Company products Zalman in our country it is represented primarily by a variety of cooling systems and their components; somewhat less known to her computer blocks power supply, but the case manufactured by this company was tested in our laboratory for the first time.

The outer casing can be seen in the attached video.

Layout

Zalman Corps The Z9 Plus is a single-volume miditower with a bottom-mounted power supply. The PSU itself is not included; and its orientation (fan up or down), the instruction leaves at the discretion of the owner, it only emphasizes that it is not recommended to put the power supply with the fan down in rooms with high dustiness.

The color of all parts of the body is black, as is now accepted almost everywhere; The manufacturer does not offer other colors.

Air is removed through the top panel of the case, so you should not try to use the case as a stand for various useful things. In addition, there is exhaust fan on the back of the chassis.

There are four slots for 5.25-inch devices, but only the bottom three have access to the outside, and the top slot is occupied by a panel with connectors and indicators. The installation of one 3.5-inch device with access to the front panel is also provided.

Hard drives are installed in a transverse cage that has five seats for 3.5-inch devices; to install a 2.5-inch HDD or SSD into it, you will have to purchase adapters. However, it is still possible to place such devices in the case at no additional cost: one in the existing adapter of the 5-inch bay, and the second in the most unexpected place - on the right side of the substrate motherboard There are four lugs with holes for fixing screws. Of course, such places cannot be classified as easily accessible; but it's good that at least some possibility of installing 2.5-inch drives is provided on a regular basis, especially since its price is cheap. And here are docks with external access for quick connection there are no discs - they are, of course, more convenient, but they also affect the price much more strongly.

The chassis accepts full-size ATX motherboards as well as smaller and smaller motherboards. The choice of video cards is limited to models up to 290 mm long.

Design

Case dimensions 464×207×504 mm (H×W×D), weight 7.2 kg (packaged 8.4 kg).

According to our measurements, the chassis is made of 0.6 mm thick steel, and the removable side panels- from 0.8 mm. A significant part of the left panel is occupied by ventilation holes, in addition, there are two small windows covered with transparent plastic; therefore, the use of sufficiently thick metal is fully justified.

The legs of the case are made in the form of plastic rectangles with rubber inserts, which should provide good shock-absorbing ability.

The front and top panels of the case are made of plastic, dyed by weight. Both of them are bordered by a frame beveled to the edges, the surface of which is matte and slightly rough, and therefore hides handprints well. But it is unlikely that anyone will touch them often; but those places where fingerprints will certainly appear are made glossy for some reason - this is the transition from front to top panel, on which the power button is located, and a panel adjacent to it in front with connectors and indicators.

At least half of the surface of the front of the case is covered with a fine metal mesh: these are the plugs of the 5-inch slots, and the Z-shaped cutout in the lower half of the front panel.

The Power button is located very conveniently - "on the forehead" of the case (the upper part of the front panel beveled back), so it will be noticeable and easily accessible at any location of the case - even on the table, even under the table. It also has a blue indicator.

The rest of the controls and switching, as already mentioned, are located on the top 5-inch slot. We list from right to left: an oblong HDD activity indicator (red), below it is a Reset button of the same shape; further vertical block of two USB connectors 2.0; then 3.5mm headphone and microphone jacks, another block of two USB 2.0; the series is completed by a temperature indicator and a fan speed controller. We will discuss the last two in more detail below.

Note also that the presence of four USB connectors in this configuration does not guarantee the ability to connect four devices, if at least two of them are of decent size; but it’s definitely possible to connect a couple of “fat men”.

It is unlikely that you will be able to accidentally press the Reset button, but you cannot say the same about Power: it has practically no free play, and you can turn off the computer with a light touch.

The front of the top panel forms a shallow "trough", which will probably be used to store all sorts of little things like paper clips. In principle, there is nothing particularly terrible about this: the metal mesh covering the top fans has small enough holes into which only something like a pin or needle can fall.

Ventilation system

Zalman, a well-known manufacturer of cooling systems, richly equipped the Z9 Plus case with 12 cm fans of its own production.

Three of them, located on the front, top and removable left panels, are connected by 3-pin connectors and have a blue backlight. The fourth, on the rear wall of the chassis, is simpler: without backlight and connected to the power supply using a Molex connector (double, male + female).

You can control the first three fans both from the motherboard and using the controller in the case, the regulator of which is displayed on the front panel of the case. True, the controller allows only two fans to be connected, and its functions are primitive: you can manually change the rotation speed by adjusting the supply voltage, but the brightness of the backlight also changes. The controller does not track the rotation speed.

But there is a temperature sensor connected to the controller with long wires; the measured value (in degrees Celsius) is only displayed on the digital indicator without affecting the operation of the fans. It is impossible to fix the sensor directly on the vital computer components (CPU or video chip), and therefore you can only measure the temperature of their heatsinks or the air inside the case. Of course, if you pull the sensor out, you can still find out the temperature at the workplace ...

The manufacturer also took care of those who are not interested in such toys: the Z9 modification without “Plus” has neither such a controller nor a temperature indicator; and there are only two fans in it - frontal and on the back wall of the chassis.

If desired, the number of fans can be increased or models of a different size can be installed. So, on the top panel, two 120 or 140 mm fans are installed, in the center of the bottom plane of the chassis - one 120/140 mm, on the left side wall - two 120 mm. But there are no self-tapping screws for their fastening in the kit.

Regular filters made of a fine-mesh plastic mesh are provided for only two fans - a regular front one and an optional one on the bottom of the case. To clean the first of them, you will have to remove the front panel, the second is accessible from the outside.

We also note that the mesh plugs of the 5-inch slots of the front panel are equipped with foam inserts.

The possibility of installing liquid cooling systems is not forgotten; for it on the rear wall of the chassis there are holes closed with rubber plugs with split petals.

Of the additional ventilation holes, in addition to the 5-inch slots in the plugs, there is a vertical perforated strip in the rear wall of the chassis and a number of slots in the bottom of the case, under the power supply installation site. There is no cutout on the lower edge of the front panel, which also facilitates its removal.

Assembly of the system unit

The side covers are fastened with the usual system of grooves and combs, and are fixed with pairs of screws with plastic knurled heads. To facilitate the removal of covers on their rear end there is a stamped ledge.

Six brass hex motherboard standoffs already installed; if this is not enough, you can add additional ones from the fastener kit. The hole on the rear panel for the I / O ports of the motherboard does not have a plug, but the slots for expansion cards will have to be freed by breaking out disposable plugs. The fastening of such boards is screw; the work of a screwdriver when installing screws is hindered by the edge of the chassis, in which there is no cutout.

The motherboard substrate has a large window that allows you to install or remove a CPU cooler without dismantling the board itself. The installation of some types of coolers can be prevented by the regular top fan of the case; in this case, it can simply be rearranged to the center of the top panel.

The cables from the front connectors are shielded, connected with monolithic connectors (there are both HD Audio and AC'97 for audio). Since these connectors, as well as buttons and indicators, are fixed on a separate block, their cables will not interfere with the removal of the top and front panels.

And you will probably have to remove the front panel: metal plugs are installed in the chassis, which will need to be removed to install 3.5- and 5-inch devices with access to the front panel. All four plugs are reusable, but the top two are fixed with screws, and the bottom two will have to be broken out.

In addition, the decorative plugs of the front panel itself, made entirely of metal mesh, have very tight latches, and it is better to remove them from the inside by removing the panel itself. Recall that it has a button and a power indicator; however, the long wires coming from them will not prevent you from moving the panel a sufficient distance. These wires are also equipped with connectors, so the panel can be removed altogether.

The top panel will only have to be removed to install an additional fan or service an existing one. It is fastened with eight plastic latches, the layout of which is given in the instructions; but to remove this cover, you will also have to remove the front panel (or at least move its upper edge forward a little).

Three rectangular cutouts without rubber seals are provided in the motherboard substrate for neat cable routing; you can fix the bundles of wires with the supplied nylon ties, attaching them to the stamped ears in the substrate.

Of course, when choosing a power supply, you need to focus on models with a length of wires sufficient for “hidden” installation.

However, the gap between the substrate and the side wall is small, and if the cables are not routed neatly, it will be inconvenient to install the right side cover.

The left cover, despite the abundance of holes, falls into place without distortions and extra effort.

The power supply can also be installed after the motherboard; it has already been noted that it can be placed both up and down with a fan. It is attached directly to the back panel, without any additional frames.

Mounting optical drives screw; for them in the kit there is a considerable number of screws with plastic knurled heads.

Before installing a 3.5-inch hard drive, you need to screw four rubber pads to it, the cylindrical part of which fits into the grooves of the basket and fixes the drive (note that there are a lot of pads in the kit: enough to install five drives). The manufacturer in the user manual calls these pads antistatic, although they rather serve as shock absorbers; however, because of them, there is no thermal contact between the disc body and the metal of the basket. The fixation is not sufficiently reliable, and therefore it is possible to additionally fix the disk with a screw; at the same time, we will get at least some kind of heat sink, but we will reduce the shock-absorbing properties of the linings.

The drive can only be inserted from the left side, and its interface connectors can be oriented either to the left or to the right by setting the pads accordingly. In the first case, to access these connectors, it is enough to remove only the left side cover of the case, and in the second case, the cables can be hidden behind the motherboard substrate. It is better to use SATA cables with an L-shaped connector, since there is room for a straight connector back to back.

An adapter is installed in one of the 5-inch bays, in which you can fix 2.5- or 3.5-inch devices with screws, including those with access to the front panel. Recall that on the right side of the motherboard substrate there is room for another 2.5-inch HDD or SSD; Of course, you do not need to remove the motherboard itself to mount such a drive.

Almost all chassis edges are rolled, which reduces the possibility of damage to the assembler's hands.

Pleasant little things include a fairly rich set of fasteners, as well as the presence of an extension cord for powering the processor (it will come in handy if the corresponding wires of the power supply are short).

Chassis Ventilation Performance Testing

The last stage of the study is testing with software tools, heavily loading various subsystems of the computer, which, in turn, causes a fairly powerful heat release. Thus, you can evaluate the capabilities and performance of the cooling system of the case.

The test bench configuration and testing procedure is described in the relevant test method.

The cooling system copes with quite powerful configurations without problems, however, its efficiency is not very high - after all, four fans are installed in the case. The result obtained is inferior to some dual-fan systems and only slightly better than some single-fan systems. The temperature of the hard drive strongly depends on the speed of the front fan: in the presence of airflow, the temperature of the drive remains within the normal range, but you still shouldn't use this case to create multi-disk systems.

Noise measurement and vibration assessment

Noise level measurement is carried out in accordance with our methodology using a sound level meter VShV-003-M3 in a soundproof room with a typical noise level of 20 dBA. During the measurement, all electrical appliances in the room are turned off.

In this case, we emulated the desktop placement of the case, when the distance from the center of the front panel to the user's head is about 0.3 meters.

During the measurement of the noise level, an interesting detail was revealed: when the standard regulator lowers the voltage on the two connected fans, they reduce the rotation speed, but the noise level does not change very noticeably. The main problem was the howling side fan, which most likely has a factory defect; the non-adjustable rear fan also contributed. Under the condition of a desktop location, the noise level of the case cooling system is mostly above average, when the side fan is turned off and the regulator is set to the minimum position, the noise level approaches the average level, and when the rear fan is turned off, the noise level is about 27 dBA, which can already be considered subtle against the background of a typical level of background noise in the room and taking into account the noise from stock cooling systems. However, this case is not suitable for use in inhabited premises at night and for systems that provide high-quality sound-noise optimization.

Assessment of consumer qualities

The main advantages of the case include an atypical design and a fairly good package for a budget solution. On the other hand, the housing design has some drawbacks (or features) that worsen its consumer qualities. The cooling system, which includes four fans and a control controller, looks somewhat illogical, but the latter is designed to connect only two fans. Fans are also used not the most successful, but with non-switchable backlight.

The hard drive bay is not implemented in the most successful way, both in terms of ease of assembly and in terms of the efficiency of cooling drives, although you should not exaggerate here - there are options that are much worse.

Enthusiasts, and just lovers of good hardware, are unlikely to be interested in this case, but for those who need a case just as a box in which you can “fold” computer components and forget about them for the next three years, the case may be a good choice , especially if you are lucky with a competent assembler who can properly set up the cooling system.

Positioning and Conclusions

If we consider the case as a budget case, then its design and equipment can be considered quite worthy: four USB ports, standard places for installing 2.5-inch drives (albeit not the most convenient), the ability to neatly arrange cables behind the motherboard substrate, not the poorest set fasteners and accessories. All this will make it possible to use the case to create a solid "workhorse" designed to solve a wide range of tasks (primarily office plan).

However, the model is clearly not suitable for building a modern high-performance computer: although there are many USB ports, they are all USB 2.0; there is no eSATA connector, no dock with external access for quick connection of drives. Instead of all this, a redundant set of fans with a primitive controller is offered, real benefit from which it is highly doubtful; the same can be said about the digital thermometer.

Separately, it is necessary to mention the abundance of backlighting, which, moreover, cannot be turned off. Of course, a finished computer, sparkling with blue lights, in a store window attracts the eye; but in the workplace, even at home, such illumination can quickly get bored: blue light, although not as annoying as red, still evokes not the most life-affirming associations. Imagine: from under computer desk a blue glow emanates ... not everyone will immediately guess that it is only located there system unit.

It's good that the manufacturer has provided for a modification of the Z9 without any frills; the only pity is that the price difference between the Z9 and Z9 Plus is very small.

The Korean company Zalman, since its foundation (1999), has been producing and developing all kinds of cooling systems for PCs, and the priority of designers is the quietness and convenience of devices.

Until recently, the brand did not develop its presence in the market of computer cases, but nevertheless, this did not prevent the company for relatively short term develop a new direction. Although the assortment of Zalman cannot boast of a wide selection of models, all of them, without exception, deserve close attention.

By launching the passively cooled "heavyweight" of the TNN series on the market, the company has proven that it is indeed able to fill the segment with unique and quiet cases. Subsequent representatives in the face of the Z-Machine series for a long time held the leading positions in all kinds of ratings and were considered the standard of a solid gaming corps.

The hero of today's article is the U3 case: an overview of the characteristics, advantages, advantages and disadvantages of the model. The decisive opinion is formed by analyzing the reviews of both specialists and ordinary users.

Dimensions

The design of the Zalman Z9 U3 is characterized as an ATX Middle Tower form factor and looks like a typical middle tower. The dimensions of the model are appropriate: length - 504 mm, width - 207 mm, height 464 mm with a weight of 7.2 kg. The case weighs quite impressively for its size (analogues do not exceed 6.0 kg), but this fact can only be attributed to the pluses of the line, since a large mass allows you to dampen more vibration.

Appearance

Externally, the Z9 looks voluminous and not as angular as the last model. The chassis of the line is made of steel with a thickness of 0.8 mm, the same can be said about the side panels. All edges of the case are carefully rolled, which virtually eliminates cuts and injuries during the assembly of computer components. The top and front panels are made of high-quality and fairly durable plastic with a recognizable brand design.

Zalman Z9 U3 black comes exclusively in one color scheme- deep black color. The outer walls of the case are painted with matte paint, pleasant and rough to the touch. The coating does not allow to collect fingerprints, dust and dirt.

Design

Model Z9 U3 differs from the rest of the line in that it has a transparent slightly curved window on the main wall of the case. It is also located almost along the entire perimeter of the wall. The diameter of the ventilation holes is very impressive - 5.5 mm, so the problem of dust accumulation can be traced in the reviews of many users. This issue is solved by blowing the system unit and daily airing the room where the computer is installed.

The other side of the case is completely deaf and does not differ from the general style of the model. Both flaps are attached using special slots located in the chassis and screws on the rear panel of the Zalman Z9 U3. The instruction provides for a simple dismantling of the side covers due to the recess, where the fasteners with a plastic knurled head are located in the rear of the case.

The front panel of the Z9 is almost completely perforated, and its main attribute is the device bays: 5.25 inches - 4 pcs. and one 3.5 inches.

The upper part of the Zalman Z9 U3 is reserved for the control panel. It is molded into the case and functions as one with it, so only three 5.25-inch devices can be used in the model.

Control Panel

On the left side of the panel, you can see a digital display with a temperature sensor and a wheel for controlling the speed of rotation of the cooling screws. Manufacturers heeded user feedback about the lack of USB outputs and equipped the panel with four 2.0 type ports. The USB 3.0 version is missing in the model as a class, which is very disappointing, so we have to carry out an additional upgrade of the case in order to avoid synergy problems with connected gadgets, and especially with external hard drives.

The middle part of the control panel is reserved for microphone and headphone outputs. The board supports world standards such as AC'97 and HAD. On the right side are the sensors hard drive and a sleep/restart button. All control indicators, buttons and ports are signed, so it is quite difficult to make a mistake and miss.

Front Panel

On the top end of the Zalman Z9 U3 there is a power supply button in the typical brand style - a 45-degree bend and nice diode sensors that light up with a bluish glow when the computer is turned on.

Bottom part the front panel is made in a defiant style and has its own appearance resembles the letter Z. Here you can also see a compartment for 3.5-inch devices with a plug identical to the case. At the bottom there is a fan with a size of 120x120x25 mm, coupled with discreet LED backlighting. Plus, the fan is protected by a removable dust filter, to clean which you will need to remove the front panel of the Zalman Z9 U3 black case. Rear view is similar to the entire Z9 line.

Back panel

The lower part is reserved for installing the power supply, there is a cutout for the I / O plug and a landing compartment for a 120 mm fan. Perforated end caps cover seven slots for expansion cards. It is sad that the plugs require breaking out and are disposable, so if a discrete device is removed from the system unit, there is nothing to replace them with. User reviews have repeatedly focused the company's attention on this problem. Next to the plugs is a ventilation grill that runs along the entire length of the slots.

I am glad that "Zalman" did not forget about the liquid cooling system, providing holes for the output of hoses. They, as expected for such systems, are under the fan in the amount of two pieces, closed special inserts in the form of rubber petals. The diameter of the holes for cooling assumes a hose no more than 18 mm in diameter, but it can be increased to 20 mm by removing the rubber insert.

The Zalman Z9 U3 case stands on four plastic legs, where at the ends you can see rubber inserts that do not allow you to crawl on the surface and additionally dampen vibration.

Internal structure

The color of the inside of the model is identical to the outside - black in a matte style. The layout, although standard, is well thought out and time-tested. The lower part is reserved for the power supply, above there is a place for the motherboard, which is attached to the tray with screws from the kit and hex racks, and it is worth mentioning separately that the tray itself cannot be dismantled and is poured into the case.

In the front there are 5.25-inch bays and, as mentioned above, only three of the four are free. Winchesters are placed in a special non-removable basket from below. Installation hard drives happens without screws, by means of local latches. Maximum amount HDD - up to five pieces of 3.5-inch format.

Zalman Z9 U3 has an advanced cable management system that allows you to pull wires through motherboard, which to a large extent allows you to free up space inside the case and, as a result, provide more efficient airflow from dust and other pollutants. Positive reviews users allow us to conclude that the system is 100% justified.

Cooling system

Zalman's engineers once again deserve all the praise for providing the Z9 case with a powerful and quiet cooling system. Its main components are proprietary fans that are “scattered” around the entire perimeter of the Zalman Z9 U3. The review and installation of standard fans is best done in conjunction with the cooling systems of the video card and processor, because due to the specifics of these elements, the intake or exhaust properties of each blower device will be configured separately. That is, taking into account the active or passive cooling of each peripheral device, you can set the "blowing" or "blowing out" of the blades.

Summarizing

Undoubtedly, the Z9 U3 model can be attributed to the segment of gaming cases. Existing system cooling will cope even with several powerful video accelerators. Fans of modding will love the block thanks to the blue LEDs scattered around the case and fans, while overclockers will appreciate the model for its thoughtful layout and the same flawless cooling system.

• sophisticated and pleasing to the eye design;
• build quality and materials at a high level;
• built-in thermometer and reobas;
• the ability to install additional fans and other upgrades to the case;
• there are dust filters on all inlets;
• hard drive mounts are equipped with good anti-vibration pads.

• the backlight of the fans can only be turned off in a “rough” way (dismantling the diodes);
• the rotation speed is regulated by the reobas for only two fans out of all possible.

The average price of the Zalman Z9 U3 case on Yandex Market is 5,000 rubles.

If you belong to the so-called cast of IT enthusiasts involved in overclocking, modding and hunting for the latest and most powerful hardware, then Zalman needs no introduction for you. But today we will not talk about complex coolers and accessories, but about a simple “box” for your computer parts - the Zalman Z9 computer case in the Mid-ATX form factor.

Initially, the product was designed for those who value high performance, high quality and reasonable cost of the case. We decided to check if Zalman succeeded in carrying out his plan.

As a veteran in the chassis and cooling market, Zalman is well aware of what a person who builds a good computer wants. And the goal of the creators of the Z9 was a case that would combine rich functionality and low price. Let's take a look at what Zalman Z9 has to offer...

Specifications Zalman Z9

Hull Exterior

The appearance of the case is one of the most important factors influencing the choice of the buyer. If a case is perfect on the inside but ugly on the outside, most people will simply ignore it and opt for another product that is less functional but more attractive.

In the photo above you can see the front and left side of the Zalman Z9. The body looks quite stylish - it combines rigor, solidity and a sort of "sporty" element. The matte surface is painted black, in some places you can see glossy inserts that make the case even prettier. Fortunately, there is no “glossy madness”, kitsch and bad taste inherent in some (even more expensive!) similar products. Quite noticeable are the efforts made by Zalman to make the case look decent.

The photo of the front part shows that all the requirements for cooling the insides of the case are taken into account - pay attention to the unobtrusive letter “Z” formed in the lower part by a kind of “petals” that rise above the front panel, creating at the same time a pleasant asymmetry. On the top of the "facade" you can find a button to turn on the computer, just below is an input-output panel with a variety of ports and sockets.

Under it, if you look closely, you can easily distinguish three five-inch bays, covered with mesh plugs, and a little lower - one 3.5 '' bay. We will consider all these points in more detail a little later.

Before us is the back of the Zalman Z9 case. Per ventilation holes a pre-installed 120 mm fan is visible, under it Zalman prudently placed two holes closed with rubber rings - as you might guess, they will serve for the CBO tubes. Also here you can note 7 seats for PCI cards and an empty hole for mounting the power supply, which is supposed to be placed on the bottom of the case.

South Korea knows how to create not only worthy films, but also to produce computer equipment under the Zalman brand: controllers, cooling systems, power supplies, system cases and even monitors. And if the reader thinks that all products are unique, and their batches are limited (this is precisely the stupidity that many sellers justify the high cost of Zalman products), then he is greatly mistaken. In this article, a potential buyer will get acquainted with the cases of the Zalman Z9 line. Instructions, photos, reviews and reviews will help the reader decide on the purchase of a decent system unit.

Market positioning

The case of Zalman Z9 in most stores is called high-end products, which is fundamentally wrong. The manufacturer positions its offspring as a high-quality product (note that many elite products, upon detailed study, turn out to be low-priced or have limited functionality). Therefore, Zalman products should be treated the same as any other product on the market.

Few hull modifications Russian market due not to the limited number of batches, but to the specifics of our market. Before the presentation of the new Zalman Z9, the company conducted marketing research and found that most Russians like large cases with a bunch of fans, backlighting and, of course, a control panel with a thermometer. But the Germans prefer that the case does not make a single sound and does not flicker like a Christmas tree, respectively, for their market, the Koreans released a completely different, unique model of the case.

First meeting

An ordinary system case, supplied without a power supply and having a cost of about 10-12 thousand rubles, simply must have decent packaging and equipment. Here the manufacturer has something to surprise the future owner. It is better to start the review with a box that is huge. Within the walls of Zalman, they took care of transportation, because, having opened the package, the buyer will find that the case itself does not take up much space inside, and all the free space is given to stiffening ribs made of cardboard.

Inside, in addition to the device itself, the owner will not find anything, but, having removed it from the box, he will find that all spare parts for the case, instructions and advertising booklets of the manufacturer are inside the spacious block. It is worth noting that the Zalman Z9 manual is complete and has a Russian translation. Mounting the motherboard, connecting interface connectors, installing drives and fixing the power supply - everything is described in detail in the manual and accompanied by color drawings.

About build quality

It should be noted right away that all modifications of the Z9 line have the same device and differ only in appearance, and, accordingly, in price. The case made of steel has a huge weight (7.5 kilograms without a power supply), but this is a plus for most users. After all, all the steel walls of the device are very thick and are not capable of vibrations during operation. For the owner, this is a guarantee of noiselessness, since many cheap cases are able to resonate with the fans installed in the system and make specific noise.

The buyer will also like the absence of a cutting edge on all Zalman Z9 steel elements. Assembling a computer will be much more efficient if the user is not afraid to cut their hands on the edges of the case. As expected, the manufacturer used a welded joint only when creating the bearing part of the hull, all other parts can be removed - a regular constructor, which is very convenient during assembly.

Remote Control

As practice shows, a panel with a built-in thermometer and fan speed control is of interest to users in the first week of operation. After making sure that everything is fine, the owner forgets about the existence of the Zalman Z9 control panel. This is quite natural. Still, this panel needs to be given worthy attention. The fact is that additional interfaces in the form of audio connectors and USB ports have a number of advantages over the contacts located on the system board.

It's about durability. For Zalman Z9 Plus, connecting external interfaces is a priority, and the manufacturer tried to make sure that the connectors do not get stuck during operation (controllers of their own design are used). By the way, the panel displays USB interface 3.0, which is rare in cheap Chinese cases.

About hard drives

A removable basket for installing magnetic disks will definitely please the owner, however, it is not so easy to deal with it. It is the description of its installation that is described in the manual on just one page. The main thing here is to keep a record of the screws and monitor their size, so that after installing the disks in the basket of the Zalman Z9 case, you can correctly mount the device. Difficulties are possible, and if they arise, you should refer to the video instructions that can be found in the media.

The only drawback in working with hard drives, which was found in Zalman cases, is the inability to install SSD drives in the basket. You can, of course, connect the disk and leave it hanging on the wires in the Zalman Z9 system unit, but this is somehow wrong. Upon a detailed examination of the case, after removing the second protective cover, the user can find a strange cell on the level. In fact, this is a niche for an SSD drive. Albeit one, but still nice.

Cooling system

A review of the Zalman Z9 case may give the owner the idea that the device will be quite noisy in operation, because 4 powerful fans, not counting the coolers of computer components, are capable of emitting a loud hum. It all depends on the user. AT original state the entire cooling system operates at the same frequency and by controlling the resistor on the control panel, the owner, when the computer is first started, will have to adjust the fan speed to the operation of the system. It is not difficult to do this - the resonance is clearly captured by the human ear.

In the future, during operation, it is necessary to monitor the operation of the cooling system and lubricate the fan bearings in a timely manner (twice a year for sure). Yes, it takes time, but, on the other hand, these actions will save the owner from noise or failure of coolers. Nothing complicated - open the Zalman Z9 case, remove the sticker, pry off the valve with a needle and remove it, pour in two drops of engine oil, put the plug back in place and fix the sticker in its original position.

Manufacturer's defect

Without deviating from the topic of cooling, it is worth discussing the installation location of the Zalman Z9 case. The photo in the instructions for the device informs the owner that fresh air enters the system from below. But small plastic legs will not allow this to be done if the system unit is placed on the floor (carpet, carpet). Be sure to use a stand, or increase the length of the legs. This is a clear flaw, given that the power supply is located at the bottom of the case. All the dust that accumulates on the floor is drawn into the system.

The Black case does not have a pressure baffle for fixing the power supply. It is simply screwed to the body, as is done in cheap devices. This is also wrong. The PSU itself isn't going anywhere, but the 120mm fan built into it will create vibration that can be audible (the PSU case can drum on the bottom of the case). Be sure to install rubber gaskets under the PSU.

System assembly

Difficulty in assembly can only arise when mounting the motherboard. For unknown reasons, the manufacturer chose to make a non-removable carrier platform for installing the base board. Although, of course, this is an amateur. Some people like to mount everything in the case, others prefer to mount all the components on the table. In any case, the connection of Zalman Z9 to the main power system still needs to be done inside the case.

It is worth noting that the device comes with a large set of screws and adapters for mounting. You should not be upset if an excess is found Supplies during the build process. It's just that the manufacturer gave the user spare screws. True, as the owners of the case note in their reviews, the manufacturer saved on rubber gaskets. Still, the case and the computer components installed in it are made of metal. But in the end, this will not hurt to assemble and connect the Zalman Z9.

Finally

In general, impressions of the case of the Korean giant Zalman are positive. Ease of assembly is excellent: everything necessary components are removed, nothing inside rumbles, it is not necessary to break out the partitions, and the metal itself does not have a cutting edge. Sophisticated ventilation, using the laws of physics, perfectly drives Fresh air throughout the system (although for this you need to install the case on a stand). Complete absence noise in the system is achieved by controlling the fan speed, which is also very convenient. After analyzing the review of the Zalman Z9 case, we can safely conclude that this is one of the few devices that is really made for the convenience of the user, and is not just another beauty toy.