A Closer Look - Outside

The lanbx is supposed to look and feel rugged. It essentially manages to pull off the look, but it does not seem as though the plastic chassis that surrounds the metal frame could withstand a fall or hard bump without taking some damage. That said, its construction quality is actually quite alright once you consider the choice of materials and the price.


Look at the front of the lanbx and you can see a metal mesh vent and a few design elements, while the rear is much simpler. Given it is a portable chassis, one could miss rubber plastic elements for the feet, corners, or the handle, though. It is also pretty hollow and open toward the rear, which is not a nice sight and makes holding it a bit more uncomfortable than it should be.


Interestingly enough, Nox Xtreme's logo has been placed onto the front/top upside down. So others will look at it the wrong way as you lug it around. Nox Xtreme should really flip the logo around—take the logo on notebooks as a reference for instance. You will also find a lock here, which should keep your hardware safe. Unfortunately, it is missing a Kensington lock, so a thief could theoretically just walk out with the whole system at a LAN party while you grab a bite or go to the toilette.


Look at the left panel and you can clearly see expansion slots and openings for the motherboard tray, while the right features a metal mesh air vent.


As the lanbx is essentially a Mini-ITX chassis, you will find two expansion slots that are protected by their own individual metal mesh covers. Above that is the power plug; the ATX PSU is placed within the chassis, which will make it impossible to reach otherwise. Look closely and you will also see a 120 mm exhaust fan in the very top.


You can place the chassis on its side, which will make the front cover the top panel. Metal rods firmly attach the handle to the chassis, so you won't have to worry about it coming lose even after having filled the chassis to the rim with potent hardware.


This is also where you will find the I/O. It consists of two USB 3.0 plugs, the power and reset buttons, and appropriate status LEDs. For those looking for audio plugs, considering the size of the chassis, it is forgiven that you have to plug those into the rear. The latch holding the top cover in place is made of plastic, which is fine, but some may worry that it will not last if the chassis is opened too often.