Jump to content

Will the NZXT h440 have adequate airflow for an MSI Lightning 290x? If not, which case will?

Kvyg
I've heard a lot of concerns about the airflow and easily scratched window on the h440s and I'm not sure if that would be a problem for a 290x. The prices (in Canada) at the moment are...

  • H440 = $119+
  • S340 = $99
  • R4 with window = $109
  • R4 windowless = $99
  • R5 with or without window = $139
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Link to post
Share on other sites

I have the H440 + two EVGA  970s and I am having NO issues with airflow :) And if you are careful, then you possibly cannot scratch the window :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Link to post
Share on other sites

 

I've heard a lot of concerns about the airflow and easily scratched window on the h440s and I'm not sure if that would be a problem for a 290x. The prices (in Canada) at the moment are...
  • H440 = $119+
  • S340 = $99
  • R4 with window = $109
  • R4 windowless = $99
  • R5 with or without window = $139

 

I have the H440 Razer Edition and a Sapphire r9 290x Tri-X. Playing the game Dying Light in 1080 and max out all video settings for an hour or so, my GPU temp is around 80ish. If not because of the Razer Edition, I will choose other cases out there.

Spoiler

[CPU] i5-4690K @ 4.5GHz with NZXT Kraken X61 [MOBO] Asus Z97-AR [Memory] HyperX Fury 32GB DDR3-1600 [Storage] Samsung 840 EVO 500GB & WD 1TB Black & Hitachi 1TB [GPU] Gigabyte GTX 1080 8GB Xtreme Gaming [Case] Corsair Air 540 [PSU] Cooler Master V1000 [Case Fan] Corsair SP140 LED Fan x 3 & SP120 LED Fan x 3 [Display] Main: Philips 31.5" FULL HD IPS | Side: Philips 28" 4K UHD [Keyboard] Razer Blackwidow Ultimate Stealth Edition [Mouse] Razer Ouroboros [Mouse Pad] Razer Firefly [Sound] BOSE Companion 5 Multimedia Speaker System

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Link to post
Share on other sites

@Kvyg

 

The H440 is notorious for poor airflow.

 

For the same price, you can get a much bigger, and feature rich case. It also comes in White for $10 extra.

 

I present to you, the Phanteks Enthoo Pro

"I genuinely dislike the promulgation of false information, especially to people who are asking for help selecting new parts."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Link to post
Share on other sites

@Kvyg

 

The H440 is notorious for poor airflow.

 

For the same price, you can get a much bigger, and feature rich case. It also comes in White for $10 extra.

 

I present to you, the Phanteks Enthoo Pro

 

I was looking at that as well, though it's a full tower and it's $132 :/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Link to post
Share on other sites

I was looking at that as well, though it's a full tower and it's $132 :/

It is well worth it.  That is only $10 more for a much bigger case.

 

A case is an investment.  It is a component that is reused over and over again in all of your future builds.  Buy a really nice case that has tons of features, a great look(subjectively speaking), phenomenal airflow, and lots of room to expand.  You will be happy you spent an extra $10 over the H440.

 

65j6Flk.jpg

---

Ol7VsOh.jpg

---

PWVFXtv.jpg

"I genuinely dislike the promulgation of false information, especially to people who are asking for help selecting new parts."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Link to post
Share on other sites

It is well worth it.  That is only $10 more for a much bigger case.

 

A case is an investment.  It is a component that is reused over and over again in all of your future builds.  Buy a really nice case that has tons of features, a great look(subjectively speaking), phenomenal airflow, and lots of room to expand.  You will be happy you spent an extra $10 over the H440.

 

65j6Flk.jpg

---

Ol7VsOh.jpg

---

PWVFXtv.jpg

The H440 can't be that bad, heaps of people have used it. Look on PC Part Picker and you shall see. ;)

ON A 7 MONTH BREAK FROM THESE LTT FORUMS. WILL BE BACK ON NOVEMBER 5th.


Advisor in the 'Displays' Sub-forum | Sony Vegas Pro Enthusiast & Advisor


  Tech Tips Christian Fellowship Founder & Coordinator 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Link to post
Share on other sites

The H440 can't be that bad, heaps of people have used it. Look on PC Part Picker and you shall see. ;)

Yea, its a popular case because of its looks.  That doesn't mean the airflow is good, because it has proven not to be.

 

I am a NZXT G10 user, and an avid member over at the G10 owner's club on OCN.  I cannot tell you the number of people with this case who get abnormally high temps because of this case.  They have to end up taking off their side panel or changing up the airflow in their chassis.  Even then, their temps are still slightly higher than the users who have other cases.  Especially with a monster card like the Lightning, I wouldn't go with an H440.

"I genuinely dislike the promulgation of false information, especially to people who are asking for help selecting new parts."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Link to post
Share on other sites

The airflow on the H440 is not as good as it's designed to be quiet. Ideally you'd use it for a liquid cooled high end machine for the best silent performance. I have the white/black H440 with the specs in my sig and while gaming/folding I've yet to go above 60C for CPU, can't remember any GPU temps at the moment. It's worked well for me.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Link to post
Share on other sites

Yea, its a popular case because of its looks.  That doesn't mean the airflow is good, because it has proven not to be.

 

I am a NZXT G10 user, and an avid member over at the G10 owner's club on OCN.  I cannot tell you the number of people with this case who get abnormally high temps because of this case.  They have to end up taking off their side panel or changing up the airflow in their chassis.  Even then, their temps are still slightly higher than the users who have other cases.  Especially with a monster card like the Lightning, I wouldn't go with an H440.

 

What about the S340? I've heard it has better airflow than the H440. I really like the design of the S340/H440/R4/R5s

 

As for cooling vs silence, I want to also find a good balance between the two.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Link to post
Share on other sites

What about the S340? I've heard it has better airflow than the H440. I really like the design of the S340/H440/R4/R5s

 

As for cooling vs silence, I want to also find a good balance between the two.

Well, there is a give and take between silence and airflow.  There is no perfect balance.

 

I can't really imagine the S340 to be much better, even if it is better.  The design is so similar.

 

The Enthoo Pro is a very quiet case.  Probably not as quiet as a completely enclosed H440, but its definitely not loud.

"I genuinely dislike the promulgation of false information, especially to people who are asking for help selecting new parts."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Link to post
Share on other sites

The s340 airflow is fine esspecially if you put 140mm fans in the front and top, so is the h440 really although that does depend on what fans you use, what cooler you have on the gpu and what else you have in the system. I recently put two g1 gaming 970's in an s340 and the temps were fine, not just for the cards but for the whole system - although the 970's kick out a lot less heat than a 290x lightning.

Main Rig: NZXT S340 | Asus Z77 Sabertooth | Intel Core i7 3770k @ 4.6GHz | 32GB Corsair Vengeance RAM | GTX970 G1 Gaming | Samsung 840 250GB | Samsung 2TB |  Coolermaster Eisberg Custom Loop | BlackIce Nemisis GTS280 | Corsair TX750M With black braided cables | Windows 8 Pro | Dell 29” 21:9 U2913WM | AT2020 | Beyerdynamic DT100 | Microlab Solo 6C |

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Link to post
Share on other sites

I was looking at that as well, though it's a full tower and it's $132 :/

NZXT market the H440 as a "Full Tower"

 

I really do wish I had have gotten an Enthoo Pro

CPU: Intel Core i7-4770k | Mobo: MSI Mpower Max | Cooling: Cryorig R1 Ultimate w/ XT140 front Fan | GPU: EVGA GTX 770 Dual SC SLI | Case: NZXT H440 | Case Fans: Phanteks PH-140SP x5 | PSU: EVGA Supernova P2 1000W | RAM: 16GB Crucial Ballistix Tactical Tracer | SSD: Kingston HyperX 3k 120GB | HDD: Seagate Barracude

Keyboard: Razer Blackwidow Ultimate 2013 | Mouse: Razer Deathadder 2013 | Headphones: Sennheiser HD438s | Mousepad: Razer Goliathus Control | Monitor 1: Benq XL2430T | Monitor 2: BenQ RL2455HM 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Link to post
Share on other sites

The H440 does an okay job at cooling.  It does get warm, lets just get that out of the way.  I have used one for the past year or so and have enjoyed it.  I opted for a larger case in my new build to clear up the warmer temps I was experiencing.

7900X, Asus X670-E ROG Strix , 32GB Corsair Vengeance RGB DDR5 6000, 2 x Samsung 980 Pro 2 TB NVME, Samsung 980 Pro 1TB NVME,  EVGA RTX3080TI FTW3

EVGA Supernova P2 1000 PSU w/ CableMod, Asus Xonar DSX, Lian Li Galahad 360, Hyte Y60, Corsair K70, EVGA Torq X10, (1) Alienware AW3418DW Ultrawide, (1) Acer Predator XB271HU 1440P, Logitech G535

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Link to post
Share on other sites

What about the S340? I've heard it has better airflow than the H440. I really like the design of the S340/H440/R4/R5s

 

As for cooling vs silence, I want to also find a good balance between the two.

S340 has great airflow. R5 (the case) has great airflow, but the included fans are pretty weak. I put a pair if Phanteks PH-F140SP_BK fans in the front (and took out the 5-bay cage) and it's fantastic. It's so open in design that there is virtually no airflow difference when I open the door and take the filter out. Opening the door (and leaving filter in) honestly does nothing to increase the airflow, which is a testament to how open the design is.

 

Just know that the silencing capabilities of the R5 are much more position dependent as a result. It absorbs some sound, but mostly limits it's propagation in certain directions. It forces sound to down and to the sides, limiting it's transmission upwards and to the front. I have mine on a bookshelf with the bottom front left corner 1-2 ft. to my right at ear level, so I can hear my HDDs spinning (motor sound) and when my fans break ~1000 RPM. When I sit in directly in front of it, I can't hear anything until the fans start getting close to full speed. I love my R5. So much better than the R4's design.

Titan: Intel Core i7-5820K | ASUS X99-A | Crucial Ballistix Sport 4x4GB DDR4-2400 | ASUS Strix GeForce GTX 970 | OCZ Arc 100 2x256GB in RAID 0 | Seagate Barracuda 2x2TB in RAID 1


EVGA SuperNOVA 750 G2 | Fractal Design Define R5 Titanium Window | Phanteks PH-TC14PE | ASUS BW-12B1ST

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Link to post
Share on other sites

S340 has great airflow. R5 (the case) has great airflow, but the included fans are pretty weak. I put a pair if Phanteks PH-F140SP_BK fans in the front (and took out the 5-bay cage) and it's fantastic. It's so open in design that there is virtually no airflow difference when I open the door and take the filter out. Opening the door (and leaving filter in) honestly does nothing to increase the airflow, which is a testament to how open the design is.

 

Just know that the silencing capabilities of the R5 are much more position dependent as a result. It absorbs some sound, but mostly limits it's propagation in certain directions. It forces sound to down and to the sides, limiting it's transmission upwards and to the front. I have mine on a bookshelf with the bottom front left corner 1-2 ft. to my right at ear level, so I can hear my HDDs spinning (motor sound) and when my fans break ~1000 RPM. When I sit in directly in front of it, I can't hear anything until the fans start getting close to full speed. I love my R5. So much better than the R4's design.

 

 

NZXT market the H440 as a "Full Tower"

 

I really do wish I had have gotten an Enthoo Pro

 

So would the airflow be R5>R4>Enthoo Pro>S340>H440?

How much larger is the Enthoo Pro compared to the H440?

 

I'm planning on switching fans out for better ones, though I've heard the ones on H440 are pretty decent already.

 

EDIT: Sorry meant to say Pro > R5 > R4 > S340 > H440?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Link to post
Share on other sites

So would the airflow be R5>R4>Enthoo Pro>S340>H440?

How much larger is the Enthoo Pro compared to the H440?

I'm planning on switching fans out for better ones, though I've heard the ones on H440 are pretty decent already.

enthooprohasbetterairflowthanr5/r4

n0ah1897, on 05 Mar 2014 - 2:08 PM, said:  "Computers are like girls. It's whats in the inside that matters.  I don't know about you, but I like my girls like I like my cases. Just as beautiful on the inside as the outside."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Link to post
Share on other sites

So would the airflow be R5>R4>Enthoo Pro>S340>H440?

How much larger is the Enthoo Pro compared to the H440?

 

I'm planning on switching fans out for better ones, though I've heard the ones on H440 are pretty decent already.

Pro>R5>S340>>>>>>H440>R4

 

H440 does come with great fans, but the case itself has too little ventilation. The Pro and R5 are equal on 3 sides, but the Pro lets you use top ventilation in a much more acceptable fashion (filtered top, and the purpose of moduvent covers is to block noise). R4 ventilation is worse than the H440 (similar lack of ventilation and worse fans). Pro, R5, and S340 are miles better than H440 and R4.

 

Phanteks comes with pretty good fans. I don't think they're worth swapping out. But with both the S340 and the R5, you'll want to add another 140mm fan or 2. S340 because the included fans are best as exhausts, and having 2 extra 140mm fans would make it's airflow almost perfect. R5 because the fans, while good for what they are, doesn't have the capacity for a 290X. They're not designed that way. I'd put the stock fan as the exhaust and as the bottom intake, and have the one that can feed air directly to the GPU be a fan that can move more air.

Titan: Intel Core i7-5820K | ASUS X99-A | Crucial Ballistix Sport 4x4GB DDR4-2400 | ASUS Strix GeForce GTX 970 | OCZ Arc 100 2x256GB in RAID 0 | Seagate Barracuda 2x2TB in RAID 1


EVGA SuperNOVA 750 G2 | Fractal Design Define R5 Titanium Window | Phanteks PH-TC14PE | ASUS BW-12B1ST

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Link to post
Share on other sites

Pro>R5>S340>>>>>>H440>R4

 

H440 does come with great fans, but the case itself has too little ventilation. The Pro and R5 are equal on 3 sides, but the Pro lets you use top ventilation in a much more acceptable fashion (filtered top, and the purpose of moduvent covers is to block noise). R4 ventilation is worse than the H440 (similar lack of ventilation and worse fans). Pro, R5, and S340 are miles better than H440 and R4.

 

Phanteks comes with pretty good fans. I don't think they're worth swapping out. But with both the S340 and the R5, you'll want to add another 140mm fan or 2. S340 because the included fans are best as exhausts, and having 2 extra 140mm fans would make it's airflow almost perfect. R5 because the fans, while good for what they are, doesn't have the capacity for a 290X. They're not designed that way. I'd put the stock fan as the exhaust and as the bottom intake, and have the one that can feed air directly to the GPU be a fan that can move more air.

 

How close are the Pro>R5>S340? I really like the design of the R5 but the price is similar to that of the Pro. The S340 is only $90 and I would definitely consider the two extra 140mm fans. If I were to choose the S340, which fans should I go for and how would the orientation of those be? And can the R4 match the Pro/R5/S340 if I get better fans?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Link to post
Share on other sites

I have a H440 and a MSI GTX 980 4G overclocked to 1444MHZ core/7.52GHz memory and never see over 64C GPU temp under full load. CPU temp stays around 60c under load with OCCT at 4.4GHz OC.

 

http://pcpartpicker.com/b/3CkTwP

 

The airflow is more than adequate IMO, most people that say it sucks don't even own the case. I added a 140mm DS Aerocool fan to the top as intake and run a Kraken x41 in push/pull on the exhaust. All other fans are stock on front intake.

 

The case is just sexy, I love it.

CPU i5-4690K(OC to 4.4Ghz) CPU Cooler NZXT Kraken x41 Motherboard MSI Z97 Gaming 5 Memory G.Skillz Ripjaws X 16gb 2133 Video Card MSI GTX 1080 Gaming X           Case NZXT H440 Power Supply XFX XTR 750W Modular Storage Samsung 840 EVO 250gb/Seagate Barracuda 2TB Monitor Acer XB270HU G-Sync http://pcpartpicker.com/b/3CkTwP

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Link to post
Share on other sites

I have my H440 loaded to the brim and have no issues with temperatures. The one thing that might make me second guess getting the h440 is the lack of room for expansion. I am considering moving to a custom loop and it is going to require a good bit of planning for me to execute this in this a h440. That is more a knock against mid-towers though and not the H440 specifically.  

CPU Intel i7 5930k - Motherboard Asus X99 Deluxe - RAM Kingston DDR4 32GB - GPU nVidia GeForce GTX980 3way SLI - Case NZXT H440 – Samsung XP941 m.2, Samsung 850 Pro, WD Black, WD Red - PSU Corsair Ax1200i

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Link to post
Share on other sites

How close are the Pro>R5>S340? I really like the design of the R5 but the price is similar to that of the Pro. The S340 is only $90 and I would definitely consider the two extra 140mm fans. If I were to choose the S340, which fans should I go for and how would the orientation of those be? And can the R4 match the Pro/R5/S340 if I get better fans?

Easy answer first; R4 can't match the aforementioned 3 cases. The case itself is too restricting (like the H440).

 

All three are very good, but they do things a bit differently. Pro is the most versatile, and has the best stock configuration. It's a case that puts cooling and functionality first. It may actually be the cheapest option (though I have no idea about non US pricing, so I may be wrong) because it works very well in it's stock configuration. R5 will end up running the most expensive, because their goal was to silence as much as they could without restricting cooling capability. You get almost as much cooling capacity as the Pro, while gaining sound dampening design. The S340 may end up costing close to the price of a Pro fully outfitted, but it is a space efficient solution.

 

If you go for the S340 with a 290X, you'll want to leave the stock fans where they are (rear and top exhaust), and add in 2 front intake fans. I like matching fans when I can get them, so I would probably put NZXT's own FN V2 140mm fans. They're pretty good too.

Titan: Intel Core i7-5820K | ASUS X99-A | Crucial Ballistix Sport 4x4GB DDR4-2400 | ASUS Strix GeForce GTX 970 | OCZ Arc 100 2x256GB in RAID 0 | Seagate Barracuda 2x2TB in RAID 1


EVGA SuperNOVA 750 G2 | Fractal Design Define R5 Titanium Window | Phanteks PH-TC14PE | ASUS BW-12B1ST

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Link to post
Share on other sites

@Kvyg

 

Get the Pro.  It has the best airflow, it comes with the best stock fans, it is the largest, it is reasonably priced, it has tons of radiator support, and lots of room for future expansion.

 

It is not loud by any means.  My room without the PC on is 34dBa.  When I turn my PC on, I go up to 46dBa.  This is measured from two feet away, and my computer is at ear level.  I use the Sound Meter Lite app on my Phone to measure.

 

Pumps in my X31 and Seidon 240M are both at 90% speed.

 

Front fans, Cougar Vortex 120mm PWM are both attached via rubber grommets are running at 1500rpm

Inside bottom two front HDD fans, Aerocool Dead Silence White are screwed in, both running at 1000rpm

Inside top front fan, Phanteks 140mm is not screwed in, just sitting upright, running at 1000rpm

Top Radiator(Seidon 240M) Cooler Master Blade Master 120s are running at 1250rpm

Top front most fan, Cougar Vortex 120mm PWM is running at 1000rpm

X31 has two fans in push/pull, Cooler Master Blade Master 120s running at 1200rpm

The rear bottom fan is the included 92mm fan from the G10, it is running at full speed, 1500rpm

The G10, I replaced the VRM fan with a Cooler Master Blade Master 92mm fan, it is running at 2200rpm

 

In total, 2 pumps, and 12 fans, 1 HDD, 1 SSD, 1 GPU Cooled via NZXT G10.

 

I'm curious, what is it about the Pro that you are not liking?  I am clearly bias, I just want to be as transparent as possible.  Admittedly, I am a very pragmatic person and let logic and reason dictate my decision making, but the Enthoo Pro is one of the rare products that I absolutely fan boy over because of how amazing it is.

 

The customer service is top notch, some of the best I have ever dealt with.  The toolbox came loose during shipping and scratched up the inside of the acrylic panel.  I contacted Phanteks, within 10 hours, I had an email, a phone call, and a tracking number with my new side panel being shipped free of charge.  Other Phanteks owners will all tell you the same, the customer service is incredible.

"I genuinely dislike the promulgation of false information, especially to people who are asking for help selecting new parts."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Link to post
Share on other sites

Ive been debating these cases as well,  I've always been told to go for the enthoo pro but I just can't get over the looks of it.  For some reason I just really don't like the look of it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

×