NZXT H210 Mini ITX Case Review

The NZXT H210 is a mini ITX case that’s oozing of classy and premium.

Mini ITX chassis are fun yet complicated to build on. You work with the limited space you have, and you try to maximize it as much as possible while looking neat at the same time. And as much as I hate to say it, components for small form factor builds don’t really come cheap. But then again, if you’re one for presentation, they can get the job done to look classy on your desk. What we have here today is the NZXT H210, a mini ITX case that’s oozing of classy and premium.

PACKAGING AND INCLUSIONS

Not exactly the usual NZXT packaging fashion here of purple and white, but the H210 comes in a compact box carton. There’s a sticker that indicates what color’s inside (Matte White/Matte Black for us), and just in case you’re wondering there are also color options for a Matte Black and Matte Black/Red. There’s no all-white option, unfortunately.

As far as inclusions for the H210 goes, you’ll be getting two Aer F120mm fans pre-installed on the case. NZXT notes that case version fans and specs vary from retail version, so we don’t really have the specified info for these. 

Moving forward, NZXT provides a set of inclusions that’s inside a box inside the H210. Aside from the manual, you'll get an audio splitter, a set of screws, header adapter in case they don't match, cable ties, and that button there turns out to be a GPU support.

DESIGN

There are two versions of the H210, namely the H210 itself and the H210i. The only differences we’ve checked out are the two LED strips and the NZXT Smart Device v2 for fan and lighting control. The i-version commands a $40 premium over the standard offering, so if you’re not a fan of too much RGB and you just want to go for simple, classy aesthetics, the H210 is a much economical choice.

Now, moving forward to the design, the H210 is a breeze to build on. Well, not necessarily at first since the tempered glass panel and the side panel may require some brute force to remove to kick things off. But once those are out, component installation and cable management are joyful. There are spaces and slots for everything, and the cable bar works great in hiding the 24-pin PSU cable and SATA cables. There’s a cut out at the PSU shroud at the bottom of the motherboard tray for easy routing of headers. 

There's space for two 2.5-inch drives at the back and 1 in front, as well as a 3.5-inch drive near the PSU shroud. There are also grooves at the back to easily manage cables. Plenty of space, too so you can organize those cables and not feel like it’s an out-of-sight-out-of-mind thing. What’s very likable about this case is its flexibility for PSUs. If you have a full sized ATX PSU that you want to use, you can easily remove the SFX PSU bracket and make it work. I wish the Lian Li PC-O11 Dynamic Mini made room for this flexibility. But yeah that’s another story.

Unfortunately, top radiator mounting isn’t an option since there’s no clearance for that. There is space for up to a 240mm radiator. I’ve read somewhere that they managed to fit the NZXT X62, which is a 280mm AIO cooler, so we’ll be trying that one as well.

At this scale however, this might as well support mATX motherboards. The case I’m using right now is the SAMA IM01 / Tecware Fusion, which is by far a shorter case as compared to the H210. So, yeah go figure. Sure you could Dremel your way to make it work because anything is possible with Dremel, but then again that’s counterproductive.

Also, if you happen to have a motherboard that doesn't come with a USB Type C header, the H200 might look like a far better option since you don't want to be limited on front panel USB ports. That is, if you're hellbent on this case but you don't have the right parts for it.

Just an update on the clearance here for CPU coolers and graphics cards. You can work with a cooler as tall as 165mm and GPUs up to 325mm (44mm thick). 

PERFORMANCE

TEST SYSTEM SETUP

Motherboard	AORUS X570 ELITE
CPU	AMD Ryzen 5 3600X
GPU	SAPPHIRE Radeon RX 5600 XT
RAM	ZADAK 16GB DDR4 @3600MHz
Cooler	Cryorig C7
Motherboard	GIGABYTE A520i AC
PSU	CORSAIR RM750 80 Plus Gold
Case	NZXT H210
OS	Windows 10 Pro
Monitor	ASUS VP249 144Hz 24-inch monitor

With the H210, we’re working with a GIGABYTE A520i AC ITX motherboard and a Ryzen 5 3600X cooled by a Cryorig C7 and a SAPPHIRE Radeon RX 5600 XT. The two pre-installed fans are there both for intake, and that’s about it. 

Also, similar to what we did with the H1 previously, here's a video to show thermals while actually playing something.

CONCLUSION

Locally, the NZXT H210 costs around Php5,000 (Php5,100 to be exact). The small form factor competition in this price range however is quite fierce – for starters, there’s Cooler Master’s NR200P for around the same price with a multitude of color options but there’s the limitation in space, there’s also the Tecware Fusion that’s half the price, but might as well add up if you want better fans and tempered glass. Lian Li’s O11 Dynamic Mini while not also entirely SFF might offer more space, but the imposed PSU form factor limitation is a turn off for some. Lastly, there’s Silverstone’s Sugo 13 that you offers some serious build flexibility but its aesthetics and orientation may not be for everyone.

At the end of the day, it all boils down to three things – performance, price, and design. Airflow and temperature performances aren't the only factors when choosing a case, after all. Important, yes, but material construction, ease of use/building, and value come greatly into play as well. So, looking at the contents, the NZXT H210 comes with a very solid metal build. The interlocking plastic is also quite sturdy despite the force you need to pull it off. The tempered glass is a whole structure with the securing mechanism at the plastic pins and screws. It's also very user friendly for building, but it also makes room for further upgrades with up to a 240mm AIO. 

It's not without its downsides, though as some would be looking for a smaller ITX build. This is a case-to-case basis since there will be those who would look for an ITX chassis that doesn't compromise on storage expansions, GPU length and PSU form factors. 

As much as I want to showcase more on its performance on temperature, CPU and GPU cooling solutions will play a bigger part on this and I will be editing this review for further info and more data.

Many would probably argue that a 27 liter case isn’t treading small form factor territory. But yeah when you think about it, the NZXT H210 is still quite the compact case that considers upgradability and expansion. So again, while there are plenty of options out in the market, it's best to go what's suited for you. And if the NXXT H210 fits the bill, then by all means it's a spectacular and classy offering.