Single-Piece Curved Glass, Vista Mode, and Asetek Gen 9 Pumps From $79.99: NZXT Overhauls Its H7, H5 Cases and Kraken Liquid Coolers
NZXT is refreshing the core of its PC hardware lineup on November 10, 2026, rolling out next-generation H7 and H5 mid-tower cases alongside the new Kraken Plus and Kraken Core all-in-one liquid coolers. Headlining the overhaul are single-piece formed curved tempered glass panels that eliminate the traditional front-corner seam, a three-sided glass showcase layout dubbed "Vista Mode" with a swappable steel mesh top included in the box, and new 9th-generation Asetek pumps starting at $79.99.
Most panoramic dual-chamber and mid-tower PC cases join two flat sheets of glass at a 90-degree corner seam, breaking up the view of internal components. Across the refreshed chassis lineup detailed on the official NZXT store, the front and left side are formed from a single continuous sheet of curved tempered glass. According to NZXT CEO Johnny Hou, the H7, H5, and Kraken families represent the starting point for the majority of NZXT builds, prompting a unified generational leap across both enclosures and cooling.
NZXT H7 and H7 RGB+: Three-Sided "Vista Mode" Glass With a Swappable Mesh Top in the Box
As the larger of the two mid-tower families, the new NZXT H7 and H7 RGB+ come fitted with Vista Mode right out of the box. In this configuration, the top panel is crafted from tempered glass cut to the exact same radius as the front-to-side curve, allowing the glass to flow uninterrupted across three faces from front to side to top.
Crucially, builders do not have to choose permanently between a glass showcase and high-airflow thermals at checkout. NZXT ships a swappable steel mesh top panel and its dedicated fan bracket inside the box alongside the glass top. Users can convert the chassis between Vista Mode and a 10-fan airflow configuration without purchasing add-on parts.
Internally, the new H7 drops E-ATX support to focus on cleaner cable routing and full compatibility with back-connect (hidden-connector) motherboards, tucking all power connections behind the motherboard tray. A dedicated routing channel keeps AIO liquid cooling tubes out of the main sightline, while an angled bottom bracket tilts intake fans toward the glass and graphics card. Hardware clearance accommodates GPUs up to 495 mm long (with a 30 mm front-right fan installed) resting on an integrated adjustable anti-sag bracket, paired with CPU air coolers up to 188 mm tall.
While the base H7 ($159.99 / €169.90) ships without fans for custom loop and bespoke fan builders, the H7 RGB+ ($259.99 / €259.90) arrives pre-wired with two F420 RGB Reverse single-frame fans, one rear F140 RGB fan, and a Control Hub Lite ready for customization in NZXT CAM.
NZXT H5 and H5 RGB+: Compact Mid-Tower With the "Airflow Scoop" Side Intake
The compact mid-tower NZXT H5 brings the same single-piece curved front-to-side tempered glass to a smaller footprint while introducing the Airflow Scoop: a sculpted side intake integrated directly into the right-side panel lines to pull fresh air straight across the graphics card. Both models support back-connect motherboards, toolless removal across the curved glass, top, and side panels, GPUs up to 420 mm on an adjustable anti-sag bracket, and triple-fan radiators. Front I/O includes one USB-C port, two USB-A ports, and a combo headset jack.
The standard H5 ($89.99 / €89.90, shipping without fans) vents through a steel mesh top panel that retains top radiator mounting. Stepping up to the H5 RGB+ ($134.99 / €139.90) encloses the roof in Vista Mode curved glass (shifting triple-fan radiator mounting to the right side) and includes a factory-wired F360 RGB Reverse single-frame bottom fan, a rear F120 RGB fan, and a Control Hub Lite.
Kraken Plus 360 RGB and Kraken Core 360 / 420: Asetek Gen 9 Pumps and Single-Frame Fans
Alongside the enclosures, NZXT is launching two new Asetek-powered liquid cooler lines with pre-applied thermal paste on copper cold plates and nylon-braided EPDM tubing. Rather than chasing ultra-expensive motorized pump housings like the recently unveiled Ocypus Omega L36 Ultra Eng Limited 360mm AIO, NZXT splits its new lineup between an edge-to-edge LCD model and a zero-software performance series:
- NZXT Kraken Plus 360 RGB ($149.99 / €149.99, Black or White): Powered by Asetek's new Gen 9 pump featuring a suspended impeller that isolates vibration from the chassis. The pump cap is a full edge-to-edge 1.8-inch circular screen configurable via NZXT CAM for custom images, GIFs, or live system telemetry with software-adjustable orientation. Cooling is handled by an included F360 RGB single-frame fan unit that combines three 120 mm fans into one frame requiring only two cables to route.
- NZXT Kraken Core 360 ($79.99 / €79.99) and Kraken Core 420 ($99.99 / €99.99, Black only): Built around Asetek's quiet Gen 9 V pump for builders who want high thermal performance with nothing to manage. The cap layers concentric rings beneath a semi-transparent top with a 4-way magnetic NZXT logo plate. Each cooler pairs its aluminum radiator with a single-frame high-static-pressure fan unit (three 120 mm fans on the 360, three 140 mm fans on the 420) running on a single cable straight to the motherboard with no hubs or controllers required.
NZXT Kraken Plus 360 RGB & H7 / H5 Curved Glass Lineup (2026)
- Single-Piece Curved Tempered Glass & Vista Mode Top
- Asetek Gen 9 & Gen 9 V Pumps on Copper Cold Plate
- 1.8-Inch Edge-to-Edge Display (Kraken Plus 360 RGB)
- Single-Frame F360 / F420 Fans With Minimal Cabling
C1200 Platinum ATX 3.1 PSU, F360Q / F420Q Fans, and Full Pricing Breakdown
Rounding out the November 10 hardware drop, NZXT also introduced its F360Q Quiet Airflow ($24.99 / €24.99) and F420Q Quiet Airflow ($29.99 / €29.90) single-frame fluid dynamic bearing fan kits in Black or White, a steel-reinforced Vertical GPU Mounting Kit PCIe 5.0 ($49.99 / €49.99) with a 175 mm PCIe 5.0 riser cable, and the fully modular C1200 Platinum ATX 3.1 power supply ($199.99 / €199.99) carrying dual 80 Plus Platinum and Cybenetics Platinum certifications with a zero-RPM fan mode under light loads.
Here is the full official MSRP and warranty breakdown across the November 10, 2026 lineup:
- NZXT H5 Mid-Tower: $89.99 AMER / €89.90 EMEA / $89.99 APAC (2-year warranty)
- NZXT H5 RGB+ Mid-Tower: $134.99 AMER / €139.90 EMEA / $134.99 APAC (2-year warranty)
- NZXT H7 Mid-Tower: $159.99 AMER / €169.90 EMEA / $159.99 APAC (2-year warranty)
- NZXT H7 RGB+ Mid-Tower: $259.99 AMER / €259.90 EMEA / $259.99 APAC (2-year warranty)
- NZXT Kraken Core 360 AIO: $79.99 AMER / €79.99 EMEA / $79.99 APAC (6-year warranty)
- NZXT Kraken Core 420 AIO: $99.99 AMER / €99.99 EMEA / $99.99 APAC (6-year warranty)
- NZXT Kraken Plus 360 RGB AIO: $149.99 AMER / €149.99 EMEA / $149.99 APAC (6-year warranty)
- NZXT C1200 Platinum ATX 3.1 PSU: $199.99 AMER / €199.99 EMEA / $199.99 APAC (10-year warranty)
My Take
Two practical engineering choices stand out across this refresh. First, bundling both the curved Vista Mode glass top and the steel mesh top panel with its fan bracket inside every H7 box solves the classic showcase-versus-airflow dilemma. If you upgrade to a higher-wattage GPU down the road and need top exhaust radiator support, you can swap the roof panel in minutes without hunting for spare parts.
Second, NZXT's cooler pricing is noticeably sharper this generation. Launching an Asetek Gen 9 V 360mm AIO at $79.99 (and a 420mm unit at $99.99) with single-frame single-cable fans and a 6-year warranty makes the Kraken Core series genuinely competitive against budget thermal brands, while the $149.99 Kraken Plus 360 RGB brings a clean 1.8-inch LCD pump cap well below the $250+ flagship AIO bracket.
PC hardware enthusiast and competitive gamer, Arthur 'Heimdall' splits his time between France and the UK working in enterprise B2B software solutions. A business school graduate passionate about component benchmarking, he has been building, modding, and tuning PCs since childhood, optimizing every thermal degree and millisecond of display latency. An avid gamer across Assassin's Creed and sandbox titles, he forged his alliance with Grimtag and Chaya during late-night World of Warcraft raids before joining Pro-Gamer.
