NZXT N7 and N5 Z690 Review

Up Close Part One

As these are by no means the first NZXT motherboards we’ve reviewed we’re familiar with the white and purple packaging. The N7 itself looks just like the others we’ve seen, which make the N5 look somewhat naked in comparison.

  

When you’re at this end of the price spectrum you don’t get masses of accessories in the box, and both the N5 and N7 have the same. But with an M.2 screw set, WiFi antenna and the requisite SATA cables you don’t actually need anything else. Most of us have a motherboard box somewhere full of things we never use, so we don’t mind paying a little less and only getting what we need.

  

We know that there is a £60 difference between the two, but we think it’s fair to say that the N5 – the bottom of these two pictures – looks like a £210 motherboard whilst the N7 above has that gorgeous armour and looks like a much more expensive model. This is particularly true when you look at the pricing of higher end Z690 motherboards around. It’s very attractive and would look perfect in an NZXT case.

  
  

Despite being both based around the Z690 chipset the design is surprisingly different. Both have 8+4 pin CPU power inputs and the connectors that allow you to plug in your NZXT cooler and lighting into the CAM Ecosystem directly. The N5 has a 8+1 DrMOS power phase design, whilst the N7 goes with 12+1 DrMOS.

  
  

When you move lower down the board the difference become more plain. The N5 has different placement of front panel USB options and fewer fan headers for that all-important cool airflow. It’s tough to escape the stripped down aesthetic of the N5 when compared to its big brother though. That armour hides a multitude of sins. Not actually of course, just it’s obvious both are priced at a certain point from the amount of extra gubbins, but the N7 makes these less obvious.