South Korea is able 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 parties are limited (this is the stupidity that many sellers justify the high cost of Zalman products), then he is very 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 Zalman Z9 case in most stores is called high-end products, which is fundamentally wrong. The manufacturer positions its offspring as a high-quality product (note that a lot of elite products, when studied in detail, turn out to be low-grade 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 not due to limited batches, but to the specifics of our market. Before the presentation of the new Zalman Z9, the company conducted market research and found that most Russians like large cases with a bunch of fans, backlighting and the presence of 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
The usual system case, supplied without a power supply and having a cost of about 10-12 thousand rubles, is simply obliged to have decent packaging and equipment. Here the manufacturer has something to surprise the future owner. It’s better to start the review with a box that is huge. Within the walls of Zalman, they were worried about transportation, because, after opening 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 the ribs made of cardboard.
Inside, in addition to the device itself, the owner will not find anything, but, having removed the system unit from the box, it will find that all spare parts for the case, instructions and advertising leaflets of the manufacturer are located inside the spacious unit. It is worth noting that the Zalman Z9 manual is complete and has a Russian translation. Installing the motherboard, connecting the interface connectors, installing drives and fixing the power supply - everything is described in detail in the manual and is accompanied by color drawings.
About build quality
It is immediately worth noting 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 not capable of vibrations during operation. For the owner, this is a guarantee of noiselessness, as many cheap cases are able to resonate with the fans installed in the system and make a specific noise.
The buyer will also like the lack of a cutting edge on all Zalman Z9 steel elements. Assembling a computer will be much more effective if the user is not afraid to cut his hands on the edges of the case. As expected, the manufacturer used the welded joint only when creating the bearing part of the body, all other spare parts can be removed - an ordinary designer, which is very convenient for assembly.
Remote Control
As practice shows, a panel with a built-in thermometer and fan speed control is interesting 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. But still, this panel needs to be given worthy attention. The fact is that additional interfaces in the form of connectors for audio and USB-ports have several advantages over the contacts located on the system board.
It's about wear resistance. For Zalman Z9 Plus, connecting external interfaces is a priority, and the manufacturer tried to make sure that the connectors do not get jammed during operation (we use our own controllers). By the way, the USB 3.0 interface is displayed on the panel, which is rarely found in cheap Chinese cases.
About Hard Drives
A removable basket for installing magnetic disks will definitely please the owner, however, dealing with it is not so simple. The description of its installation is described in the manual on only one page. The main thing here is to keep records of the screws and monitor their size so that after installing the disks in the basket of the Zalman Z9 case, the device can be mounted correctly. Difficulties are possible, and if they arise, you should refer to the video instruction, which can be found in the media.
The only drawback in working with hard drives that was discovered 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. With a detailed inspection of the case, after removing the second protective cover, the user can detect a strange cell at the installation level of the video card. For some reason, many people think that this is a connector for a cooler (cooling the video card from the back is original). This is actually a niche for an SSD drive. Let alone, 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, apart from computer coolers, are capable of emitting a loud rumble. It all depends directly on the user. In the initial state, the entire cooling system operates at the same frequency and controlling the resistor on the control panel the owner at the first start of the computer will have to adjust the fan speed for 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 timely lubricate the bearings of the fans (exactly 2 times a year). Yes, this requires time, but, on the other hand, these actions will save the owner from noise or failure of coolers. It’s easy to open the Zalman Z9 case, remove the sticker, pry off the valve with a needle and remove it, fill in two drops of engine oil, put the plug back in place and fix the sticker in its original position.
Manufacturer defect
Without deviating from the topic of cooling, it is worth discussing the installation site of the Zalman Z9 case. The photo in the instructions for the device tells the owner that fresh air is entering 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 dust that accumulates on the floor is drawn into the system.
The Zalman Z9 Plus Black case does not have a pressure barrier for fixing the power supply. It is simply screwed onto the case, as it is implemented in cheap devices. This is also wrong. The PSU itself will not go anywhere, but the 120-millimeter fan built into it will create a vibration that can be audible (the power supply housing can drum on the bottom of the housing). Be sure to install rubber pads under the power supply.
System assembly
Difficulty in assembly can occur only during the installation of the motherboard. For unknown reasons, the manufacturer chose to make the fixed platform for installing the base board. Although, of course, this is not for everybody. Some people like to mount in the cabinet, while others prefer mounting all the components on the table. In any case, connecting the 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 installation. You should not be upset if there is an excess of consumables during the assembly process. Just the manufacturer endowed the user with spare screws. True, as noted by the owners of the case in their reviews, the manufacturer saved on rubber gaskets. Still, the case and the computer components installed in it are made of metal. But this in the end result does not hurt to assemble and connect the Zalman Z9.
Finally
In general, impressions about the case of the Korean giant Zalman are positive. The assembly convenience is excellent: all the necessary components are removed, nothing rumbles inside, you do not need to break out the partitions, and the metal itself does not have a cutting edge. Well-thought-out ventilation, using the laws of physics, perfectly drives fresh air throughout the system (though 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 conducted by 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.