Review: Zalman H1

Conclusion

Zalman has spruced-up its range of full-tower PC enclosures with a £100 addition that offers an array of features for an agreeable fee.

Arriving with Auto Heat Ventilation in tow, the H1 stands out from the crowd with automated top vents that react to internal temperature. Sounds entirely superfluous, and in truth it probably is, but the sports-car-like fins do offer something different and Zalman's implementation works well.

The H1 barely misses a step when it comes to the essentials - drive bays and expansion slots are plentiful, GPU and CPU clearance is ample, and the four pre-installed fans deliver adequate airflow. Building on those solid foundations, Zalman has incorporated a multi-channel fan controller that helps keeps noise levels in check, a temperature probe with external display, and a GPU brace that prevents graphics cards from sagging.

These value-adds help make the H1 an enjoyable enclosure to build into and use, but Zalman's attempts to keep pricing low has had an impact on overall build quality. The chassis feels noticeably lightweight for a full-tower solution, there are large swathes of plastic that we feel detract from an otherwise sleek exterior, and the end result is a feature-packed and quirky chassis that's lacking in premium feel.

In the market for an affordable full-tower chassis that's a little different to the norm? Zalman's H1 may not exude quality, but it's fun to use, easy to build into and available for £100.

Zalman H1

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The Zalman H1 chassis is available to purchase from Scan Computers, Ebuyer and Dabs.

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