The South Korean company Zalman is a well-known manufacturer of computer components in the world market. But lately his name has been appearing in the news columns largely thanks to the cases he produces, the assortment of which was modest until recently.

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Not so long ago, the Zalman Z9 Plus case was tested in the laboratory, which left a lot of positive impressions. Despite its age, it still enjoys success among users, as it has a very good price / performance ratio.

In February 2012, the company announced the Zalman Z11 Plus model, designed to replace the "nine". The expected continuation of the line has received a number of changes compared to its predecessor, while retaining its best features. Whether this is so, it will become clear in the upcoming testing, which became possible thanks to close cooperation with our partner - the Regard company.

As usual, first of all, let's start our review by examining the packaging of the case and the accessories supplied with it.

Packaging and equipment

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The box in which the Zalman Z11 Plus is packed has average dimensions: 540 x 305 x 590 mm (L x W x H). The weight is approximately 8.5 kg. The packaging is designed in a "cardboard" style: unpainted cardboard with a black-and-white picture of the case on the front side is not impressive, to put it mildly. However, the predecessor Z9 was packed in a similar box. What else to expect from a budget product?

On both sides of the box, there is a different Technical information, as well as a description of the various "chips" of the product. In eight languages, including Russian. In addition, the sidewalls are equipped with traditional carry handles. Not too large a weight of the product will allow you to transport the box in your hands.

Inside the box, the body is packed in transparent polyethylene and sandwiched between two foam dampers-locks that protect the body from mechanical damage... The location of the case in the box is with the front panel facing up.

All scratched parts of the case are initially sealed with a protective film. This applies to the side acrylic transparent window, a glossy recess at the top and a front ventilation grill, also partially glossy.

Accessories are placed in a transparent plastic bag. It is located inside the case, fastened to the basket for hard drives... The bag is made of rather thick polyethylene and opens with a sliding latch like a zipper.

Inside, you can find a few more nested bags containing various fasteners, rubber anti-vibration pads for hard drives, a processor power cable extension, two slot plugs, as well as a user manual written in English and Korean. Unfortunately, the Russian language is absent in the manual, but the instructions are illustrated in great detail and it will not be difficult to figure out "what and how".

Below you can find a detailed list of accessories supplied with the case. The kit includes:

• Screws for fastening drives;
• Silicone gaskets for drives;
• Hexagonal posts for fastening motherboard;
• Screws for fixing the system board;
• Screws for fixing the power supply;
• Thumb screws for securing 5.25-inch devices;
• Extension cable for ATX12V processor power supply (30 cm);
• Two plugs for expansion slots;
• Plastic cable ties;
• User guide.

As you can see, the package bundle is not very rich, but everything you need to build a computer is present. Separately, I would like to draw your attention to the eight-pin extension cable for the 12-volt processor power cable (ATX12V). Its length is 300 mm, the wire is enclosed in a black plastic sheath. In some cases, it is an irreplaceable thing. A problem may arise when the insufficient length of the cable from the power supply does not allow to route the "cord" behind the tray of the motherboard (cable management). In this case, a similar adapter will help out.

In this review, we will focus on the case, which will be an interesting solution for both gamers and modders. The history of this device dates back to 2012, because it was then that its predecessors, ZALMAN Z11 and Z11 Plus, were born. They had an aggressive design that clearly distinguishes them from the rest. game models... The novelties offered excellent opportunities for organizing effective cooling of the in-building space (including with the possibility of installing two-fan SVO), and the presence of blue backlighting and an acrylic window on the side panel made it possible to enjoy the view of the components in the dark. The difference between them was the presence of two pairs of USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 ports on the interface panel of the ZALMAN Z11 Plus model instead of the four standard 2.0 connectors in the ZALMAN Z11.

Another soplatform model was the ZALMAN Z11 Plus HF1. In fact, it is a ZALMAN Z11 Plus solution, but instead of blue backlighting, the manufacturer used red LEDs here. So there is no need to talk about any really fundamental differences between the above three models.

But after a few years, ZALMAN reconsidered its vision of an aggressive case, presenting a model. It got rid of the ventilation grill at the bottom of the front panel, and its shapes became smoother. Nevertheless, this did not deprive the case of its attractiveness, but from the point of view of practicality for the user, it boasts a number of positive changes. For example, unlike its predecessors, which allow installing video cards up to 290 mm long, the new product can accommodate solutions over 400 mm long. At the same time, the body itself has become even somewhat more compact. What other changes have befell the ZALMAN Z11 gaming line with the appearance of a model with the NEO prefix, we will definitely tell you in the current review.

Specification

Manufacturer and model
Frame size
Supported motherboard form factors
				1 x 5.25 ”(external) 8 x 3.5 ”/ 2.5” (internal) 1 x 2.5 ”(internal, behind a pallet)
Expansion card slots
Maximum video card length	With baskets installed
	Without baskets (according to our measurements)			400 mm (430 mm)
Maximum height cpu cooler(according to our measurements, taking into account the bulge of the acrylic window)				175 mm (185 mm)
Maximum length of the power supply
				2 x audio outputs (headphones, microphone)
Pre-installed fans			On the front
			On the back panel
			On top panel
			On the side panels
Possibility to install fans			On the front
			On the back panel
			On the top panel	2 х 140 mm / 2 х 120 mm
			On the side panel
			On the bottom panel	1 х 140-mm / 1 х 120-mm
Power Supply
Materials (edit)		Front and top panels, side trims
				Steel 0.73 mm thick
		Side panels		Steel with a thickness of 0.65 mm
Case dimensions				515 x 205 x 465 mm
Net weight)
Products webpage

Packaging and delivery set

The novelty comes in a cardboard box, which provides quite a lot of information about the device placed inside, despite the simplicity of design. So, the front side in black and white shows appearance corpus, listing its most important advantages in English. Already in eight languages ​​(including Russian) this information duplicated on one of the sidewalls, while the second provides a fairly detailed specification of the device.

Inside the box, the body is fixed with foam inserts, and a plastic bag protects the novelty from moisture. The kit also comes with a number of components that will come in handy during the assembly of the system. In total, the ZALMAN Z11 NEO package includes the following components:

• a set of screws and stands for installing the motherboard;
• a set of screws for fixing the power supply and drives;
• a plug in the expansion slot;
• extension cable for feeding additional food to the CPU;
• 5 cable ties;
• manual.

So a large number the supplied screws should be enough to install all the necessary components, including many drives. Convenient cable ties allow you to collect the cables used in groups for more accurate laying.

Appearance

ZALMAN Z11 NEO is an extraordinary solution, characterized by many interesting exterior elements, which we will introduce you in detail below. Gamers, who are the main target audience of the novelty, will definitely like this design.

Unlike the ZALMAN Z11 Plus, where the bottom of the front panel was decorated with a ventilation grill, the novelty received a more strict appearance thanks to the use of plastic with a metal finish. Thus, practicality was sacrificed for design.

But the intake of cool air from the front is still carried out using nozzles, which also play a significant role in giving the body an aggressive look, while slightly increasing its width.

Responsible for air supply is a 120 mm ZALMAN ZA1225CSL fan with blue LED backlight. It is based on Sleeve Bearing. The turntable is powered by a 3-pin cable and has less than 2W of power (12V @ 0.16A). The rotation speed of the blades turned out to be at the level of 1130 rpm, which is quite a comfortable indicator from the point of view of the generated noise.

You can also install another 120-mm turntable here, and a removable dust filter is responsible for cleaning the blown air.

Despite the very big sizes, the ZALMAN Z11 NEO case is equipped with only one external compartment for 5.25-inch devices, which effectively opens when the spring-loaded cover is slid down. There are no external bays for 3.5-inch devices at all.

The back of the novelty has a familiar layout. The bottom location of the power supply, seven expansion slots (with disposable plugs), two holes for the CBO hoses and a 120-mm turntable - everything is made in the good traditions of gaming cases. But here, too, the solution from ZALMAN can be recognized by the very specific shape of the top panel.

The fan on the rear panel is represented by the 120 mm ZALMAN ZA1225CSL model, the originality of which is ensured by the use of a white impeller. According to its characteristics, it is similar to the solution used on the front wall of the case, but it is made of opaque plastic and lacks LED backlighting. According to the measurement results, it rotated a little faster - at a speed of 1330 rpm.

The bottom of the ZALMAN Z11 NEO case is distinguished by the presence of two dust filters that can and should be removed for regular cleaning. One of them is designed to clean the air entering the power supply through a perforated area measuring 10 x 8 cm. The second is useful when installing an additional 140- or 120-mm turntable on the bottom.

If you use a long power supply (in our case, a model with a length of 193 mm), you will no longer be able to mount the turntable here. But the fact that the novelty can accommodate even the most bulky power supplies with a length of up to 250 mm is encouraging.

Along the edges of the bottom panel there are plastic legs 20 mm high with a rubber base 3 mm thick, which prevents the case from sliding and scratching the surface on which the system unit is placed.

One of the most interesting in the new product is the top panel. It is made of plastic and has an original shape inherited from its predecessors. Closer to the rear, there is a perforated grille and plastic ribs. The latter are placed at an angle. On the one hand, this allows them to collect dust falling on the case, and on the other hand, it does not prevent cool air from entering.

Also fixed under the ribs is a 120-mm ZALMAN ZA1225CSL turntable, which is completely similar to the model on the front panel. However, if you wish, you can install another fan of the same kind here, two 140-mm solutions or an SVO radiator up to 280 mm long.

The top panel itself can be easily removed and disassembled, which greatly facilitates its cleaning.

Closer to the front panel of ZALMAN Z11 NEO, there is a glossy platform designed for placing a smartphone or portable storage. On both sides of it are the controls and components of the interface panel, represented by a reset button, two pairs of USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 ports, and two 3.5 mm audio jacks.

In the center, directly above the front panel, is the power button. It has a nice blue glow, which you can appreciate a little further in the corresponding subsection.

For fans of modding, on the left side panel there is an acrylic window measuring 31 x 30.5 cm, through which it is convenient to observe the work of the components. Therefore, when choosing them, you can look for more interesting solutions that can create a proper ensemble that will not be ashamed to demonstrate to friends and family.

The sidewalls themselves are fastened using screws with figured heads, and for their convenient removal there are vertical protrusions in the back. The plastic top and front panels are fixed using standard latches.

Side nozzles, which are also of practical use, give a very effective look to the novelty. So, low-profile 80-mm ZALMAN ZA0815ASL fans (12 V; 0.08 A) 15 mm thick are hidden under the plastic covers. Unlike the other three current turntables that use a 3-pin connector, these solutions are powered by a 4-pin peripheral interface (Molex). Thus, three connectors on the motherboard and one PATA connector on the power supply should be enough to connect all the pre-installed elements of the ZALMAN Z11 NEO cooling system.

Internal organization

The chassis and all metal elements on it are covered with matte black paint, thanks to which they blend perfectly with the plastic parts. The internal space is visually divided into the left part, intended for installing the motherboard and power supply, and the right, which contains bays for drives and other devices.

There are two baskets for installing drives, each of which can accommodate three devices. Mounting of 3.5 "solutions in them is carried out using screwless fasteners, while 2.5" media will have to be fixed using the supplied screws. The baskets themselves cannot boast of good rigidity (when installing a drive this feature becomes less noticeable), and when they are attached, there is a slight backlash.

Therefore, if you are not going to create file storage inside ZALMAN Z11 NEO, then one or even both baskets can be removed. In this case, you can use the metal brackets located in the two lower 5.25 "bays, which are designed to accommodate 3.5" and 2.5 "media. However, here their fastening is provided exclusively with screws. And the absence of baskets will allow you to install video cards up to 430 mm long (in the original layout, this value is limited to 270 mm).

On the bottom, in the place where the power supply is installed, there are four elevations with gaskets fixed on top to reduce vibrations transmitted to the body.

The set of wires for connecting the front panel includes an HD Audio connector, connectors for connecting power / reset buttons and LED indicators, a 4-pin peripheral connector, and cables for connecting USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 ports.

On the pallet, you can see a small perforation, which is located just in the place where the 2.5-inch drive is attached. As you can see, in total, the novelty allows you to install three carriers without the use of baskets, however, already with the included screws.

The assembly of the system inside ZALMAN Z11 NEO takes place without any particular difficulties and complications, which is facilitated by the presence of free space for laying wires behind the case pallet. And the cutout in the latter allows you to install and remove the overall cooling systems without dismantling the motherboard.

The design itself has sufficient rigidity, all parts fit well, and there are no gaps and backlash. The considerable dimensions of the case make it possible to install both oversized video cards up to 430 mm in length and large processor coolers up to 175 mm in height (185 mm taking into account the convexity of the acrylic window). So almost all the components on the market should fit inside the novelty without any problems.

LED backlight

In the dark, the test case pleases the eye with a pleasant blue glow emanating from two turntables (top and front). The luminous flux is sufficient to illuminate the components placed inside, so that the acrylic window may well fulfill its role in the evening. Blue rampage is diluted only by a small red indicator under the top of the front panel, informing about activity hard disk.

Testing

The test bench was used for testing the enclosures
Choose what you want to compare ZALMAN Z11 NEO

We tested the novelty with all pre-installed turntables. The speed of the upper and front fans is 1130 rpm, the rear one is 1330 rpm, and the side fans are 1000 rpm.

The presence of five turntables, as we expected, had a good effect on the temperature of the components used. The interesting design of the top panel also played its role, which does not impede the outlet of heated air at all. Therefore, in general, the novelty has demonstrated low temperature performance of components. First of all, we note a slight heating of the hard drive, which is explained by the close location of the front turntable. But the most interesting is the temperature indicator of the video card - even under full load, it did not heat up above 71 ° C, while inside many cases of the same standard size, this indicator is in the range from 72 to 80 ° C. Therefore, ZALMAN Z11 NEO is a good candidate even for installing a bundle of several video cards, not to mention a single adapter.

conclusions

The idea of ​​creating a gaming case with an aggressive appearance a few years ago was embodied in the ZALMAN Z11 / Z11 Plus / Z11 Plus HF1 models, and now, with noticeable changes, it has found its application in the solution we tested. What has changed in the manufacturer's approach during this time? Let's see.

The first thing that catches your eye is a very noticeable difference in the appearance of the new item when compared with its predecessors. The body tested can still be called aggressive to a certain extent, but if previously they were daring muscle cars, now we have something more like a Nissan GT-R. Yes, some features are recognizable, and by them you can determine the continuity. These are the side "nozzles", and the top ribbed panel, and the side wall with a transparent window, and a nice blue LED glow. But there are also a lot of changes. The grille at the bottom has disappeared from the front panel, as well as the vast majority of external compartments. The wall itself received a stylized metal look, although it remained plastic. And inside the structure, the stationary storage rack has been replaced by two removable baskets, so that video adapters with a length of more than 400 mm can be accommodated in the case.

The cooling system of the review hero consists of five pre-installed fans, which provide good cooling of the internal components. Therefore, even when installing powerful components, you hardly have to fork out for additional turntables. Although there are enough places to install the latter. And the top panel allows, if desired, to install even a CBO with a radiator up to 280 mm long. So high performance game system it will feel quite comfortable here.

We did not find any obvious flaws in ZALMAN Z11 NEO. Its design is made with high quality, without unnecessary gaps and sharp edges, and also has good rigidity. As features worth paying attention to, we note only the insufficiently rigid storage baskets. But, as we already wrote, most users can easily do without them, since the body offers three more seats for media. Therefore, for the average gamer or modding enthusiast, the tested novelty will become good decision to build a beautiful system that will delight the eye even in the dark.

Advantages:

• original design;
• good cooling of components;
• high-quality chassis assembly, panel edge processing and body painting;
• good body rigidity;
• the ability to install long video cards (up to 270 mm by default or up to 430 mm with the storage basket removed) and high processor COs (up to 175-185 mm);
• the presence of a transparent window on the side panel;
• the presence of blue LED-backlighting of two turntables;
• the presence of five pre-installed fans;
• the ability to install additional fans and an SVO radiator up to 280 mm long;
• the presence of dust filters on the front and bottom panels;
• the ability to install up to 9 drives;
• the ability to remove baskets for drives;
• the presence of screwless mounts in trays for 3.5-inch drives;
• the presence of two USB 3.0 and two USB 2.0 connectors on the front panel;
Sea sonic electronics for provided for test bench equipment.

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The power supply is located on small round stands curved from the bottom, additionally equipped with soft material. The power supply unit can be placed either with a fan down or up (a set of mounting holes allows this).

It should be noted that if you install a power supply unit with a length of 160 mm in the case, you will not be able to install a 140 mm fan on the bottom of the case. And if the “feeder” is modular, then most likely it will not be possible to install the “120” either, since the connectors protruding from the power supply unit will partially overlap the seat.

Installing drives is a matter of seconds. First, you need to equip the HDD with four special screws with silicone gaskets, and then simply push the drive into the bay until it clicks. A lever on the back of the cage will unlock the HDD when you remove it.

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The arrangement of hard drives in the basket is transverse, with connectors to the rear wall. Wherein maximum length graphics adapter can be 290mm. Not to say that this is a lot, but it is enough for most productive graphics solutions.

With regard to the installation of an optical drive or other similar devices, then the bays can accommodate: either five 5.25-inch devices, or four 5.25-inches and one 3.5-inch, or four 5.25-inches and one internal 3.5- or 2.5-inch. Fastening with knurled screws.

Zalman Z11 Plus is endowed with a cable management system that allows you to route wires from the power supply behind the motherboard tray, providing more free space inside the case, and as a result - more efficient airflow, as well as convenient access to components.

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Mention of products 1

1 - Package. Appearance.

The hero of our today's review appeared rather quietly. The Zalman engineers took the People's Z9 chassis and added a number of significant exterior modifications. We are glad to present the result of their work to you. Meet one of the world's first reviews of the Zalman Z11 Plus case.

Contents of delivery

The case comes in a fairly large cardboard box. The packaging is simple enough. From the useful, it is worth noting only the table technical characteristics on one of its sides.

The delivery set also does not boggle the imagination. In a special plastic bag, the user can find the following:

Extension cable for additional processor power;

Operating instructions;

One plug for expansion cards with a hole;

One regular plug;

A set of screws of various shapes;

A set of plastic ties;

A set of seals and screws for mounting drives.

Appearance

Compared to its predecessor, the Zalman Z11 has significantly increased in size. Its dimensions are 260 (W) x 498 (H) x 525 (D) millimeters. But the weight, judging by the table of characteristics, increased slightly - 7.4 against 7.2 kilograms. In general, there is little in common between the cases, except for the grill caps on the front panel and the nameplate of the company that are identical in shape and location.

Before us is a classic monoblock design with a rather aggressive, but not pretentious appearance. There are absolutely no smooth lines in its design. It even somewhat resembles some supercars.

The design of the case with protruding "cheeks" equipped with ventilation holes is not new; such a solution is used by many manufacturers in cases of the middle and below-average price categories.

However, Zalman managed to do the impossible: the Z11 is the first body of this kind that does not look like a child's toy.

On the left side edge there is a trapezoidal acrylic window. For the sake of the general design, it is made convex. Ventilation grilles are present only on the plastic protrusion at the bottom of the case, which suggests that the side fan is located there.

The right side face is less interesting. Apart from the previously mentioned plastic protrusion, there is nothing on it.

The side covers are fastened with four screws (two for each) with a massive plastic head.

Between the fixing holes of the panels there are metal protrusions designed to assist in the dismantling of the side walls. These grips cope with their task, but nothing more.

The back panel does not stand out in any way, standard set elements - a 120 mm fan grill, a pair of holes for the outlet of the CBO hoses, seven plugs for expansion cards and a hole for mounting a power supply.

The front panel is more interesting. The base is made up of a plastic frame, which protrudes noticeably forward in the upper part of the case, creating a kind of visor. To it, in the upper part, plugs for 5.25 ”devices made of mesh metal are attached. The entire lower part is made in the form of plastic ribs, which, as it seemed to us, are trying to evoke associations with a radiator grille in cars with their entire appearance.

The top panel strongly resembles that of the Aerocool XPredator Black: the same "scales", only made of translucent dark plastic and without the ability to open and close them if necessary.

Controls and interface connectors are concentrated closer to the front panel. There is a pair of USB 2.0 and 3.0, as well as headphone and microphone jacks. The power button is located in the most conspicuous place. Sadly, but her example clearly shows the victory of appearance over common sense. Most of the decorative elements of the case are made of practical matte plastic. But there was also a place for gloss. Where do you think? That's right, near the power button, where the likelihood of prints and dirt is most likely. A little further behind the power button, there is a completely incomprehensible design element, namely, a recess made of the same glossy plastic. Dust will collect in this place just with a bang.

On the bottom panel there is a ventilation hole of the power supply, covered with a removable mesh, which, judging by the structure, is designed to protect not so much from dust as from lint and animal hair. Around the middle there is a hole for mounting a 120 mm fan, covered with a dust filter. Massive plastic feet with a soft rubber base are installed almost at the very edge of the chassis, which gives the chassis considerable stability.

According to the results external review we can safely say that we liked the case. But only if the plastic sidewalls were a little narrower.

2 - Internal structure.

Having removed the sidewalls, first of all we understand why the developers have placed such wide plastic elements on the sides: behind them are full-fledged 80-mm blowing fans. The practicality of such a solution is questionable. Cool air entering through the front panel is immediately picked up by the side fans and carried out of the case.

The internal layout is painfully familiar - Zalman engineers decided not to reinvent the wheel and used the Z9 chassis in the design of the Z11, with all the advantages and disadvantages of the latter.

A characteristic feature of this layout is that the motherboard tray does not reach the bottom of the case. The main supporting element, in addition to the outer walls, is a rack for 5.25 ”drives and external devices.

The motherboard tray has a medium-sized hole to make life easier for assemblers when installing CPU coolers with reinforcement plates. A number of holes are provided for cable management. In addition, the pallet has a special slot for installing a 2.5 ”drive and many tabs for attaching plastic ties. All this research can potentially help the user to put the perfect order in system unit... On the other hand, a lot of holes negatively affected the rigidity of the motherboard tray - when pressed, it perceptibly plays.

The power supply is installed at the bottom and can be installed in two different positions. The ventilation holes for it are made in the form of peculiar slots in the bottom panel of the case, the area of ​​which is very small, which can potentially cause problems with some power supplies when installed with the fan down. Removable plugs for expansion cards. Quite strange for a modern mid-range case.

The hard drive rack supports five 3.5-inch drives. For cooling the drives, in addition to the previously mentioned side fans, a 120-mm "Carlson" with blue backlighting installed on the front panel is responsible.

Between the drive rack and the power supply, the user can attach another 120.

The total number of seats reaches seven, three of which are located in the zone of the greatest possible accumulation of warm air. There are two places on the top panel, one of them is already occupied by a 120mm backlit fan. On the back is another 120mm unit with a white impeller.

The case can accommodate up to five external 5.25 "devices. There is also a seat for one external 3.5 ”device. Screwless fastening systems are not provided, devices must be fixed in the old fashioned way, with screws.

The front of the case can be removed to access dust filter front fan.

Most of the grille on the front panel is made of translucent dark plastic, which during operation acts as a kind of diffuser for the backlit front fan.

In some housings, when removing the front panel, it is necessary to completely pull out the wires coming from the controls. In Z11, engineers took care of this problem. The wires of the power button and the power indicator are made composite.

In general, the internal layout of the case gives a mixed impression. On the one hand, we have a number of positive aspects: a fairly well thought-out cabling system, quick and convenient access to components, as well as a potentially effective ventilation system. On the other hand, some design flaws, such as the flimsy of some chassis elements and the rather strange ventilation grille of the power supply unit, spoil the overall impression a little.

3 - Assembly. Testing. Conclusions.

Assembly

During the assembly process, several points arose that are worth mentioning. The chassis is designed to route the additional processor power cable behind the motherboard tray. There is a possibility, but the implementation frankly let us down. It turned out that the wires must be laid before installing the motherboard, otherwise, the latter will block most of the hole in the pallet and it will be impossible to push anything there.

Installing hard drives according to the instructions is pretty simple. It is necessary to fasten the corresponding screws with rubber seals to the drive ...

... and install this structure in the seat. But it was not there. In our sample (not intended for sale, it should be noted), the distance between the walls was larger than necessary and it was possible to fix the disk only after a slight deformation of the rack and loosening of the fastening screws on the drive.

The expansion cards are fastened by means of screws, and if you use a screwdriver, it is not very convenient to do this.

The rest of the assembly went smoothly. The cable management system pleases with its simplicity and efficiency. Even a PC built on hastily looks flawless.

Large cooling systems will fit into the case without any problems. The raised window in the side cover will face the processor socket, providing ample room to maneuver. But not all video cards will fit - the maximum allowable length is 290 millimeters.

Both USB 3.0 connectors on the top panel are designed to connect to the rear ports of the motherboard.

Test configuration

The following components were used in the test bench:

Processor: AMD Phenom II X4 970 (3.5 GHz, 6 MB);

Motherboard: MSI 890FXA-GD70 (AMD 890FX);

Cooler: Zalman CNPS10X Performa (1500 rpm);

Memory: Kingston KVR1333D3N9K2 / 4G (2x2GB, DDR3-1333);

Video card: MSI N560GTX Ti Twinfrozr II / OC (N560GTX);

Hard drive: Samsung HD252HJ (250 GB, 7200 rpm, SATA2);

Multifunctional panel: AeroCool MODERN-V Black;

Power supply: Zalman ZM500-GS (500 W).

Comparison was made with the above out-of-box components.

The temperature sensors of the multifunctional panel were installed on the radiators of the VRM, north bridge and memory. The temperatures of the CPU, graphics adapter and HDD were recorded by special utilities... The OS was Windows 7 Home Premium. To load the corresponding components, we used the OSST 3.1.0 test, FurMark 1.8.2 and the Aida 64 EE 1.70.1400 package. The rpm of the case fans were fixed at their nominal values. All components worked at the manufacturer's recommended settings and frequencies.

Test results

As you can see in the graph, the use of five fans at once had an extremely favorable effect on temperature conditions installed components.

During testing, it became clear why there is a "tray" made of glossy plastic on the top panel of the case - there you can put external storage with USB interface or some mobile device... Convenient and practical considering the complex shape of the top cover.

conclusions

Many people associate Zalman as a manufacturer of cooling systems with a spectacular appearance and hi-end cases. But in its asset there are more affordable solutions, the cost of which does not differ much from the products of even lesser-known brands. Expanding the line of relatively inexpensive cases, the company's engineers revised the design of the new device, it became more aggressive, although the forms remained the same strict as before. The Z11 model has become taller and wider, which is not suitable for everyone, especially the latter, because 260 mm for the average computer desk too much.

On the other hand, the design of the case is much more interesting and attractive than many other solutions with "mugs". If there additional side elements seem alien, then here they are in perfect harmony, adding "sportiness" to the product. And in general, the appearance is well-designed, every detail is thought out to the smallest detail. Zalman Z11 will definitely remind you of itself in your home interior, but it will hardly catch your eye, unlike some colorful cases. It is worth mentioning the price, which, according to preliminary data, will be $ 85 and $ 95 for the regular and Plus versions, respectively. And with such a price, the case has almost the best price-performance ratio today.

Test equipment was provided by the following companies: AMD - AMD processor Phenom II X4 970; Eletek - Zalman Z11 Plus case, Zalman ZM-500GS power supply, Zalman CNPS10X Performa cooler, AeroCool MODERN-V Black multifunctional panel; MSI - motherboard MSI board 890FXA-GD70 and MSI graphics card N560GTX Ti Twinfrozr II / OC.