NZXT Switch 810 Case Review

Options, folks. That’s what NZXT is shooting for with its new full-tower Switch 810 case, which can be configured in a number of different ways to optimize airflow or sound reduction and is equally friendly for air- or water-cooling setups.

Available in black or white, the NZXT Switch 810 takes a while to get to know intimately. NZXT built buckets of details into this chassis, and the more you work with it, the more little surprises you find, from fans that rotate and slide, to well-placed LEDs, and the “hybrid fins” you can use to regulate noise or enhance airflow.

NZXT Switch 810 Specifications & Features

Case Type: Hybrid Full Tower Materials: Steel, Plastic Dimensions (WxHxD): 235 x 595 X 585 mm VGA Clearance Maximum: 375mm (w/o fan), 350mm (installed), 285mm (full pivot) Drive Bays: 4 External 5.25" DRIVE BAYS 6 Internal 3.5" DRIVE BAYS Screwless Rail Design Expansion Slots: 9

Cooling System: FRONT, 2 X 120/140mm (1x 140mm included) REAR, 1 X 120/140mm (1x 140mm included) TOP, 3 X 120/140mm (1x 140mm included) BOTTOM, 2x 120/140mm INTERIOR, 2x 120/140mm (1x 140mm included) SIDE, Large acrylic window Weight: 9.1 kg Motherboard Support: E-ATX, XL-ATX, ATX, MICRO-ATX, Mini-ITX External Ports: Audio/Mic USB 2.0 (x2) USB 3.0 (x2) SD Card Reader

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For all the nifty extras, the Switch 810 is not based on gimmicks; it’s solidly-built, with the specs and features users want in an enthusiast-class case.

The chassis is crafted from multiple materials that intermingle freely; for example, sections of the exterior are high-gloss black plastic rimmed by rubberized plastic with metal mesh embedded. It’s a risky strategy in terms of aesthetics, but the Switch 810 manages to pull it off in our opinion. The whole case is black inside and out with white fans and LEDs, which is a simple but attractive color scheme.

You can fit just about any-sized motherboard in there comfortably, from mini-ITX to E-ATX, and it supports graphics cards up to 375mm (350mm installed, 285mm with the adjacent fan at at full pivot). Speaking of fans, the Switch 810 has four of them inside, with mounts for an additional six--two on the front panel, two on the bottom, two inside the case mounted on the drive bays, an exhaust fan on the back, and three on the top.


The top of the case has 90mm of space and can accommodate 360mm or 420mm radiators; you can also fit a 140mm or 240mm radiator on the bottom of the case with a little rejiggering of the drive cages.

The Switch 810 has six 3.5-inch and four 5.25-inch drive bays, and one of the 5.25-inch bays is a hidden hot-swap bay that can fit a 2.5- or 3.5-inch drive. Both of the 3.5-inch drive cages are removable, and the 5.25-inch drive cages double as thumbscrew storage; there are eight holes for parking thumbscrews, and our case came with six extras already in there. There are also nine expansion slot positions.


The top panel features one of those pleasing extra details. Almost the entire top panel is comprised of “fins”; in other words, it’s mostly slot openings to let air circulate better. However, using a simple mechanical exterior switch, you can close off the slots to keep dust out of your rig and also cut down on noise.

If you’re planning to haul this to LAN parties, good luck, as the case without any components inside weighs 20 pounds.

The case comes with a manual, an 8-pin cable extender (which really should be standard-issue with a case this size), a small bag of zip ties, and a bag full of smaller bags of screws. The small bags are actually labeled with the screw type as well, to ease the building process.