A Closer Look - Inside

To access the interior, simply loosen the thumb screw of the glass panel and the pair holding the solid cover in place. Looking at the interior, there is very little in terms of obvious differences between the H200 and the H210 series when it comes to the tooling. In fact, I was hard pressed to find any notable changes. The signature cable cover/reservoir holder is still present with a solid metal-mesh shroud to hide the PSU and 3.5" drive. Behind the motherboard tray, you will find all the unique features of the H200i, but with slight updates.


The big change here is the inclusion of the NZXT Smart Device V2, while the original H200i had the V1 pre-installed. It allows you to control the fan speeds of two fan channels and the RGB lighting with their own CAM software. Below that is one of two plastic cable channels with Velcro strips to keep everything in place easily. Just like in the H200 series, there is a tray for two 2.5" drives on the back as well.


Looking at the shroud, there is another noticeable update in the H210i in the way of a redesigned 2.5" mounting plate to show off one of your SSDs in the best possible fashion. The new variant is a bit simpler and no longer requires screws, and the spring-loaded mechanism to hold it place works just fine. In the ceiling, the 120 mm fan is situated right above the CPU area of the motherboard. Here, you will find the pre-installed RGB LED strip that also comes pre-wired to the Smart Device V2. An extension allows you to expand your internal lighting nicely as well.


The PSU bay, pictured without the SFX plate, is otherwise pretty traditional. That said, the level of engineering and NZXT's attention to detail is also apparent here as there are two custom rubber liners as an anti-vibration measure, instead of standard foam knobs, for example.


In the front, underneath the metal shroud, you will find the option to install a 3.5" drive, which brings the total units up to four, ample for most users of such a small enclosure. However, it would have been nice to have a cage for up to two 3.5" drives here, especially since every other enclosure within the H-Series has one. Taking a quick look at the area above the shroud, it becomes immediately clear that you are meant to install cooling here; be it two 120/140 mm fans or a radiator of up to 280 mm.


One tiny but hugely appreciated touch is the fact that NZXT has fused the individual case connectors into a single block, which makes it super easy to plug in while not having to worry whether you get the +/- leads right. I wish more case brands would embrace this as I am sure plenty of system integrators would love it as well. Above that are the two USB 3.0/3.1 Gen2 connectors, the usual audio plug, and a USB 2.0 lead for the Smart Device V2. Last but not least is a 3-in-1 splitter for fans that connects to the same device, along with a SATA connector to provide them with power.