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Comparison Zalman N3 black vs Zalman N2 black

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Zalman N3 black
Zalman N2 black
Zalman N3 blackZalman N2 black
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Featuresgaminggaming
Form factorMidi TowerMidi Tower
Mountverticalvertical
Motherboard support
ATX /micro-ATX, mini-ITX/
ATX /micro-ATX, mini-ITX/
PSU form factorATX (regular)ATX (regular)
Computer case
Dimensions (HxWxD)467x195x457 mm425x197x446 mm
Graphics card max lenght360 mm360 mm
Fan max height155 mm155 mm
Weight5.1 kg4.4 kg
Materialsteelsteel
Rubber feet
Lighting typebacklit fanbacklit fan
Lighting colourwhite
Side panelremovableremovable
Storage
PSU
PSU mountbottombottom
5.25" bays11
3.5" bays22
internal 2.5" compartments23
Expansion slots99
Screwless
Cooling
Fans total33
Fans (back)1x120mm1x120mm
Fans (front)
2x120mm /2x140mm/
2x120mm
Fans (top)2x120mm
Fan mounts total53
Dust filter++
Connectors and functions
Placementon top of the caseon top of the case
Fan controler
USB 2.022
USB 3.2 gen111
Audio (microphone/headphones)
More features
Front panellatticelattice
Side panel window++
More features
hidden wiring
CPU cooling mount window
hidden wiring
CPU cooling mount window
Color
Added to E-Catalogfebruary 2018february 2018

Lighting colour

For more on decorative lighting in general, see Light Type above. Here we note that it can have different shades, and sometimes several options are indicated in the characteristics at once. If these options are listed through "and" (for example, "red, blue and green") — this means that this model contains all the specified colours, and the user can switch between them at his discretion. If the shades are listed through “or” (for example, “red, blue or green”), this means that this model is available in several versions that differ in the colour of the backlight.

Special mention is the "RGB" option. This is the name of the most advanced backlight, the shade of which can be chosen at your discretion. However the original RGB backlighting is capable of simultaneously displaying only one of several basic colours (white, yellow, green, red, blue or purple); nevertheless, even these possibilities are enough to customize the appearance of the case and apply various effects (such as backlight synchronization — see below).

And relatively recently, an even more advanced type of adjustable systems has appeared — ARGB backlight. The key difference between ARGB and classic RGB is the possibility of simultaneous operation of diodes of different colours. In other words, classic RGB lighting can display only one colour at a time, while ARGB can display several colours, which provides additional effects. Also, ARGB lighting is connecte...d using a 3pin 5v connector, while regular RGB uses a 4pin 12v connection. It can be represented by various types of illumination. So, ARGB is often integrated into the cooling system, the front panel and magnetic LED strips, which the user can mount at his discretion. To control the backlight, a special controller is usually provided, and buttons or controls for switching the illumination operation modes are placed on the interface panel. In some cases, the backlight is controlled by the motherboard, through a special connector. Many ARGB systems support the ability to fine-tune through specialized software.

internal 2.5" compartments

The number of internal 2.5" bays provided in the case design.

Such bays are mainly used for installing internal hard drives and SSD modules; The 2.5" form factor was originally created as "laptop" form factor, but recently it has been increasingly used in components for full-size PCs. At the same time, when evaluating the number of these bays, note that drives are recommended to be installed through a slot; so in Ideally, the number of bays should be twice the planned number of drives.

Also note that some cases use combined bays: initially they have a size of 3.5", but if desired, they can be converted to 2.5". These bays count towards both 3.5-inch and 2.5-inch slots. In fact, this means that the total number of available slots is not always equal to the sum of the number of both. For example, a case with 10 3.5" bays and 6 2.5" bays can have 4 combined bays, and the total number of slots in this case will not be 16, but only 12.

Fans (top)

The number of fan slots on the top side of the case, and the size of the fans these slots are designed for. The presence of the fans themselves in the kit should be specified separately.

The larger the fan, the more advanced it is considered: a large diameter allows you to work efficiently at relatively low speeds, which reduces the noise level and energy consumption. Case fans are available in several standard diameters, and the seats under them can be designed for both one and several sizes — for example, 120 / 140 mm. At the same time, in some models, the available number of seats also depends on the chosen size: for example, there are gaming cases where you can install either one 180 mm fan or four 120 mm fans at once.

Fan mounts total

The total number of places for installing fans provided in the chassis design.

The more performant the system, the more components it includes — the more powerful cooling it will need; therefore, the number of places for fans, usually, is directly related to the size and purpose of the case. It is also worth considering that with the same number, the installation location of individual fans may be different — behind, on the side, on top, etc.

Fan controler

The ability to manually control the rotation speed of the fans installed in the case.

This function allows you to adjust the operation of the fans to the specific situation. For example, in cool weather with a light load, you can reduce the speed (or even turn off the fan altogether), reducing power consumption and noise level, and increase it when starting a demanding game. Also note that there are software tools that allow you to automatically adjust the speed of the fans; so that instead of manual control, this function can be entrusted to automation.

The fan control system is usually equipped with the most advanced case models.
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