Zalman Z9 Plus Case Review

Introduction (Cont’d)

The buttons and connectors of this case come on the top part of the front panel, where on other mid-tower cases would be the first 5.25” bay. Two of the highlights of the Z9 Plus can be seen here: a digital thermometer and a fan controller. You can install the thermometer probe (thermistor) wherever you want to monitor the temperature (the CPU cooler and the GPU cooler are the most common choices). The fan controller uses one potentiometer and can control up to two three-pin fans, but since there is only one potentiometer, both will spin at the same speed.

The case comes with four USB 2.0 port and the traditional mic in and headphones jacks.

Figure 5: Buttons and connectors

The top panel of the Z9 Plus can be seen in Figure 6. It comes with one 120 mm fan identical to the front and side fans. You can replace this fan with a 140 mm model, if you like, and there is space for installing a second 120 mm or 140 mm fan.

Figure 6: Top panel

The bottom panel (Figure 7), features a removable air filter for an optional fan that can be installed at the bottom of the case.

Figure 7: Bottom panel

In Figure 8, you can see the rear panel of the Z9 Plus. It comes with a 120 mm fan that is different from the other fans available (Zalman ZA1225ASL, sleeve bearing, standard peripheral power connector). The power supply is installed at the bottom of the case, and the rear panel and the interior of the case are painted black, features usually found only on more expensive products. The Z9 Plus has seven expansion slots, all featuring meshed slot covers. These slot covers, however, are not reusable: once you remove them, they can’t be used anymore. There is also a mesh above the area where expansion cards are installed. The case also has two holes with rubber covers for you to pass hoses of liquid cooling solutions.

Figure 8: Rear panel

Let’s now take a look inside the Z9 Plus.