The NZXT H500i PC case makes it easy to look pretty

NZXT is one of the companies responsible for the current design sensibilities in the PC space. Its products — and especially its cases — use a lot of metal, little plastic, and an overall minimal gaps and other seams. The new H500 and H500i maintain that style at $70 and $100, respectively. They may even take it a step further with a surprising lack of intake vents for cooling. And while that made me worry about thermals when I first put together the test rig, NZXT engineers have done the work to ensure the case keeps everything cool enough with some intelligent airflow.

I tested the H500i, which comes with a smart device that controls fans and a pair of RGB lighting strips. The H500 is the same enclosure without any of those fancy extras, so this review applies to both. I’ll be sure to point out when I’m talking about anything that is exclusive to the H500i.