MSI’s MAG Pano 100R PZ is a well-built wrap-around case that supports back-connect motherboards, vertical GPU installation, and features one more PCIe expansion slot than most cases.
Reasons to buy
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Great thermal performance with pre-installed fans
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Lots of space for large components
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Supports back-connect motherboards
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Eight PCIe expansion slots supported
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Four slots supported for vertical GPUs (many cases only support three)
Reasons to avoid
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Noise-normalized CPU-only performance could be better
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No GPU riser cable included
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Will MSI’s MAG Pano 100R PZ make our list of best PC cases? Let’s take a look at the specifications of the case, then we’ll go over the features and wrap up our review with thermal testing.
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Product Specifications
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Standard Motherboard Support
ATX, Micro ATX, Mini ITX
Back Connect Motherboard Support
ATX and Micro-ATX
Color
Black or white
Type
Mid-tower
Case Dimensions (D x W x H)
518.7 x 290 x 482 mm / 20.4 x 11.42 x 19 inches
2.5-inch Drive Support
Up to 5x 2.5-inch drives supported
3.5-inch Drive Support
Up to 2x 3.5-inch drives supported
PCI-E Expansion Slots
Eight in standard configuration Four in vertical configuration
Fan Support
Up to ten fans
Pre-Installed fans
3x ARGB reverse-blade intake fans 1x ARGB exhaust fan
CPU Cooler Clearance
166mm
GPU Clearance
400mm
Vertical GPU Support
Yes, 4-slot GPUS supported
PSU Length
Up to 200 mm
Radiator Support
360 mm supported in top, side, and bottom of the case
The build quality of the Pano 100R PZ is sturdy, with no obvious weaknesses.
▶️ Side view and customization options, GPU holder, and vertical installation support
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When I first looked inside the case, the two features that stood out the most were vertical GPU support as the default configuration, and support for back-connect motherboards. Otherwise, the insides resemble the typical look of a case with side-mounted intake fans.
We wouldn’t necessarily expect a GPU riser cable to be included given the case’s price. But the fact that one doesn’t come in the box feels strange given the case comes pre-configured for a vertical mount. We did our testing with the GPU mounted in the traditional horizontal orientation.
▶️ Radiator and fan support
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This case can be equipped with up to ten fans. Up to 360 mm radiators can be installed at the top, bottom, and side of the case.
▶️ Dust filters, bottom view
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The case is raised on the bottom, with strips to prevent the case from sliding or moving unintentionally. The dust filter is easily removed and attached via magnets. The top of the case also includes a dust filter, but this is not removable – you’ll have to take the top off to clean it.
▶️ Rear side view, storage, and cable management features
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The default look of this case’s backside is very clean, with panels hiding most of the cabling. These panels also double as disk storage, supporting SSDs and hard drives.
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Opening the panels reveals the cable routing paths and pre-installed velcro straps. The fans of the case are pre-installed to a hardware PWM and ARGB hub to simplify the setup. You’ll notice a piece of metal about halfway between the case, above the bottom panel. That’s where the PSU is installed, as shown in the image below.
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
▶️ Front view
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As this is a wrap-around case, there’s not much to say about the front of the unit. It is simply a clear glass panel, allowing for a full view of the internal components of your PC build.
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
▶️ IO panel
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The included IO panel is located on the display side of the case, near the front. You get one USB-C port, two USB-A ports, an audio jack, a lighting control button, and a power button.
▶️ Rear view
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The rear view of the case is pretty standard; the main thing to point out would be the vertical GPU support as the default configuration, which you can swap out if you want to install your GPU horizontally.
▶️ Included accessories
In addition to the main parts of the case, MSI includes additional velcro cable straps, zip ties, pads, a GPU holder, spare tabs, and a standard (horizontal) PCIe bracket.
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
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Thermal tests, test setup, and testing methodology
CPU
Intel i9-14900K
CPU Cooler
Ocypus Iota A62 WH dual-tower cooler, configured with a single fan
System fans
Default Pre-installed fans Ocypus Gamma F12 BK ARGB
Motherboard
ASUS Z790-P Prime Wifi
GPU
MSI RTX 4070Ti Super Ventus 3X OC
Our thermal tests are presented to give you more information about the product’s performance, but aren’t intended as the sole judgment of the chassis. The style, price, features, and noise levels of a case should also be considered, and we all have different preferences. What I might like in a case, you might not, and that’s OK. My goal with these reviews is to give everyone, no matter their preferences, enough information to decide whether or not a product is right for them.
With today’s review, I’ve updated the configuration and testing methods I use for testing compared to previous reviews. For example, I used to use a single-tower air cooler, but I’ve decided to use a dual-tower air cooler in case reviews going forward.
I’ve benchmarked this case focusing on the efficiency of the case’s thermal transfer.
We’ll test the system with its pre-installed fans at full speed and noise-normalized at 38.9 dBA. For standardized testing, we’ll also show one set of benchmarks with Ocypus fans set at full speeds for maximum potential. The other benchmarks will show performance with fan speeds set to 30% for those who prefer silently running systems.
I don't understand where the idea came from that you can't have glass sides and good air flow. Having air coming from all directions at once does not improve the air flow it often makes it much worse. The best airflow would be a wind tunnel with all the air moving in one direction. A glass case seems very well suited for this. Having a vertically mounted GPU also helps a lot. A layout like the Silverstone fortress FTO2 is an excellent cooling setup.
I don't understand where the idea came from that you can't have glass sides and good air flow.
Glass sides are totally fine it's when you get into glass front (and top too in some cases) where you run into issues. With a glass front a rotated motherboard mounting, like the FT02, would be perfect and I think the only reason this hasn't been done more is video card compatibility issues. With glass on the front and top you're limited to generally suboptimal options as there is no way to get straight through airflow. This is made worse by the fact that most don't have enough height between bottom fans and the floor to have good intake.
Personally I'd like to see some longer cases again with design language somewhat similar to the Montech HS02/HS01 (Albert's THW review of the HS02 Pro). Make it enough longer so that you could use 120mm fans on the side as well and it'd be great because it would still be relatively short and same width as a standard case. I was going to get one of the Lian-li o11 models with front mesh available, but I keep my computer under my desk and when I checked width it was too wide (this was the same problem for every other dual chamber and Thermaltake's CTE line).
All I have to say to that is:
(a) Aesthetics are subjective and
(b) some people care about functionality first. If the Antec is a strong enough contender, some people won't care how it looks.
