Editor's Update 12/04/2020: NZXT has released a blog detailing what the problem is, saying that fewer than 10 NZXT H1 cases have been effected. The blog also lists out temporary fixes and how to contact the company for a repair kit.
Gaming PC company NZXT has admitted that its Xbox-influenced H1 computer cases are a potential fire hazard.
Issues with the computer case, which strongly resembles an Xbox Series X, first came to light on Reddit earlier this year, with users reporting that NZXT H1 started smoking upon first power up.
NZXT has finally responded to the growing number of complaints, admitting that the cases are a “potential fire hazard”.
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While the company claims the issue has affected fewer than ten H1 cases, it has temporarily paused sales while its engineering team confirms the issue and prepares a solution.
So far, NZXT engineers have identified the source of the problem as being "two screws that attach the PCIe Riser assembly to the chassis”, which the company says can cause an electrical short in a PCB.
What's going on?
Bit-Tech speculates that the the original supplied screws may have been so long that they would push through the supports and interfere with a PCB below when fully tightened. This could explain why some people and not others were affected by the issue.
Having identified the problem, NZXT said it is sending out repair kits to H1 owners, which contain "two new screws that address the issue along with instructions to replace them."
"While we have identified this issue as a low probability occurrence, the absolute safest approach is to power-down your H1 until a kit is sent out to you and the repair is made," .
“These kits will allow users to make the repair at home by replacing both screws that attach the PCIe assembly to the case. Customers can reach out through our H1 dedicated contact channels included below for more information.”
NZXT says it is also working with the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), presumably on an official recall.
