Introduction
LAN parties are fun, but hauling a 40lbs. desktop up three flights of stares for a 6 hour death-match can be a turn off. That’s why great companies, like NZXT, strive to make the lightest of the light computer case that allow you, the gamer, the powerful components you need/deserve and still be able to make it up those stares. In this corner, we have NZXT’s Panzerbox mid-tower LAN case. This featherweight can pack a heavyweight and not tire you out on the trip to the LAN as well as provide the proper cooling for your portable heater. We’ll weigh in the NZXT Panzerbox after the break.
Here is what NZXT has to say about the Panzerbox:
“Panzerbox features the best airflow in its class, boasting two 190mm and one 120mm
fans that churn out a combined 300 CFM*. The Panzerbox’s pure aluminum design makes it a light and luxurious option for travel and LAN parties and the welded chassis enhances strength and support. Dual radiator support and full expandab
ility with room for high performance 10.5″ cards, 4 hard drives, 3 5.25″ drive bays, and oversized heatsinks offer gamers and enthusiasts even more options to increase performance while a removable motherboard tray makes upgrades easy and painless.”
Features and Specifications
- Mid Sized, Extreme Performance : Fitted with dual high performance 150CFM controllable 190cm* fans and a dual radiator bracket to provide the best performance, the Panzerbox offers high performance for a mid sized case due to its unique layout.
- Removable Motherboard Tray: A removable motherboard tray makes upgrading easy and painless.
- Pure Aluminum: Build in all aluminum, the Panzerbox is light and luxurious, perfect for traveling and showing off at LAN parties. Compared to similar products with high airflow and ATX expandability, the Panzerbox is almost 25% smaller and 50% lighter.
- Full Expandability: Room for high performance 10.5″ cards, over sized heatsinks, even larger dual radiator solutions.
- Top mounted USB/Audio/ESATA Ports
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Model Brand NZXT Model CS-NT-PANZER-B Spec Type ATX Mid Tower Color Black Case Material Aluminum With Power Supply No Motherboard Compatibility ATX, Micro-ATX, BABY AT Expansion External 5.25″ Drive Bays 3 External 3.5″ Drive Bays 3 Internal 3.5″ Drive Bays 4 Expansion Slots 7 Front Ports Front Ports USB, Audio, e-SATA Cooling System 120mm Fans 1 x120mm rear fan Physical Spec Dimensions 17.9″ x 17.9″ x 9.6″ Weight 13.8 lbs.
*Emphasis added
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!