The Z9 Plus from Zalman is a budget ATX midtower designed for the gamer and hobbyist market. The company has long specialized in quiet, user-demanded devices with high-end, high-heating hardware.

Zalman Z9 Plus Design Review

A quick look at the case measuring 207 x 464 x 504 mm and weighing 7.2 kg is enough to understand who made it. The manufacturer's name is heavily used in its design. At the bottom of the front panel is visible capital letter Z covering an area with a 120mm blue-lit fan. This is done not only to mask part of the cooling system, but also to circulate air.

Those who can't give up on outdated technology will be pleased to know that there is space for a floppy drive between the fan and three 5.25" mesh-covered bays. A factory-installed 5.25" to 3.5" adapter is installed in the case serves to protect the drive.

Zalman decided to give the front of the Z9 Plus a few extras. On the left is a digital indicator connected to a thermal sensor that can be placed anywhere inside the case to give the user an idea of ​​the heat level. A little lower is a dual-channel controller that can ensure the quietest operation of the fans or their overclocking if necessary.

On the right is the first set of USB 2.0 ports, while another set sits on the other side of the 3.5mm headphone and microphone jacks with HD audio or AC '97 support. This separation of USB ports allows you to install large flash drives that can be used simultaneously with other USB devices without blocking them. On the right is the activity indicator hard drive and a reset button with a power switch (higher center).

You can remove the front panel of the Zalman Z9 Plus Black by pulling it from the bottom and then from the sides. In the upper right corner are two small pins that can be detached to remove the cover completely. Zalman made them different to ensure correct connection. Each of the 5.25" bay covers is equipped with a removable dust filter.

Side panels

By turning the case of the ATX Zalman Z9 Plus counterclockwise, you can see left panel, which is attached with two black screws. The capital letter Z is also visible here. At opposite corners of the surface, there are two small windows, between which there is a large diagonal grid with another 120mm LED fan in the lower left corner. An additional cooler can be installed in the upper right side for additional cooling, but even without it, the open space should allow enough fresh air to flow into the case so that the temperature of the heating remains under control.

The right cover of the Zalman Z9 Plus is solid and has no channels to hide cables behind the motherboard.

Back panel

At the back, from top to bottom, there are holes for the motherboard connectors with a 120mm non-illuminated fan. Just below it, there are two passages with rubber gaskets - a plus for those who wish to take advantage of external water cooling. Then there are 7 removable covers for PCI cards, a small hole covered with a mesh and a place for the power supply at the bottom, which has now become the norm for amateur and gaming cases.

Up and down

A convenient small tray with the name of the manufacturer is installed at the top in front. It should be useful to those owners portable devices(MP3 players, digital cameras or cell phones) that regularly leave them on the case. Directly behind the tray, you can see a mesh grill that hides a 3rd pre-mounted 120mm LED fan. There is also a place for another cooler, which, if necessary, must be installed by the user himself.

From the bottom, the case is equipped with four rectangular rubber feet that raise it above the base and prevent slipping. There is also a removable filter for the last 120mm fan and holes for cooling the power supply.

Internal organization

By removing the panels, you can access the inside of the case. On the left front are 5 compartments for hard drives, which rotate 90° with 5.25" bays above them. Places for a 120mm fan and power supply at the bottom. Above is the motherboard tray. Cable management areas are located on the right, a hole has been cut out in the CPU area to make it easier to change coolers , and in the upper left corner there is a passage for the power cable.

The interior space is a bit on the small side, but not cramped, capable of accommodating 29cm graphics cards. It does not take into account the existence graphic cards, which are supplied with power in close proximity to hard disk drives. Connecting at this location reduces the overall allowable length, so larger video cards must meet this condition.

Some may wonder: what is the purpose of the mesh area under the cutout for the processor? Although the right side panel completely clean, below it is what is becoming more and more popular among case manufacturers - mounting points for 2.5" hard drives or solid state drives behind the motherboard tray.

Equipment

Complete materials are supplied in a large sealed bag. The kit includes an 8-pin 12V expansion cable, metal and plastic head screws, additional motherboard standoffs, rubber washers and screws to secure hard drives and absorb vibrations generated by them, small clamps, and a user manual.

Everything looks great so far, but how will the installation work?

Installation

First-timers seeing the Zalman Z9 Plus Black case won't be sure where they should start. First of all, they face two problems.

One of them is that the frame is not exactly square. When installing the motherboard, it can be aligned with the stands, but it doesn't exactly align with the rear I/O panel. The discrepancy is small, but enough to cause concern. After mounting graphics and network cards, users find that they do not line up properly.

At the same time, to install the video card in place, you have to push it to the hole for the PCI slot and hold it there until it enters its slot. The same has to be done with network card, but to a greater extent, since it is further from the lower PCI-E slot. Both components are installed, but it takes a lot of effort for the first PCI-e slots because it blocks the GPU and the NIC card doesn't seem to be making good contact.

The second problem arises when mounting SSDs behind the motherboard tray. The four tabs that the screws go through are too tight. You have to bend them with your hands so that the drive fits. This pliability, combined with expansion card installation problems, makes me think that the Zalman Z9 Plus case may have warped. But the packaging is in near-perfect condition and comes with styrofoam end caps to protect the case during shipping.

Ease of installation

Zalman Corps Z9 Plus is shipped unassembled. All front panel cables are long enough to connect to the motherboard, even for the inconvenient audio jack at the back of the board. The design of the hard drive installation system is also pleasing. It is one of the most reliable items that users have ever dealt with and does not require additional tools. The screws are threaded through rubber washers and secure the drive to the side. The drive then slides along the rails into the bay, where plastic clips hold it securely in place.

Between the motherboard tray and the right cover there is a space a little over a centimeter wide. According to user reviews, after installing all the components, this panel is hardly put in place.

Testing

A 20 minute OCCT run based on a GPU base and overclock test that peaked at 1020MHz core and 1200MHz memory at +0.025V boost using the TriXX utility yielded the following results. During idle, the processor temperature remains at +33 °C. This is in line with the performance of the Lian Li PC-50WB case. The temperature of the GPU in idle mode and under load is +44 ° C and +86 ° C, respectively. During acceleration, the temperature GPU reaches +45 °C at idle and +91 °C at full load. Again, the specifications of the Zalman Z9 Plus Black are completely in line with Lian Li.

Advantages

For under $70, the Zalman Z9 Plus offers a lot of the right stuff for a midtower in this price range. It is roomy enough not to feel cramped. The hard drive mounting system is incredibly good, and the temperature gauge and front panel controller are nice additions. There are enough free bays and space for additional fans in future expansions. There are no sharp edges - hands will not suffer during installation. And for those who want to install a higher-level cooling system, an external water cooling connection is provided. A huge marketing advantage of the model is its noiselessness. Indeed, when the case fans are turned on, the noise of the processor cooler at idle is clearly audible. The body of the Zalman Z9 Plus is black inside and out, which enhances its appearance.

Flaws

Build quality is worrisome in the sense that some of the components don't line up properly and the 2.5" drive mount can be easily bent by hand. In addition, the Zalman Z9 Plus case is missing a few things, but it does have a couple extras. The filter is missing. the power supply fan, and the PCI slot covers cannot be reused. functional features, which are available on cheaper models. Since most temperature monitors use software, the front panel indicator could be sacrificed in favor of these necessary components.

Conclusion

Summing up, we note the following. Judging by customer reviews, the Zalman Z9 Plus is a solid case that, for the average user, should provide everything you need to create a high-performance and quiet system.

Company products Zalman in our country it is represented primarily by a variety of cooling systems and their components; its computer power supplies are somewhat less known, but the case manufactured by this company came to our laboratory for testing for the first time.

The outer casing can be seen in the attached video.

Layout

The Zalman Z9 Plus case is a one-volume miditower with a bottom-mounted power supply. The PSU itself is not included; and its orientation (fan up or down) is left to the owner’s discretion, it only emphasizes that it is not recommended to install the power supply with the fan down in dusty rooms.

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, you can still place such devices in the case at no additional cost: one in the existing 5-inch bay adapter, and the second in the most unexpected place - on the right side of the motherboard substrate, there are four ears with holes for mounting 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).

Based on our measurements, the chassis is made from 0.6mm steel, while the removable side panels are made from 0.8mm. 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; then a vertical block of two USB 2.0 connectors; 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 through.

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. Thus, two 120 or 140 mm fans are installed on the top panel, one 120/140 mm fan in the center of the bottom plane of the chassis, and two 120 mm fans on the left side wall. 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 the help of software tools that heavily load 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.

Configuration test bench and the testing procedure are described in the relevant methodology.

The cooling system copes with quite powerful configurations without any 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 mainly 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 body as a budget case, then its design and equipment can be considered quite worthy: four USB port, 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 of 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, an excessive set of fans with a primitive controller is offered, the real benefit of which is very 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.

Case Zalman Z9 for a long time enjoyed a well-deserved popular love, both enthusiasts and ordinary users. Perhaps because of this, the company for a long time did not dare to make any changes in this model, except for cosmetic ones. When I finally saw the updated Zalman Z9 Neo chassis on the official website, I simply could not believe my eyes. It seemed to me that instead of the site of a Korean company, I ended up somewhere in the fiefdom of Antec or Fractal Design. But no, the address turned out to be correct and it was really Zalman Z9, but only with the Neo prefix. Well, let's see if there is anything left in it from the previous model, except for the name.

Characteristics

Packing and scope of delivery

The new Zalman packaging style is not much different from the old one. On both sides there is a schematic representation of the case. Tables with specifications and some names, for some reason, are glued to the box, and not printed on it. Perhaps because there are photos of other revisions of this chassis on the network. And the boxes are the same for everyone. Damage protection is standard - foam dampers, bags and stickers.

The package, assembled in a neat plastic cosmetic bag, includes:

• assembly instructions;
• technical sheet of quality control;
• five cable ties.
• three additional motherboard racks;
• four plastic thumb screws for the power supply;
• eight case screws;
• 12 flat head screws for fixing 3.5″ drives;
• six screws for fixing drive baskets;
• 18 small screws for motherboard, 2.5″ drives and 5.25″ devices.

Appearance

Nothing is left of the mesh vented design of its predecessor in the Z9 Neo. The front panel of the case is solid, with a specific gray mirror paint, which makes the plastic look like polished aluminum. The company logo is emblazoned at the bottom. Control buttons and ports are placed on the top edge.

The front panel is a door that opens to the right side (the recess for opening is located at the top left), and its reverse side is lined with a layer of sound insulation. It is held on by two magnets and three loops. Behind the door at the top there are two seats for 5.25″ devices, closed with solid plugs. The lower half of the front panel is occupied by a plastic ventilation grill, behind which a metal mesh is visible. dust filter.

The square key to start the system is on the left, separate from other elements. Its circular illumination combines power and drive activity indicators. The reset button, two 3.5 mm audio ports, two USB 2.0 and two USB 3.0 are placed horizontally on a ledge on the right. The ports, by the way, have rubber plugs to prevent the rapid accumulation of dust. Quite a nice solution, however, the plugs are not attached to anything, and it is very easy to lose them by accident.

The left side panel is decorated with a large smoky acrylic window, 350x250 mm in size. It has curly corners and protrudes 5 mm above the door surface. On the side faces of the front and top panels, a number of ventilation holes are visible for cold air intake and hot air exhaust. The side door can be removed towards the rear and has a stamped handle. It is held on by two plastic knurled screws.

From the inside, the door is equipped with good stiffening ribs. The window is held on ordinary metal petals, without any gaskets.

The right panel is solid and, in general, similar in design to the left. Ventilation slots are also observed in the front and upper faces on this side.

The top panel is plastic and its design is slightly unusual. At the back of the upper, where either vent holes or a solid wall are usually made, you can see a certain rim of transparent plastic that covers the recess.

This bezel does indeed cover the vent and the instructions even recommend removing it if the user prefers better ventilation over less noise. Otherwise, heated air is ejected under pressure from fans through narrow slots along the perimeter of the rim.

Rear view Zalman Z9 Neo is not much different from the previous model. A ventilation grill behind which an exhaust 120mm propeller is attached, seven expansion slots with ventilated plugs (and this time, lo and behold, they are reusable) and mounting holes for the power supply, with which it can be oriented both with the fan up and down.

But a high-quality dust filter appeared under the power supply, which can be easily removed for cleaning.

At the bottom of the case on the outside, in addition to the filter, there are four holes through which you can additionally fix a 3.5″ hard drive inside and two more larger holes, the purpose of which is not clear. Nothing but a drain, in case of an accident in the SVO circuit.

Four plastic legs have a height of 22 mm and are glued on the bottom with rubber patches, which is positive. A cutout at the bottom of the front panel is needed for ease of dismantling it.

Let's see what has changed inside.

Internal organization

The Zalman Z9 Neo chassis supports ATX, MicroATX and Mini-ITX motherboards vertically. The maximum allowable CPU cooler height is 160mm (in individual cases- up to 165 mm if the cooler gets into the plane of the side window). The possible length of expansion boards reaches 385 mm, taking into account the fans installed in front. The allowable length of the power supply is up to 180 mm, including non-removable cables.

Under the top panel, two 120mm transparent blue-lit fans, model ZA1225CSL, based on a sleeve bearing are pre-installed on the hood. They are connected using molex connectors, the rotation speed is standard - 1200 rpm. In general, the propellers can be described as quite quiet, although with a slight chirring overtone. In addition to the 25 mm thick fans located in the recess, there is another 30 mm margin to the edge of the motherboard under the top panel, which means that almost any standard 240 mm CBO radiator will fit here. True, in the latter case, the holes for pulling wires will slightly overlap, but this is a small problem.

On the rear panel there is a pre-installed 120mm fan with white impeller model ZA1225ASL. This is a propeller based on a sleeve bearing with maximum speed rotation at 1200 rpm, at a noise level of 45 dB (A). It is able to start confidently at 5V, 500rpm and 33dB(A) of noise. In general, this is a fairly decent propeller in terms of acoustics, from which you can hear overtones in the form of a buzz only when you are very close. Its black three-prong power cord is 430mm long.

All PCI slot covers are reusable and secured with plastic knurled screws. This is a definite improvement over previous version chassis.

Almost all the space below is occupied by a metal non-removable box that has become fashionable today among manufacturers. Under it, in a volume separate from the main part of the chassis, the power supply, cables from it and drives are hidden. Opposite the drives on the front and sides there are ventilation holes. In the upper part of the casing there are two oval cutouts for pulling wires. The distance from the box to the front panel is 55 mm, which means that you can also place a CBO radiator assembled with fans there.

Two more 120-mm fans of the ZA1225ASL model are pre-installed in front, for blowing, similar to the rear propeller in terms of characteristics, but with a molex power connection. As a result, the chassis turns out to be equipped with a complete set of five 120mm fans, four of which are powered by a molex, and one (rear) is powered by a three-pin connector.

In the motherboard tray, next to the front fans, there are two perforated grids, on the seats of which you can install two 2.5″ drives with screws.

Two metal trays on top can take not only 5.25″ devices, but also serve as a basket for one 3.5″ or 2.5″ drive. Quick clamps are not provided here, but if necessary, the trays themselves can be quickly and easily dismantled by unscrewing a few screws from the side and front panels.

The motherboard tray has undergone a number of positive changes. In particular, the cutout for the amplifying plate of the processor cooler has increased significantly in size. The main openings for pulling cables are now covered with rubber shutters. The number of eyelets for attaching cable ties has also grown significantly and they are now located in all the right places.

There was also such a nice detail as reusable Velcro cable ties in the amount of three pieces. And for laying wires behind the pallet there is up to 22 mm of space in width.

A basket with two drive sleds is located at the front of the chassis. At its bottom, if desired, you can also attach a third 3.5″ drive, fixing it with screws to the bottom panel.

The sled is capable of accepting one 3.5″ hard drive, which is simply inserted into their plastic mounts, or one 2.5″ drive, which will have to be fixed with screws. Corrugated rubber pads are put on the side ledges of the carriage, which act as vibration isolating dampers. Although the drive connectors are turned towards the plastic handle during installation, it does not interfere with their connection at all, since it is located slightly higher than these ports.

There are rubber dampers on the seat of the power supply, both at the bottom in the form of blotches, and on the side of the casing, in the form of a large insert made of soft material. When selecting a power supply unit in this case, do not exceed the length of 180 mm, otherwise it will be extremely problematic to place it together with the wires in this casing.

The front panel, unlike the old Zalman Z9, is dismantled very easily - you just need to gently pull it by the ledge from below, unfastening all eight tulip-type fasteners in succession. Wires are tied to the top of the panel, so be sure to release them before removing the front.

The metal part of the front panel, front view. 5.25″ bays are closed with disposable plugs. And opposite the fans, a mesh is installed that acts as a dust filter. It is not very convenient to remove and clean it.

Behind the filter is a large-mesh honeycomb grill, to the long side holes of which you can attach two 120- or 140-mm fans, or radiators of 240 or 280 mm format. Although it would be better if this grill simply did not exist here, so as not to create unnecessary obstacles to the air flow.

The top panel can be easily dismantled after removing the front of the case. It is also held on eight tulip-type mounts. There are no wires here, therefore, you can remove it without fear. Looking at how close the top vents are to the pre-mounted propellers, it's doubtful that any tangible air movement is possible through the side perforations.

Two 120mm fans can be mounted on the ledges on the top panel. Elongated holes allow you to install here even "tricky" radiators with a small indentation between the middle holes, like those produced by Corsair.

The set of wires includes four standard cables from the system operation and drive activity indicators, system start and reset buttons, one USB 2.0 header, an HD Audio cable, and one USB 3.0 header. The length of all cords is sufficient, the color of the insulation of the wiring is completely black.

Let's move on to assembling the system and its thermal test.

Assembly

The assembly of the system in the Zalman Z9 Neo case went without a single problem. In terms of ease of placement and access to components, cable routing and connection, a new version the chassis turned out to be head and shoulders above the old one. The only moment that can cause inconvenience is the installation of the power supply in the cramped space of the box at the bottom of the chassis. If the unit has a modular cable connection, it is better to connect all the wires to it in advance. Access to the amplifying plate of the processor cooler is complete, you can install and remove it without dismantling the motherboard, which the old Z9 could not boast of. And it is especially worth noting the complete Velcro, thanks to which the fixation of all cables behind the pallet turns into a "light walk".

The shading factor of the smoky side window is chosen quite well, and presents the contents of the case in a good light, hiding unnecessary details.

The lighting came out a little ambiguous. The interior of the chassis is illuminated by the blue LEDs on the top two fans. In addition, part of the light passes through the rim of the top cover. The system start button and all four USB ports are illuminated around the perimeter. The drive activity indicator is combined with the backlight of the start key, and is highlighted with a brighter light when triggered. In the light everything looks decent, but in the dark it is very bright. In addition, the USB ports are lit even after the system is turned off, if the connector is powered. And if the UEFI of the motherboard does not have a parameter responsible for USB power management, then you will have to enjoy this radiance forever, or turn off the PSU from the outlet.

test bench

To test the cooling efficiency of the components in the Zalman Z9 Neo case, the following configuration was used:

• Processor: Intel Core i7-2600K (3, [email protected].4 GHz, 1.330 V);
• cooler: Zalman CNPS10X Performa;
• motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z77MX-D3H TH (Intel Z77);
• graphics card: ASUS R9270-DC2OC-2GD5 ( AMD Radeon R9 270);
• Memory: Kingston KHX24C11X3K4/16X (2x4GB, DDR3-2133, 10-12-12-27-2T, 1.65V);
• Solid State Drive: Crucial M4 CT064M4SSD2 (64GB, SATA 6Gb/s);
• HDD: western digital WD2000JS-00MHB0 (200 GB, SATA 3Gb/s, 7200 rpm);
• power supply: be quiet! Dark Power Pro 10 (550 W);
• thermal interface: Noctua NT-H1.

Test Methodology

The thermal load was created by simultaneously running LinX 0.6.5 stress tests with 2048 MB of allocated memory and MSI Combustor 3.5.1.0 for 10 minutes after the temperature stabilized. The hard drive was loaded with Crystal Disk Mark 5.0.3 x64. At the end of the test cycle, the system was idle for 10 minutes to determine the minimum thermal performance. The ambient temperature was 26 degrees Celsius. The fan speeds of the CPU cooler and video card are fixed at maximum speed. The peak power consumption of the system was 336 watts. Testing was carried out in a single comparison mode with an open stand. All preset propellers ran at the maximum available speeds.

Test results

Since the Zalman Z9 Neo has a number of solutions inherent in cases with passive noise reduction in its design, it is not very good in terms of cooling components. With the front door closed and with the top panel rim installed, even with a full set of fans running at full speed, component temperatures don't look very optimistic. The processor, power elements and motherboard heat up by seven degrees more, and the video card by 14 degrees, seven degrees in comparison with an open stand. And only the hard drive feels a little lighter in the case - two and one degrees, under load and idle, respectively. Therefore, I can rate the basic ventilation scheme in the case as “worse than average”. How can it be improved? Open the front door when there is heavy stress on the components, remove the front dust filter, remove the top decorative rim and possibly cut off completely top cover above the fans, replacing it with a grill grate, or something similar.

conclusions

The updated Zalman Z9 Neo chassis has many improvements over its Z9 predecessor. The appearance has become more pleasant and strict, the stock has increased markedly inner space in the case due to the removal of extra compartments, the possibility of laying wires has improved, a full set relatively quiet fans, it became possible to install CBO systems on the front and rear panels. This is all positive, no doubt. After all, a number of painful problems were solved, which stopped many who wished from buying this case.

However, all these improvements were not in vain, and the overall cost of the case increased slightly, since it stopped saving on matches (for example, on reusable plugs, a power supply filter, rubber shutters and Velcro for cable management). The second point that confuses me is not very good system ventilation, which will cause the system components to heat up more. For most ordinary users, this is not critical, but for enthusiasts who are fighting for every degree in their system overclocked to the limit, this can be a stumbling block.

In general, I liked the updated Zalman Z9 Neo in terms of the totality of its parameters, and therefore it can be recommended for purchase when assembling any computer systems, except for the hottest configurations.

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 their own good computer. 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 picture 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 upper part of the "facade" you can find the computer power button, just below is the I / O 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. A pre-installed 120mm fan is visible behind the vents, under which Zalman prudently placed two holes covered with rubber rings - as you might guess, they will serve for the CBO tubes. Also here you can note 7 slots for PCI cards and an empty hole for mounting the power supply, which is supposed to be placed at the bottom of the case.

South Korea knows how to create not only worthy films, but also 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.

A small number of case modifications on the Russian market is 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 appearance and, accordingly, the 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 USB 3.0 interface is displayed on the panel, 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 inspection 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, you need to monitor the operation of the cooling system and lubricate the fan bearings in a timely manner (2 times 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 of consumables is found during the assembly 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). The complete absence of 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.