The Cougar Panzer Max is a beautiful-looking chassis. The name "tank" is perfectly represented by the elaborate, edgy design and use of materials; down to the faux carbon on the corners and the gunmetal gray framing. Cougar has done a great job when it comes to ensuring that all the plastic elements feel solid thanks to the metal underbody in all areas. The metal-mesh components are also well constructed and do not feel flimsy at all, while the handles are a solid part of the case to make sure you run into no issues while lugging this monstrosity around.

On the inside, things are decisively simpler with a traditional layout. In essence, Cougar has simply added a plastic shroud to the bottom. While it is a nice addition, it is unfortunate that they have opted for a non-modular, plastic variant. On top of that, the cover has no added functionality with no mounting possibilities or cable-routing holes. It would have been nice to see the use of metal, openings for cables, and maybe the ability to install one or two 2.5" drives on top of the shroud. In its current implementation, the cover does not seem very thought-out, especially as you will have to sacrifice it as soon as you opt for liquid-cooling elements in the front.

While the system is intended to be carried around thanks to its sturdy handles and comes with large, functioning latches for the bulky and spacious side panels, it would have been nice to see locks on them as well to make sure no one gets inside while you are taking a nap during a LAN party, for example.

However, all of these issues are no deal breakers, and I am pretty sure those who like the looks of the chassis will not mind any of the mentioned shortcomings, making the Cougar Panzer Max a great fit for us gamers out there thanks to its functional feature set Cougar so aptly married with its menacing looks - all at quite the sweet price, especially in Europe.