NZXT N7 Z490 Motherboard Review

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Simplicity is very much the watchword for the N7 packaging, with a plain white box, clear product image and .. little else.

  

Opening it up doesn’t give you a great sense of what is to come either, with recycled cardboard – yay for the environment, boo for aesthetics – dominating and just the SATA cables and WiFi antenna to capture your attention. It somewhat gives away the affordable nature of the N7 as a whole.

  

Accessories are one thing, but the motherboard itself certainly looks the part if you’re planning a build based around NZXT hardware. We have the white model in for review today but there is a black one too should this prove one step too far. At the very least it’s a motherboard which you couldn’t confuse for another.

  

If the white cover isn’t really your bag, then you could of course remove it. Although doing so does reveal the value nature of the PCB beneath. If it was sold bare like this we’re not sure it would find many takers.

At the top left we have an 8+4 CPU 12V power input, sitting alongside a CPU fan header. You can also see that the circles in the cover aren’t holes, which is a strange choice given how warm VRMs can get under heavy demand.

  

At the top right we find two NZXT RGB headers, perfect if you’ve got their HUE lighting system. As many readers will know it seems that manufacturers have decided all RGB LED strips should have their own custom wiring and be incompatible with any other connection format, and NZXT is no exception. Next to those are two more fan headers, and the keen eyed will spot the AIO pump header just to the left side of this picture.

  

Moving downwards and we have the usual bulky 24 pin ATX power cable and that sits alongside a front panel USB 3.2 Type-C header.