NZXT N7 and N9 Z890 Motherboards
Wrap Up
Wrap Up
Whenever it’s time to sum up our thoughts we have to start somewhere. Today we’re going to start at the bottom and work our way upwards.
Specifically, the NZXT N7 Z890. Everything about it is great until you need to add another M.2 drive. It might seem like we’re being overly critical, but we’re not. We cannot understand how anyone would sign off on this. The one problem with M.2s, or perhaps we should say the one important thing about M.2s, is heat and the removal of same. Cool drives make for fast drives. Perhaps we can understand why some cheaper motherboards don’t have heat spreaders/sinks at all.
But this N7? Instead of cooling the drives the cover is here for aesthetic reasons. Worse yet, because it’s plastic it actually insulates your drives, making them hotter and thus slower. Yes, if you only ever plan to have one drive then perhaps it’s fine. After all the Gen5 main slot has a lovely metal heatsink. But why anyone went “yep, plastic, perfect. It’s well known for its heat conductive properties”. Nonsense and a blight upon an otherwise fine motherboard. It would be better in the bin than on the PCB.
N9 Z890
We’re glad to have got that out of our system. It’s especially galling because this, the N9, is so wonderful it seems impossible the same company designed both. The translucent panel on the side is hugely attractive. The swooping RGB glows delightfully and makes a nice change from the “it’s a logo on the IO or nothing” options of other manufacturers.
The N9 scratches that part of our brain that finds uniformity comforting. Whether it’s a wide expanse of grassland, sitting on the beach looking at the ocean, or by a lake on a summers day, having your view full of the same pattern is so relaxing. The lower half of the NZXT N9 Z890 has that same feel to it. Obviously it’s going to be covered up by a graphics card, especially in these times of triple slot offerings. But it will always be there, and we will always know it is there.
Best of all that lower covering is metal, and boasts some excellent thermal pads. Your NVMe drives will thank you. If you are in the market for a Z890 motherboard then the NZXT N9 might be a somewhat left-field choice, but it’s a glorious option if you want something that doesn’t look like all the others. A motherboard that treads it’s own path and isn’t worse for doing so. It’s so gorgeous we are going to award it our OC3D Aesthetics award. Pretty.
NZXT N9 Z890
Discuss the NZXT Z890 Motherboards in our OC3D Forums.
