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Product:
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Zalman HD135 Aluminum HTPC Case |
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Price:
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$343 (CDN) / $299 (U.S)
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Supplied By:
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Zalman
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Author:
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Hi-TEK
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Date:
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December 31st, 2006
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Rating:
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Click image for larger view
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Click image for larger view
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The external 5.25" drive bay works exactly like the internal 3.5" drive bays and is secured by one single screw allowing
consumers to remove it from the chassis. Since the 5.25" external drive bay is designed for an optical drive installation;
any CDROM or DVD drive that is mounted will sit directly behind the front bezel. In order to allow easy access to the
optical drive, a trial and error approach must be used in order for the installation to line up correctly.
Once all the drive cages have been removed you get a good look at the installation of the integrated VLSystem M-Play
16x2 VFD module. The unit is powered by a modified 5-pin floppy connector that can be attached to any free Molex connector.
One unique aspect about the VLSystem M-Play VFD module is that it also incorporates a built-in IR receiver that works
with bundled Zalman software and remote control. There are 2 additional fan headers which allow consumers to control
RPM speeds of the bundled fans via a software based control system.
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Click image for larger view
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Click image for larger view
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The VFD module also incorporates temperature monitoring using 2 thermal probes which can be positioned in areas
which generate the most heat. The two USB, Firewire IEEE1394, Audio and Headphone ports are affixed to the front panel
using port extender cables. The USB and Audio ports include pin headers for mounting the ports internally. The Zalman HD135
also includes standard motherboard header pins for the Power Switch and Power LED.
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Click image for larger view
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Click image for larger view
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Installing components into the Zalman HD135 Aluminum HTPC Case is a straightforward process that can be completed in
less than two hours. I strongly recommend using the users manual as a reference since it systematically provides you
the order of steps to proceed in order to complete the installation. In order to test out the Zalman HD135, I assembled the
following components:
- Asus P4P800-VM Motherboard
- Intel P4 2.4E CPU w/stock heatsink
- Asus V9520 GeForce FX5200 Video card
- 2 x Corsair CMX512-3200LL Pro DDR SDRAM
- 1 x 80GB DiamondMax 9 Hard Drive
- 2 x 200GB DiamondMax 10 Hard Drives
- 2 x Hauppauge WinTV PVR-250 Tuner Cards
- LG GSA-4163 DVD +/-R/RW Drive
- Fortron Blue Storm FSP400-60THN-R PSU
One important point to note is that consumers should be prepared to deal with the large amount of cabling that needs to
be attached to the VFD module.
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