A Closer Look - Outside

Out of the box, it becomes immediately clear that the H210i is a direct refresh of the original H200i, but NZXT has included a few subtle but useful changes as we will see later on. From an external design perspective, one could argue that the enclosure looks essentially identical, which is a good thing: the H-Series is one of the most refined mass-market series out there, so there is no need to reinvent the wheel. Think of it as the Tesla Model S of cases—always the same car with slight updates over time.


Looking at the front, there is the solid metal cover with a barely visible company logo on the bottom. You may pry off the panel to reveal a spacious dust filter and space for either two 120 or 140 mm fans. This also means that radiators of up to 280 mm should fit within. To make this as easy as possible, you may take out the mounting frame that is held in place by thumb screws. Looking at the rear, the H210i looks quite traditional with the bottom-mounted PSU and top motherboard compartment.


The main side features a full-size glass panel that is now secured with a single thumb screw in the updated H210i. The glass is clear and framed nicely in black with no holes or marks on it. You will easily be able to show off all your hardware within the chassis once assembled. On the opposite side, NZXT employs a solid metal side panel. While there are two thumb screws holding this piece in place, it is still shaped uniquely to fit inside the actual frame of the case instead of on top of it.


In the rear, the PSU bay actually comes with an adapter to allow for an SFX/SFX-L unit to be installed inside. I don't want to diminish the fact that this is a nice touch, but it is likely overkill for most users considering you can easily fit a potent full-size ATX variant here instead. Above that are the two expansion slots and a 120 mm exhaust fan set to push hot air out the back of the H210i.


In the top, you will find another 120 mm fan that also pushes air though the ceiling and out of the case. This brings the total of pre-installed units to two, which is quite alright for a chassis of this size. In the very front, nicely embedded into the steel top panel, is the I/O. As part of the H-Series refresh, you will now find a genuine USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-C port alongside a single USB 3.0 connector. I am not sure why there is only one full-size USB plug as internal leads tend to service two at a time, so it would have been nice had NZXT made the most of this. The single audio port is a combo unit, so you can plug in a headset with a single 2.5 mm plug, like those included with most mobile devices. Should you use a headset that still requires separate connectors for in/out, simply utilize the included splitter.


The underside is protected by an easily removable dust filter. It can be pulled out through the back and protects the PSU, as well as the 3.5" HDD slot on the floor of the H210i.