NZXT Panzerbox Mid Tower Case Review

Manufacturer Product Page: NZXT Panzerbox
Model Name: Panzerbox
TechWiki Info: NZXT Panzerbox - TechWiki
Price: Click here to compare prices
Warranty: 1 Year



We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: it’s an exciting time to be buying a PC enclosure. Enthusiast cases are becoming ever more feature packed, they cool better and many of them are able to deliver all of this improved goodness at lower prices. One look at the $60 NZXT Beta that we recently reviewed only proves our point and shows just how much you can get for your hard earned loonie these days.

Founded only five years ago back in 2004, NZXT is a relatively new player in the PC hardware market. Their product lineup consists of PC enclosures, input peripherals and power supplies, but enclosures seem to be their specialty. NZXT is a California based company, with manufacturing plants in both China and Taiwan.

Today we’ll be looking at a rather unique case with some rather unique dimensions; the NZXT Panzerbox. Named after the German “Panzer” tank used in world war two, the Panzerbox shares a similar wide tank-like stance and packs a lot of cooling power into a small space. Although the Panzerbox accepts full-size ATX motherboards, it is undeniably short, standing at a mere 17.9 inches tall. To put this into perspective, the Thermaltake Spedo stands at a towering 24 inches. Although the case appears thick and bears very striking resemblance to a tank, the case is actually not all that wide at only 9.6 inches from side to side. Tank-like appearance aside, the Panzerbox is actually constructed almost entirely out of alumunium; a very non-tank-like material. NZXT tells us that “Compared to similar products with high airflow and ATX expandability, the Panzerbox is almost 25% smaller and 50% lighter”.

In the cooling department, NZXT really hopes to pack a whole lot of CFM into a small package. Two oversize 190mm fans dominate the front and top of the Panzerbox, with a 120mm fan at the rear. NZXT markets the Panzerbox as providing a whopping 300CFM of combined air movement, for – as NZXT puts it - “the best airflow in its class”. We’ve certainly seen our fair share of oversize fans over the last while, but they are usually tuned for low RPM and low noise operation, unlike the Panzerbox. NZXT also tailors the Panzerbox to those interested in watercooling, with included support for internal radiators.

Although the Panzerbox has an aggressive name, and some aggressive cooling potential, it is actually part of NZXT’s “Classic Series” of cases. Most of these cases are very simple in appearance, with only subtle styling accents, much like the Panzerbox. Although this case is clearly tailored to enthusiasts with its cooling configuration and watercooling potential, it’s simple appearance means that it will be of interest to enthusiasts and just about anyone looking for something more interesting than a regular beige box. Priced at only around $129, the Panzerbox is aimed squarely at the value conscious market, who wants the most bang for the buck.

Without further ado, let’s take a closer look at NZXT’s Panzerbox.