We first saw NZXT's H510 Elite in person at Computex, it looked good in person, and I was anxious get one in to play around with and actually build a PC. The new H510 Elite joins other refreshed H series cases but goes one step further by offering the new Smart Device V2 for all your lighting needs and a new tempered glass front panel.
Has the wait paid off, and is this a mid-tower case you must consider for your next PC build? The H510 Elite commands a hefty price so it needs to deliver. But NZXT really nailed it.
Editor's note: NZXT provided Windows Central with a review sample, which was used for in-depth testing and this review. We received a consumer package to emulate exactly what you'll receive should you purchase this PC case.
NZXT H510 Elite
Costs $170Bottom line: A sleek-looking mid-tower PC case.
For
- Beautiful design
- Good airflow
- Supports water-cooling
- Includes RGB Aer fans
- Cable management
Against
- No GPU riser
- Top fan mount vibrations
NZXT H510 Elite is one gorgeous PC case
Alongside the case itself, NZXT bundles a box full of goodies with a quick-start guide and various accessories you may need. The H510 Elite is a mid-tower PC case that can house anything up to an ATX motherboard with the heftiest aftermarket GPU you can find. It's not the largest case of its class, so don't go planning complicated water-cooling loops, but you can cram a whole lot of hardware inside.
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| Category | Spec |
|---|---|
| Motherboards | ATX MicroATX Mini-ITX |
| I/O | One USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C One USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A One Headset Audio Jack |
| Expansion | 7 PCI 2+1 HDD/SSD |
| Fans | Front: Two 120/140 mm Top: One 120 mm Rear: One 120 mm |
| Filters | Front PSU |
| Radiators | Front: 120/240 mm and 140/280 mm Rear: 120 mm |
| Clearance | GPU: up to 381mm CPU: up to 165mm |
| Weight | 7.5 kg |
| Dimensions | 210 mm x 460 mm x 428 mm |
| Materials | SGCC Steel, Tempered Glass |
| Warranty | Two years |
After unboxing everything, the first step is to take off the two side panels, which is an easy process. The metal side panel is held on by two thumbscrews — the same setup with most PC cases — but the tempered glass panel is secured by a single thumbscrew on the rear with some rubber grommets that hold it to the main chassis.
The front tempered glass panel is one of the new highlights of the H510 Elite case, and it too can be detached from the case. What NZXT did is install a fan or radiator cage that allows you to quickly swap out fans and radiators (up to 280 mm) depending on your desired configuration, making it easy to try out different components. The H510 Elite comes rocking two 120 mm Aer RGB fans pre-installed.
Two additional fan mounts are present on the rear (120 mm) and top (120/140 mm) of the case, though you'll only find dust filters on the front intakes, as well as the PSU. On the back of the H510 Elite sit seven PCI expansion slots and two vertical GPU slots should you have a spare riser cable at hand. For I/O, we're looking at USB 3.0 in USB Type-A and Type-C flavors, next to a 3.5 mm jack.
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NZXT did a stellar job with the H series and this case looks stunning. The tempered glass works really well with the aforementioned Aer RGB fans in the front — alongside the pre-installed RGB LED strip located at the top of the case — and it looks like an expensive piece of kit, which is exactly what you'd expect from the price tag.
Building in the NZXT H510 Elite is a dream
There's not a whole lot of space for cabling on the rear of the motherboard plate, but there's more than enough room to feed everything through the handy channels with velcro tiers. The PSU shroud hides the mess that is your power supply and all the cables that connect to various components, and it keeps the main section of the case looking neat and tidy.
There isn't an SSD tray attached to the PSU shroud since this actually forms the outside part of the case below the tempered glass side panel. What you do have are three toolless HDD and SSD sleds located within the shroud, making it easy to hook them up to the PSU and motherboard, keeping them out of sight. Speaking of which, the shroud has convenient cutouts for PCIe power for GPUs.
Installing the motherboard, case fans, SSDs, the PSU and everything else was straightforward, and NZXT makes it easy to hook up front-panel connections by bundling all the required cables. The included Smart Device V2 from NZXT is a dedicated fan and RGB controller, allowing you to connect a whole host of supported devices — NZXT already connects the front two AER RGB fans and RGB LED strip to this unit.
Activating the light show took a free USB header on the motherboard, allowing CAM software to take control and SATA power. I'm impressed we're using SATA here and not old-school Molex, which other case vendors still use to this day. You don't have to use the RGB lighting. In fact, disabling it may make the case look even better with the darkened glass
The NZXT H510 Elite is a drop-dead gorgeous mid-tower PC case.
For performance, airflow is decent enough for even more power-hungry builds. We put together a test rig including an AMD Ryzen 9 3900X CPU, ZOTAC AMP! Extreme GTX 1070 GPU, and 32GB RAM with a Seagate FireCuda NVMe SSD. This all kicks out a considerable amount of heat. Using NZXT's E500W PSU allowed us to hook everything up to CAM. Temperatures were well within safe operating ranges, with the CPU barely hitting 70 Celcius (160 Fahrenheit) under stress testing.
The two intake strips on the front panel may be alarming at first, but they allow the front fans to pull in enough cool air. Using two Corsair AF120 fans for the rear and top vents to act as exhausts, it was easy to configure the H510 Elite and forget about temperatures. Swapping out the Cooler Master EVO 212 for an AIO CPU would have knocked off a few degrees too.
You'll dislike very little with this case
The H510 Elite is very good on all fronts. It's easy to build in, is made of high-quality materials, comes rocking advanced RGB lighting, has a unique look to boot, and airflow is good enough for even more power-hungry components. But there are a few minor gripes that I came across.
Firstly, there's no included vertical GPU mount or riser cable, meaning you'll need to buy this as an extra if you want to make use of the vertical GPU mounting brackets on the back of the case. This seems strange, but I can understand why NZXT would omit the cabling since other vendors have had issues with reliability in the past, including Thermaltake with the Core P series.
I also found the main bar that protrudes from the backplate to be a little finicky when it came to running through bulky cabling. Depending on your motherboard and the position of ports on the PCB, you could have to bend cables and connectors in rather strange ways. Luckily, it's not only adjustable using a few screws but can be removed altogether.
Finally, after testing a variety of fans — including models NZXT ship out with their own cases — the top fan mount can see the fan hit against the case ever so slightly while in motion, causing some notable vibrations. It's not a constant whine, but you can notice a very slight sound every now and then. I was eventually able to eradicate it through loosening and tightening screws, but your mileage may vary.
So should you buy the NZXT H510 Elite?
You should shortlist the H510 Elite from NZXT if you have a large enough budget to cover the cost, are seeking a unique looking PC case, and love some tempered glass. The refreshed Smart Device V2, USB Type-C, and included Aer fans make the H510 Elite functional, as well as good looking.
It's quiet, even with a rather noisy top fan due to vibrations with the case, is able to pump through enough air to keep your components cool under load, and it helps you build a smart-looking PC with ease. NZXT is regarded as one of the best case manufacturers out there, and this is a premium case done right.
NZXT H510 Elite
A sleek-looking mid-tower PC case
NZXT took what makes the H510 PC case great and added more tempered glass and a fancy new advanced lighting controller. Albeit a little on the pricey side, it's a truly stunning case.
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Rich Edmonds
Senior Editor, PC Build
Rich Edmonds was formerly a Senior Editor of PC hardware at Windows Central, covering everything related to PC components and NAS. He's been involved in technology for more than a decade and knows a thing or two about the magic inside a PC chassis. You can follow him on Twitter at @RichEdmonds.
FAQs
Does H510 Elite have bad airflow? ›
Because the front panel is pretty much chocked and there's little airflow that can go through that case. It's not ideal but if you're dead set on it, it shouldn't be bad if you're powering not stupid hot running components.
Does the NZXT H510 ATX mid-tower case have good airflow? ›Love the NZXT H510 flow. Case looks sleek, airflow is great, plenty of space. Very pleased with the selection!
Is the NZXT H510 compact good? ›This compact mid-tower is an ideal case for high-performance builds and features a perforated front panel for maximized airflow. The H510 is easy to build in and offers flexibility for a variety of ATX parts. An optimized perforated top panel delivers increased airflow to your system for...
What is the difference between H510 Elite and H510? ›The largest (and most important) difference in specifications is the inclusion of RGB lighting. The H510 doesn't come with any RGB lighting, but the H510i is equipped with not only two LED strips, but also a fan and RGB controller hub. Those are all the differences between the H510 and H510i.
Is the NZXT H510 a fire hazard? ›Yes. The nylon screw kit fixes the problem but does not address the root cause. If the nylon screws are ever replaced with metal ones, there will be a risk of a fire hazard.
Is NZXT case bad for airflow? ›The NZXT H510 with its rather budget oriented price offers an excellent value with a good looks and build quality. However, the case is on the small side for ATX towers. USB type-C on the front panel is also a good plus. The H510 has more constricted airflow, leading to less performance.
How much fans do you need for a NZXT H510? ›The H510 Flow supports up to four fans in the following sizes: Front: 2x 120mm/140mm. Top: 1x 120mm/140mm. Rear: 1x 120mm.
How many fans do you need in a PC? ›In a standard desktop PC, you want at least one intake and one exhaust fan. Some cheaper cases only include a single intake fan on the front of the PC, or a single exhaust fan at the rear. Spend a couple bucks for another fan so you have both.
Is the NZXT H510 loud? ›At full speed, they're not loud at all at just 38.8 dBA.
Is NZXT worth the money? ›NZXT's BLD systems are good in their own way, plus you only have to deal with one company when it comes to issues and warranties. However, they are known to be overpriced, since the company has to add labor costs and a premium on top of that.
Is the NZXT H510 worth it? ›
The NZXT H510 is an excellent mid-tower chassis that allows anyone to create a sleek-looking PC build with very little effort. We believe it to be one of the best PC cases you can buy, and NZXT has just created a new version for better airflow.
Does the NZXT H510 Elite come with fans? ›Out of the box, the H510 Elite includes four fans, two of which are AER RGB 2 140mm Fans that are pre-wired to the included Smart Device V2 controller for RGB power and fan power.
What fans fit in H510 Elite? ›Whether you choose to liquid cool or not, the H510i supports up to two 120/140mm fans at the front, a 120/140mm fan at the rear, and another 120/140mm fan at the top. Thanks to its tempered-glass front and side panels, you can show off your hardware along with any custom LED lighting.
Can the H510 Elite fit a 3080? ›Hi hacomania, The NZXT H510i Elite fits GPU's up to 380mm in size The 3080Ti Vision is 320mm long so you will ample space for the GPU.
Does the H510 Elite have RGB fans? ›This compact mid-tower is ideal for highlighting RBG-focused builds with a front tempered glass panel that showcases included Aer 2 RGB fans along with the easy-to-build-in features of the H510.
Are NZXT fans noisy? ›These are easily some of the loudest case fans of any size I've ever come across--loud and high pitched and buzzy.
Does NZXT H510 come with CPU cooler? ›The NZXT H510 Mid Tower Case comes with two Aer F-120mm cooling fans, which provide excellent airflow.
Why are NZXT cases so expensive? ›Our goal is to make PC gaming accessible for everyone, so we dislike price increases as much as you do. As it turns out, costs related to freight and other shipping logistics from our factories have gone up significantly and fluctuate often.
Will case fans reduce CPU temp? ›Adding more case fans into your system could provide enough additional airflow in your system to help get your high CPU temps back under control.
Are case fans enough for cooling? ›1 outtake or exhaust fan and 1 or 2 intake fans should be sufficient to provide cool air to your system and keep it running at a decent capacity. A standard PC with typical requirements will probably want a couple more case fans. 1-2 exhaust fans and 2-3 intake fans should be enough for most systems.
What fans should I get with the NZXT H510 flow? ›
- Front: 2x 120mm/140mm.
- Top: 1x 120mm/140mm.
- Rear: 1x 120mm.
The H510 is pretty well-behaved when you're only using 300W. It has been shown that the H510 does best as a negative pressure system with no front fans installed. The case only has room for one fan up top (120mm or 140mm) so you rely on those two fans for your entire ventilation and let the “holes” work their magic.
Do NZXT PCS have good airflow? ›The NZXT H5 Elite, which is our pick for the best NZXT case, comes with a solid front panel with small air vents on the sides for airflow. The new one puts airflow front and center for those who want to build a high-performance PC with powerful components.
What is the best airflow for a PC? ›Air should travel in clear path through the case. Generally, you want the case fans in front of the case drawing in air while the fans at the rear blow air out. If your case has vents at the top, they should be placed as exhaust fans because hot air will rise.
Is 5 PC fans overkill? ›A typical system will generally only have 3 (case) fans, adding a CPU and GPU fan would bring the total to 5, so that would be pretty normal. If you mean 5 case fans, that's still not atypical, especially for a high performance system. I've seen plenty of custom builds with upwards of 8 case fans.
How do I know if my CPU is fried? ›One of the most common signs of CPU failure is the random freezing of your computer, usually after just logging into the operating system. The system won't respond to any of your instructions. The mouse freezes on the screen and any attempt to use the keyboard will result in a series of short beeps.
Is NZXT H510 quiet? ›Every H510 includes high-performance fans with fluid dynamic bearings for quiet performance.
Why is my NZXT PC so loud? ›Caused by an overly high negative or positive pressure in airflow (typically caused by, for example, having too many intake fans and not enough exhaust fans.) A blockage of the intake/exhaust vents on your case.
How fast are the fans on the NZXT H510 elite? ›| Dimensions | W: 210mm H: 435mm D: 428mm (without feet) |
|---|---|
| Fan Specs | Speed: 500-1,500 RPM |
| Airflow: 30.39 – 91.19 CFM | |
| Noise: 22 – 33 dBA | |
| Air Pressure: 0.17 – 1.52mm-H2O |
nzxt.com's top 5 competitors in April 2023 are: corsair.com, ibuypower.com, originpc.com, cyberpowerpc.com, and more.
Is NZXT made in China? ›
The company designs and develops their products in Los Angeles, while manufacturing them in Shenzhen.
What does NZXT stand for? ›NZXT = Non Zero Times Two.
Is NZXT H510 Elite quiet? ›The NZXT H510 Elite really does have it all, including a $170 price that, given its good thermal performance, quiet operation, tempered glass, RGB lighting, USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C and a sleek and stylish design, seems reasonable.
Is NZXT H510 easy to build in? ›The H510 is easy-to-build-in and offers flexibility for a variety of ATX parts.
Is the H510 Elite bigger than the H510? ›Though it comes in a big box, the H5 Elite retains the same compact mid-tower size of the outgoing H510 Elite.
Is the NZXT H510 flow quiet? ›At full speed, they're not loud at all at just 38.8 dBA.
Is the H5 flow better than the H510 Flow? ›The Design - Why the H5 Flow is better than the H510 Flow
That's because NZXT has replaced this 3.5-inch drive cage that the H510 had with a custom fan mount and intakes air from the bottom of the case and pushes it towards a user's graphics card.
GPU thermals land the H510 Elite at 59.5 degrees over ambient, putting it about the same as the S2 Vision RGB and not too distant from the Meshify C.
Does airflow matter for AIO? ›The loop of the AIO cooler is not 100% filled with coolant. There's always air present in the circulation loop. If the air stays in the water pump, it may cause some problems such as noise and reduced thermal efficiency, and the lifespan may be reduced too.