OC3D Review NZXT H2 vs Fractal Designs R3

Oh hello... *rubs palms together*... *starts reading*.

Edit: Done reading.

NZXT if you're reading this thread. Suck it in, start with a blank sheet, and only things that are needed and work in the real world. Corsair improved their 600T and made the amazing if rather expensive 650D, but they did it right, no gimmicks.

We await the H3 for dissection, the ball is in your court now to put in the effort.
 
I'm glad you did this Tom and proved your points
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I don't understand why NZXT reacted the way they did you wouldn't give a psychiatrist a mental patient and not expect him to study him and you wouldn't give a detective a murder case and not expect him to try and solve it. So why NZXT do you think that they can give a PC case to a PC enthusiast and not expect him to pick up on design flaws and poorly made features?

NZXT can't argue now and try to make out it was a bad review based on opinions, the proof is there for all to see.

If you read this NZXT, which I guess you will, you should take this as constructive criticism and not a bashing. Everyone on this site is a PC enthusiast and we notice all the little things that Tom piked up on. If you want a good review and an award I would listen to what Tom has said, go away and fix the bad points, send Tom the improved version and i'm sure if it deserves it it will get a good review and an award.
 
Huge kudos to you dude for sticking to your guns.

NZXT can't complain, I've been following your videos for tiiiiiiime now, and I've seen you slate other products worse, but those companies never QQ about it.

As Jonowee said, Corsair even went so far as to make a new case with suggestions you added lol and received a "Rusty Gold or a polished Silver" award because of it.

Keep the truth alive brother!
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I've seen one site take a dremel to the bottom of the front door to improve airflow in the H2. These cases (at least from the outside) always remind me of the original Antec P180.
 
One thing you didn't mention is on the H2 they put a small grommeted hole for the USB 3 pass through, which if I remember correctly you mentioned on another case review as something you really wanted to see. Minor thing but wasn't sure if you remembered.
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Great review, I'm glad you aren't just folding to NZXT.

Like Runebeard said, NZXT must have known your review style and how easily you pick up on things.
 
Just the facts, I like it. You can tell the difference so easily between somebody who does it because he loves it and somebody who just does it for the money.

As a Phantom owner, I wonder what the major quality differences are between it and the H2? It's quite easy to see the design setbacks in the video! Aside from the cheap foam and bad top fan mesh/plastic, is the build quality really up to snuff? Is it cheaply made?

To me, the Phantom is very well built (despite its own design issues). But I'd always read how other NZXT models had shoddy materials and workmanship. Wonder which category the H2 falls in... Not that I'd think of buying it, of course!
 
Great review TTL.

I mentioned on another site a few weeks ago that "I don't think the H2 comes near the Define R3 in terms of build quality".

This video review just proves I was correct in saying so.

Cheers
 
nice to see that i was "sort of" mentioned
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(snow white winner), as i am the the only R3 winner that has got his case (ATM)

R3 = lights on (likey)

H2 = lights off (no likey)
 
I've looked at some other reviews of the H2, and so far only TTL and hardware canucks

had the 'cojones' to "tell it like it is". You did however come of as overly aggressive

when first reviewing it. It didn't feel like your usual videos. I'm glad you've explained

the reason for that in this video (utter disappointment, lol).

The HC vid:

[media]http://youtu.be/g6uqupcZHN0[/media]
 
Are my eyes playing tricks on me? The hard drive bays are far to closer together on the NZXT H2 which will restrict the air flow from the front fans where the Fractal R3 hard drives bay look like they have a good gap between them so the front fan can get a beater air flow over the hard drives?

Keep up the good work and the honest reviews
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the Japanase Space Program had named their first two rockets H2, and they were a massive FAIL too.

i wonder if NZXT will fix the problem(s) with the case and name their chassis' H2A, just like the japs did, as well
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i hope not...

REASON:

the japs are cutting costs by reducing the number of parts.

less parts means less things to go wrong - lol

now, if NZXT are copying the JSP, this may lead to the first PC case being made from cardboard
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Fractal makes good products and revise there products with feed back from reviewers and users this the third revision. So the one thing Im defending NZXT is the fact that there case has had no revisions unlike the veteran fractal. That said don't buy the H2 also the first version of the Fractal was still better than that if little more basic than its current rendition. Also fractal revised the R1, R2, R3 quite quickly which was also good. I dont know Im just waffling now fractal makes nice cases I own a XL its great and has so much room (as long as like large cases).
 
I've already posted my comments on facebook (Paul Fletcher) and YouTube (mrmightymind) already, so won't triple up on them
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But, can you let us know if you do get a response from NZXT, would br good to hear what they say, positive or negative. I think that it would give us some "behind the scenes" insight into the murkey world of PC products! I really didn't think that this kind of behaviour happened in this market place.

I've had plenty of interesting conversations with system manufacturers before, but cases??? Oh well, have fun with them Tom!
 
NZXT need to remember the Japanese mantra; copy, adapt, improve, with the emphasis on improve. Whatever happened to 5S and Quality Circles at NZXT?

A gold plated turd is still a turd, albeit a very shiney turd; they need to remember that no amount of turd polich will stop it from being a turd.

That is all.
 
only one thing i dont like about, the review the price on the r3 should be 9/9 or 10/10

idk about the UK but over here in the US its $30 more then a 690ii adv

thats 110 bucks which is chump change considering what you get (and i thought the 690ii was a steal!)

the only thing i would even mark it down for is the slightly increased heat compared to other cases

but you know that going in because its a quiet pc case not a highairflow case

the h2 looks like a case youd pay $5 for at a garage sale
 
As a Define XL owner i must say that i do like my chassi; and the smaller R3 seems like a good product too. However, something i have noticed is that despite hunting for it, i have not seen one "proper" review of the R3 on OC3D.

As i said, i own one; and i like it, but there are faults, faults that i find acceptable due to the price point; but still... I would love to see a proper 20-30 minute review of the R3, give it the same treatment that the other cases get.

This was the first "review" of the R3, and to be honest, it felt like the focus was a little bit on highlighting the problems of the H2 and not really bringing up the flaws of the R3. This whole "affair" would have been much better if there was one solid R3 review done; before the h2 was posted.

So perhaps sit down and do a long, solo R3 review? Because its slightly fishy to promote the case, make give away builds, aswell as sing its praises but not sit down and give it the long, and detailed reviews you give most other products.
 
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