Hi everybody,
This is a decent try at trying to review a PC Case. Makes me more happy that I own something worth a review
I had done the same thing before, but on another forum. So, please forgive me in case you happen to see this for a second time. Since there is a policy of not referring to threads from other forums I thought to update my review and tell you people what I feel about my PC Case now.
I’ve searched many places for information regarding many of the enclosures and found that only the top end / fast moving models got the privilege of being the ones up for review. How ever my discovery of this Antec model was out of my financial constraints cos what I really had hoped to shop was a P180
I already have purchased a DFI Lanparty Ultra D and wanted a fitting enclosure for it. Above all DFI has a strict guide line for power supplies, with the minimum prerequisites being a ‘native’ 24pin and a 480W power supply. Now my budget had already gone way past I could’ve imagined and thus my priority was ‘you need a quality power supply and also a good enclosure’. Now its rare that you get to have the best of both for a ‘budget’ price don’t you? And this is where I happened to come across this product which has been perfectly positioned for a requirement like mine.
So, lets have a look at this product then!
Though the package seems susceptible to damage and looks rather dull, what meets your eye when you open it is what matters. As you see it, Antec have been successful at their effort to highlight the TruePower 2.0 power supply that comes with the case.
Now lets open up the package and check it out.
The enclosure is a heavy one. Also the outer powder/buff finish is quite good and prevents any finger prints from standing out unlike in the glossy ones. The front cover is of course made of plastic and feels fragile. The hinge makes sure that you can open the door all the way to the side of the enclosure.
No bells n whistles, but just the basic amenities provided. Also, under the logo you find the usual USB, Firewire and Audio jacks which can be connected to the motherboard. Behind the grill like structure of the cover, you will find an air filter and nothing else hindering the air flow into the enclosure.
There are a lot of people who advocate an opening at the side which will allows fresh air directly to the processor. Antec has given not one but two, the second one supposedly being for the graphic card. Also they have given serious thought into this concept and have added some value to the plastic mould that channels the air right on to the processor hsf.
You get to see this when you flip the side panel over.
The screw you see on the side helps you move the square box forwards so that you can make sure that all the cool air is first channeled on to your processor and then else where. Also you have the freedom of moving the entire mould side wards or down wards by a centimeter just in case you processor hsf seems to be a bit offset from the square and you can even rotate the square part in case your hsf is swiveled.
Getting to the rear of the enclosure you see that the TruePower has got a lot of ventilation and also that the fan is not to the rear but perpendicular to it and pointing down wards. By the number of pci openings present, you can gauge the height of the enclosure. Also you see the only 12cm fan that comes by default on this enclosure. They have 4 more mounting points for extra fans though.
The inside of the enclosure is a normal tidy design with some features added here and there.
What stands out from the normal enclosures is that the hard drive bays are removable. The fan mounts too are of good quality and with some creativity, you can mount the extra fans without adding any unwanted vibrations to the enclosure.
The power supply exhausts air out of the system as any other normal supply.
The white plastic strips facilitate the mounting of drives into the 5 ½ inch bay. But given that you need tools to mount the hard drives and even the plastic strips to the 5 ½ inch drives, there is no need for a semi tool less concept and hence could have saved me some money.
To conclude
This case does not have anything out of the ordinary. It has serious competition from other manufacturers but where it scores, outclassing the others is that its got the power supply as a combo. A TruePower 2.0 is regarded highly for an entry level medium wattage power supply right?
So, if it were just the enclosure you are concerned with, you have options to look else where. On the other hand if you have the same requirement as mine for a enclosure with a good reliable power supply then this is definitely the right choice!!
I would like to tell the cons now (since I've been using it for ~three months now).
This is my first when it comes to partially reviewing something, so please excuse my amateurish ways of getting my point through.
Constructive criticism is always welcome and any of my opinions are open for debate if you think that it would help the readers.[/CENTER]
This is a decent try at trying to review a PC Case. Makes me more happy that I own something worth a review
I had done the same thing before, but on another forum. So, please forgive me in case you happen to see this for a second time. Since there is a policy of not referring to threads from other forums I thought to update my review and tell you people what I feel about my PC Case now.I’ve searched many places for information regarding many of the enclosures and found that only the top end / fast moving models got the privilege of being the ones up for review. How ever my discovery of this Antec model was out of my financial constraints cos what I really had hoped to shop was a P180
I already have purchased a DFI Lanparty Ultra D and wanted a fitting enclosure for it. Above all DFI has a strict guide line for power supplies, with the minimum prerequisites being a ‘native’ 24pin and a 480W power supply. Now my budget had already gone way past I could’ve imagined and thus my priority was ‘you need a quality power supply and also a good enclosure’. Now its rare that you get to have the best of both for a ‘budget’ price don’t you? And this is where I happened to come across this product which has been perfectly positioned for a requirement like mine.
So, lets have a look at this product then!
Though the package seems susceptible to damage and looks rather dull, what meets your eye when you open it is what matters. As you see it, Antec have been successful at their effort to highlight the TruePower 2.0 power supply that comes with the case.
Now lets open up the package and check it out.
The enclosure is a heavy one. Also the outer powder/buff finish is quite good and prevents any finger prints from standing out unlike in the glossy ones. The front cover is of course made of plastic and feels fragile. The hinge makes sure that you can open the door all the way to the side of the enclosure.
No bells n whistles, but just the basic amenities provided. Also, under the logo you find the usual USB, Firewire and Audio jacks which can be connected to the motherboard. Behind the grill like structure of the cover, you will find an air filter and nothing else hindering the air flow into the enclosure.
There are a lot of people who advocate an opening at the side which will allows fresh air directly to the processor. Antec has given not one but two, the second one supposedly being for the graphic card. Also they have given serious thought into this concept and have added some value to the plastic mould that channels the air right on to the processor hsf.
You get to see this when you flip the side panel over.
The screw you see on the side helps you move the square box forwards so that you can make sure that all the cool air is first channeled on to your processor and then else where. Also you have the freedom of moving the entire mould side wards or down wards by a centimeter just in case you processor hsf seems to be a bit offset from the square and you can even rotate the square part in case your hsf is swiveled.
Getting to the rear of the enclosure you see that the TruePower has got a lot of ventilation and also that the fan is not to the rear but perpendicular to it and pointing down wards. By the number of pci openings present, you can gauge the height of the enclosure. Also you see the only 12cm fan that comes by default on this enclosure. They have 4 more mounting points for extra fans though.
The inside of the enclosure is a normal tidy design with some features added here and there.
What stands out from the normal enclosures is that the hard drive bays are removable. The fan mounts too are of good quality and with some creativity, you can mount the extra fans without adding any unwanted vibrations to the enclosure.
The power supply exhausts air out of the system as any other normal supply.
The white plastic strips facilitate the mounting of drives into the 5 ½ inch bay. But given that you need tools to mount the hard drives and even the plastic strips to the 5 ½ inch drives, there is no need for a semi tool less concept and hence could have saved me some money.
To conclude
This case does not have anything out of the ordinary. It has serious competition from other manufacturers but where it scores, outclassing the others is that its got the power supply as a combo. A TruePower 2.0 is regarded highly for an entry level medium wattage power supply right?
So, if it were just the enclosure you are concerned with, you have options to look else where. On the other hand if you have the same requirement as mine for a enclosure with a good reliable power supply then this is definitely the right choice!!
I would like to tell the cons now (since I've been using it for ~three months now).
- The hard drive bays SUCK! - Since I have a eVGA 7800 GT, I cannot remove the bottom bay unless I plug out the card. The bay has to be unlocked and then pulled towards the graphic card and then rotated and taken out..............a real pain in the butt.
- The lenght of the enclosure should have been increased a bit. Since the enclosure looks too cluttered like any other cheap small enclosure.
- The openings to the side of the enclosure at totally offset from the processor or the graphic card. Infact, I had to remove that extendable plastic thingy since I could not fit it after the Big Typhoon.
This is my first when it comes to partially reviewing something, so please excuse my amateurish ways of getting my point through.
Constructive criticism is always welcome and any of my opinions are open for debate if you think that it would help the readers.[/CENTER]
hyeah: