NZXT has put a lot of thought and special features into the Switch 810. A few of these I can't recall ever coming across before in another make or model case, like the slotted mounting holes for the rear exhaust fan, the fan power distribution on the back of the motherboard tray, the pivoting interior fan mounts or the closeable vents on the top panel. Other features may not be unique, like the multitude of cable access holes, removable intake filters, modular hard drive cages, dual 120/140mm fan mounts and the hot-swap front drive bay, but rarely do you see all of these options available together in one case. It's not often you find a case that supports mounting both triple and dual radiators internally either. Swiftech lists only four manufacturers and seven models confirmed compatible with the H20-320 Edge kit for example, and I'm happy to report that the NZXT Switch 810 makes the list!

Not all was peaches and cream for the Switch 810 however, as I had major frustrations with the hard drive mounting trays. Given that NZXT has used the same or similar design trays in their other cases like the H2 and Phantom, and I was unable to find any other complaints of this particular problem, I can only surmise that my issue is unique or at least very rare. Who knows, maybe they got a bad batch of pins or maybe all my hard drives just have smallish holes, but what I can tell you is that I shouldn't have to pound on a hard drive bracket to make it fit, and I have never had this problem with other manufacturers' drive trays.

I did have a few other complaints to mention. While the push switches on the top and front panels and the fan filters definitely make removing them an easy task, it also makes them prone to pop loose if you're not careful while picking the case up and moving it around. Granted you probably won't be doing much of that with a full tower like the Switch 810, but it's something to be aware of as these plastic pieces aren't indestructible. Some people will be turned off by an enthusiast case that uses this much plastic.

Secondly, although the white makes for an uncommon but attractive color choice, and NZXT has thoughtfully included a stealth optical drive cover, I found that it was only usable in the top bay. If that space is taken up by fans and/or a radiator for example, you're left mounting your optical drive the old fashion way. Finally, I found the clearance at the back side of the case to be minimal for routing cables, making the side panel difficult to get back on. That's if you could remove it in the first place, as there is no means to grasp it to slide it off.

I did not find the NZXT Switch 810 available for sale yet as it just debuted at CES last week, but sources indicate it will launch around $169 retail. Given the features that this case has I believe that's a fair price to pay and should prove very competitive with other manufacturer's offerings in this bracket.

OCIA.net awards the NZXT Switch 810 our Silver Seal of Approval.