The Test System
To put the NZXT Panzerbox through it’s paces, I installed my current test rig. This system is also (most of) the rig that will be following me to Fragapalooza this year. The component roll call looks something like this:
- AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition CPU
- GIGABYTE GA-MA790FXT-UD5P AM3 790FX Motherboard
- Corsair XMS3 DHX 4GB DDR3-1600 Dual Channel Memory Kit
- GIGABYTE GV-R489-1GH-B Radeon HD 4890 Video Card
- Kingston SSDnow V-Series 128GB Solid State Hard Drive
- Thermaltake SpinQ Heatpipe CPU Cooler
- Lian Li MAXIMA Force Extreme PS-A650GB 650W Power Supply
The benchmarks performed on this case consisted of placing a fair degree of load on the system, and measuring the temperature of some key components and the interior of the case. We used OCCT to place the required amount of load on our test rig. We also measured the acoustic properties of the case, since how loud a computer is tends to be important to a fair number of people. We’ll get to those benchmarks soon, but first…
System Installation
Despite it’s compact size, it was fairly easy to install a full system into the NZXT Panzerbox. This is most likely due to its layout, as well as the features implemented. The removable motherboard tray does make installation of the major components a simple affair as you are able to install the motherboard, CPU, RAM, expansion cards, and a monster CPU cooler all outside of the case. Once that’s done everything just slides in.
Since this is a smaller case with a unique layout, there still is a method to installation that you’ll want to follow. Still things are pretty straight-forward. I didn’t once consult the included user manual, but it does have some tips in it should you get stuck. With all that being said, things aren’t all completely rosy.
The one big thing to be aware of with the Panzerbox is cable management. Due to the shape of the case and the position of the power supply, you’ll want to have plenty of zip ties and other types of cable tie down handy. Now my efforts were rather rushed, resulting in what you see pictured. However with every power supply having it’s cables exiting from the same approximate location, you are still left with a big bundle of power cables shooting out right in the middle of your case.
I would strongly recommend using a modular power supply with this case; a tip I confirmed when I switched to a NZXT Precision Power 1000W power supply to support the rest of the components going in this LAN rig.
Obviously things aren’t all bad with the interior of the Panzerbox. Even with all your components installed, you’ll still have a good amount room to work around the CPU and RAM. You will need to remove the power supply to access expansion cards, but you can also simply slide out the motherboard tray. The Panzerbox does truly hold an impressive amount of hardware for it’s size.