A Message From NZXT's CEO Regarding the H1 Safety Issue

5/28/21: Thank you so much to everyone for your patience and support while we worked through replacement of the riser cable in all of the H1s in our warehouse and at retailers.

We have eliminated any risks initially posed and the updated H1s will be available on the website and at retailers as of today. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to our customer support team any time!

5/11/21: Hey everyone. We wanted to share a quick update on the state of our riser cards. In an effort to ensure we get our new risers out to H1 owners as quickly as possible, we have been working with two manufacturing teams. Though there are visual differences, each and every card is safe to use, no matter what version of the PCIe riser card you receive.

The grounding/short issue has been eliminated with these completely new redesigned PCBs and both cards have been through a rigorous quality assurance process. Read this article to see photos of the two versions of the card as well as details about how to install your replacement.

We will be sending these replacement units out as quickly as possible because we want to get you using your H1 as quickly as possible

Still need a replacement?

If you bought your H1 directly from us, you’re all set. We will be sending your replacement to the address we have on file. If your address has changed, please reach out to us and let us know.

For anyone who purchased their H1 from a third-party, please fill in the form below to get your repair kit.

Thanks for reading this update and please reach out with any questions or if you need help with installation.

2/23/21: We stepped up some resources and have begun the process of getting updated PCIe riser cable assemblies out earlier than we expected. We will start shipping them out in late February to customers who have requested them. Please make sure you have filled in the form here if you would like extra help with installation, or would like to opt-out of receiving a replacement riser assembly. We will also continue to send the nylon screw repair kit out to everyone who requested it.

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

I have an H1. What do I do now?

We will be automatically sending the updated PCIe Gen3 Riser assembly to anyone who requested a nylon screw kit. If you do not want the cable, we will ask that you opt-out via this form.
If you have an H1 and have not requested your replacement screws, please head to this form now and request a full repair kit. This will include the nylon screws and, when available, the updated PCIe Gen3 Riser Assembly.
If you need additional support to install these fixes, please make sure to note that to our Customer Service team. You can head to the site and submit a support ticket, email us at h1support@nzxt.com, or call us at 1-888-965-5520 (Monday-Friday, 8am-6pm PST).

We appreciate you. And we appreciate the members of the gaming community who hold us accountable because they’re working to keep everyone safe.

FAQ:

Why did NZXT take so long to address the PCIe Riser issue?
This PCIe Riser is custom. We started the redesign on it in November after we discovered the flaw and originally planned to ship it with H1s as a process update. We have now updated that plan with much more urgency and direct service to H1 owners. We felt confident that the nylon screws were a viable long-term fix to the issue. We now realize that isn’t good enough. We need to address the root cause for the lifetime of the product.

What happened with the PCIe Riser Assembly?
Our Design, Engineering, and QA processes missed an incorrect clearance on the 12V power plane in the PCIe Riser Assembly PCB. This can cause a fire hazard if the mounting screw contacts the 12V power plane in the PCB. Please refer to our email, blog post, or support phone number for more questions.

Are the nylon screws a fix?
Yes. The nylon screw kit fixes the problem but does not address the root cause. If the nylon screws are ever replaced with metal ones, there will be a risk of a fire hazard.

Why are you doing this if the nylon screws fix the problem?
We want to prevent any danger from coming back in the case where someone replaces the nylon screws with metal screws in the future. The goal is to ensure safety for the lifetime of the product.

Why is it taking so long for customers to get the nylon screw repair kit?
We underestimated the scale of the effort. Our teams were initially overwhelmed with requests. We have been increasing our team capacity to improve response times.

How long is it going to take to get this fix?
We should have the PCIe Riser Assembly shipping by the end of March and will keep you updated on its status.

Why did you put back the H1 on sale without the new riser?
The nylon screw kit fixes the problem. However, it does not address the root cause. We’ve since removed the H1 from nzxt.com and letsbld.com until the new PCIe Riser Assembly is available.

Can I return my H1?
If you purchased your H1 from NZXT or NZXT BLD then we will honor any request to return it for a full refund if submitted before October 31, 2021. If you purchased from another retailer we can offer a PCIe Riser replacement but otherwise, you will need to return to the point of purchase to request a return. If you run into any issues with your retailer, please contact our Customer Service team.

Will you proceed with a formal recall?
We have been working closely with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) towards a formal recall since November 2020. We will share this directly with you as soon as the official recall is announced by the CPSC.