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Key Takeaways
- The NZXT H6 Flow RGB is a budget-friendly PC case that combines the best features of two existing NZXT cases, resulting in a stunning design and excellent thermal performance.
- The case features a unique angled front panel with three 120mm fans, tempered glass panels, and ample space for components. It offers good airflow and is easy to build a clean system inside.
- While the case may emit more noise due to its heavy use of grills, it offers great value for its price and is ideal for those looking for a stylish and high-performing PC case.
The design of the PC case has seen some major changes over the decades. In the early 2000s, we were still using beige towers and in 2023, there’s the rise of angled fans, tempered glass, and the Lian Li O11 Dynamic, which almost every manufacturer has attempted to replicate. Enter the NZXT H6 Flow RGB, a new PC case from the brand that isn’t a direct successor. This brand-new chassis takes the best of two existing NZXT PC cases to create something unique.
Making your PC look good can be a balancing act between design, noise, and thermal performance. The more fans installed inside a chassis, the more noise will be emitted. The more vents for better airflow, the higher chance there is for this noise to escape the case. The more tempered glass present on panels, the hotter your components will generally run. Not with the NZXT H6 Flow RGB, which NZXT has almost perfected.
For the design, the NZXT H6 Flow RGB resembles the H9 Flow with its front and side-facing tempered glass panels. But instead of having three 120mm fans sucking in air at a sharp internal 90-degree angle, the company switched things up by creating a smoother 45-degree panel to hold these blowers. The result is a cooler-looking PC that also happens to run well under load, all at a reasonable price.
About this review: NZXT provided XDA-Developers with an H6 Flow RGB sample in white but had no input for this review.
NZXT H6 Flow RGB
A gorgeous budget-friendly mid-tower PC case
I’m a fan of what NZXT attempted to achieve with the H6 Flow RGB. It’s good-looking, performs well under load, isn’t too expensive, and is super-easy to build a clean system inside.
Motherboard Size (Max.)
ATX
Graphics Card Size (Max.)
365 mm
3.5″ Drive Slots
1
RGB Lighting
Yes
2.5″ Drive Slots
2
Power Supply Size (Max.)
200 mm
Exterior Dimensions
435 x 287 x 415 mm
Color Options
Black, white
Pros
- Great value
- Stunning design
- NZXT cable management
- Excellent thermal performance
Cons
- Heavy use of grills emits more noise
- Limited 2.5-inch and 3.5-inch storage support
Price and availability
The NZXT H6 Flow RGB costs $135. There is a non-RGB variant of the case available for $125, which swaps out the included RGB fans for ones without flashing lights. Both versions of the H6 Flow are available in black and white. The larger NZXT H9 Flow comes in at $160, which makes this a considerably more affordable entry into NZXT’s more premium line-up of PC cases.
Design and features
A small change with big results
NZXT’s H6 Flow RGB is a mid-tower chassis with a dual-chamber design. There’s the standard area for the motherboard, GPU, and other components, with an expanded rear area behind the motherboard tray for the power supply, some storage drives, and cabling. The front of the case has a tempered glass panel and a 45-degree angle section for a large mesh with three 120mm fans. The left side panel is a large tempered glass window. The top and right-side panels both have further mesh for airflow.
It’s a strange appearance at first, as the angled mesh panel on the front makes the case look like it has an extension installed. As well as the three fans directed toward the GPU at the front, NZXT offers the ability to install an additional three 120mm fans on the top panel with a 360mm radiator, two 140mm fans on the bottom, and a single 120mm fan on the rear. It’s a shame it’s not possible to install an additional radiator on the front angled mounting area, but this would be too far from the CPU slot for most AIO solutions.
Front I/O is a little on the weak side compared to what we’ve seen with other mid-tower ATX cases. There are two USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports, a single USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 port, and a headset and microphone 3.5mm combo audio jack. As aforementioned, NZXT includes three RGB blowers on the front panel, and I’d recommend keeping them here because a radiator cannot be installed. Measuring 435x287x415 mm, the H6 Flow RGB is not a small case and will require additional desk space since it’s wider than standard ATX Cases.
Taking all the best parts of two existing PC cases made an exceptional offering.
The NZXT H6 Flow RGB is an interesting case with a unique take on the now more common form factor. If you found HYTE’s Y series of cases to not quite be what you’re looking for, NZXT may just have what you require with better cooling for more powerful PC builds. I’m also a big fan of the H5 and H9 series of cases. Taking all the best parts of two existing PC cases made an exceptional offering.
Building a PC
Tool-free access to all sides of the case
Putting together a system inside the NZXT H6 Flow RGB is an easy process thanks to the tool-free design throughout the case. The panels can be removed without a screwdriver for direct internal access within seconds. The same goes for the removable HDD cage behind the motherboard tray. The only time you’ll need a tool is for installing a motherboard, fans, the power supply, and SSDs. The inside of the H6 Flow RGB is expansive with ample space reserved for even the largest of graphics cards. Not all GPUs will fit, but there’s 365mm to work with. You won’t have any trouble creating a clean PC inside the NZXT H6 Flow RGB.
You won’t have any trouble creating a clean PC inside the NZXT H6 Flow RGB.
CPU coolers can be up to 163mm tall before meeting the side tempered glass window. This may affect the choice of air coolers as some of the larger, more effective CPU coolers without liquid may not fit. I made use of NZXT’s Z690 N7 motherboard with support for 12th- to 14th-generation Intel processors to test the H7 Flow RGB. The Intel Core i9-13900K was used to see how the chassis performed with a power-hungry chip. Another configuration was used, consisting of an X570 motherboard and AMD Ryzen 7950X.
Testing both systems I found the H6 Flow RGB to perform very well with a 360mm radiator-touting AIO liquid cooler. All fans were set to 50% for both Intel and AMD and temperatures came in at around 75C for gaming and 30C for idle with an ambient temperature of 26C. The noise was quite high at 48dBA when playing games and the CPU and GPU pushed hard. Allowing the fans to spin faster would bring temperatures down further and even open up some room for overclocking without causing too much additional noise.
Should you buy the NZXT H6 Flow RGB?
You should buy the NZXT H6 Flow RGB if:
- You want a stunning PC case with good airflow.
- You plan on overclocking a processor.
- You have other RGB components to install.
You shouldn’t buy the NZXT H6 Flow RGB if:
- You don’t plan on using RGB fans and desire a slightly more subtle design.
- You want the quietest PC case.
- You have numerous HDDs and SSDs to install.
The NZXT H9 Flow is a massive PC case and not everyone requires such expansive internal space, which is largely where the NZXT H6 Flow RGB comes into play. This more compact mid-tower ATX chassis resembles the NZXT H9 Flow RGB and H5 Flow, yet offers among the best cooling performance I’ve tested with this case type. It beats the HYTE Y70 with ease, thanks primarily to the more conservative use of tempered glass (and flipping it to the right side).
NZXT did a stellar job with the H6 Flow RGB. It looks great and performs well with powerful hardware.
Building inside the H6 Flow RGB is as straightforward as any other NZXT case released within the last couple of years. All exterior panels can be removed without the use of any tools, and you will have plenty of space to work with for installing all PC components. It’s a shame there aren’t any additional 3.5-inch or 2.5-inch slots, but this is part of the course as M.2 SSDs have become increasingly popular. The preinstalled three RGB NZXT fans can be relied upon with a few more blowers to create plenty of airflow through the chassis.
There won’t be any problem running an AMD Ryzen 9 or Intel Core i9 processor inside the NZXT H6 Flow RGB. With support for a single 360mm radiator, you can also use this showcase chassis for creating a PC with a custom open-loop liquid cooling solution. So long as you don’t mind running a less aggressive curve profile for installed fans, you should be able to deal with the increased noise from all the case openings. NZXT did a stellar job with the H6 Flow RGB. It looks great and performs well with powerful hardware.
NZXT H6 Flow RGB
NZXT H6 Flow RGB is a fusion of two existing PC cases. NZXT took what made the H5 and H9 so good and created the H6, which comes rocking plenty of glass, angled front-facing fans, and open internal space for maximum airflow. It’s also relatively affordable!
** (Disclaimer: This video content is intended for educational and informational purposes only) **
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