APNX V2 Mid-Tower Review – Airy with three glass surfaces: Practical or just “show and shine” at any price?

1 - Introduction and unboxing 2 - Unboxing Part 2 3 - Technical data and features 4 - Build diary 5 - Temperatures 6 - Gallery, summary and conclusion

When Pro Gamersware GmbH launched the APNX brand at the end of 2023, we were allowed to test the first “C1” – a rock-solid, yet extravagant case that revealed some weaknesses in the details. Two years later, we are now able to put the new “V2” case through its paces. Read on to find out whether the show case can score points in everyday use.

The trend towards opulent multi-chamber cases with lots of glass surfaces and even more fan mounts is increasingly developing into a race by manufacturers to bring ever more spectacular cases onto the market. Often, the really important things such as good airflow, sensibly placed dust filters or sensible material quality are put on the back burner – the main thing is that it looks better than the competitor’s product and can attract the attention of customers with dizzying orgies of lighting. Smooth-running PWM fans are replaced by flashing whirring fumes, stable sheet metal parts give way to thin glass panels with sharp edges. However, my personal opinion has no place in a review and will not affect the rating of a product now or in the future. With the comment that I toy almost daily with the idea of replacing my “RGB aquarium”, which is equipped with countless fans, with a classic tower case with an open front, but that I was nevertheless extremely excited about testing the truly exceptional APNX V2, I would like to finally move on to the product itself.

Pro Gamersware advertises the APNX V2 as a premium PC case designed for first-class cooling performance, elegant aesthetics and maximum flexibility. With three glass panels, an ingenious cable management system, support for huge graphics cards and modern mainboards with rear connections, all requirements are to be met to provide the ultimate building experience. The latest addition to the range is once again extremely self-confident and comes with a corresponding price tag: the black version starts at €139.90, while the white version costs €149.90. But before we go too hard on the V2 because of the full-bodied promises, let’s first unpack the good piece together.

Unboxing

The V2 comes in a plain cardboard box.

A sticker with a product image and a short description adorns the side, while the technical data and dimensions are printed on the back.

Instead of the usual polystyrene, APNX uses a softer foam to protect the case from damage during transportation.

Freed from the outer carton, we have a clear view of the interesting case.

The front, lid and side panels are made of approx. 3 mm thick glass and considerably restrict the possibilities for the “direction” of the air flow.

The front looks very tidy and allows a first glimpse of the cable covers of the mainboard tray, which appears to stand freely in the case.

The right side panel is perforated over a large area and can be removed completely without tools.

The rear is also extremely air-permeable. It offers space for one 140mm or two 120mm fans, as well as two different installation options for the power supply unit in the rear “chamber”.

Further down we find the panels for the expansion cards. These cannot be rotated for vertical installation of the graphics card, but come without dividers, allowing a prefabricated solution to be fitted for this option.

The glass cover is also “clipped in”, but is additionally secured with two knurled screws to prevent accidental removal.

On the underside, we find large rubber buffers and get a first glimpse of the pre-installed 140mm fans in the base.

Next, let’s take a look at the rear chamber of the V2.

In the lower area, we find a removable holder for installing a 3.5″ or two 2.5″ hard disks and the supplied ARGB and fan hub.

Behind this insert there are various lashing points for cable routing, the depth of the rear chamber is a good 10cm and thus offers plenty of space for the obligatory RGB cable tangle.

The first question mark arose at this point. Why is this bracket installed in the lower area when the obviously preferred position for the power supply unit (because it is also fitted with rubber buffers) is actually the lower position?

Perhaps to “hide” the standard cable clutter?

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I later built the bracket upwards and mounted the power supply unit in the lower holder. But more on that later.