Azza Z Mini ITX Gaming Case Review

Most enthusiasts looking into a SFF case, like the Z, will be juggling the SFF size against the performance limitations and looking for that golden combination.  A smaller footprint brings compromises right?  Well the Azza Z may be more compatible than you think.

If first impressions are your thing it is hard to top the Z’s bold green striped vents.  The effect is particularly effective when the case is upright on the optional stand.  Both the top and bottom of the case (or the sides if you set things flat) are vented as well. 

Along the right side you’ll find two USB ports along with front mounted headphone and microphone jacks.  The two USB ports are not the same color and actually support both USB speed standards.  A single blue USB 3.0 and for added compatibility two USB 2.0 ports shown in black.

The front has changes slightly from the custom face we saw on the Zeus mini but it still looks sharp.  Three lighted accents flank the slim optical drive bay and provide the power and drive activity indicators. Adding a mini optical drive used to be a bit of a compatibility guessing game but the rising popularity of SFF cases has made these drives cheaper and easier to find.

The back of the Z may house the biggest surprise.  There is no space for a power supply, just the central plug. Most Mini-ITX cases follow a traditional stacked configuration where the PSU is positioned at the top of the case and sits directly over the CPU.  This configuration is not only extremely wide but limits your cooling options.

Of course all those tightly packed components would be a nightmare without proper cooling.  Here is a closer look at the green mesh setup.  As you can see a lot of airflow is available on the sides where these vents are positioned strategically over the critical components. 

Bet you didn’t notice the stripes were different on both sides to aid cooling.  Go ahead, look back! I’ll wait.

To support the trend towards SFF and virtual machines sitting vertical Azza has provided this stout bracket.  The bracket is even slanted to keep the venting on the down side from getting completely blocked. Did I mention it looks much better standing up?