A stylish mid-tower chassis designed for the gamer; featuring LED lighting and compatibility for high-end computer hardware including water-coolers.
Product on Review: Z11 Neo Mid Tower
Manufacturer & Sponsor: Zalman
Street Price: US: $80 USD, UK: £58 GBP
Zalman are well-known for their quirky CPU coolers and expertise within the cooling sector but are perhaps not so well-known for their computer cases, yet inside their portfolio of products they have a considerable number of designs and offerings. Today we’ll be looking at one of their most recently released computer chassis; the Z11 Neo.
Z11 Neo is a mid-tower chassis which is tailored to the gamer. It’s physical appearance is aggressive with futuristic lines and LED lighting – all of which will suit those with a leaning away from the plain and mundane.
We’ve produced a video review of Z11 Neo which details all of the included features, demonstrates a an ATX test system installed and highlights the clearance options inside for components such as water-cooling. Please check out our video review or hit play on the video below:
About Zalman
Zalman Tech Co., Ltd. was founded in 1999 and introduced to the computer industry the concept of “Noiseless Computing.” In a world filled with noisy computers, “silent” cooling solutions were sought everywhere and contributed to Zalman’s rapid growth into the world’s leader of high performance, ultra-quiet PC cooling solutions.
Zalman continues to lead in the industry through decisive R & D investments, peerless craftsmanship, intensive global marketing, and generous customer support. Business diversification with innovation such as 2D/3D Convertible LCD Monitors, Heatpipe Cooled Power Supplies, Notebook Coolers, Surround Sound & Dual Stereo Headphones holds true to Zalman’s promise to provide “Cool Innovations”. Please visit www.zalman.com for more information.
Zalman continues to lead in the industry through decisive R & D investments, peerless craftsmanship, intensive global marketing, and generous customer support. Business diversification with innovation such as 2D/3D Convertible LCD Monitors, Heatpipe Cooled Power Supplies, Notebook Coolers, Surround Sound & Dual Stereo Headphones holds true to Zalman’s promise to provide “Cool Innovations”. Please visit www.zalman.com for more information.
Technical Specifications
Below are the technical details surrounding Zalman Z11 Neo – directly from Zalman themselves:
Dimensions ( W x H x D)
205 x 465 x 515mm
Motherboards
Standard ATX / Micro ATX
Power Supply Unit
Standard ATX / ATX 12V
PCI-E / AGP Card Compatiblility
Full size 270~400mm
Expansion Slots
7 slot
Color
Black
Drive Bays
5.25″ External Bay x 1
3.5″ /2.5″ Internal Bay x 6 External Bay x 2
Cooling
Front: 2 x 120mm Fan Vent (1 LED Fan Included)
Rear: 1 x 120mm Fan Vent (1 Fan Included)
Top: 2 x 120/140mm Fan Vent (1 LED Fan Included)
Bottom: 1 x 120/140mm Fan Vent (Fan Optional)
Side: 2 x 80mm Fan Vent (2 Fan Included)
I/O Ports: 1 x Microphone, 1 x Headphones, 2 x USB 3.0, 2 x USB 2.0ATX
205 x 465 x 515mm
Motherboards
Standard ATX / Micro ATX
Power Supply Unit
Standard ATX / ATX 12V
PCI-E / AGP Card Compatiblility
Full size 270~400mm
Expansion Slots
7 slot
Color
Black
Drive Bays
5.25″ External Bay x 1
3.5″ /2.5″ Internal Bay x 6 External Bay x 2
Cooling
Front: 2 x 120mm Fan Vent (1 LED Fan Included)
Rear: 1 x 120mm Fan Vent (1 Fan Included)
Top: 2 x 120/140mm Fan Vent (1 LED Fan Included)
Bottom: 1 x 120/140mm Fan Vent (Fan Optional)
Side: 2 x 80mm Fan Vent (2 Fan Included)
I/O Ports: 1 x Microphone, 1 x Headphones, 2 x USB 3.0, 2 x USB 2.0ATX
Thermal Performance Testing
Within Z11 Neo there five cooling fans included which involve three 120mm and two 80mm solutions. The 120mm solutions are situated at the front, rear and top while the 80mm fans are embedded within the side panels around the hard drive cages. This arrangement follows a traditional cooling methodology with the added bonus of having the side fans and we should therefore expect good results.
To discover the thermal performance of Z11 Neo we will record idle temperatures after 20 minutes from a cold boot. We will then stress the system and temperatures will again be monitored after 20 minutes have elapsed.
The delta temperatures are recorded for the test with the ambient being subtracted from the reported maximum core temperatures from the test.
System Components
CPU Intel Pentium K G3258 @ 4GHz
Motherboard GIGABYTE Z87X-D3H
CPU Cooler Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO
Graphics NVIDIA GTX 760
Memory 4GB Kingston HyperX DDR3
HDD Samsung Spinpoint 500GB SATA-II
PSU DeepCool DQ750
Motherboard GIGABYTE Z87X-D3H
CPU Cooler Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO
Graphics NVIDIA GTX 760
Memory 4GB Kingston HyperX DDR3
HDD Samsung Spinpoint 500GB SATA-II
PSU DeepCool DQ750
Noise
Since Z11 Neo is quite open with plenty of ventilation and quite a number of cooling fans – the noise is noticeable. The 80mm fans embedded within the side panels are somewhat noisy; smaller fans do tend to emit more noise.
Conclusion
The styling on a computer chassis is especially subjective and fits in with a system builders preference and requirements. Although not excessively gaudy, the Zalman Z11 Neo steps over in the arena of the gamer with a bulky external design and LED lighting. While the aesthetics are a contrast to the wave of minimalistic cases currently gracing the market, we feel they are reasonably toned down and many should favour the physical appearance.
Inside, Z11 Neo has a fairly traditional layout. There is space for high-end kit – including support for closed loop radiators at the front and top of the chassis. The storage options inside this case are also something of a highlight with 2.5” and 3.5” drives being able to sit within the interchangeable cages and a single 2.5” drive can even be housed behind the motherboard tray.
Zalman include a total of five cooling fans inside Z11 Neo – three 120mm and two 80mm. Based on these inclusions and the relatively open design, fan noise is noticeable. We’re pleased to see Zalman placing these fans in key areas to optimise the cooling potential.
One aspect we were rather disappointed with was the disposable PCI covers. Each of the expansion slots feature these throw-away items and cannot be used again once they are removed. We expect this type of feature on an entry-level chassis but sits above such cases. The HDD trays are also somewhat flimsy and they flex without much persuasion (as shown in our video review) – we hope Zalman can improve on the build quality of these items in future.
Z11 Neo arrives with a price-tag of £58 GBP / $80 USD – which means this case is an affordable enclosure for those wanting to keep the costs down. At this price we regard Z11 Neo as good value for money.
Z11 Neo is an affordable comptuer chassis that will appeal to gamers who prefer an aggressive design but require the skill-set of a high performing enclosure.
VIDEO REVIEW – VORTEZ TV
Pros
+ Aggressive, futuristic design
+ Can accommodate high-performance hardware
+ Compatible with water cooling radiators
+ Excellent cable management
+ Good cooling performance
+ Five cooling fans included
Cons
– Disposable PCI covers
– flimsy HDD trays
– LED fan at front cannot be seen
+ Aggressive, futuristic design
+ Can accommodate high-performance hardware
+ Compatible with water cooling radiators
+ Excellent cable management
+ Good cooling performance
+ Five cooling fans included
Cons
– Disposable PCI covers
– flimsy HDD trays
– LED fan at front cannot be seen
Click here for an explanation of our awards at Vortez.net.
