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The front panel of the Switch 810 is predominately crafted from high gloss black plastic. It looks great but it is almost impossible to keep clean of fingerprints if you handle the case at all. The front I/O panel is hidden behind a door which we manually open to gain access. The panel has two USB 3.0 and two USB 2.0 ports, as well as a built in card reader, 2 audio inputs, the reset button and a button to power on an led located near the rear I/O panel. Unfortunately the LED feature on our case didn't function, probably a direct result of the way the package was handled during shipping. Having the memory card reader built in is a welcome addition to the front I/O panel.
The cover of the top 5.25″ slot serves as a hidden optical drive bay that is fully operational with a DVD drive installed behind it. NZXT have also added a hot swap drive bay to the mix. The hot swappable drive bay is capable of supporting either 3.5″ or 2.5″ drives.
The lower half of the front is covered by a removable black plastic panel. To remove it we simply press the top of the panel to release it. Behind the panel there is a 140mm intake fan and room to add a second should we feel the need.
The rear panel of the Switch 810 features a bottom mount for the power supply, 9 expansion bays, 4 liquid cooling cutouts, a 140mm exhaust fan and the cutout for the I/O shield. NZXT added a removable mesh grill over the exhaust fan which is another nice touch.
The top of the Switch 810 is where NZXT have introduced another new feature. The have added a black panel with hybrid fins that can function either open or closed. With the fins on the panel in the open position you will have maximum airflow while closing the fins reduces dust intake and provides a reduction in system noise. With the panel removed we can see that NZXT have made sure there is enough room to easily support a large radiator for liquid cooling or two additional exhaust fans for air cooling.
The bottom of the Switch 810 is also optimized for maximum airflow. NZXT have included 2 simple to remove dust filters that prevent dust from getting sucked inside our system. The filters just slide in and out so that they can be cleaned quickly and easily as required.
