Rose Gold Intakes, 425mm GPU Clearance, and a Strict 140mm PSU Limit: Inside Formula V Line's $79.99 Crystal Z3 Panoramic PC Case
First previewed at Computex, Taiwan-based hardware manufacturer Formula V Line has officially launched its Crystal Z3 and Crystal Z3 Plus panoramic ATX mid-tower PC cases. Priced starting at $79.99 for the Black edition and $89.99 for the White edition with three pre-installed ARGB PWM fans, the pillarless 270-degree tempered glass chassis stands out with sculpted dual-tone bottom air intakes and a rotatable 90-degree PCIe bracket, while enforcing a strict 140mm power supply length limit including cables.
Pillarless 270-Degree Tempered Glass, Dual-Tone Bottom Intakes, and Slide-Out Dust Filtration
A recurring thermal bottleneck on budget panoramic "fishbowl" cases is starved bottom airflow caused by solid steel power supply shrouds. Formula V Line addresses this directly on the Crystal Z3 by carving wide, angled air intake scoops into the front and left side of the lower chamber. These channels feed fresh outside air directly into the bottom fan mounts without cluttering the upper glass showcase.
Measuring 465 × 238 × 470 mm (Length × Width × Height), the mid-tower lineup is cataloged in four distinct finishes: classic monochrome Black and White versions, alongside two dual-tone editions that highlight the lower intake scoops in contrasting metallic accents, named Black Rose Gold and White Metallic Silver.
Both the front and side tempered glass panels use tool-free quick-release latches for fast access during assembly. At the base of the main chamber, the bottom fan bracket can be removed by undoing just two screws and houses an integrated nylon dust filter that lifts straight out for brushing without unbolting the fans themselves. Additional removable magnetic dust filters protect the top and right-side ventilation panels.
Three Pre-Installed PA2 120mm ARGB PWM Fans, 360mm Radiator Support, and Back-Connect Cutouts
The series is split into two core configurations sharing the exact same steel and glass frame. While the standard Crystal Z3 ships without fans for builders bringing their own cooling setup, the Crystal Z3 Plus includes three pre-installed PA2 120mm ARGB PWM fans out of the box: two mounted at the bottom for direct GPU intake and one mounted at the rear for exhaust.
According to Formula V Line's official specifications, each PA2 120mm fan pairs 4-pin PWM speed control with 3-pin 5V ARGB lighting, delivering up to 64.3 CFM of airflow and 1.42 mmH2O of static pressure at a peak noise rating of 25.1 dBA. In total, the chassis accommodates up to eight 120mm fans and supports liquid cooling radiators up to 360mm along the top panel.
Formula V Line Crystal Z3 Plus Panoramic ATX PC Case
- Tool-free front and side tempered glass panels with sculpted bottom air intakes
- 3 pre-installed PA2 120mm ARGB PWM fans (64.3 CFM, 25.1 dBA) and 360mm top radiator support
- Up to 425mm GPU clearance with 90° rotatable PCIe bracket and 180mm CPU cooler height
Inside, the motherboard tray supports ATX, Micro-ATX, and Mini-ITX form factors and features full perimeter cutouts engineered for reverse-connector (back-connect) motherboards that hide 24-pin ATX and EPS power cables behind the tray.
425mm GPU Clearance, 90-Degree Rotatable PCIe Slots, and the Strict 140mm PSU Constraint
Without a front drive cage or corner pillar in the way, internal hardware clearance is generous. The main chamber fits graphics cards up to 425mm in length,easily clearing massive triple-fan flagships or heavy custom designs like the 18-phase ASUS ROG Matrix prototypes we recently examined,alongside dual-tower air CPU coolers up to 180mm tall. Furthermore, the entire 7-slot rear PCIe bracket rotates 90 degrees, letting builders switch between horizontal and vertical GPU mounting facing the glass (vertical installation requires a separate PCIe riser cable).
However, builders need to pay close attention to one critical mechanical constraint before picking their power supply: to make room for the deep front-and-side intake scoops and bottom fan tray, the lower PSU bay is strictly rated for a maximum power supply length of 140mm including cables (<= 140mm including cables). Standard 160mm or 180mm ATX units will not fit once modular plugs are attached, making compact 140mm ATX units or SFX-L power supplies the smart choice for this chassis.
For storage and daily connectivity, the Crystal Z3 supports up to two 2.5-inch SSDs and two 3.5-inch HDDs simultaneously, while the top-mounted front I/O panel provides one 10Gbps USB Type-C port, one USB 3.0 port, one USB 2.0 port, and a combo HD Audio jack. At a time when SK hynix's projected memory shortage through 2030 keeps DDR5 and SSD pricing elevated, landing a 270-degree glass case with three PWM ARGB fans at $79.99 frees up valuable budget for core silicon.
| Specification | Formula V Line Crystal Z3 / Crystal Z3 Plus |
|---|---|
| Form Factor & Dimensions (L × W × H) | ATX Mid-Tower Panoramic , 465 × 238 × 470 mm |
| Color Options | Black, White, Black Rose Gold, White Metallic Silver |
| Motherboard Support | ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX (with back-connect cutout support) |
| Max GPU Clearance / PCIe Slots | Up to 425 mm / 7 slots with 90° rotatable rear PCIe bracket |
| Max CPU Cooler Height | Up to 180 mm |
| Max PSU Length | Up to 140 mm maximum (including cables) |
| Included Fans (Z3 Plus Model) | 3 × PA2 120 mm ARGB PWM (2 bottom, 1 rear , 64.3 CFM, 1.42 mmH2O, 25.1 dBA) |
| Total Fan Capacity | Up to 8 × 120 mm (Top: 3×120/140 mm | Side: 2×120 mm | Bottom: 2×120 mm | Rear: 1×120/140 mm) |
| Radiator Support | Up to 360 mm on top |
| Storage & Front I/O | 2 × 3.5" HDD + 2 × 2.5" SSD | 1 × 10Gbps USB-C, 1 × USB 3.0, 1 × USB 2.0, HD Audio |
| Launch Pricing (MSRP) | Crystal Z3 Plus Black: $79.99 | Crystal Z3 Plus White: $89.99 |
My Take on the Spec Sheet
On paper, the specification sheet published by Formula V Line for the Crystal Z3 Plus checks two boxes often overlooked on budget and midrange panoramic cases: native support for back-connect motherboards (ASUS BTF, MSI Project Zero) and a built-in telemetry display right on the PSU shroud. The main question mark on any pre-fanned dual-glass chassis like this is the actual static pressure of those four bundled 120 mm fans against a 90-degree airflow turn, especially once you drop in a 410 mm GPU pulling over 320 W. We have not yet received a physical unit at the editorial desk—if Formula V Line would like to send over a review sample so we can test its thermal curves, acoustic performance, and build quality first-hand, we would gladly put it through our full hardware protocol.
PC hardware enthusiast and competitive gamer, Arthur 'Heimdall' splits his time between France and the UK working in enterprise B2B software solutions. A business school graduate passionate about component benchmarking, he has been building, modding, and tuning PCs since childhood, optimizing every thermal degree and millisecond of display latency. An avid gamer across Assassin's Creed and sandbox titles, he forged his alliance with Grimtag and Chaya during late-night World of Warcraft raids before joining Pro-Gamer.
