A Closer Look - Outside

All areas made of plastic come with additional protection, so you can ensure that your chassis arrives in perfect condition. In general, the NZXT Switch 810 makes a good impression in terms of quality, but the lack of any metal parts, even that of metal mesh, makes it feel a bit flimsy overall.


NZXT has created a clean, but still somewhat elaborate front for the Switch 810. Two types of surface are used to add another element to the mix, as the black parts have a "soft touch" texture, while the white comes with a piano/glossy finish. The whole black & white theme continues in the back, while there is a large window on the main side panel, so that you may show off what makes your system tick. On the other side, the panel is completely solid with no air vents or air fan mounts.


Taking a closer look at the front, a plastic cover has been placed over the bottom half. You may pop this one off by pushing on it, which allows for easy access to the front fans. NZXT includes one such unit with the chassis, with the option for another one. Thanks to the dust filter in this plastic part, things should stay fairly clean within the chassis over time.


Above that are the four 5.25 inch drive bays, with three different type of covers. The top one is intended to go in front of your optical drive bay, while the middle ones are traditional ones that need to be removed when installing additional drives. NZXT hides a hot-swap tray in the very bottom one. This unit is made of metal and makes a very good impression. Behind a little flip-up cover, you will find 2x USB 2.0, 2x USB 3.0, an SDHC capable card reader an LED on/off button along with a small reset one.


In the rear, the PSU bay is located on the bottom of the chassis, with nine expansion slots for the motherboard above it - enough for XL-ATX variants. Each slot is protected by a black metal mesh cover held in place by a thumb screw. Next to these are four large openings for water cooling tubes. The top area holds the I/O bracket and a large air vent. The interesting aspect of this opening is the ability to move the 120 or 140 mm cooling unit up or down a bit, to align it perfectly with your CPU cooler. NZXT includes a 140 mm unit in this part of the chassis as well.


The power button has been incorporated into the design of the top cover, as is the power LED of the chassis. The entire top is a large, but simple air vent, which may be closed by a sliding mechanism. You may also remove the entire cover, giving you easy access to the top fans. You may also install a triple radiator in the ceiling of the case, with the fans pulling air out in this top compartment of the chassis. You have the choice of up to three 120 or 140 mm cooling units. NZXT provides a single such fan above the CPU area to pull hot air out the top of the chassis.


Two dust filters on the underside of the chassis may be pulled out from the rear and front of the case, which means that all intake areas are protected from dirt and dust.