Antec keeps rolling with isolated-chamber cases descended from the P180. This time, the Fusion gets shrunk to a half-height version in the NSK1480.
November 17, 2009 by Devon Cooke
with Mike Chin
Product | Antec NSK1480 Mini Desktop / HTPC Case |
Manufacturer | |
Market Price | US$100~150 |
Ever since their original P180 case, Antec has slowly been revamping their case lineup to include the concept of isolated chambers. We’ve seen the P180 morph into the P182 and then the P183, we’ve seen it cut down to the Mini P180, we’ve seen it transformed into the entry-level NSK3480, and we’ve seen it adapted for the HTPC market as the NSK2400 / Fusion.
Now we have the NSK1480, which is essentially a “Mini Fusion”. Well,
actually, when it’s dressed up with a fancy VFD display and a metal fascia,
it’s called the
MicroFusion Remote 350, but the basic version that we are looking here lacks
the fancy marketing name and sticks with a simple model number. For those of
you lost in the babble of model numbers above, it’s a low profile desktop-style
case (remember those?) with reduced dimensions to follow the miniaturization
trend in that the desktop market has been going through (though the “fits
in any environment” claim is a bit exaggerated). It is limited to MicroATX
motherboards (and smaller) and half-height expansion cards, but these restrictions
are less onerous than they used to be. A fully featured MicroATX motherboard
that doesn’t require outboard graphics is surprisingly easy to find these days.
The NSK1480 seems to suffer a bit of identity confusion. Although it’s billed
as a “desktop” case, virtually nobody uses cases in a desktop configuration
(monitor sitting on top of the system). It’s supplied with two “feet”
that let it be positioned vertically in a tower configuration, but the design
and layout is clearly meant for a horizontal orientation. The real market is
probably low end media PCs, but given the propensity for AV nuts to shell out
huge amounts of money for their gear, Antec probably doesn’t want to dilute
their Media Components line with “budget” models, which is why this
model is in the NSK line. The NSK1480 does have one advantage over it’s high
end brother: The lack of a front panel display leaves room for an additional
hard drive bay.
A colorful, elegant box like all Antec products.
A thin sheet of fabric protects the plastic fascia.
The design of the NSK1480 is essentially a shrunken NSK2400 / Fusion. The reduction in height is probably the most noticeable, but all of the dimensions have been reduced by about three inches. The change is primarily aesthetic, since a smaller space is a bit of a headache as far as thermal engineering and usability are concerned. Nonetheless, the essence of the design has not changed, and the compromises made seem well chosen.
Like all of the NSKxx80 line, an 80 Plus certified power supply is included
in the package. A proprietary form factor (some variant of TFX?) is used to
conform to the space requirements, so swapping the power supply for a different
model could prove challenging.
Antec NSK1480: Features and Specifications (from the product web page) | |
Low profile desktop height fits in any environment | |
Dual chamber structure for HDD and motherboard to separate heat and reduce noise | |
2x80mm side fans to exhaust air from CPU & VGA card | |
80 PLUS® Certified 350 Watt ATX12V v2.1 power supply directly draws fresh air in from outside the case to maximize quiet and cool operation • Universal Input and Active PFC • 80 PLUS® Certified means increased energy efficiency without any reduction in performance and saving you money on your power bill | |
Removable HDD tray with extra soft silicone grommets in a separate chamber for maximum quiet and cool operation | |
80mm intake fan to cool the HDD | |
Drive Bays | • External 1 x 5.25″ • Internal 2 x 3.5″ |
Expansion Slots | 4 (half height) |
Cooling System | • 2 x 80mm TriCool® 3-speed exhaust fans in motherboard chamber (standard) • 1 x 80mm TriCool® 3-speed intake fan for HDD cage (standard) • Adjustable Air Guide directs cool external air through CPU |
Compatible Motherboards | • 2 x USB 2.0 • 1 x eSATA • Audio In/Out (HDA & AC’ 97) |
Unit Dimensions | • 4.5″(H) x 15.1″(W) x 16.1″(D) • 12cm (H) x 39cm (W) x 41cm (D) |
Weight | • Net: 11.29 lbs / 5.12 kg • Gross: 15.7 lbs / 7.14 kg |
Notable accessories: Cable ties, an airflow guide, and an “L” VGA adapter.
The accessories package includes a number of nice extras, including feet for “tower” configurations, a pair of straps for cable management, four rubber feet, and a lego-like “airflow guide” to reduce the amount of short-circuit airflow lost as the exhaust fan pulls air directly through the intake without cooling the case. This was a feature of the NSK2400 as well, and, while it’s nice to have the option to manage airflow in this way, it’s not really obvious what the guide is for — especially to users who aren’t used to thinking about airflow. A little more explanation on Antec’s part would be welcome here, since paying attention to airflow really does have an impact on system cooling.
One accessory that deserves special mention is the VGA “L” adapter
which routes the VGA cable (typically the bulkiest cable with the biggest plug)
sideways rather than directly back. This should make it easier to position the
case flush against a back wall (of a cabinet, for example). Our one complaint:
We wish a DVI version had been included as well.
This VGA adapter allows the case to be placed tightly against a rear wall.
THE EXTERIOR
The black-and-silver finish is emblematic of the NSK line of cases,
and it looks elegant enough. Unlike the MicroFusion version, the fascia is plastic,
and is serviceable but unremarkable. If appearance is important, a bigger problem
is the optical drive bay, which does not provide a stealth cover, and silver
drives are not easy to come by. Still, a black optical drive facia sets off
fine against the black lower strip.
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The airflow layout is fairly logical, with the CPU situated next to a pair of 80mm exhaust fans. The fans are Antec’s usual TriCool models, with three speeds selectable via a simple switch. They’re not the quietest fans in the world, but they’re not bad. The major intakes are two large vents on the top panel, one over the CPU and the other over the expansion slots. This covers the two expected sources of heat: processor and graphics card. A small amount of airflow can also be expected to come from the hard drive chamber through the intake there. This intake is on the opposite side of the exhaust fans that drive the airflow, so airflow there can expected to be low without the intake fan running.
Front ports include an eSATA port plus the usual 2x USB, headphone & mic. The ports fit loosely in the recessed front panel — there are gaps around them that could potentially trap dust in long term use.
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Although it is not in a separate chamber, the power supply is mostly isolated
from the rest of the system by virtue of its positioning: The intake draws air
in from the side of the case and exhausts it out the back. A smallish vent at
the front of the power supply does allow some hot air to circulate into the
case, but at least the power supply fan (often the hardest fan to control) is
at the front of the air path. Some of Antec’s other cases isolate the power
supply completely. That said, the case is not really intended for high power
systems that need heavy isolation to keep the PSU cool and quiet.
A small amount of PSU exhaust may be recirculated back into the system though, since the back panel next to the PSU is likely to act as an input in most configurations. However, unless the unit is in a confined space like an A/V cabinet, the effect is probably too small to worry about.
Both vents on this side are intakes: PSU intake in the foreground, and hard drive intake blurred in the background. Most users will not need the drive intake. |
THE INTERIOR
With the hood popped up, it is apparent just how tightly packed the case is. Antec has done all they can to minimize the footprint of this case, which is great for aesthetics, but probably a pain for usability. Tightness aside, the case is well laid out
Note the crossbar in the middle for structural support. The central crossbar is removable and the case will function fine without putting it back in. However, it serves two important functions: It provides rigidity to the top panel which reduces vibration-induced noise, and it provides a place to anchor the two included cable straps for ease of cable management.
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DRIVE TRAYS
The optical drive bay fits snugly, but slides in and out with ease and without screws — fortunate because installing the motherboard requires removing it. The rubber pads on top make contact with the top panel to improve fit and reduce vibration. The hard drive trays have Antec’s usual soft silicone grommets to reduce vibration. Not quite as good as suspension with bungee cord, but far better than hard mounting.
…and are secured with a single thumbscrew each.
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SYSTEM ASSEMBLY
The cramped size of the NSK1480 didn’t make for the easiest install, but that’s
to be expected of a case where small size is a selling point. We didn’t run
into any major problems though.
The major issue that users are likely to run into is the size of any additional
hardware. In addition to being MicroATX only, it only accepts half-height expansion
cards, and requires a low profile CPU heatsink (i.e. no tower heatsinks). The
Scythe Big Shuriken heatsink worked extremely well, but there aren’t
a lot of options for effective and quiet low profile heatsinks.
Another height-related issue was the RAM we initially tried to install. These
were high-end sticks with large (mostly needless) heatsinks extending up twice
the height of the actual RAM. Due to the position of the RAM slots on our motherboard
near the back edge of the board (a common position), we were unable to put the
optical drive bay back without crushing the RAM. Swapping the RAM for regular,
non-heatsinked sticks solved the issue.
Both the optical drive bay and the crossbar needed to be removed before the
motherboard could be installed, but both of these lift out easily without requiring
a screwdriver.
As mentioned above, the drive trays are easily removable, and offer a convenient
(and quiet) mode of installation. Drives do need to be screwed down, so it’s
not 100% tool-free, but being able to work with the drive trays separate from
the case does make things easier. The only difficulty was getting the long drive
screws started, since the drive needed to be held flush against the top of the
drive tray against the wishes of gravity as the screws were started. A little
manual dexterity is required.
The whole process took about an hour for this experienced builder, but inexperienced
users will probably take longer as they discover where things go and what order
they need to be installed in.
The system fully installed. The power supply’s cables were far too and long for the size of the case and the number of peripherals it supports. |
TESTING
System Configuration
- Intel
Core 2 Duo E7200 processor – 2.53 GHz, 45nm, 65W - Scythe Big Shuriken
CPU cooler with stock fan - Asus P5Q-EM motherboard
– G45 chipset - Corsair
Dominator Series Twin 2X 2048-8500C5D 2GB DDR2 matched dual channel
memory - Western Digital Caviar
Green hard drive – 750GB, 5,400 RPM, 8MB cache - Microsoft
Windows Vista SP1 operating system – Home Premium, 32-bit - Intel
GMA 15.13.1.1688 graphics driver
Measurement and Analysis Tools
- Prime95
to stress the CPU - ATITool
to stress the GPU - FurMark
to stress the GPU - SpeedFan
to monitor system temperatures and fan speeds - Seasonic
Power Angel AC power meter, used to measure the power consumption
of the system
Baseline Noise
A baseline noise level for the NSK1480 was established by “jump-starting”
the PSU and testing the fans in various configurations. No components were installed
for the test, so the baseline tests outline the minimum noise possible before
any further noisemaking parts are added. All the the TriCool fans were tested
in “Low” mode only; past experience has taught us that higher speeds
are too noisy to be satisfactory and cooling is only minimally impacted.
Antec NSK1480 Baseline SPL Measuring mic positioned 1m at diagonal angle left/front of case. | |
Configuration | SPL |
PSU + One exhaust fan (L) | 21 dBA |
PSU + Both exhaust fans (L) | 21 dBA |
PSU + Both exhaust fans (L) + Intake fan (L) | 23 dBA |
Of the three configurations we tested, only the last increased the noise level
significantly above the minimum noise level. Unfortunately, the minimum was
limited by the fan in the PSU, which is not especially quiet. Given that neither
the PSU nor the PSU fan are easily swappable, the PSU effectively limits how
quiet the case can be*.
Although the intake is the same model as the exhaust fans, it seemed noticeably
louder than the others by virtue of its position at the front of the case. The
effect showed up in the measurement results as a 2 dBA@1m bump above the other
baseline results.
While the 21 dBA@1m minimum is not loud per say, it is louder than much
of the competition, and it is likely to be audible in the average living room.
If the goal is an inaudible system, some level of advanced modding is required.
Subjectively, the noise has a bit of hum to it, but there weren’t any bothersome
pure tones.
Unfortunately for Antec, the TriCool fans that come standard in all of their
cases are starting to seem a little dated. While we’ve always considered them
not bad, there have always been better choices. And, in the past year or two,
an increasing number of these better choices have been showing up as stock fans
in cases made by Antec’s competitors. So, while baseline noise results in the
21~23 dBA@1m range might have been quite good in years past, they don’t look
so good anymore.
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*See the postscript where we do, in fact, swap the PSU fan.
TEST RESULTS
For live system testing, two new sources of noise were introduced: The cooling
fan on the Scythe Big Shuriken CPU heatsink, and the Western Digital Green Power
hard drive. Neither of these are particularly noisy components.
The test system was a midrange Core2Duo system capable of playing back HD video
smoothly. It’s far from the hottest system out there, but it’s pretty much all
you need in an HTPC, especially the kind of system that this midrange case is
targeting.
All tests were done with both exhaust fans on Low and the intake fan disabled.
While the second exhaust fan was probably not strictly necessary from a cooling
point of view, keeping it running ensured that no warm air was recirculating
through the case as might be the case if one of them was disabled (effectively
turning the exhaust into a potential intake). In addition, our earlier baseline
tests showed that leaving the second fan running did not cause a measurable
increase in noise.
System Measurements | |||
State | Idle | CPU Load | CPU + GPU Load |
CPU Fan Speed | 550 RPM | 610 RPM | 630 RPM |
Exhaust Fan Speed | Both “L” | Both “L” | Both “L” |
Intake Fan Speed | Off | Off | Off |
Noise Level | 24 dBA@1m | ||
CPU Temp (Core0) | 36°C | 54°C | 54°C |
SB Temp | 42°C | 46°C | 49°C |
HDD Temp | 33°C | 35°C | 36°C |
Power Consumption (AC) | 50W | 84W | 95W |
Ambient temperature: 23°C Ambient noise level: 11 dBA |
Our minimally noisy system added about 3 dBA@1m to the baseline noise level.
Most of this can probably be attributed to hard drive which is located near
the front of the system. At 24 dBA@1m, this isn’t the quietest we’ve heard this
system, but it’s also not noisy. In actual usage, this noise level would be
perfectly acceptable in an HTPC. Even in a dead silent living room, the noise
would not be very intrusive unless it was being listened for specifically.
The noise level stayed constant throughout the test, even at the heaviest load.
Our fan data showed that the CPU fan speed increased slightly under load, but
the increase wasn’t audible. This is hardly a surprising result, as 95W is hardly
a stressful load even for the relatively small 350W power supply, but it is
good news.
Thermally, the NSK1480 had no issues (though again, our test was far from the
toughest we could have tried). It’s not choked for air, and we know from past
experience with Antec’s other thermally-isolated designs that the basic thermal
design is sound. Our decision to leave the intake fan off seemed quite clearly
justified, as our low power WD Green Power never came close to breaking 40°C.
Given its small size and the surprising speed at which cable clutter built
up, it wouldn’t surprise us if the case struggled a bit if it was really pushed
with numerous high end components. A hot, half-height graphics card blocking
airflow would do a lot to boost the ambient heat in the case and make it tougher
to cool things down. A warmer CPU might run into problems since many of the
top end heatsinks will not fit. But these are hypotheticals, and the case isn’t
really intended for these top end systems.
Baseline test #1: PSU + 1 Exhaust (L). Noise character
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AUDIO RECORDINGS
These recordings were made with a high resolution, lab quality, digital recording
system inside SPCR’s own 11 dBA ambient anechoic chamber, then converted to
LAME 128kbps encoded MP3s. We’ve listened long and hard to ensure there is no
audible degradation from the original WAV files to these MP3s. They represent
a quick snapshot of what we heard during the review.
Each recording starts with ambient noise, then 10 second segments of product
at various states. For the most realistic results,
set the volume so that the starting ambient level is just barely audible, then
don’t change the volume setting again while comparing all the sound files.
- Antec NSK1480 – Baseline Noise tests at 1m
— PSU + one exhaust fan @ L (21 dBA@1m)
— PSU + both exhaust fans @ L (21 dBA@1m)
— PSU + both exhaust fans @ L + intake fan @ L (23 dBA@1m) - Antec NSK1480 – Test Configuration at 1m
— idle / load, CPU fan < 630RPM + PSU + both exhaust fans @ L + HDD in top bay (24 dBA@1m)
Comparatives:
- Silverstone
Fortress FT01 – Test Configuration #1 (IGP) at 1m
— idle/load, CPU fan @ 9V, system fans @ 6V (20 dBA@1m)
— idle/load, CPU fan @ 9V, system fans @ 12V (27 dBA@1m)
- Coolermaster
Sileo 500 – Test Configuration #1 (IGP) at 1m
— idle, CPU fan @ 9V, system fans @ 7V, hard drive on case floor (15
dBA@1m)
— idle/load, CPU fan @ 9V, system fans @ 7V (17~18 dBA@1m)
— load, CPU fan @ 9V, system fans @ 12V (20 dBA@1m)
- Antec
P183 – Test Configuration #1 (IGP) at 1m
— idle/load, CPU fan @ 9V, rear fan @ low (19~20 dBA@1m)
FINAL THOUGHTS
The NSK1480 is a nice evolutionary addition to Antec’s case lineup, incorporating
solid thermal design from previous cases (notably the P180 series and the Fusion)
into a smaller HTPC / desktop package. There’s nothing revolutionary here, but
the addition of a smaller HTPC case is welcome as the rest of the industry heads
in this direction and low profile parts become easier to find.
It would have been nice to see Antec upgrade their fans, as they are starting
to stand out for the worse against the competition. It’s difficult to call them
bad exactly. Just dated. A bigger problem is the fan in the power supply,
which dominates the noise signature and cannot be easily swapped. In addition,
the power supply itself is proprietary, making this an exceptionally difficult
problem to deal with. Such is the price of miniaturization. Keep in mind that
for most people, noise standards for media PCs can be more relaxed than with
a home office PC; when it’s actually being used, sound that emanates from the
TV or stereo tends to mask the noise of the PC. (See page 3 of the article Cases:
Basics & Recommendations for more details on this topic.)
All in all, the NSK1480 is a solid choice for an HTPC case, and we’re happy
to see another low profile choice in this market. The large size of HTPC cases
has been a common complaint since they first showed up, and small has too often
meant starved for air. The NSK1480 strikes a sensible balance between cooling,
low noise, and modest size.
Our thanks to Antec
for the NSK1480 sample.
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Articles of Related Interest
Cases: Basics & Recommendations
Luxa2 LM100 Mini: “Exquisite & Desirable” m-ITX HTPC Case
Moneual MonCaso 301 Desktop HTPC Case
Antec Fusion Remote Max HTPC Case
Silverstone GD01 and LC17 HTPC Cases
Antec NSK2400 / Fusion Media PC Case
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Discuss
this article in the SPCR Forums.
POSTSCRIPT: A SIMPLE MOD by Mike Chin Shortly after the work on this review was done, I had a need for a HTPC The Antec NSK1480 fits nicely into the single shelf in the existing TV The challenge with modding the PSU is that its fan is a slim profile Double side tape was used in the corners to affix a Nexus The Scythe Big Shuriken heatsink/fan was used on a new AMD A block of foam was also placed over the HDD, which turns The end result is a PC that in normal use is inaudible from |