A Closer Look - Outside

Taking a first look at the Cougar Panzer G, it looks much cleaner than the original Panzer, which is clearly what Cougar was going for. There was an annoyance even at first glance, though: Both glass side panels are protected with a plastic foil. Underneath the foil is a sticker that tells you how to remove it. This sticker should be on top of the plastic cover as it leaves a lot of residue on the glass, which forces you to find the right cleaning agents to get rid of it.


The Panzer G lacks external drive bays. Instead, Cougar has placed a well-shaped glass panel across the entire front panel. It is tinted, so you won't see a lot of details unless the fans are turned on. In the rear, everything but the PSU bay looks quite traditional. Here, the top and bottom covers add quite a bit to the overall height as the metal frame itself is much smaller.


Both side panels are made out of tempered, tinted glass and held in place by four large thumbscrews. These flat surfaces really add to the overall look and feel because of the good mix of materials.


You may remove the front cover with a firm tug, which reveals fan placements. Cougar has placed three 120 mm fans with red LED rings inside the Panzer G, while the classic Panzer does not come with any units out of the box. That is the reason the dust filter is an extra vs. being installed in place as well. You may go for a 360 mm or 280 mm radiator in this location if you like.


In the rear, the PSU bay is just a big square hole as Cougar ships the cover separately. Other manufacturers usually pre-mount such frames on to the chassis, but here, that step is skipped, which makes sense as you will have to remove it anyways to install a power supply. Above that are the seven motherboard expansion slots, which are protected by individual metal mesh covers. In the very top is a mounting possibility for a 120 mm exhaust fan to push hot air out the back of the chassis.


Cougar has equipped the Panzer G with a well-rounded set of I/O consisting of two USB 3.0, a pair of USB 2.0, and the usual two audio plugs. The power button is fairly big and centered, while the reset button is quite small and inconspicuous. This means you can easily find the button to turn your PC on, but are not likely to hit the reset button by mistake.


The top cover of the Panzer G is also glass, which brings the total number of glass panels to a whooping four. It may also be removed to reveal additional fan-mounting holes. Here, you may install the exact same configuration as in the front; three 120 mm or two 140 mm cooling units, or a 360 mm or 280 mm radiator.