Zalman Z9 Neo Mid-Tower ATX Case Review

BUILD

Our Z9 Neo build consists of:

Motherboard Asus Z97-A
Processor Intel®Core™ I5-4460 CPU @ 3.20 GHz
Graphics GeForce GTX 680 4Gb Enthusiast Edition
PSU Cooler Master V850
Cooling Cooler Master Nepton 240M
RAM 32GB Crucial Ballistix Tactical Tracer (4 x 8Gb)
 SSD Plexor M5S 256GB

Today’s build went fairly well and the Z9 is a fairly easy case to work with. We removed the OD Bay slots in hopes of raising the position of our 240m radiator. Unfortunately there is no mounts for this and if you aren’t using the OD bays taking them out proves to have no added benefit.Z9 Neo Build

The LED 120’s up top added a nice glow especially with the white exhaust fan bouncing some of that light as well. The SSD slid nicely in the mounts provided and locked in easy. We used 90 degree angled cables and they worked perfectly with the grommets. For VGA the Z9 will support up to 420mm which is pretty great.

Z9 Neo SSD MountWith our 240 radiator mounted on the front we were not able to use the provided fan dust cover due to the screws for the rad which is a little perturbing and definitely over time would make for a dusty interior. Front Panel Dust CoverOver to the backside we definitely felt a little cramped for space. Cable management was a bit of a nightmare especially due to the fact that you can’t remove the bottom drive rack. The velcro straps are awesome for cable management as we saw with Phanteks Eclipse P400S, the lowest strap on the Z9 is too small for a larger amount of cables and we couldn’t secure it which left a bit of a explosion for keeping neat and tidy.Z9 Neo Cable ManagementAs you can see it is a little cramped up around the bottom of the case. We used a PSU/Molex cable we had to connect the 2 LED top fans but think that the cable should be included as not everyone may have it laying around and won’t be able to utilize those two as well as the two front fans included. Overall The build was good and there were not major issues that would keep us from giving the Z9 a positive review on the build. This chassis is quiet as well, which is always a bonus and the less fan-noise the better. If you wish to crank the fans up and increase airflow the top panel has a removable plastic which will allow extra flow in or out depending how you have your rig setup. The I/O panel lights up a bright blue whether the computer is on or off which leaves a nice glow. Z9 Neo I/O Panel

FINAL THOUGHTS & ANALYSIS

The Z9 Neo is a great looking case and has good functionality. Some small adjustments such as a more secure front dust cover as well as one that will work with a broad spectrum of cooling units would benefit the case. Also making the drive rack in the bottom removable would make for better cable management if people chose not to utilize it. Modular cases are the way of the future and we don’t feel Zalman has quite hit the nail on the head as far as the drive rack and the OD bay area are concerned. The amount of fans that the Z9 comes with is awesome but we would prefer to have them not be Molex as it isn’t necessary and connecting them to the motherboard just makes it easier. $80USD is what the Z9 came in at on amazon at the time of this review, which makes for a decent price and a overall good case for your spending. Zalman takes home the bronze seal with the Z9 Neo!

TechX Bronze Seal Opt

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Welcome back to the chassis review corner of Technology X. Today we are going to be taking a look at the Z9 Neo from Zalman and we are quite excited about it as we haven't featured a case from them yet. They have put together a short video that will show you around the case a little before we get more in depth! https://youtu.be/nZNtIHM1hh0 INITIAL THOUGHTS As you can see from the video the Z9 looks like a pretty cool case. Ours came in white rather then black, so instead of that polished look the black has, white has a…

Review Overview

Structure & Appearance
Ease of Build
Cable Management
Component Compatibility
Price

Touch of Modern

The Z9 Neo is a good budget case that gets the consumer what they need. Few improvements we hope to see but nothing that should stop you from picking up the Z9 for your next case.

User Rating: 2.76 ( 17 votes)

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