Introduction

The new Switch 810 is a huge full-tower case, supporting big motherboards (E-ATX, XL-ATX, SSI CEB, and SSI EEB), a radiator for liquid cooling solutions up to 420 mm, and nine expansion slots. Let’s explore this new release.

The reviewed case has a rubber finish around its front and top panels.

click to enlarge
Figure 1: NZXT Switch 810 case

click to enlarge
Figure 2: NZXT Switch 810 case

The left panel has a huge transparent window, with no support for fans.

click to enlarge
Figure 3: Left panel

The Front Panel

The NZXT Switch 810 comes with four external 5.25” bays. The top-most bay comes with a bezel to cover your optical drive, improving the aesthetics of your computer after it is assembled. The bottom-most bay comes with an external docking bay for 3.5” and 2.5” devices with hot-swap connectors. The top-most bay must be removed if you want to install a radiator with more than 300 mm in length on the top panel. You can remove the docking bay if you want to have an additional 5.25” bay available.

click to enlarge
Figure 4: Front panel

click to enlarge
Figure 5: Docking bay

click to enlarge
Figure 6: Docking bay

The Front Panel (Cont’d)

At the bottom part of the front panel, the NZXT Switch 810 has a 140 mm fan, but the manufacturer doesn’t publish the specifications for this fan. This fan uses a standard three-pin fan power connector, which comes installed on a “power hub,” allowing you to feed all fans using only one peripheral power connector from the power supply. You can, of course, connect this fan directly on the motherboard, in case you want to monitor its speed.

If you want to, you can install a second 120 mm or 140 mm fan on the front panel. The case comes with an air filter for these fans.

click to enlarge
Figure 7: Front fan

click to enlarge
Figure 8: Air filter

The case comes with two USB 3.0 ports, four USB 2.0 ports, an SD memory card reader, and the traditional audio jacks on the top part of the front panel. The USB 3.0 ports use an internal connector, so make sure you install a motherboard with an internal USB 3.0 header. This case also has a button for turning on and off two LEDs available on the rear panel.

click to enlarge
Figure 9: Buttons and connectors

The Top Panel

The vents available on the top panel of the NZXT Switch 810 can be opened or closed through a lever that is available on the rear part of the top panel. However, we can’t understand why someone would close these vents. They were probably designed to be closed when you are not using the computer or if you decide to remove the top fan.

The case supports three 120 mm or 140 mm fans on the top panel, and the product comes with one of them. The top panel supports the installation of radiators from liquid cooling solutions up to 420 mm. If a radiator longer than 300 mm is to be installed, the top-most 5.25” bay must be removed.

click to enlarge
Figure 10: Top panel, vents closed

click to enlarge
Figure 11: Top panel, vents opened

click to enlarge
Figure 12: Top panel

The Bottom and Rear Panels

The case has two air filters completely covering the bottom panel. The air filter for the power supply is removed from the back of the case, while the air filter for the optional bottom fans is removed from the front of the case.

click to enlarge
Figure 13: Bottom panel

The rear panel and the interior of the NZXT Switch 810 are painted white.

On the NZXT Switch 810, the power supply is installed at the bottom of the case.

The case comes with a 140 mm fan installed on its rear panel, connected to the “power hub” we mentioned before. This fan can be moved up or down, so you can place it exactly where you think it will do the best job. You can replace this fan with a 120 mm model, so the case is also compatible with sealed liquid cooling solutions that come with a 120 mm fan to be installed on the rear panel.

This case has nine expansion slots with vented covers, allowing you to install three or four dual-slot video cards, as long as your motherboard supports this configuration.

The NZXT Switch 810 has four holes using rubber covers for hoses of liquid cooling solutions. These holes are 1.1” (28 mm) in diameter.

click to enlarge
Figure 14: Rear panel

The most unique feature of the Switch 810 is the presence of two LEDs on its rear panel, making it easy for you to find the proper connectors for installing cables after the computer is built and already installed on its final place (under your desk, for example). These LEDs are turned on or off through a button available on the front panel.

click to enlarge
Figure 15: LEDs for illuminating the rear connectors

The removal of each side panel is done by pushing a latch that has a black thumbscrew attached to it.

click to enlarge
Figure 16: Latch for the right panel

Let’s now take a look inside the NZXT Switch 810.

Inside the NZXT Switch 810

The NZXT Switch 810 supports E-ATX, XL-ATX, SSI CEB, and SSI EEB motherboards, but not HPTX models. The motherboard tray has a huge hole for you to access the backplate of the CPU coolers without having to remove the motherboard from the case, several holes protected with rubber covers for you to route cables behind it, and several clips for you to fasten cables using cable ties.

click to enlarge
Figure 17: Overall look

click to enlarge
Figure 18: A view behind the motherboard tray

In Figure 19, we have another overall look inside the case. Expansion cards are fastened using thumbscrews. The NZXT Switch 810 supports video cards up to 13.4” (340 mm) long in its default configuration, 14.6” (370 mm) if the internal fan is removed, and 19.3” (490 mm) if the hard drive cage is removed. It supports CPU coolers up to 7.5” (190 mm) tall.

click to enlarge
Figure 19: Overall look

One of the highlights of the Switch 810 is the support for very long liquid cooling radiators on its top panel. You can install a radiator up to 420 mm long, but if you want to install a radiator longer than 300 mm, you will have to remove the top 5.25” bay. In Figure 20, you can see a very high-end system built with the Switch 810, with a 420 mm radiator. Not only can the radiator be very long, but it can also be up to 3.5” (90 mm) tall. Notice how the lower hard drive cage was removed to fit the pump of the liquid cooling solution, and the reservoir fits the space reserved for the optional bottom fan.

click to enlarge
Figure 20: Very high-end system built with the Switch 810

Inside the NZXT Switch 810 (Cont’d)

The NZXT Switch 810 comes with a 140 mm fan attached to its upper hard drive cage, and you can install a 120 mm or 140 mm fan on the side of the lower hard drive cage. These fans can be tilted, so you can direct the air flow to the exact component you want to cool down.

click to enlarge
Figure 21: Internal fan and place for optional fan

The power supply is installed at the bottom of the case. It can be installed with either its bottom fan facing up or facing down, so you can decide if you want the fan of your power supply pulling air from inside the case or from outside of it. As already discussed, the case comes with an air filter for the power supply fan. The NZXT Switch 810 supports power supplies up to 9” (230 mm) deep if a 140 mm fan is installed on the bottom panel, which is more than enough to accommodate virtually any power supply available on the market.

click to enlarge
Figure 22: Power supply compartment

The reviewed case supports the installation of a 120 mm or 140 mm fan on its bottom panel, and by removing the lower hard drive cage you can install a second 120 mm or 140 mm fan. There is an air filter outside the case for these fans, as previously shown. You can also use the space for these fans to install components of liquid cooling solutions, as shown in Figure 20, including a 240 mm radiator.

click to enlarge
Figure 23: Space for optional fans

The case comes with a “power hub” located behind the motherboard tray for you to power all fans using a single connector coming from the power supply. You can, of course, install fans directly on the motherboard if you want to monitor their speed.

click to enlarge
Figure 24: The fan “power hub”

The Disk Drive Bays

As already shown, the NZXT Switch 810 has four external 5.25” bays, with one of them coming with an external 3.5”/2.5” docking bay with hot-swap connectors. Internally, the Switch 810 has two hard drive cages, each one supporting three 3.5”/2.5” devices. All bays use tool-less mechanisms, except for 2.5” devices, which need to be fastened using regular screws.

click to enlarge
Figure 25: The disk drive bays

Each hard drive cage has a pair of handles for you to remove the cage from the case, after removing a few thumbscrews.

click to enlarge
Figure 26: Handles for removing the hard drive cage

click to enlarge
Figure 27: One of the hard drive cages removed from the case

Each 3.5”/2.5” bay is a small drawer. The pegs for holding 3.5” devices have rubber rings to reduce vibration and noise. See Figure 28.

click to enlarge
Figure 28: One of the 3.5”/2.5” drawers

Main Specifications

The main specifications for the NZXT Switch 810 include:

• Style: Full-tower
• Application: E-ATX, XL-ATX, SSI CEB, SSI EEB, and smaller form factors
• Material: Zinc-coated steel (SECC) chassis, aluminum parts
• Power supply: Doesn’t come with the product
• Available colors: White
• Side panel: Transparent window
• Dimensions: 23.7 x 9.2 x 22.7 inches (603 x 235 x 577 mm) (H x W x D)
• Net weight: 31.5 lbs (14.4 kg)
• Gross weight: 36.5 lbs (16.6 kg)
• Bays: Three external 5.25” bays, one external 3.5”/2.5” docking bay with hot-swap connectors, and six internal 3.5”/2.5” bays
• Expansion slots: Nine
• Maximum video card length: 13.4” (340 mm) or 14.6” (370 mm) if the internal fan is removed, or 19.3” (490 mm) if the hard drive cage is removed
• Maximum CPU cooler height: 7.5” (190 mm)
• Fans: One 140 mm fan on the front panel, one 140 mm fan on the top panel, one 140 mm fan on the rear panel, and one 140 mm fan on the upper hard drive cage
• Optional fans: One 120 mm or 140 mm fan on the front panel, two 120 mm or 140 mm fans on the top panel, one 120 mm or 140 mm fan on the side of the lower hard drive cage, and two 120 mm or 140 mm fans on the bottom panel
• Extra Features: Support for radiators up to 420 mm long, LEDs with an on/off switch on the rear panel, SD memory card reader
• More Information: http://www.nzxt.com
• MSRP in the US: USD 170.00

Conclusions

The NZXT Switch 810 is a decent full-tower case, allowing you to build a very high-end system. The LEDs on the rear panel is a great idea, making it easier for you to find the right connector after the computer is built and installed on its final place. However, we didn’t like the venting system available on the top panel. We can’t see when you would like to cover a fan. With the vents open, the whole top panel will be opened for collecting dust, especially when no additional fans are installed.

Strong Points

• Latching mechanism for the side panels
• Air filter for the power supply, front, and bottom fans
• LEDs with on/off switch on the rear panel
• Supports radiators from liquid cooling solutions up to 420 mm long and 90 mm tall
• Vented slot covers
• Nine expansion slots
• Expansion cards are fastened with thumbscrews
• Tool-less installation mechanisms for 5.25” and 3.5” devices
• Anti-vibration mechanisms for 3.5” devices
• A huge hole in the motherboard tray for accessing the backplate of the CPU cooler
• Holes protected with rubber covers for routing cables behind the motherboard tray
• Clips for fastening cables using cable ties

Weak Points

• No fan speed controllers
• Closing the top panel vents makes no sense
• Should have an air filter on the top panel
• Doesn’t support HPTX motherboards