A Closer Look – Outside
Several things immediately caught my attention when I unpacked the new Fatal1ty enclosure. The clean lines and bold styling are striking. My immediate impression was, ‘Wow — I like the looks of this case’! The heavy-duty construction is obvious, the black anodized finish is uniform inside and out, but man for an aluminum case this thing heavy!
For perspective — the vast majority of PC enclosures are made from thin sheet metal (steel or aluminum) that is stamped into shape and pop-riveted together. Clip on some plastic trim pieces and you have a case that is relatively sturdy, lightweight, and easy to manufacture (inexpensive). On the other hand, the Fatal1ty case is made up of machined parts that must be hand assembled, which results in a much higher quality product. Instead of sheet metal, the Fatal1ty enclosure is built using 5mm (0.20′) thick, extruded aluminum channels and plates, which are bolted together with SHCSs (Socket Head Cap Screw). This is why the case is so heavy.
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OK, on with the review. The Fatal1ty enclosure front panel has one of the nicest layouts of any case I have reviewed. Centered in the top section of the front panel are four 5.25′ bays and one 3.5′ bay. Plenty of room for two or three optical drives, a multi-function display controller, and a universal card reader — just right for the majority of users.
The drive bay covers are made from machined pieces of aluminum (not cheap sheet metal) and each have a different logo on the front. Its no wonder Zalman didn’t include the top bay cover as most users will discard one or more of them anyway.
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Just above the two front intake fans is a neatly organized control panel with all the basic I/O ports. Functionally and ergonomically this is a very good location — high enough to be easy to use and below the drive bays so as not to get in the way. When the power is turned on, both fans and the Power and Reset buttons light up red, which really gives the case an aggressive look. The Fatal1ty logo is laser-etched across the bottom of the front panel.
The left side panel is actually a hinged door that includes a viewing window. Two chrome thumb screws and an easy to use latch hold the door closed. The large window is clear and provides a good view of the internal goodies while keeping the drive bays out of sight. While certainly attractive and functional, the acrylic window seems rather thin next to the heavy metal door.
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This is the second PC enclosure I have reviewed recently that uses a hinged door side panel. At first this may seem like a good idea and a neat new feature but in practice it can prove a little frustrating if the door gets in the way while working in the case. The key to a successful door (in my opinion) is to make it easy to remove, but unfortunately the FC-ZE1 side door is not. We’ll discuss this a little more in the Installation section later on.
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The clean right side of the Fatal1ty case consists of two metal plates. The larger rear plate is not intended to be removed (but as we will see later, it can be). The smaller front plate is held on with six Socket Head Cap Screws and must be removed to access the right side of the upper drive bays to install or remove drives. This may seem like a lot of work to some and strikes me as the perfect spot for a hinged door!
There are two subtle details worth noting here. The first is the use of SHCSs throughout the FC-ZE1 chassis and the second is the liberal application of white lettering. Anyone familiar with industrial electronics, the machine tool industry, or high-end industrial audio-video gear will immediately recognize the look I believe Zalman is trying to capture with the Fatal1ty FC-ZE1 enclosure. It can be summed up with heavy-duty construction, a svelte black anodized finish, SHCSs, and lots of silk-screened or laser-etched logos, cautions, and/or operating instructions on exposed surfaces. On the one hand you might be wondering why you have to remove six SHCSs to access the drive bays or why there is a warning printed underneath the window that reads: Caution When Viewing Internal Components, Protective Eyewear Is Recommended — what does Zalman think I’m going to put in there anyway?!? However, I don’t believe this is so much an issue of structural integrity or safety as it is in creating the look… 🙂
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Moving around to the back side of the case reveals a typical mid-tower ATX style layout. The power supply opening is at the top with a 120mm Fatal1ty exhaust fan mounted below.
Zalman elected to use audiophile style feet on the Fatal1ty enclosure, which from a distance looks great and gives the case an extra touch of class. But up close it turns out the feet are actually plastic — not the higher quality metal style feet Zalman uses on their own HTPC chassis. Why put cheap plastic feet on an otherwise high-quality, heavy-duty enclosure?
