Nzxt h510 elite review in Spanish (full analysis)

NZXT has updated its entire range of chassis for this 2019, in fact, they were presented during Computex 2019 along with the novelty, the NZXT H510 ELITE, which we will analyze today. And it is that these chassis, are very similar to those of the previous generation, and it is precisely in this where the most notable novelties lie. We now have a tempered glass front, the inclusion of two 140mm Aer RGB fans in this front and an F120 in the back along with a new HUE2 compatible Smart Device V2.

We are going to see what this ATX chassis offers us, but not before thanking NZXT for their trust in us by giving us their product for this analysis.

NZXT H510 ELITE technical characteristics

Unboxing

Well, we start this analysis with a new Unboxing for NZXT H510 ELITE. A chassis that has come to us in a double box for added protection. The first one is made of rigid and thick neutral cardboard, typically used for transporting packages.

The second is the actual box of the product, and the one we are seeing in the previous photos. A box that is undoubtedly very aesthetically worked, and that shows us on its main face a photo of the tower in perspective with RGB lighting activated. On the back is another large photo of the full-size box on its side with glass. Note that the box is white, but the one that has come to us is the black version, so either they use the same box for both chassis or they have made the wrong packaging.

In any case, we have a chassis protected by a plastic bag and two large polystyrene corks that prevent fatal blows. No panel of this material has been placed on the side, which would have been a good idea. When removing the product and removing the bag, we must make sure to discharge the tower with static electricity, with a couple of lashes on our fingers or tricking our partner into receiving it.

After this, let's see what the product bundle includes:

NZXT H510 ELITE 5x chassis Screw bags for component installation Plastic cable tie clips Adapter for F_panel Y-headphone splitter Mounting instructions

Something that we will later miss, is a HUB to connect one or more lighting strips in the two channels of the Smart Device V2, and that the manufacturer has not included.

Exterior design

NZXT H510 ELITE is a chassis with a half tower configuration whose dimensions and internal structure are almost the same as those of the H510i model and consequently the H500i model with slight modifications. So the measurements it offers us are 210 mm wide, 460 mm high with included legs, and 428 mm deep.

It has been built in high quality SGCC steel for the internal chassis and opaque panels for the exterior, and tempered glass on both sides that includes them. Here the manufacturer always does an excellent job, with a very thick chassis of great hardness and rigidity, something that we really like. Precisely for this, and for the use of glass, we have a weight of 7.48 Kg, which is enough if we take into account the compact measurements.

The great novelty of this box is undoubtedly the inclusion of three fans, two of them RGB and glass on the front panel, something that none of the other models has. For now, NZXT H510 ELITE is available in matt black (our model) and matt white. Although we do not rule out that over time custom models and other colors appear.

We start as always on the left side, which has a fully transparent tempered glass panel that occupies only the main compartment, leaving the cover for the PSU closed and out of sight of the user. This we have already seen in the H500 / H510 models and variants as you already know, so there is no news.

Nor are there in the glass installation system, just fastened with a manual thread screw in the back area and glued to a steel frame on the edges. The H500i had a slight problem of vibrations with the glass and the ventilation of the source, since, without having rubber protections, this glass usually makes a little noise. I know this because I have one of these, and we don't know if the same thing will happen in this model after a period of use.

On the front is where we have the most important novelty, since the NZXT H510 ELITE includes a tempered glass that also reaches the cover of the PSU. In this way we have visible the two 140 mm NZXT Aer RGB fans that have been installed on this front.

The rest of the face is covered with steel and there is no opening for the air intake, nor is it possible to remove this area. Then we will see how to access the fans.

On the right side, the black steel sheet is kept in this case, and with a large opening for the passage of air right next to the front. The system is exactly the same as the base models with a die cut interior and a fine grain dust filter installed on the inside. Of course if we remove this sheet, we can access the filter perfectly to be able to clean it without problem.

We go to the upper area to see that, once again, the pattern is repeated with the base model. We have an area where we can install a 120 or 140 mm fan, although in this case we do not have a dust filter. We do not understand very well the reason for not including this, knowing that previous models do have it in case we want to place a fan for air suction.

In fact, a second hole for this Elite model would have been quite good, since it would be a differential feature compared to the basic models and thus be able to include, for example, a large magnetic filter that would allow more air to be removed from that area.

As far as the I / O panel is concerned, we don't have too many connections:

3.5mm audio and microphone combo jack USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-C port USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A port Power button with indicator LED

We know that these two USB have independent connectors as normal, and that the USB 3.1 Gen1 headers of the boards support up to two ports, so why put only one? We ask for more connectivity, which are difficult times.

In the rear area we have no news in terms of expandability, with 7 slots in horizontal configuration and two of them in vertical configuration for graphics card. If you look at the photo, you will see that it only supports graphics cards up to two slots thick, so if we have an even larger one, we will have to place it horizontally as usual.

NZXT H510 ELITE includes a 120mm fan pre-installed in this back, which is not yet connected to Smart Device, we will have to do it ourselves.

We finish with the lower area, where we first find four rubber feet that raise the chassis 25 mm from the ground. In this way, the air holding hole of the PSU will work in the best possible way. It includes a high quality fine graph dust filter, installed on a perfectly removable plastic frame.

If we go to the front area, we have a few rails with four clearly visible screws, these are responsible for securing the cabinet for 3.5-inch units. The good thing about this configuration is that we will be able to move the cabinet situation without problems (or remove it) in order to fit large power supplies.

And if we continue further towards the front, a second removable dust filter has been included that allows air to enter through the front area for the fans.

Interior and assembly

Now we are going to place ourselves inside the NZXT H510 ELITE, and we are going to see what we are going to find facing the installation of components on both sides.

If I turn my head and start buying my H500i with this H510 ELITE, we have an interior area that is exactly the same in both models, so NZXT has kept the internal configuration of its mid / high range chassis the same. We have three well differentiated spaces, the main one, which supports Mini ITX, Micro ATX and ATX size boards . It has a steel plate that perfectly hides the holes to insert cables from behind

We have a large gap to work on the CPU cooler, in fact cooler sizes are supported for processors up to 165mm in height. The large width available will also allow us to install graphics cards up to 381 mm long as long as we do not install radiators, in which case it will be reduced by about 3 or 4 cm.

In the lower area we have the compartment for the power supply, which supports practically any size if we remove the HDD cabinet. If we don't, ATX fonts up to 220mm will be perfectly valid.

And the third available compartment that we have is that of cables, with a thickness that goes from 19 mm in the narrowest area, to 23 mm in the widest area. We also have its characteristic channel to fix cables through two velcro straps.

Storage capacity

We will detail where and how we can install our hard drives and storage units in NZXT H510 ELITE.

We can divide it into two different configurations, obviously the spaces for 3.5 ”and 2.5” units. Starting with the first ones, we have a capacity for 3 3.5 ” HDD hard drives thanks to the metal cabinet located in the area of the power supply. We can install two units inside, and one just above it. We do not have anti-vibration rubbers or removable trays, so we will need to remove this cabinet by unscrewing it, install the units, and then put it back in.

In the case of SSDs and 2.5-inch drives, we have space for 3 drives, or up to 4 if we had blackets included in the bundle, which in an ELITE model, should be done. In any case, on the back of the base plate, we have two metal brackets for two units, which we can easily remove.

And the other available space is on the PSU cover in the hole mesh that has been installed. It not only serves as cooling, but also to place brackets for SSD as it happened in the previous models. Unfortunately these are not included in the purchase bundle.

Refrigeration

The next section is to talk about the cooling of the NZXT H510 ELITE chassis, which does come with news that is worth explaining and making clear. In fact, we will start by commenting on the ventilation capacity we have:

Front: 2x 120mm / 140mm Top: 1x 120mm / 140mm Rear: 1x 120mm

It is an acceptable capacity, although exactly the same as we had in the previous H500 series. On the other hand, it is understandable, since for that NZXT has the H700 model that increases these benefits.

The best thing is that we have a total of three fans pre-installed. Two 140mm NZXT Aer RGB 2 with A-RGB lighting capable of giving us a speed between 500 and 1500 RPM at a maximum of 33 dBA. They exert an air pressure of between 0.17 to 1.52 mmH2O and a flow of 30.39 to 91.19 CFM each. The shafts are built using dynamic fluid bearings and connected to Smart Device V2 to be intelligently managed by the system. In the back, an NZXT Aer F120 has been installed that technically offers us very similar benefits, although without lighting. It is also connected to the controller.

And when it comes to cooling capacity we have:

Front: 120 / 240mm Rear: 120mm

It is important to know that the front panel of fans is still removable, and we can easily remove it by loosening two screws located on the inside. But the configuration has changed from the previous chassis, as fans are now installed from the front rather than from the rear. The reason is simple, that its illumination can be seen.

But this causes us to need to separate the Liquid AIO systems where we must install their fans in the front area, and the radiator in the rear area, leaving the sandwich plate between the two components. Only in this way the system will fit in the front area, since otherwise the plate that covers the cable holes would interfere. NZXT reports that the maximum thickness allowed between fans and radiators is 60 mm, being then 35 or up to 40 mm for the radiators. There is no cooling system in the upper area, unless we only install a radiator without fans, which is not feasible.

Finally, NZXT also provides us with interesting information about the compatibility with fluid tanks and pumps for custom refrigeration systems. Which in this case will support sizes up to 180 mm high up to 86 mm wide installed on the trim plate that covers the cable holes.

illumination

Given the refrigeration, we are going to deal with a topic that is closely related to it, and that is lighting, since the NZXT H510 ELITE has a quite complete section in this regard, although putting a few asterisks.

Well, we already know that the two front fans have addressable RGB lighting and that we can manage with the Smart Device V2 microcontroller that has been installed in this new generation of chassis with the “i” badge and in this ELITE version. These two fans have their respective 4-pin headers that go directly to the controller, although to the three fans to also be managed in revolutions.

Speaking a little more about Smart Device V2, it is a controller that we made an exclusive review on being the first version, and that in this V2 we have the novelty that it is compatible with the brand's HUE2 ecosystem. This controller is capable of intelligently managing the fans connected to it thanks to the NZXT CAM software. Not only can you modify the RPM range of these, but it will do so based on the noise it detects in the chassis thanks to an internal sensor, which will allow us to have the best cooling at the lowest possible noise.

Regarding connections, it has three headers to control three fans independently and two channels of HUE2 addressable RGB lighting that support up to 5 devices on each channel. And this is where the asterisks come from, because the chassis has a pre-installed lighting strip that has a four-pin RGB header that we cannot connect to the controller, since a hub has not been included to connect multiple devices in the lighting channels.

The problem also with this LED strip is that the head is male, and it is also not possible to connect it to the motherboard because it should be female to be able to do so. But NZXT has confirmed that it is a matter of our unit, in the commercial version the LED strip will come connected to the RGB channel of the Smart Drive v2 and the Aer RGB pre-installed in another RGB channel.

Installation and assembly

Now we are going to see how we have carried out the assembly process of the NZXT H510 ELITE, with the following components:

Asus Crosshair VII X470 ATX motherboard and 16GB RAMAMD Ryzen 2700X memory with RGB stock heatsink AMD Radeon RX 5700 XTPSU Corsair AX860i graphics card

We have not used any hard disk, since it makes no sense to do so, in addition, you already know where they can be placed.

We start by placing the power supply in its respective compartment. Perhaps for users who have large sources they need to modify the location of the hard drive cabinet, so you just have to loosen the screws and move it.

With cable management we have not had any problems, although the channel is not too large, we can pass through it both the ATX cable and the two PCI necessary for the AMD graphics card. Something interesting is that there is also a routing channel for the EPS connector or connectors that go to the motherboard, although we will need to put a clip to hold them in place.

We always recommend installing the PSU first, pulling all the cables to their respective places, and finally starting to mount the motherboard and expansion cards. In this way we will not lack cables or forget anything.

We see that the result is as clean as expected, without too visible cables and everything well fixed in the back area and completely out of sight of the users. The truth is, the center plate is an excellent choice for a huge, invisible cable slot.

Ultimately we leave you a photo of all the cables that we have to connect to the motherboard. They will be the two USB, the Smart Device USB 2.0 connector, front Audio panel and system boot panel. We also see a hub to connect multiple fans to it.

Final score

Here we have the final result of the NZXT H510 ELITE in its black version with the fan lighting activated. Keep in mind that for the lighting to work, we must connect the internal USB 2.0 to the board.

Final words and conclusion about NZXT H510 ELITE

Well, we have finished the review of the NZXT H510 ELITE, a chassis that meets the objective of giving us for the first time a glass front that reveals our ventilation system and raises the quality in the design of a chassis that is already very careful. and with excellent benefits.

Overall, it follows the same trend as the H500 / i and H510 / i models with a minimalist design and completely clean lines on all sides. With fully insulated PSU compartment and in this case double tempered glass panel.

The ventilation system has been improved with two 140mm NZXT Aer RGB 2 with RGB lighting connected to the new Smart Device V2, and a third F120 fan in the back area. A configuration that would be complete if we had one installed in the upper recess, which in this case does not have a dust filter. We have AIO compatibility of up to 240 mm in front and tanks of up to 180 mm.

We also recommend our article on the best chassis of the moment

Regarding lighting, both fans bring it and an A-RGB strip is also included in the upper area, but without connection available as a hub is not included to extend two positives in the two channels of Smart Device V2. That is a small task… or is that something is escaping us in the montage…

Hardware capacity is exactly as expected, with large storage capacity, and high-end hardware with up to capacity for custom cooling systems. Although yes in an “ELITE” model, an extra is expected from the brand in accessories and capacity compared to the base H500 models.

They confirm from NZXT that they will include an additional 140 mm fan for the upper area. Those who have bought this chassis and want it or need it, can request it through the NZXT ticket system and they will send it to them for free.

We finish with the price of this NZXT H510 ELITE, which stands at about $ 169.99 at the brand's official store, this does not mean that in other places it is a little lower. The truth is that it is not too tight a price, if we take into account that the novelties are reduced to three new fans and a glass on the front. In any case, I love this chassis for personal taste.

ADVANTAGE	DISADVANTAGES
+ EXCEPTIONAL DESIGN	- FEW NOVELTIES IN BENEFITS REGARDING BASE MODELS
+ 2 AER RGB 2 + PRE-INSTALLED RGB STRIP + SMART DEVICE V2	- THE RGB STRIP COMES DISCONNECTED AND WITHOUT SPACE IN THE CONTROLLER, WE HAVE TO BUY AN EXTENDER TO CONNECT IT TO THE MOTHERBOARD OR AN EXTRA CONTROLLER
+ HIGH-END HARDWARE CAPACITY AND CUSTOM REFRIGERATION	- PANEL I / O A LITTLE POOR
+ COMPACT DESIGN AND TWO GLASS PANELS
+ CONTROLLER MANAGED BY SOFTWARE