The first thing we thought about when we pulled the AZZA Genesis 9000 out of the box was the videogame Portal. The case has a clean, sleek, and white exterior (a black version is also available) with blue LED accents that reminded us of Aperture Science. But once we got over our urge to run out and play through afew test chambers, we were happy to see that the Genesis 9000 had a lot more to offer gamers and enthusiasts than looks. The top panel features two USB 3.0 ports, two USB 2.0 ports, one eSATA port,
and mic and headphone ports. This is also where you’ll find the controls for the fans and LED lights.The top panel is removable, so you can gain access to the cables and two large 230mm fans just beneath it. Speaking of fans, the Genesis 9000 has no shortage of cooling options. It includes seven total fans located at the top, bottom, side, and rear of the case. We haven’t seen too many cases that include this many fans, so even the hottest-running machines should stay nice and cool. And it doesn’t stop there. The Genesis 9000 has enough space to support radiators up to 480mm, so you can cool your system to your heart’s content. Also, you can rotate the motherboard tray 180 degrees, which puts your graphics card(s) closer to the two large fans at the top. It’s easy to see that AZZA’s goal with this case was to make installation a no-hassle affair from start to finish. The side panels are easy to remove, for quick access to components and cables. The motherboard tray has a large CPU cooler cutout and grommeted holes for cable management. The bottom portion of the case is built to hold two power supplies (if that’s your style). You can install graphics cards up to 15.7 inches long, and AZZA does more than simply carve out that space inside: The Genesis 9000 has a built-in brace that helps support the weight of your graphics cards. In terms of external and internal bays, the Genesis 9000 features a whopping nine 5.25-inch external drive slots and five 2.5/3.5-inch internal slots. AZZA also includes two Easy Swap 2.5-inch SSD slots and two Easy Swap 3.5-inch HDD slots, so you can quickly adjust them and install the storage drives you need. This particular case uses black plastic clips to hold drives. We were able to slide a drive into place and lock it with little effort, further cementing the fact that AZZA simply wants to make life easier for builders. The AZZA Genesis 9000 is a beast of a case. It has a cool white exterior with stylish blue LED lighting, more than enough space for your motherboard and other components, and enough cooling options to keep your ice cream cold (which you’ll need for the party, whether or not the cake is a lie).
Specs: Dimensions: 25.1 x 9.8 x 23.2 inches (HxWxD); Materials: Steel, plastic; Motherboard support: XL-ATX, E-ATX, ATX, mATX; Bays: 9 5.25-inch external, 5 2.5/3.5-inch internal; Fan: 1
120mm rear, 2 230mm top, 2 120mm side, 2 140mm bottom
Genesis 9000
$169.99 (online)
AZZA
www.azzatek.com
