PC cases for gaming help keep our machines running efficiently, cool and neat, that is, free from dust. Although, PC cases features vary per case. That is, PC cases are designed to meet certain specific needs. We discovered that while some are not up to par, others are just the perfect type of casing that meets our needs. This article is one of such articles that provide a review by juxtaposing two PC cases namely; NZXT H500 and Phanteks P300. The article aims at investigating which one is better and why. Also, the pros and cons of each gaming cases are listed before the comparison is made.
NZXT H500
The NZXT H500, unlike the H500i, does not come with a smart module installed. It offers value for its money based on its budget-friendliness. It has a beautiful cable management system that enables building best-looking rig inside of it. The exterior part of the NZXT H500 is designed with steel panels throughout. Design is simple, yet unique in a sense of elegance. It comes with a removable glass panel and the upper part of the panel has a metal strip with clips that inserts into the case’s frame. Here is a red flag- there is a force required to remove the panel and too much force can damage it.
It is also important to mention that the NZXT H500 design does not support vents for air intake for the front panel but the side panel has vents. For exhaust, the front panel has support for one fan measuring between 120mm to 140 mm. It comes pre-installed with another one below. Also, it is important to note that its thumbscrews are not up to par when it comes to quality rating. They should have been denser.
A look into the interior part of this case shows how well built the inside is except for the frontal panel fan mount which isn’t as strong as the motherboard plate and PSU which were designed to withstand bending. The fan mount isn’t thick enough and can be easily bent. Although the detachable fan mount is very convenient especially during radiation. Also, the build quality of this case could have been better. It comes with a brilliant and fantastic cable management game at the back of the motherboard plate.
It is important to state that the case’s motherboard has in its middle a convenient routing channel designed to accommodate thick cable behind velcro straps. Talking of storage, the NZXT H500 as a creative way of making more space due to perforated PSU, the two SSD trays can be attached anywhere on top of it.
In case you need more space for your PSU cables, the drive cage can be placed forward by removing screws ag the bottom of the case. It is also worthy to mention the 10 port connector bundled up into a single connector making it look like a USB with numerous cables. This is a wonderful innovation other case manufacturers didn’t see coming. Talking of Thermal performance, the NZXT H500 is ventilated along the front edge of the steel side as well as the top fan mount and the usual hole underneath the front panel.
As we all know, there are advantages and disadvantages to every gadget no matter how perfect they seem. In the same vein, the NZXT H500 and the Phanteks P300 have advantages and disadvantages that are, pros and cons. This brings us to list the advantages and the disadvantages of the NZXT H500.
Specifications:
Firstly, it is important to mention that the NZXT H500 comes with no smart device. Talking of dimensions, the NZXT H500 comes with a height of 435mm, a width of 210 mm, Deep (interior height) 428mm. The build space for cable management is somewhat narrow and measures about 19mm-23mm and regulated with plastic channels.
Motherboard form factor: Mini-ITX, Micro-ATX, ATX
Power supply standard: ATX standard (A maximum length of 180 mm).
Drive bays: 3×3.5 inch HDD, 2×2.5 inch SSD
Fan support: 2× 120/140 km (front) 1 × 120/140mm (top), 1× 120mm (rear)
Clearances: CPU cooler- 165mm, Graphics card- 381mm
i/o parts: 2× USB 3.1 Gen-1, 1× headphone/microphone combo
Radiator support: Up to 280mm (front), 120 mm (rear)
PROS
- A top-notch cable management system.
- A budget-friendly case
- A beautiful and neatly done design
- Comes with a fallout theme that suits fans of the game
- Comes with a matching motherboard bling
Cons
- Inferior build quality
- Did not come with a LED strip
- Did not come with soft buggers around cable-routing cut-outs
Phanteks P300
It is also expedient to mention the pros and cons of the Phanteks P300 in order to make a reasonable comparison and to eventually recommend the better one based on the reviews given.
Specifications:
Talking of its dimensions, the Phanteks P300 has a height of 200 mm, a width of 450 mm and comes with a deep of 400 mm. A mid-tower form factor, made of materials such as steel chassis, steel on its exterior, ABS and glass. Its motherboard support, E-ATX is about 270mm maximally wide, micro ATX, ATX, and Mini ITX.
Front I/O is 2× USB 3.0, Mic, LED control, headphone, slide window, tempered glass, PCI Slots 7, a drive bag of about 3.5 inches × that is, two modular bags included, 2.5″× 2, fan mounts included at the rear is about 1×120mm, 1× up to 140 km top, 2× up to 140mm front, Filters- 1× Top, 1× Bottom, 2 × Front (vents). The radiator support front can be up to 280mm, y0mm thick depending on GPU clearance. The rear 120 mm and 40mm thick which is largely dependent on motherboard heatsink clearance. Max CPU cooler height- 160mm, Max GPU length 330 mm, max Power Supply Depth- 197mm including cables.
PROS
- Sturdy construction
- Budget-friendly
- Light is programmable
- Comes with dust filters on top, bottom and front and these filters are detachable
- Comes with tempered glass at an affordable price
- Great airflow
CONS
- It has no reset button
- Comes with no radiator space on top
- Comes with a cumbersome PSU installation
- The extra cost for second SSD bracket and LED
- Limited power supply space
NZXT H500 vs PHANTEKS P300
As seen on Reddit, in the case whereby you might want to run an AIO, both cases, the NZXT H500 and Phanteks P300 are starved of air which doesn’t allow for much exhaust flows because there are only two fans yo blow air out. But talking about cable management, the NZXT H500 seems better than the Phanteks P300 because it keeps things neat.
In conclusion, the NZXT H500 has more similarities than differences with the Phanteks P300 except for the fact that while the build design of NZXT H500 is disappointing, that of Phanteks P300 is up to par. Also, while the PSU installation of the Phanteks P300 is awkward, that of NZXT H500 is up to par. But if we must pick, we will pick the Phanteks P300 because of its good build quality although both have similar ventilation.