NZXT H440 2015 Edition Mid Tower Case Review

The H440 was renewed last year with a few minor upgrades. It’s the most expensive chassis on test, but its look and feel is a cut above the rest. The build quality is the best on test, and the new
matt finish is lovely. Aesthetically, it’s sleek and minimalist without being boring, and the tinted window on our all-black sample adds further class.

The I/O panel is well connected, and while there’s no external fan control, it includes an internal PWM fan hub, enabling you to connect eight (or more with splitter cables) fans and control them from the CPU fan header’s PWM socket for automatic, casewide fan control. It’s a great idea, especially as many motherboards now offer advanced fan control tweaking. You get four fans already out of the box, all pre-connected the PWM hub, so airflow should be good, and there’s room to add up to three more fans in the roof.

Another cool feature is the rear I/O panel LED, helping you to find that pesky USB port in the dark. There’s also the NZXT logo on the PSU cover, which is visible through the window and backlit in white. Both lights are toggled with a button on the back – you can switch on one, both or neither of them.

The front and roof panels both pull off easily, giving you access to the full-height dust filter up front. The roof doesn’t need a filter, since the top is solid and the ventilation is relegated to the sides where dust will struggle to enter. Lastly, the PSU is covered by an easily replaceable slide-out filter.

[amzn_product_inline asin=’B015401JQY’]

One of our only grudges is that the side panels rely on notches and rails, although on the plus side, the H440 includes sound-dampening material on all its removable panels.

Meanwhile, pre-installed standoffs make motherboard installation a cinch, while the PSU needs to be attached to a bracket and slid into place from the back. The H440 includes five drive trays
up front, which are all independently removable and capable of housing one 3.5in drive and a secondary drive, either 2.5in or 3.5in. Another universal mount is built into the floor, and there are two dedicated 2.5in mounts on the PSU cover, enabling you to show off an SSD or two.

When it comes to system building, there are plenty of hooks to secure cables, and lots of useful holes as well, including many with grommets. What’s more, the PSU cover gives you masses of space for tidying cables – it’s super-easy to build a neat and tidy rig with this case. There’s plenty of room for watercooling gear too, with space for 360mm or 280mm radiators both in the roof and up front, although the top is limited to slim models. There’s no built-in place for reservoirs or pumps, but you still get a solid level of support.

In terms of airflow, the H440’s CPU delta T of 53°C (Core i7-870) and GPU delta T of 51°C (HD 5870) are 1°C and 2°C behind the best results respectively – this case doesn’t struggle with cooling. These results were achieved with the fans at full speed, where the case generates a moderate but non-intrusive level of noise., but there’s clearly plenty of leeway for lower, PWM-based speeds to deliver healthy temperatures.

 

Conclusion

The H440 2015 Edition is sublime. It cools hardware very well, has awesome features such as the PWM fan hub, PSU cover, double-sided drive trays and I/O LED, and it’s also easy to work with the case and tidy your build.


Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published.