NZXT have a new flagship full tower chassis designed for the hardcore enthusiast who has water-cooling. Is this their best computer case yet?
Product on Review: Switch 810
Manufacturer and Sponsor : NZXT
Street Price: £149 / $169 / €169
Unveiled last week at CES 2012 was the new flagship – hardcore enthusiast chassis from NZXT named the Switch 810. Those reporting from CES 2012 were unable to give any detail regarding this newly announced case because its official launch date was still pending.
And so it is with pleasure that today we will be bringing you an in-depth look at the new NZXT Switch 810. A full tower chassis available in black or white and boasting more features than you can wave a stick at. Switch 810 is built with water-cooling enthusiasts in mind and promises to deliver flexibility, good cable management and thermal performance. So let’s begin our analysis of the new NZXT Switch 810 and see whether this new flagship can accommodate both need and desire.
NZXT’s take on Switch 810
Experience the pinnacle of chassis design! Switch 810 is an epic hybrid case built for the hardcore PC enthusiast. This full tower chassis introduces a first of its kind concept for more versatility and adaptability to any configuration. It can be modified for superior water cooling or superb airflow through seamless operation. The Switch 810 is the ultimate powerhouse suitable for any type of PC enthusiast – whether you are liquid cooling, silent performance, or extreme airflow. You will have full control to customize all the features of Switch 810 based upon your preference.
Some unique features that set Switch 810 apart is the adjustable Hybrid Fins that reduce sound up to 60% when closed or open passageways for maximum airflow. Keep dust out by simply shifting the Hybrid Fins closed. Switch 810 has a rear LED light for illuminating the I/O in the dark, removable HDD cages for bottom radiator installation, a stealth bay, ability to mount triple 120/140mm radiators with 90mm of space, and potential to install up to 7 HDDs. For the first time, NZXT is introducing advanced HDD cages equipped with two 140mm pivot fans for directing airflow to the VGA and CPU. Anything is achievable with this chassis. You can only explore the infinite possibilities of PC expansion with the Switch 810.
Some unique features that set Switch 810 apart is the adjustable Hybrid Fins that reduce sound up to 60% when closed or open passageways for maximum airflow. Keep dust out by simply shifting the Hybrid Fins closed. Switch 810 has a rear LED light for illuminating the I/O in the dark, removable HDD cages for bottom radiator installation, a stealth bay, ability to mount triple 120/140mm radiators with 90mm of space, and potential to install up to 7 HDDs. For the first time, NZXT is introducing advanced HDD cages equipped with two 140mm pivot fans for directing airflow to the VGA and CPU. Anything is achievable with this chassis. You can only explore the infinite possibilities of PC expansion with the Switch 810.
Features & Specifications
• Unique hybrid full tower chassis optimized for extreme liquid cooling, airflow, or silence
• Supports high-end water cooling solutions up to three fans for push and pull configuration: 90mm of internal top space with top 360/420mm and bottom 140/240mm radiator support for unmatched liquid cooling
• Four watercooling cutouts for easy liquid cooling management on the rear panel
• Spacious CPU cutout for mounting high-end CPU coolers without removing the motherboard
• Removable top 5.25” plates to accommodate wide radiators
• Clever hybrid fin design allows the user to choose between maximum airflow or sound reduction
• Innovative right-mounted HDDs for easy hard drive replacement
• Removable HDD pull-out cages and large storage capacity for 7 hard drives
• Equipped with two 120/140mm pivot fan slots for directing airflow at 40⁰ to the VGA and CPU
• Rear white light for visibility in dark environments with a toggle switch
• Dual high-speed USB 3.0, hard drive dock along with a SD card reader for transfer and quick access to multimedia
• Nine expansion slots for installing EATX motherboards with Triple Cross Fire or Quad SLI
• Supreme cooling capacity with up to ten 140/120mm fans
• Stress-free wire management and 23mm clearance in the rear allows for superb wire-tucks
• Ten large specialized cutout holes for easy cable management
• Easily removable bottom filters in the front and rear to prevent dust from entering
• Tool-less 5.25” and 3.5”/2.5” SSD hard drive installation for convenience and ease of accessibility
• Large acrylic window with a view to show off the interior of your rig
Packaging & First Look
The Switch 810 comes in a traditional NZXT box with the depiction of the case on the front and all significant specification and features on the reverse. Inside, the Switch 810 is covered in a clear plastic sheet and held in place with dual polystyrene pillars for protection during transit.
NZXT Switch 810 Packaging
Switch 810 is available in two different variants – black or white. Today we will be taking a look at the white version – removing the case from its packaging we are instantly hit with a monstrous chassis. Those black and white accents that we first saw with the Phantom are present with the Switch 810 and though it does have less boisterous aesthetics it still has plenty of style.
The prominent side panel features a large Perspex window that almost covers the entire panel. This panel doesn’t have any spots for attaching case fans. Over on the other side the panel is completely flat/solid with no significant features.
Prominent side panel with large Perspex window
Black and white contrasts brilliantly
With the initial look over – let’s move in for a closer look at the exterior elements of Switch 810 over the page.
Exterior
The front of Switch 810 has a lower section of plastic that is removable – a small section of this panel has steel mesh giving slight ventilation for the front intake fan(s). Above this panel are 4x 5.25” drive bay covers that are removable from the outside of the case. The top cover operates as an optical drive fascia so that the overall style of the case can be retained. There is also a cover of similar size at the top of Switch 810 – this is where the front panel connectivity controls can be found.
Around the back – at the bottom there is an opening for the PSU to be mounted. Above this are 9x PCI expansion slot covers, each with ventilation mesh and 4x circular rubber grommets are positioned to the side showing that Switch 810 is well suited for water-cooling options. Moving further up the I/O section features a controllable LED light to help find those connections at the back in darkly lit surroundings. This is the first time I have encountered such a feature and though it might be insignificant to some personally I think it’s very handy and borders on the innovative. To the side of this is the rear exhaust fan – 140mm and adjustable. You will notice from the picture below that the mesh spans quite a large section of the back panel. This rear exhaust fan can slide up and down – you can choose where you want it.
The front and back of Switch 810
As mentioned previously the top 5.25” panel on the front of Switch 810 holds the front panel connectivity. On this front panel we have the following ports:
• 2x USB 2.0 ports
• 2x USB 3.0 ports (via motherboard header)
• SD card reader slot
• Headphone/Microphone jack
• Reset button
• I/O panel LED on/off button
I was quite surprised to see the SD card reader slot on Switch 810. This type of port/slot never seems to feature at all on computer cases but it’s one of those things that many people actually use so it’s good to see that NZXT have implemented this. Also featured on the front panel controls here is the LED button – this button controls the LED above the I/O ports at the back of the case, another great idea.
Front panel connectivity including SD slot and USB 3.0 ports
Underneath the front panel there is access to the two-part fan filter. Pressing the front (black area) of this filter causes it to pop out with a click. This filter covers half of the underside of the chassis, providing a dust filter for bottom mounted intake fans.
Two-part fan filter for underside
Just like the fan filters on Switch 810 the front panel also clicks off with a light press on the NZXT logo. Upon removing this front panel there is access to a fan filter on the inside and NZXT have included a 140mm front intake fan. Dual 120/140mm fans can be installed at the front to create positive airflow within the chassis.
Front panel removes to reveal space for cooling fans
Over the page we will continue our look at the exterior of Switch 810.
Exterior (Continued)
For those wondering where the power button is – this can be found at the top of the Switch 810 on the smaller white section. The top of the case features a plastic panel that is not only removable but also has the ability to switch to closed and open states. By a quick switch of the lever at the back the fins can move to a closed position for more control over silence whilst having them open can encourage better temperature results for the system.
The top of Switch 810 – closed
The top of Switch 810 – open
Removing the top section is easy, again two spots just need to be pressed in and the top will then release and pop up. Within this top section there is a pre-installed 140mm fan that has been positioned to be an exhaust and there are another two areas marked out for attaching more cooling fans. A little later we will be taking a look at water-cooling compatibility.
Plenty of options for cooling
Finally the underside of Switch 810 has 4x rubber strips that act as feet to provide a soft cushion and anti-slip for placement on smooth surfaces. The underside of the case features two removable fan filters both of these filters can be removed by simply pressing the edges in.
Anti-slip rubber and fan filters on the underside
We’ve taken a look at the outside, now let’s move inside the Switch 810 and look at its features over the page.
Interior
The side panels on Switch 810 require 3x thumbscrews to be removed for each side. Upon removing we are met with a very spacious, feature-laden internal layout.
The most apparent element that will stand out are the abundance of cable management grommets on the motherboard tray. Just about every sized PSU, motherboard and graphics card have been catered for. Obvious from the initial look are the tool-less design mechanisms for getting components in and out of Switch 810.
Behind the motherboard tray there are many routes that cables can be assembled and there is even the inclusion of a little fan hub. More on this later in this section.
Spacious and feature laden internal layout
Cable management features highly
Moving in for a closer look – we will start at the PSU area. Here there are 6x rubber mounts to accommodate standard ATX size PSUs and the longer versions. On the underside there is a removable fan filter should you want to mount the PSU with the fan facing downwards.
PSU region with anti-vibration rubber
Above this are 9x PCI expansion slot covers, each with ventilation mesh for better airflow within the chassis and accompanying thumbscrews for easy removal. To the immediate left are 4x circular rubber grommets for feeding water-cooling tubes in and out of the case.
Multi-GPU options with 9 PCI expansion slot covers
In terms of cooling at the back and top of the Switch 810 there are 2x 140mm exhaust fans – obviously with the exhaust fan being present it would be sensible to have the vents open on the top of the case with a stock setup.
Dual 140mm exhaust fans
Over the page we will continue the tour of the inside of Switch 810.
Interior (Continued)
On the other side of Switch 810 is the optical drive cage. There are four different bays – the top one should ideally be used for an optical drive since it has the fascia to match. Three of the bays have tool-less design mechanisms whilst the lower features a hot-swappable SATA port, this requires a Molex connector for power and will accommodate both 2.5” and 3.5” HDDs.
Tool-less design mechanisms for 5.25” devices
Docking station for 2.5”/3.5” HDDs
Beneath the optical drive cage is the HDD storage. There are two removable cages here and each can hold up to 3 drives – 2.5” and 3.5”. The upper HDD cage has a 140mm fan attached for additional cooling – the difference here is that the fan can be tilted via the pivot to offer directional cooling for either the graphics card or the CPU and other components.
Upper HDD cage with directional 140mm cooling fan
Getting the HDD cages out is easy all you need to do is remove the larger thumbscrews and then an additional four screws on the alternate side. Something to note is that the HDD trays within each cage are designed to be removable from the other side of the case than is typically found on computer cases nowadays – with the normal orientation both side panels must be removed in order to make an adjustment or replacement but with this method only the one side panel needs to be removed in order to actually remove the HDD since the connectors will face this side too.
HDD cages are removable and can hold up to 3 HDDs each
All of the fans included within Switch 810 are plugged directly into a hub which NZXT have designed to sit on the back of the motherboard tray. Though this does require a Molex connection from the PSU for power it has lots of benefits to it and is a neat idea. Cables can be arranged behind the motherboard tray and out of the way from view – this is especially needful since the Switch 810 has a large Perspex window.
Fan hub offering support for 7 fans via Molex power
With the internal inspection finished lets install the components inside Switch 810 and see what this process is like.
Installation
Working in a case that has such expanse and countless features means that the installation process is a breeze. As you can see from the picture of the installation complete below, the Switch 810 makes the ATX system look tiny. Thanks to all the cable management grommets and size arranging cables within the chassis is very easy.
Installation complete – gigantic Switch 810 dwarfs ATX system
Included with Switch 810 is the instructions manual sheet, detailing the entire installation process. There are also a series of screws and a CPU power extension cable – with the Switch 810 being such a tall computer chassis this is extremely needful and it’s good to see that NZXT have included this.
Switch 810 accessories bundle with CPU power extension cable
Over the page we will take a look at the clearance benefits that Switch 810 can offer.
Clearance – CPU, GPU, WC, Cable Management
Clearance inside a chassis is essential to enthusiasts, in this section we will be looking at all areas to reveal just how flexible Switch 810 really is.
Beginning with the CPU cooler, installed inside Switch 810 is the Noctua NH-U12P which is 158mm in height. As you can see from the below picture there is an abundance of clearance before the top of the heatpipes touch the side panel. Switch 810 will accommodate current flagships: Noctua NH-D14 and Thermalright Silver Arrow which are both 160mm in height.
Clearance for flagship CPU coolers
Moving to the graphics card clearance we can completely remove the HDD cages in order to cater for unlimited amount of clearance but with the HDD cages remaining there is enough space for anything currently on the market. Pictured is the NVIDIA GTX480 which is 11” in length.
Clearance for long graphics cards
Many enthusiasts are exploring alternative methods to cooling their rigs and moving to water-cooling so in a bid to give our readers a more complete examination of each case we review we will be examined for its water-cooling compatibility.
Switch 810 has space to install a 240 water-cooling radiator into the roof and floor areas of the case. Pictured below is the Phobya G-Charger 240 Radiator.
If you have a thinner radiator then a 240/360 radiator will fit into the roof of the case. As you can see from the picture there is adequate clearance for this.
Switch 810 will accommodate water-cooling
Thinner radiators will also fit into the roof
Lastly the clearance behind the motherboard tray is 1.5cm which isn’t especially generous but due to the amount of space behind the motherboard tray the cables can be spread out so that they do not bundle up and cause obstruction for fitting the side panel back on.
1.5cm of clearance behind the motherboard tray
Thermal Performance Testing
Inside Switch 810 there are 4 pre-installed fans – 1x 140mm exhaust fan (top), 1x 140mm rear exhaust fan and 2x 140mm fans on either side of HDD cage. An initial observation reveals that the Switch 810 follows traditional airflow design with positive pressure. On paper this case should deliver some good thermal performance results.
To discover the thermal performance of the Switch 810 I will record idle temperatures after 20 minutes from a cold boot. I will then stress the system and temperatures will again be monitored after 30 minutes have elapsed. Top section of Switch 810 will remain in the “open” position.
System Components
CPU AMD Phenom II X6 1055T 2.8GHz
Motherboard ASUS M4A89TD PRO
Graphics ZOTAC NVIDIA GTX 480 AMP
Memory 4GB Mushkin EM3-10666 DDR3
HDD Samsung Spinpoint 500GB SATA-II
PSU Enermax Revolution 85+ 850W
Conclusion
I’ve had the Switch 810 for many weeks now and I’ve been excited about sharing my thoughts with the readers on Vortez.net. This case was the highlight of NZXT’s appearance at the recent CES 2012 in Las Vegas and though no specific details could be divulged or detailed shots circulated it still gathered plenty of attention.
And so it falls to me today to reveal the new Switch 810 in all its glory. The first thing to mention is the size. This case is gigantic, it’s exactly the case I like to deal with – plenty of space to organise a computer system without the hassle of knocking things. Switch 810 supports all current high-end components be it CPU coolers or graphics cards. Size isn’t the only thing that is important, though it does matter – cable management is also critical nowadays with enthusiasts keen to keep the inside of their chassis tidy to allow unhindered airflow to operate. Switch 810 has lots and lots of options for cable management making it easy to create a clean system – though I would like to have seen half a cm more clearance behind the motherboard tray.
Flexibility is a word that has to be associated to Switch 810. In many different areas it is versatile. It can accommodate up to 10 case fans, can host XL-ATX motherboards, water-cooling radiators, has removable HDD cages with support for pivoting case fans and features and SD slot up front with LED button to turn a unique light on at the back of the case to illuminate the I/O plate. NZXT have thought of just about everything.
If you can’t tell that I’m impressed then you should re-read the review again, the NZXT Switch 810 has lots going for it. It’s hard to come up with any type of criticisms apart from the fact that the top and front panels are plastic and do have the appearance of looking cheap because they are glossy.
Priced at £149 inc. VAT the Switch 810 delivers countless features directly into the hand of the enthusiast. For the price it certainly does offer plenty of bang for buck. Those looking to build a water-cooling rig will be advised to look at this case since its large Perspex window and feature-set are perfect for just that.
Switch 810 can be characterised in these words: ‘Thinking outside of the box’.
VIDEO REVIEW @ VORTEZ TV
Pros
+ Very spacious
+ Offers lots of flexibility
+ Good thermal performance
+ Great for cable management
+ Directional fan mounted to HDD cage
+ LED light for I/O plate
+ SD card reader slot
+ Can take up to 10 case fans
Cons
– Plastic front and top panels
+ Very spacious
+ Offers lots of flexibility
+ Good thermal performance
+ Great for cable management
+ Directional fan mounted to HDD cage
+ LED light for I/O plate
+ SD card reader slot
+ Can take up to 10 case fans
Cons
– Plastic front and top panels
Click here for an explanation of our awards at Vortez.net. Thanks to NZXT for providing today’s review sample.
