MSI MAG PANO 100L PZ Case Review

The MSI MAG PANO 100L PZ is MSI’s reverse connector take on the ‘fish tank’ style cases that have been popular in the market for the past few years. The PANO 100L PZ is a more affordable variant, contrasting to the sophisticated but pricey Maestro case released earlier in 2024. To see how this case compares, we’ve rigorously tested the PANO 100L PZ, assessing the build quality, airflow and versatility.

The main feature of the PANO range is its compatibility with MSI PROJECT ZERO motherboards. This board and case combination allows prospective buyers to build a clean and cable-free PC, enhanced by the seamless glass design showing all the components in their glory. This is a standard shift that many manufacturers have started to adopt, providing a way to easily tuck away and hide any cables while also saving some time during the building process.

While PROJECT ZERO cases are an exciting addition to the market, we’re curious to see what the MAG PANO 100L PZ provides to make it stand out compared to the vast selection of existing options. In this review, we’ll assess the specs, design, building quality and features to see how they compare to similar cases.

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Specification

The MSI MAG PANO 100L PZ is a mid-tower case utilising the familiar ‘fish tank’ style design that has grown in popularity since 2022. The vast majority of seamless glass cases offer a dual-chamber configuration, which is when the power supply, cabling and SATA drives are separated from the front of the case, hiding them from view. This synergises well with the support for PROJECT ZERO motherboards, where the power connectors and headers are also shifted to the back of the case, making cable management more seamless.

The MAG PANO 100L PZ supports up to E-ATX motherboards using a standard power connector configuration, while reverse connector Micro-ATX and ATX boards are accommodated. The MAG PANO 100L PZ also supports up to 380mm long graphics cards, with ample space for large RTX 4000 and Radeon 7000 series GPUs. There’s room for CPU air coolers up to 166mm tall and power supplies up to 200mm long.

Because of the glass panelling at the front, fans have been shifted to a side-mounted configuration. This allows the MAG PANO 100L PZ to house ten 120mm fans. It’s worth noting that the top panel does support three 140mm fans, but 120mm fans will need to be used if you’re looking to fill out the entire case. Regarding radiator support, the top, side, and bottom panels have space for 360mm radiators, while the rear is restricted to 120mm.

Drive support is limited, with room at the back of the case for either three 2.5-inch drives or two 3.5-inch drives. However, MSI has implemented additional storage support in a rather unique way, which we’ll touch upon later. Front IO is pretty solid, with three USB ports, a single USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Type-C port, two USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A ports, and a 3.5mm combo jack for a microphone or headset.

Contrasting to other PROJECT ZERO cases we’ve reviewed, the MAG PANO 100L PZ is highly affordable. At $129.99, from a glance, the MSRP of this case seems pretty reasonable considering the features on offer. You’re ultimately paying more for the addition of PROJECT ZERO support, which is why this case isn’t below $100.

However, as a standalone case with space for plenty of large components, such as 360mm radiators and GPUs up to 380mm long, the MAG PANO 100L PZ is reasonably priced compared to cases like the Maestro 700L PZ or the Corsair 6500X.

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MSI MAG PANO 100L PZ Design

Much like the many other cases released within the past few years, the MSI MAG PANO 100L PZ is another fish tank-style chassis with a tempered glass side and front panel. Admittedly, I have become quite bored of this design as it has been significantly overused, and there are few case manufacturers that haven’t jumped on the proverbial fish tank bandwagon.

However, the MAG PANO 100L PZ offers a sophisticated design. Instead of being a box with glass at the front and sides, the PANO is slightly angular. This resembles the HYTE Y60, which splits the glass into two distinct panels. Instead of wrapping around to the left, the glass sticks out to the right and then wraps around, showcasing the side panel mounting. This part of the case that sticks out is a good spot for some small figurines or RGB strips for those looking to spice up the case a bit more.

Both glass panels can be easily removed during installation, providing easy access to the internals and removing any hindrances out of your way. The metal around the case is rigid and sturdy, coloured in either white or black. The top of the case is slightly angled at the front, which offers a unique look, shying away from the traditional ‘metal box’ aesthetic.

One concern we always have with cases that use a significant amount of tempered glass is airflow. Despite our concerns, MSI has provided massive ventilation around the entire case, alleviating thermal issues. The top and side feature perforated removable panelling, while the bottom offers a magnetic filter to trap dust. It’s excellent that MSI has put a more significant focus on temperatures, as this is a common sacrifice we often see with dual-chamber cases to maintain a uniform but somewhat closed aesthetic.

Removing the opposing side panel exposes the rear chamber and shows the magnetic filter used to trap any dust or debris. This filter is attached to the side panel and can be easily removed to shake off any dust.

The rear chamber is quite open, contrasting with the limited space on the Maestro 700L PZ case. At the back of the case, MSI has provided a hinged panel to mount any additional SATA drives, of which there is space for two 3.5-inch or three 2.5-inch drives.

The rest of the rear chamber is pretty spacious. MSI boasts 90mm of cable routing space, which significantly reduces the possibility of any cable bulge. There are ample cutouts around the back for any cables to be threaded through, alongside rubber grommets and Velcro ties to hide them, further adhering to the design philosophy of maintaining a clean build.

From a glance, the power supply mounting looks like it would potentially cause clearance issues, but after installing a unit, we didn’t encounter any problems. There’s plenty of room behind the PSU to manage cables.

The IO for this case is located on one of the feet underneath the side panel. There is a decent selection of USB ports, including two USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A ports and a USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Type-C port rated up to 20Gbps. Location-wise, the IO is easily reachable for those placing this chassis on a desk, but it might be a bit more awkward underneath a desk.

Building in the MSI MAG PANO 100L PZ

While the MSI MAG PANO 100L PZ’s design and specs look pretty solid, an actual test of the quality of this case can be done by building in it. We configured an incredible system with the MSI RTX 4080 SUPER SUPRIM X, an MSI Z790 PROJECT ZERO motherboard, and many other great MSI components to test this.

Internal Space

The internal space of the MSI MAG PANO 100L PZ is one of its key strengths. After removing the two glass panels (they easily popped out with no additional tools), the MAG PANO 100L PZ has ample clearance inside.

There’s easy access to all the significant mounting points, bar the top, which features another removable panel for radiator or fan mounting. Installing a PROJECT ZERO motherboard inside the PANO 100L PZ was straightforward. The cutouts are nice and large, minimising the risk of damage to any pins or headers. And the Z790 PROJECT ZERO board sat snugly in place once it was secured down with the included screws.

After installing the MSI RTX 4080 SUPRIM X, we had around 45mm of clearance between the end of the GPU and the front panel. This means that installing fans at the side was slightly more finicky, but on the whole, there’s still plenty of additional space to move your hands around. The MAG PANO 100L PZ also has a built-in support bracket, alleviating any sag for large cards.

Radiator and Fan Mounting

Despite being a dual-chamber case, there’s plenty of space for fans and liquid coolers. Across the top, side, and bottom panels, the MAG PANO 100L PZ can house up to a 360mm radiator, of which we decided to use the top panel with the MSI CoreLiquid E360. Mounting the radiator was very simple once the top was removed, and it was easily screwed in like you would in any other PC case.

The side mounting panel provides a unique offering. MSI have offset the side mounting, so it doesn’t entirely sit flush with the back of the case. Because of this, builders can fit this area with a push-pull configuration with up to six fans. So, there would be a radiator and three fans at the front of the case, and three additional fans can be mounted in the rear chamber for extra airflow and heat dissipation.

The bottom mounting panel of the case is easily removed for quick access to install fans or radiators. A couple of screws hold in this bracket, and, once removed, the bracket can be lifted out to make cooling assembly very simple. It’s worth noting that the MAG PANO 100L PZ doesn’t come with any pre-installed fans, so you will need to supply your own.

Unfortunately, the MAG PANO 100L PZ doesn’t support 420mm radiators, which is a shame. With new CPUs becoming increasingly hotter, Core i9-14900K and Ryzen 9 7950X processors need a strong CPU cooler for multi-core tasks, limiting the type of build you can assemble.

Ease of Building

From an ease-of-use point of view, the MSI MAG PANO 100L PZ is a solid case. There’s plenty of internal space at the front and the rear, while the top, opposing side, and bottom panels offer a mass of ventilation. The support for reverse connector motherboards allows prospective buyers to build an incredibly clean PC, as all cables sit at the back of the chassis, keeping them out of sight.

The rear chamber is also highly spacious and has much room for cable management, minimising clutter and potential bulge. Traditional builds without reverse connectors also have plenty of cutouts to thread cables through.

The MAG PANO 100L PZ is pre-configured for vertical GPU mounting, which can easily be switched by popping out the panel and swapping it with the horizontal mounting option. However, the MAG PANO 100L PZ doesn’t have a vertical riser cable, which is a shame. While I don’t feel this is a requirement of this case, it would add extra value, making it a more competitive offering.

The other quality worth noting from a design point of view is that we felt that the case didn’t make efficient use of the internal space. This chassis is quite long and wide, so it would benefit from using the additional room at the rear to accommodate larger fans and liquid coolers. However, this isn’t a deal-breaker for us, and we understand why MSI has left a fair amount of open space from a clearance perspective. Overall, building in the MAG PANO 100L PZ was an enjoyable experience. We built an incredibly clean, high-end PC that performs exceptionally at 4K.

Features We Like

Offset Side Mounting

The side panel for fans and coolers isn’t flush with the back of the case. Because of this unique design approach, builders can attach a radiator and set of exhaust fans in a push-pull configuration. Doing this assists airflow and heat dissipation, ensuring that thermals are kept to a minimum while gaming.

Unique Design

Compared to a significant range of seamless glass cases we’ve reviewed, the MAG PANO 100L PZ offers a unique design that I’m a big fan of. The angular approach that MSI has taken at the front of the case provides an unhindered window to look at all of your components. Towards the bottom of the front panel, MSI has also offered a small strip of RGB, spicing up the overall look of the chassis with some additional lighting.

Single Front Panel Header

Front panel cabling can be complicated to wire up, especially if you’re a first-time builder or haven’t upgraded in a while. Fortunately, the MAG PANO 100L PZ features an entire header for power instead of individual pins, making the final wiring process incredibly simple.

Features We Don’t Like

No Support for 420mm Radiators

The MAG PANO 100L PZ is a large case both in depth and width and with its support for 140mm fans, you would expect this case to support 420mm radiators. However, the MAG PANO 100L PZ can only support 360mm coolers at the maximum. This is a shame because it will limit the available build configurations. Those looking to assemble a Core i9 or Ryzen 9 system will want to consider other cases with more robust liquid cooling support.

Lacks Included Fans

While the MAG PANO 100L PZ is relatively affordable compared to other fish tank-style chassis, MSI has decided not to include fans, raising your overall build cost. I understand not including a PCI-E riser cable but not providing any fans (even cheap ones) is disappointing. We’ve seen a range of new and cheaper cases offer fans straight out of the box, which may be a deal-breaker for some prospective buyers.

Conclusion