Building With NZXT's Switch 810

NZXT is one of only two companies to supply an eight-pin EPS12V extension cable in its installation kit. Though the case is designed for the latest high-end hardware, the cable is particularly useful to owners of low-cost and older-model power units.

NZXT is also one of the few companies to include a proper front-panel USB 3.0 internal connector. Most of its competitors still rely on pass-through cables hanging out the back of the case, even though the internal standard is two years old.

The Switch 810 has only a single-drive backplane, but its tray bests competitors by fitting both 2.5” and 3.5” drives.

Two push latches release the center cover of the Switch 810’s top panel for easy access to its fan mounts. Fans can be installed on either side of the metal structure beneath.

Most builders won’t need to strip the case this far to install a radiator, but we removed the top panel completely to gain access to a latch that had broken in shipping. One side of the top 5.25” drive bay was also removed to make more wiggle room for radiator insertion.

We noted that reversing the radiator on a competing case would have allowed easier access to our radiator’s fill port. We also noted that the other case’ radiator placement prevented us from doing this, due to a space conflict between coolant lines and memory. NZXT’s Switch 810 doesn’t have that problem, at least with our motherboard.

In fact, we were forced to install the radiator the correct way in the Switch 810 because the lid of its second drive bay would have blocked our coolant lines as well. As a result, we can positively state that the Switch 810 is the absolute best match for our hardware. Most builders will want to shorten the cooling lines, but we wanted to test the case with the exact hardware used in the other configurations.

The H20-320's 2.3”-thick radiator and fan assembly blocks the Switch 810’s top 5.25” bay, so we mounted our optical drive in its second bay. The second bay doesn’t have set-back mounting holes to hold a drive behind its glossy white optical drive cover, so we flush-mounted it. Alternative radiators that allow the fans to be mounted above the case’s metal panel can be placed above the top bay, enabling the use of the Switch 810’s optical drive cover.

Power and drive activity lights are found on the front portion of the Switch 810’s top panel.