A Closer Look - Inside

To access the interior, simply loosen three thumb screws. NZXT has designed both panels in a way that ensures no other mounting elements are visible. The windowed side panel is framed black on three of four edges and has no tint at all. A fine dust filter ensures the air vent on the solid panel won't allow for any dirt to enter the case, either. The interior of the NZXT H510i looks very much like that of other H-Series enclosures. The layout is pretty traditional by today's standards, but as we will see later on, the devil is in the details. Turning the bare case around, you will be greeted by a quite elaborate motherboard backside.


It comes with two cable trenches to aid with a clean assembly, but as we are reviewing the "i" variant of the case, you will also find the NZXT Cam V2 module here. This smart device does not only allow you to adjust fan speeds and change the hue of any RGB elements within the case, but also offers overclocking tools and automatic fan-tuning, which ensures that your system runs as quietly as possible based on its specific temperature range between idle and load.


There are two SSD brackets on the backside of the motherboard tray, which looks to be the one big visible difference between the H500 and H510 series as NZXT has redesigned the SSD trays which are now no longer modular and cannot be placed on top of the shroud.


The cover in the H series is made out of metal as well and matches whatever external color choice the case has. Thus, if you buy a white version of the H510i, this metal bit will be white as well. The area above the shroud in the front is intended for cooling purposes. As the entire front and top of the NZXT H510i is made out of a solid piece of steel, their engineers have built a removable frame into the front for up two 120/140 mm cooling units or a 280 mm liquid cooling setup you can simply place back into the chassis.


Below the shroud, in front, is a 3.5" hard-drive cage that may hold up to three such storage units. Interestingly enough, NZXT has chosen to stay clear of any drive trays, which means you will have to take the whole cage out of the system to then attach your drives with traditional screws instead. If you have some sort of liquid cooling setup or long PSU that doesn't allow for the cage, you may still screw a single drive down on the floor of the H510i.


In the rear, starting from the bottom, the PSU bay is pretty standard, with loads of space for even the longest units. Above that, the nine expansion slots are protected by individually reusable covers that are held in place by traditional screws. While you are able to install a GPU vertically, NZXT—like most brands—does not include the required accessory with the chassis. Instead, you will have to buy it separately. In the very top, the 120 mm exhaust fan is not only of retail quality, but also with blades at pretty flat angles.


That same unit can also be found in the ceiling. Looking at this part of the NZXT H510i, you can see an LED strip in the ceiling with another one hidden from view behind the metal cable cover within the chassis itself. It is nice to see such a clean wiring job within the case because you essentially will just have to install your parts and plug the NZXT CAM module in.


Every cable with the exception of the one for case power/reset/LEDs is of the default variety. Unlike the vast majority of brands which make you connect four tiny leads, NZXT offers them up in a simple header. This is certainly something system integrators will love. There is also a SATA power cable, which provides the CAM module with the juice it needs to work its magic.