Cut-out
To get your cables to the front, you have this insert space at the bottom. Use the gap closest to the board for the cleanest look.
This little grey accent piece doesn’t really do anything, it’s just an accent piece that lines up with the logo for purely visual appeal.
Now let’s go over the back.
Rear Chamber Layout
Removing the rear panel shows us the rear chamber which as expected, isn’t as wide as most conventional dual-chamber chassis but as you can see, it’s still quite spacious enough to fit a large power supply up to 200m with cables.
Cable Straps
NZXT has really gotten down the cable management setup and a lot of their cases ahve this strapping block which is really, nice as they are usually wide allowing for a more flatter cable arrangement versus other manufactuers.
NZXT uses color-matched velcro straps on the NZXT H6 Flow’s cable management area and pre-managed fan cables on the included front fans.
Front IO Connectors
The front IO cables snake to the back and we have the USB3.1, USB3.0 and audio front panel headers. The F_FPANEL connector is for the power button and front panel LED indicators which are all fixed up into one header removing the need for guess work as most motherboards now have standard front panel connector layouts.
Removable Drive
The power supply mount is located on the upper side of the back chamber. Just beneath it is a 3.5″ drive cage which also doubles as a 2.5″ drive mount. As more and more users forego using 3.5″ and 2.5″ drives on gaming systems, this cage is removable for more space at the back.
Power Supply Mount
Here’s our PSU mounted on the NZXT H6 Flow with the drive cage removed. Notice how the PSU blocks the CPU socket back access so you need to remove the PSU before accessing that area if you need to. This can be easy to very hard, that last one most especially with non-modular PSUs.
Before we proceed with the build, let’s check out the removed panels for the front intake and top cover.
Mesh Panels
The front and top all clip on using simple locking tabs which secure them in place. The entire top panel is a single piece and just like the bottom, both covers don’t include dust filters.
Finished Look
Here is a semi-white build featuring the GIGABYTE RTX 4080 SUPER AERO and the DeepCool AS500 cooler. With the space the top, its going to be easy putting in a 360mm radiator so I opted to keep the tower cooler just to show the actual fit. One thing I forgot to note is that this case does not include a rear fan so all exhaust is passively vented to the top and back if the front fans are constantly pushing air.
The top panel screw areas actually suggest you can do 280mm on the top. You really can’t shift though as the other side only permits securing from one rail.
Here’s some shot of the back featuring cable management on this build. Should we have needed to install the drive cage and use it to the max with two 2.5″ SATA SSDs and two 3.5″ hard drives, depending on the PSU, a single or dual SATA power line would’ve sufficed. the slack cable can either be tucked between the PSU support and the drive cage or the shorter cable that usually powers off two devices would be just the right length to power a pair of drives.
The rest of the cables can either droop to the side and then fastened on the cable straps for non-modular PSUs or the used cables cleaned up for modular ones as seen here. Take note that this is for traditional PSUs. Some newer PSU designs like the side-ports of the Corsair Shift would be great here but the 24-pin power may eat up a lot of space on the top, so its best to use traditional modular plug PSUs if you have this case.
Ultimately, it was very quick to build on this case and its really fun to see how far we’ve come in terms ease when building a PC. Of course, this is due to the convenience provided by modern components as well as a dual chamber chassis. Not having to snake cabling from a bottom- or top-mount PSU, it now leaves us plenty of space to work on in the back. This comes at the exchange of a wider base, at almost 30cm wide, the NZXT H6 Flow is 5cm or roughly 2 inches wider than most cases.
User Experience & Conclusion
The NZXT H6 Flow and H6 Flow RGB solves the issue of dual-chamber chassis not having front airflow by actually giving front airflow with its angled side intake. This is from a company that was ironically being roasted for its cases for not having a lot of airflow. That has changed in recent releases and the NZXT H6 Flow and its RGB variant is easily one of the most appraochable dual chamber chassis released to date and PHP6150 (USD109) for the non-RGB variant, its an excellent case to build in for those that want to go dual-chamber.
It does come with its limitations but let’s talk about the good things first. As a dual-chamber chassis, it has a heavy emphasis on the internal components so if you’re building for show, this is a great choice. Cooling support is decent but not expansive and those who want to custom cool are limited by the choices they can use. A 360mm rad plus a pump+block combo or a 120mm res+pump could do the trick but its obvious this case caters more for AIO users. That’s not a con for the NZXT H6 Flow, this is NZXT understanding its audience and anyone doing a quick build can really find this case a nice go-to option.
Excellent support for modern parts as well as cable management gets top marks and there’s simply not a lot to complain about. This, of course, relies on the fact that you know what to expect and this is not a flexible case that be stretch to fit 20 drives for a NAS build or a creator chassis that can fit two triple slot RTX 4090. It lacks the flexibility to lean on the extreme enthusiast builds and that’s a clear limit on how on can grow with the NZXT H6 Flow: if you’re planning to pack storage, or build a crazy custom loop on this thing with high-end parts, you’ll limited on the supported hardware to make that happen and you should think about how soon you want that to happen as this case can go a long, long way for just simple, out-of-box builds.
From a stock-cooled cooler to a tower cooler to a 240mm AIO all the way to 360mm, you can do all that and still have a room for modern fat GPUs that really push the boundary of conventional cooling. If there’s one thing we have to nitpick, there’s no dust filters or any sort of GPU support included. While I can forgive the lack of a GPU support, magnetic dust filters would’ve been a great optional inclusion in the package.
Regardless if you pick up the NZXT H6 Flow or the H6 Flow RGB, you’re getting a very robust case that requires only a screwdriver to build-on and the rest is completely tool-free. It’s hard to put into words how good the NZXT H6 Flow because its a very good case, but again, the caveat is you’re limited in certain aspects e.g. exotic cooling or exotic dual GPU setups for GPU-accelerated tasks, but knowing all of those, you’re really getting a wonderful case.
Some may dislike the angled front intake but take a moment to realize that perhaps a large majority of users of this case will have it up on the right-hand side which in regular usage, will obscure that slant. All in all, it’s a great case to build in, a great case to look at and overall it works great. Nuff said. Easily the best compact dualchamber ATX midtower airflow case you can grab right now.
You can buy the NZXT H6 Flow now. Ask your favorite dealer for pricing and availabiliy. Get it from your favorite online store at Shopee or Lazada.
I give the NZXT H6 Flow a B2G Gold Award for overall build and usability.
NZXT H6 Flow FAQs
- Does the NZXT H6 Flow have good airflow?
- Provided the front fans are used, the NZXT H6 Flow provides good airflow out-of-the-box.
- How many fans can the H6 Flow hold?
- For 120mm fans, you have a maximum of 9 with 3 on the top, 3 on the front (default), 1 on the back and 2 att the bottom. For 140mm fans, you can have 2 on the top and 2 at the bottom of the case so a total of 8 fans if you use 140mm fans.
- What PSU is compatible with H6 Flow?
- Any ATX power supply will work with the NZXT H6 Flow but some specialty PSUs like the Corsair Shift or the one from Seasonic with a modular connector strip might not be compatible. Standard modular PSUs are most ideal but non-modular and semi-modular will work too. NZXT recommends a maximum length of 200mm for PSUs though I’d spare some space for the plug slack by a little bit.