Installation
Test rig
| CPU | Intel Core 2 Quad Q9400 |
| Motherboad | Gigabyte EP45 DS3R |
| RAM | Kingston HyperX DDR2 800 |
| Heatsink | Vantec AeroFlow FX 120 |
| GPU | Palit Radeon 4850 |
| Power Supply |
FSP Group Everest 80PLUS 700 |
Installing my rig into the NZXT Panzerbox was incredibly easy due to the removable motherboard tray. Once I fastened my mobo onto the tray and installed the necessary components I just had to slide it back into the case. It was at this point I noticed something that could be an issue. My giant Vantec AeroFlow FX 120 heatsink was almost too big to get back inside the case. I could see this tray meeting the needs of anyone with a stock heatsink or an aftermarket that is mostly tall, but anything like the Thermaltake Maxorb might have to be installed in the case. Luckily there is still plenty of room inside this mid-tower case for such an installation. Also, just as NZXT states, there is plenty of room for my full sized Palit ATI Radeon 4850 graphics card. This case could easily fit any standard SLI or Crossfire configuration; large and bulky GPUs might not fit though because of the positioning of the PSU.
 |
 |
Once the motherboard was in, I installed the hard drive into the removable rack. This was also painless, though the positioning of the thumb screw made it difficult to remove without a screwdriver. Installing the optical drive was also easy, though NZXT’s initial screwing of the screws was a little tight. Another thing to note, NZXT’s manual is in black and white and in a very low contrast, so some parts of the manual were a little bit hard to follow; this was not a big problem though. Finally I installed the power supply, which is in front of the GPU against the side panel. This configuration allows for a lot of extra room, but requires you to remove the PSU during upgrades.
The PSU is in an odd spot, but there is till plenty of room.
Turning it on!
After turning the Panzerbox on, one thing came to mind: This sucker is loud! NZXT designed this case to be light, and have high airflow which sadly leaves silence lacking. You can hear the 300CFM of airflow! Luckily, simply using a fan controller will reduce the loudness (I suggest the NZXT Sentry 2 that I reviewed last week). I do notice a little bit of vibration rattling from the fans from time to time, but it’s not that big of a deal. Air flow is top notch and there is nothing but cool air coming from the front, back and top of this case.
Conclusion
NZXT has definitely produced a top notch product here. Never have I had so much room in a mid-tower case, or experienced this much airflow. While this case lacks phosphorescent bling (a huge plus IMHO), it definitely makes up for it with it’s slick design and featherweight architecture. For serious gamers on the go, this case is for you, and while $119 is up there if you are on a budget, you get what you pay for and then some. The NZXT Panzerbox is definitely champion material and deserves the TechwareLabs Awesome Hardware Award.
Decent review, but concerning this:
“They even went as far as cutting vents into the PCI slot brackets to reduce weight. I weighed one in at .1 ounces while a standard bracket weighs .5 ounces. That’s a difference of 2.8lbs by simply cutting vents into the slot brackets”
First, the actual fact why slots are vented is simply ventilation, not weight reduction. Lian-Li and Silverstone, for two, have been doing this exact same thing to their slot covers and is always promoted by them as being done to assist ventilation, not weight reduction.
Also, your math is horribly wrong. It’s not a reduction of 2.8lbs as you said, but a reduction of 2.8 ounces. Here’s the math—-regular slot cover 0.5oz, vented slot cover 0.1oz, for a difference of 0.4oz per slot cover. Multiply 0.4oz per cover times 7 slot covers and you come up with 2.8 ounces, not pounds.
You cannot get a pound multiplying four-tenths of an ounce times seven (remember, there are 16oz in a pound)……you’d have to have at 40 slot covers to achieve a single pound of weight reduction, and a whole 112 slot covers to get to your reputed 2.8 pound weight reduction…..don’t know where they put all 112 slot covers, do you?
And that’s why the covers were NOT slotted or vented for weight reduction…..simply saving a couple of ounces is not worth the work. But to improve ventilation through the case, now that’s worth the extra machining and work to vent the covers.
Cheers!