MSI MAG PANO 100R PZ White Gaming Case
Since the MSI B850 GAMING PLUS WiFi PZ is a unique motherboard, MSI sent along a case for us to use in testing, which is purpose-built for mounting “Back-Connect” motherboards. We thought it appropriate to show a bit of the build process for this review to introduce the case. This case will be used for three reviews, and we will have a full formal review of the MSI MAG PANO 100R PZ as we go along in Project Zero. MSI sending a PC case was much appreciated as our motherboard testing platform has no back accessibility whatsoever.
The MAG PANO 100R PZ is a mid-tower case that can house MATX or full ATX motherboards. It is a bit squatty and wide, but this fits the purpose quite well. There is ample room inside to work both from the front and the back. Due to the fitment of the motherboard, you need room in the back for cable management and the MAG PANO 100R PZ is perfectly designed. There is over 3 1/2″ of width to work with in the back. The mounting position of the PSU is perfect.
Before:
In the before photos, you get an idea of the arrangement of the mounting space for the motherboard and also the PSU. The cut-outs are perfectly arranged for the back connections. There are also a number of fastener slots for Velcro or zip-ties. The PSU mount is placed to reach the cut-outs easily. Once you are done, there are two small doors that swing closed to cover the cables from sight in the rear. The doors have double duty as they are slotted to mount SSDs.
In the before shot, one can see there are quite a few cables that accompany the case. These are not only front of case connectors but also fan cables. MSI includes four RGB fans with the case. It did take a little time to arrange all the wiring. The case has a fan control header that is positioned just above the top of the motherboard mount. You can see in the after photo that there is no cable visible inside the case, save for the PCIe power to the graphics card. With little effort, we had a very clean-looking PC build in a very short time.
After:
The MAG PANO 100R PZ measures 17 1/2″ (L) x 17 1/4″ (H) X 11″ (W). Inside, there is a maximum 4 3/4″ width for a graphics card and up to 16 1/2″ to the very front of the glass. There are radiator/fan mounts on top, bottom, and front-right-side, which could house 360 radiators without issue. The mounting brackets can accommodate 120 or 140mm fans. The left side panel and front panel are tempered glass, and the right side panel is covered by a metal mesh. The case comes with a vertical video card mount as well as the horizontal mount we used. You would need to buy a GPU riser cable if you wanted to use the vertical mount. Overall, we found the MSI MAG PANO 100R PZ case to be well designed, well constructed, and very easy to work in.
