The NZXT H500i is a solid case—not just in a matter of speaking. With the steel front that is folded to run along the top as well, the chassis makes a great impression right out of the box. But even in the interior, you will be hard pressed to find any plastic with the exception of the 2.5" hard-drive trays and cable trenches. Even so, all the parts within the H500i feel sturdy and are well executed; that is, with the exception of the 3.5" hard-drive cage.

So, let's get that out of the way: it allows for three drives to be installed, which is nice as most other cases of this size max out at two. However, NZXT opted for a very simple design that forces you to take out the whole cage to add a drive by using traditional screws. This is by no means a deal breaker, but does present an inconvenience and is inconsistent with the rest of the chassis.

Still with me? Good, because the NZXT H500i shines in every other aspect. It comes with excellent pre-wired cabling, two RGB led strips, and two retail-grade fans. On top of that, all intake areas, no matter how small, come with dust filters, which means you don't have to worry about dirt and grime build-up inside your system.

With the ability to fit a 280 mm radiator, 165 mm tall air cooler, 381 mm long GPUs, and both reservoirs as well as pumps, the H500i caters to every mainstream user without going overboard in any area. In other words, the compatibility is balanced and just right for those the chassis is intended for.

Last, but certainly not least, there is the NZXT CAM module, which goes well beyond simple fan and RGB control. It offers access to a slew of data, adaptive fan speed control, and much more, which makes for another strong unique selling point for the chassis as it still manages to come in under that magic US$100 mark.