Other changes made to the V2 include an additional USB Type-A port on the front I/O which is greatly appreciated. I often find myself needing to temporarily plug in USB drives or Bluetooth dongles and that is much easier to do via the USB ports on the top, as the others are on the bottom with the motherboard I/O facing downward. This makes for an overall cleaner aesthetic that I’m still a big fan of, but it does mean you have to tilt the system to access the I/O while powered up. This is an excellent PC case, but I have a few minor complaints. Firstly, the cabling setup is great in the rear, but it means you need to tilt the unit slightly to gain access to the motherboard ports. This can be tiresome if the H1 is placed somewhere that limits access. An additional fan was installed to help direct air through the enlarged chassis. We didn't have an issue with heat when running an AMD Ryzen 9 3900X in the first version of the H1, but the better thermal performance is always a good improvement. This added internal volume even allowed NZXT to install a fan controller, which can be managed by NZXT CAM software. To simulate thermal demand we run the Cinebench R23 multi-thread benchmark and Heaven Benchmark simultaneously in a loop for 60 minutes to fully load the system. This should give the CPU and GPU enough time to reach constant steady-state temperature. With this data, we can compare how the system handles the thermal demand and measure peak noise levels.

The most noticeable improvement in thermal performance by the H1 v2 compared with the original H1 was when the GPU load was introduced. The H1 v2 significantly reduced GPU temperature compared with the H1 v1. We put this down to the added 92mm exhaust fan as you can see with the 92mm fan disabled, GPU temperature increased. The larger side panel holes and increased space inside the system may also contribute to the improved GPU thermals. Granted, this is a similar layout to many vertical SFF towers, including the Revolt 3 and the Ssupd Meshlicous. But there’s no denying you’re giving up a lot of convenience in terms of port access for the sake of a system with a small footprint. Just keep that in mind if you’re considering any of these cases. But that's basically a CPU stress test. In real-world environments and with effective fan control using CAM software from NZXT or the motherboard BIOS, it's not too bad at all. What impressed me most were the temperature readings. Idle, the Ryzen 9 3900X sits at a comfortable 30C (86F), while in-game you're only looking at around 53C (118F) playing Grand Theft Auto V. Stress tests pushed the CPU to hit 68C (154F), though the cooling solution was more than able to keep up, and it blows air across the motherboard. The ambient temperature was 20C (68F). I notified NZXT and the company shipped us a new case. We started the testing over and the PSU in our second H1 V2 review unit worked fine–and is still working without issue as of this writing. Still, given the history the H1 line has, it’s hard not to see a random PSU failure as a red flag.We measure the thermal performance with the case in its default configuration, so all exterior panels are installed and fans in the default locations. We then transfer the system components to the original H1 and run the thermal tests again to measure whether the new H1 offers any thermal improvement over the original.

At the very least, if you opt for the H1 V2, you’ll want to do some stress testing while you’re still in the return window. NZXT does provide a generous 10-year warranty for the power supply, but no one wants to sit around waiting for an RMA with a bunch of PC parts they can’t use until a replacement power supply shows up. It is still a very good mini-ITX case, especially for users who want simplicity, if you are looking to buy a mini-ITX case for a new build, you want something that looks stylish and has a small footprint then the new NZXT H1 is worth buying. However, I would like to see NZXT offer the new chassis as a bare unit for current H1 users to upgrade the case when they upgrade to a GPU that won't fit inside the original H1. For the uninitiated, the NZXT H1 is a small form-factor case targeted at those who want to downsize their PC without compromising on power. It has a small footprint, making it ideal for sitting on a desk, but is tall and so accommodating of full-size graphics cards. It’s surprising to say that for such a small case that cable management was easier than some mid-tower cases. NZXT did an excellent job pre routing the cables to meet its motherboard connectors. I don’t even want to think of the horror show it must be to get the power supply seated with all of the cables attached, while dealing with the AIO. I’m happy NZXT does this for you, and it makes the case much more new-builder friendly. Another neat feature in the H1 V2 is the layout of the AIO. I love how the AIO’s tubes bow outward when this case is closed– it reminds me a lot of Cad Bane’s breathing tube from Star Wars.Did NZXT intend on having the tubes sit this way? I doubt it, but I like it.

NZXT H1 V2 Review: The final verdict

Even with more powerful processors, the AIO cooler supplied by NZXT is good enough and you could even swap out the bundled blower for an aftermarket solution, should you have a personal preference on 140mm fans and know you could reduce the sound output slightly. As a mini PC, the H1 works for low-power builds as well as high-end, enthusiast gaming rigs.

The NZXT H1 V2 had a lot of potential, given its similarities to the well-liked design of the previous model, plus the addition of an exhaust fan and a higher-wattage PSU and a little more space for today’s beefy graphics cards. But the demons that haunted the first model may have carried onto this version as well, given that the PSU on our first review unit unexpectedly died in the middleof our testing. Or maybe I just got a lemon. Who knows? After receiving the second sample, the case worked as intended.I would also have liked to have seen NZXT go one or two steps further with the revisions. An alternative solid or vented steel front panel for users who don’t like the look of the tempered glass would have benefited the new case, as the inside of the H1 isn’t pretty to look at once the system is built. Squeezing in a bigger AIO cooler would have been a priority for me too, as the thermal demand of modern-day CPUs seems to be on the rise.

KitGuru says: When combined, all the little revisions to the NZXT H1 (v2) add up to make it a worthy improvement over the original. However, that comes with a considerable increase in cost, would that put you off buying one?

If you've ever built a small form factor PC you will understand the pain of trying to route a million, unnecessarily long PSU cables around the motherboard, graphics card, and everything else. Then trying to mount a capable-enough cooler into the limited confines of a mini-ITX case… well, that's a task in itself. Once the H1 v2 AIO fan was switched to intake, we noticed an improvement in the CPU temperature under load. However, there wasn't a significant improvement in CPU temperature using the H1 v2 compared with the original H1. This didn't come as a surprise as both cases use the same 140mm AIO liquid cooler so we expected very similar thermal performance, but it's worth noting that CPU temperature is best with the AIO fan set as an intake. As we saw with the original NZXT H1, this case is perfect for users that want a simple solution for building a mini-ITX system. The preinstalled AIO and PSU makes life easy when building a system in the H1. However, this can be a negative for users who want to be creative with the installation, as there is only one way to build in the H1 and you are forced to use NZXT hardware such as the AIO and power supply.