Viewing page 1 of 4 pages.
1 2 3 4 NextJune 27, 2005 by Ralf
Hutter
|
Product
|
Antec P180 Advanced
Super Mid Tower Case |
|
Manufacturer
|
Antec
Inc. |
|
MSRP
|
US$160 |
June 15, 2006: POSTSCRIPT V1.1 added to Part II to reflect changes made in the case since its original release.
A few weeks ago, SPCR's editor and publisher, Mike Chin, announced his involvement
in the development of Antec's P180 case in Antec
P180: A Visual Tour. This article provoked a large response from our
readers, who have commented on the article and speculated on the case in our
forums, but it had one major failing: It wasn't a review, at least not by SPCR standards. Mike wanted
to announce his involvement at the time Antec released the case, but we did not
have enough lead time to produce a satisfactory review of the case.
This article is Part One of a long delayed review of the P180. It is meant to be read in conjunction with A Visual Tour, which serves as an overview of the features. This article
assumes the reader is already familiar with the basic features of
the case as discussed in the previous article, and focusses on installation and testing rather than a top-down overview. If the text refers to aspects of the P180 that are not pictured here, please refer back to the Visual Tour article.
One issue that came up in the forum discussion of the preview article
is how — and whether — SPCR can produce an objective review, given Mike's involvement in its creation. To address this concern, the testing was done by myself, Ralf Hutter, and by Devon Cooke. Mike kept his involvement in the testing and writing to a minimum, primarily providing assistance regarding design concepts and testing procedures as necessary.
He remains the editor of all material that is posted at SPCR, however, including this article.
|
EDITOR'S NOTE: Two complete systems were installed and studied in the P180: One optimized for
low noise and the other for high performance. This approach addresses the ambitious design goal for the P180 stated in the Visual Tour article:
- To be a great solution for power users who want ultimate cooling with
the hottest current desktop PC components, as well as for silencers
who seek minimal noise, in an understated, modern, elegant style.
The review itself has been divided into two parts for reading ease.
In Part One, Ralf Hutter (in hot L.A). installed a low-power, low thermal Pentium-M system in his sample P180 and tweaked it (without any real modding) for minimal noise. Without access to a super sensitive sound level meter, RH's acoustic analysis relies on what he heard, but you'll find his conclusions well-supported, logical and perfectly understandable. The article that follows is RH's review, Part One of the complete P180 review.
In Part Two, Devon Cooke (in cool Vancouver) assembled the hottest, most power-hungy system he could from components in the SPCR lab to test the suitability of the P180 for high power, low noise operation. In addition, Devon also conducted tests on the HDD cages and the fans, and spent much time taking measurements
and trying as many configurations as possible to ensure that as much hard data
is available as possible. This has already taken many weeks of hard work. Devon's comprehensive review will follow soon; final compilation of the data will take a little more time. Understanding his results will give you a better handle on how to make the best of this complex product.
|
INTRODUCTION
My first impression came as the UPS man handed me the box - this
thing is heavy! That initial assessment didn't change as I was removing the
case from its protective packaging. Not only is it heavy, it's large as well.
I haven't had much experience with a case this large and well built since my
Addtronics 6890 / Supermicro
SC750 days.
The retail box, out of the shipping box: A big box for a big case.
As has previously been noted, most of the external panels of the
P180 are constructed of a dampening sandwich consisting of anodized aluminum
sheeting bonded to a (seemingly glass filled) plastic base. All of that is nice
for dampening but doesn't add much weight to the case itself. The front and
rear walls, and the motherboard tray are the only large steel components of
the P180, yet the thing still is a pretty hefty load.
After all the pre-release coverage here, I felt
right at home as I opened up the case for the first time. As is my normal procedure,
I started removing all the components of the case and noticed how well everything
fit together. The slide-out drive cages are built like tanks and slide firmly
into their plastic holders. The fans are hard-mounted on plastic retention brackets,
but these brackets are better built and fitted than their older SX10x0
ancestors. There is also a felt-like strip of damping that runs across the edge of the panel that separates the top and bottom chambers so that when the side cover is on, there is a good seal between the two sections and to prevent the side panel from possibly vibrating against this edge. It's one of many nice touches.
For the record, here's the P180 photo you've probably all seen already.
|
SPECIFICATIONS: Antec P180 ( from the Antec
web site)
|
|
Case Dimensions
|
21.3" (H) x 19.9" (D) x 8.1" (W)
|
|
Drive Bays
- Front Accessible
- Internal
|
11
4 x 5.25", 1 x 3.5"
6 x 3.5" |
|
Expansion Slots
|
7 |
|
Cooling System
|
- 1 rear (standard) 120mm TriCool Fan
with 3-speed switch control
- 1 top (standard) 120mm TriCool Fan
- 1 lower chamber (standard) 120mm x 38mm (thick) TriCool Fan
- 1 front (optional) 120mm fan
- 1 (optional) 80mm case fan in the Air Duct over the graphics card |
|
Main Board Size
|
12" (W) x 9.6" (L) |
|
Weight (net/gross)
|
31/36 lbs
14.1/16.3 Kg |
|
Motherboards
|
Standard ATX |
|
Special Features
|
Internal mounts with silicone rubber grommets
Upper and lower chamber structure
Three-layer side panel
Front USB/FireWire Ports |
|
Package Contents
|
1 Tower Case
1 set of screws and motherboard standoffs
1 Installation manual |
GENERAL IMPRESSIONS
The Front Bezel
The front bezel, although made out of plastic like most others,
seems more substantial and less "plasticky" than other bezels. Perhaps
the dampened door helps, but the plastic itself, like the same plastic that
makes up the rest of the case, feels less "brittle" and more "dead"
than your typical ABS plastic.
The one flaw in the bezel is the fit, or lack
thereof, the 5.25" bay covers. They are extremely loose and fall
out even if you look at them sideways. Nothing was broken or bent in my sample,
that's just the way they are designed/built. I've noted several other complaints
about this same issue as well.
Some folks will disagree with me, but I like doors on the front
of cases, not only for their ability to reduce interior noise transmission,
but from an aesthetic position as well. The bezel and door of the P180 are designed
to keep noise from escaping directly out of the front of the case, yet the series
of vents around the sides of the bezel allow for excellent ventilation through
the front of the case.
Side Panel Tabs
I've also seen some complaining about the plastic
tab latches on the side doors, but to me they seem like they'd take a lot of
abuse without breaking, again due to the different type of plastic that Antec
has used. I'm sort of "Old Skool" when it comes to plastic vs. steel,
but I feel real comfortable with the plastic panels on this case and will give
"two thumbs up" to Antec for this design feature. Time will see if
I'm all washed up, but I've personally had no issues with it during the time
I've spent with this case.
Airflow Design
The top section of the case shows great attention
to airflow, from the front and rear 120mm fan openings and the top 120mm blowhole,
to the pseudo "Intel Chassis Air Guide" in the form of a removable
plastic duct, whose intake is at the rear of the case instead of on the side
panel. This should help keep noise down in the event that the use of this duct
is required.
The case seems to have been designed to have excellent
ventilation and thermal control, something which is mandatory when trying to
build the quietest possible system. The PSU and HDDs are mounted
in the lower section of the case, which isolates their heat from the rest
of the case, as well as provide optimum cooling for them by placing them in
an isolated, easy to control environment.
General
My general overall impression was that most everything seemed to fit
together without any rattling or flimsiness. Touches like the dampening strips
glued to the case drive bays and the PSU mounting bracket are something I've
never seen in a factory case, and very rarely see even in cases that have been
specially modded for silence. Antec has provided this right out of the box.
Those sort of touches, plus the composite panels and the heavy, rigid steel
construction all add up to a very strong and well damped case. Actually, I've
never seen a more substantial, better damped case, other than one that's
had the full Acoustipack
treatment.
Cosmetics
My iteration of the P180 came in the standard silver and black
color scheme. Until I actually saw this case in person, I tended to agree with
the common opinion that the all-black case would look better than the silver
version. Some folks have even compared the silver version to a refrigerator.
After having worked with the silver version for a while, I can definitely say
that I like it's looks very much, and it looks nothing like a refrigerator.
The combination of the black and aluminum seems to accentuate the simple yet
elegant lines of this case. Now that I have a silver version, I suspect that
I'll prefer it over the all black one. I think that an all black P180 will look
too monochromatic and blocky, with nothing to set off it's basic square, featureless
shape. Aesthetics are highly personal though, so someone else's opinion may
well differ from mine, but I just wanted to stick up for the silver and black
version. I think it works very well.
| Help support this site, buy the Antec P180 from one of our affiliate retailers! |
|
