A Closer Look - Outside

As there are some smooth and shiny parts to the case, Zalman placed another layer of plastic film on top of those parts. Overall, the case does look quite nice with its uniquely shaped window and front lined with drive bays, and the elaborate top cover.


The front consists of ten 5.25" drive bays which are filled by metal-mesh-equipped covers. The PSU bay in the rear can be found on the bottom of the chassis, with a white fan shining through the large metal air vent in the rear of the case. Zalman has extruded the side panel of the MS800 Plus slightly along the edge of the uniquely shaped window. You will also find the name of the case in the bottom-right corner. Turning the case over, there is the same type of extrusion, but it obviously lacks the window and print.


Taking a closer look at the front of the chassis, the very bottom cover covers a full three bays. Taking the bottom of the front off reveals three 3.5" hard drive trays. These are actually hot-swappable, thanks to the included PCB on the back of the cage we will see later on. Above that are the traditional seven drive bays. Each of the covers is easily removable because of a clipping system. Look closely and you will also find a 5.25" to 3.25" drive-bay adapter in the second slot. Zalman has also placed an appropriate frame within this drive bay, so that you may install smaller devices, like card readers, right out of the box.


Turning the MS800 Plus around, the aforementioned PSU bay on the bottom of the chassis comes with two sets of mounting holes, so that you may install a power supply with the fan facing up or down. Above that are the seven motherboard-expansion slots. Every slot is protected by an individual cover. The screws are part the exterior. While thumbscrews would have been nice, the use of traditional ones makes more sense in this scenario as thumbscrews would present a security issue if you were to take the system to a LAN party, for example.


In the top is the I/O panel consisting of two USB 2.0 and two USB 3.0 connectors. The usual audio plugs are also at the top, and Zalman has even included a large dial to control the speed of any connected fans. You will also find two large power and reset buttons here. Beyond this panel is a rubber-coated pad for connected devices, as a resting place for your phone or external hard drive. It is a neat feature because it keeps such parts from scratching up the top of the case. In the very rear of the top panel is a fairly elaborate vent for the cooling fans below.


Interestingly enough, Zalman has gone all out and placed the same type of elaborate panel on the underside of the chassis, though you will most likely never see it during normal operation. A large and long dust filter may be pulled out through the rear of the back for easy cleaning. It is made purely of metal mesh and is then not as fine as it should be—it will not keep every dust particle from entering the chassis.