A Closer Look - Outside

Notice the additional protective layer NZXT has placed on the front of the chassis as it is smooth, making it more prone to scratches. The overall design of the H230 is a bit different to that of the H630. While its bigger brother had curves and a full metal front panel, the H230 is edgy, with a front made of plastic.


The front is actually a large door that swings open to the right. It features an asymmetrical design with a black piece on the left side, which does add a much needed design element to the chassis. There are no visible latches for the door. NZXT has instead chosen to go for magnets, which works fine and has the added benefit of cleaning up the overall design. The rear holds the bottom-mounted PSU bay. The NZXT H230 also comes with the same high-quality paint job of the Phantom series.


Both side panels of the NZXT H230 are completely solid. The only air vent you will see is the one embedded into the plastic front of the chassis. Even this opening is only present on the left side of the chassis, so there is no other apparent opening anywhere, which is important as the H230 is part of NZXT's silent case family.


Taking a closer look at the front, the bottom half behind the door is taken up by a vent, which allows both fans in the front to pump air into the chassis. Above that are the three external 5.25" drive bays. NZXT placed the same easy-to-remove covers as those on other cases, like the Phantom 410, on these.


Taking a closer look at the rear, the PSU bay is in the bottom. The bay is multi-directional, so you may install the unit with the fan facing up- or down. Above that are seven expansion slots for the motherboard and a 120 mm fan. Two small openings allow for water-cooling tubes to be routed out of the chassis, but NZXT did not equip those holes with rubber grommets.


You will find two USB 3 and a pair of audio ports, alongside the power and reset buttons, at the top of the front panel. A basic dust filter out of metal mesh protects all openings on the underside of the H230 from dirt. While this is good, I am not a fan of the basic approach as a proper filter would have been nice.