When NZXT's H1 Mini-ITX chassis came out early last year, it was praised for its great simplistic looks, excellent cooling capabilities and altogether complete package. But, little did we know that the PCIe riser cable could cause a fire, which promptly led to NZXT recalling the chassis.
To fix the issue, NZXT replaced a metal screw with a nylon screw, which should have solved the problem.
Except, it didn't. The clever investigative work of Steve from Gamers Nexus proved that the issue wasn't the screw, but rather the PCB design of the riser cable, leaving a 12V trace very close to the screw location. Upon a few insertion cycles, the PCB would leave a lot of dust and degrade, exposing the 12V trace and causing a short, and thereby, potentially igniting the case.
And although the Nylon screw wouldn't cause the short, Steve wasn't satisfied with the solution as many individuals may not understand why the nylon screw was necessary, know it, or forget about it, leading to dangers later in the product's life when users would replace it for a metal screw.
In response, NZXT's CEO issued the following apology:
"To our community,
We’re sorry.
The nylon screws were not the complete solution for the H1 fire hazard; they didn’t address the root cause of the issue. We didn’t account for scenarios where someone could replace the nylon screws with metal ones unknowingly. Our execution did not live up to the quality that our community has come to expect from us.
We will be removing the H1 from the NZXT Store and NZXT BLD. We’re going to send out redesigned PCIe Gen3 Riser Assemblies for current H1s and we’re going to help with installation for those who need it.
Going forward, we’re instituting more robust and thorough design processes. From the initial designs, QA, to additional testing, we’re committed to quality in both our products and our response to your concerns.
We want to thank Steve from Gamers Nexus. He and his team brought the issue of someone replacing the nylon screws with metal screws to our attention and raised the urgency surrounding it.
Johnny Hou"
What to Do Now?
NZXT is redesigning the PCIe riser cable and will ship them out soon. If you're already on the replacement list and have received the nylon screw, NZXT will automatically send you a new riser cable assembly as soon as it's ready.
If you're not on that list and you own an H1, get yourself onto it immediately via this form.
If you're purchasing a new H1, be very wary of which riser cable it comes with. The H1 is temporarily discontinued, but if you somehow manage to secure an order, it should at least have the nylon screw, and you should ensure you still request a new riser cable.
