Ah I haven't been watching Apple close enough I see, last time I saw them talk about water cooling it was heatpipes.

The config possibilities with this case are enormous even with just the stock parts supplied. Consider:

config 1 --
main chamber: top 120mm fan only, no intake fan
bottom chamber: single 80mm fanned PSU, 1/2 HDD, no 120mm fan

config 2 --
main chamber: back 120mm fan only, no intake fan
bottom chamber: single 80mm fanned PSU, 1/2 HDD, no 120mm fan

config 3 --
main chamber: Bottom back and top 120mm fan only, no intake fan
bottom chamber: single 80mm fanned PSU, 1/2 HDD, no 120mm fan

config 4 --
any of the above with 120mm PSU fan

config 5 --
main chamber: Bottom back 120mm fan + intake 120mm fan w/or w/o HDD
bottom chamber: fanless PSU, 1/2 HDD, 120mm fan

This is just a fraction of the various combos that can be done here!

How about HDDs only in the top chamber and not the bottom for another odd example? Or HS w/ and w/o fan? Then consider all the fan speeds.... which are probably best left at the low setting for simplicity's sake.

As Russ said, this thing is going to require an incredible amount of work to document. We may have to work on this as a team! There is no way we are going to introduce more complexity by trying a lot of subsitute parts. It's just too time consuming, and we're constantly feeling the pressure of yet more reviews and stuff to cover. The main thing would be to cover the most typical ways in which the average quiet focused buyer would use this case -- with the stock part provided.

We'll leave the "fun" of messing with as many components and substitues as you want to in the capable hands of the early adopters here.

PS -- Also, it's highly unlikely that we'd test with a low heat CPU. In fact, the best way to test this case would be to install the very hottest components in the most OT system we can lay our hands on in a "standard case", document everything, then rebuild that same super hot system in the P180 -- and see what happens to noise & temps. Anything lesser system would be cooler and quieter in this case, and the results of such testing would also be very useful for the performance obsessed and gamer types eying the P180 right now.

Here's a link that describes apple's watercooling system in the G5.

http://www.systemcooling.com/swiftech_mcp350-03.html

It's not unusual to use a fanless psu in a system that still has fans. Mainly because a fanless psu combined with something like nexus fans can be for all practical purposes as quiet as a fanless system, with even better temps. And a good fanless psu such as the phantom with it's extremely high efficiency does make a difference in the heat output and how much cooling is needed.

A low rpm fan in a dampened case sitting on my floor will not make noise that I can hear, and will cool better than completely fanless so why not use the fan for better temps, and heat dissipation. It is possible to modify a good psu with even quieter fans, but this does void the warranty, and will be generating a few watts more of heat. These small differences won't matter for every system but they do for some.

MikeC - I'm sure we'll all be happy to make do with the testing results on the configs possible with the stock fans. I would suggest the 3000B as the baseline/comparison system, partly because it's already been tested with the tri-cool fans and partly because it seems like a good baseline to compare any case to imo.

Another thing for bigred and others to consider is that a fanless PSU isn't really fanless. If you put a Phantom on that bottom duct and didn't add any fans at all, the Phantom would likely fail under even light loads over time. All passive power supplies require some airflow around them to stay cool.

I agree that if you write a review with all of the configs above it will take forever, everyone will continue to speculate about this feature, that config., other reviews, etc.. I would start a series, with the first installment concentrating on what makes this case unique. There are many configurations for the bottom compartment alone, but it allows for the use of a fanless psu and a separate fan for cooling. That could be the first configuration. You could also include a test of a fanless psu. The next installment might be a down sucker with no fan in the middle and by the way, combine it with a test of the s12. Which ever way you configure it, it will be interesting, and I would rather see a case configured in a way that I can't configure my case. My 2 cents - FG

Personally, I'd love to see the reviewers try a dual-processor setiup in this case. I've been planning a new Xeon rig for quite some time now, and I think I've found the perfect case for my plans! There's not much info out there on quieting dualies, though. Personally, I don't believe that they have to be loud. For example, I'm planning on getting two of these E3W-NPTXS-04 heat pipes from Coolermaster, to provide silent CPU cooling:



They'll be situated on the mobo (Asus NCCH-DL), in the upper left hand corner of the case, right next to those lovely dual exhaust fans. Should work great, I figure. Put two harddrives in a RAID setup in the lower chamber, a third system drive in the upper chamber, and get an NV Silencer for the video card, and I'm laughing.

Cannot wait for this review!

Bad news for you: The case is not E-ATX compatible.

So get a non E-ATX dual CPU board. I'd be willing to loan SPCR mine, if you can find the processors hot enough for the challenge.

I agree. I use a fanless PSU with other fans in my system. Mainly I went with a fanless PSU because I didn't need another exhaust fan and wanted to eliminate the PSU as a source of noise.



I'm not sure about that. I have a Silentmaxx 350 and it has no active cooling. Only the unit’s large external heatsink provides any significant cooling. In most setups a fanless PSU will get at least some extra cooling from fans, but I think they are designed to operate at their spec'd power rating without active cooling; after all isn't that the whole idea of a passive PSU?
I think it is a good practice to give them some additional cooling, but in my experience (due to case design) it hasn't been possible, and evidently (at least to the time of this post) not necessary.

Say hello to the Asus NCCH-DL:



ATX.

Here's hoping Antec will put out a black (non-ugly) version...

Wow is brushed aluminum really that bad?

Hahaha. I asked the Antec Rep about the same thing. I found that the silver one grew on me after a while, but a case with black anodised side panels would look slick.

any eta for a release date? lots of eager a64/nforce4 ppl waiting for a nice quiet case.

I find brushed aluminum a bit too flashy for my taste, and I love it anodized in other colors...

I'm aware of the difference in construction, so I really hope the look of the Super Lanboy's aluminum panels aren't anything to go by, they not only feel like flimsy plastic, they also look like it

The Lanboy IS all aluminum, and it does feel flimsy -- like most aluminum cases do to me. I think anyone who has handled or seen the P180 early samples can vouch this thing feels, looks and sounds very solid. Like I wrote in the news piece, it's a thud, not a clatter / chatter / rattle / buzz when you rap on any of the outer panels with a knuckle.

Google returned this:

http://www.focuser.com/atm/anodize/anodize99.html

I know Mike, I was only talking about looks

lenny, I've many times thought of trying it out myself, but it's quite risky with acids and all. BTW, even if the P180 has the silver finish, it's most like already anodized which AFAIK means it can't be anodized again.

I say you just buy the freaking thing when it comes out and just appreciate the ALREADY anodized aluminum finish ;P

Black is so last year

This case looks nice, lot bigger then I'd ever need but yeah I can't wait for a review of this thing. Does anyone have specs on it? Particularly the height of the case?

The minimalist outer design (not sure how the SLK counts as minimal) is appealing and the fans with controllers included? Very nice. Thought I even heard rumblings of fanless CPU cooling care of one of those huge Thermalrights. One of those, an A64 coupled with this fanless Gigabyte and we have a nice gaming box.

Beat you to it

I just find the clear/silver anodizing uninteresting.

Oh, and black metal never goes out of style.

Brushed aluminum in silver for the outside aside, the interior front bezel is all-black, anyway, so if you've already got black opticals, no need to change up, at least.

-Ed

Mumrik? Shouldn't you be playing City of Heroes?

Assuming you also post on ArsTechnica.

As of right now no plans for a black P180

AntecRep

Damn, I'm busted

Yeah, I should, I'm still paying the bills but I've been in over my head preparing for this semester's exams... The last one is one the 24th, I should be back after that


Thanks for the info btw, I guess I'll wait for the reviews before I make up my mind about the visual side then - should be plenty of nice high resolution shots to look at.

Here's my take on the PSU/fan options that make the best use of the P180 design as-is:

1. Probably the best option would be to use a fanless PSU with a low-speed 120mm fan in the middle of the tunnel. The PSU is designed to get the heat away from the internal components, and the fan will help to move the heat off the heatsinks and out the back. Fanless PSU's are, however, expensive.

2. I would think that the next best option would be to use the 120mm fan in the tunnel with a modified standard, fan-cooled PSU. Mods for the PSU: remove the fan and mod its housing to minimize airflow obstructions from front to rear (also close off the fan opening if it is a bottom-fan PSU) then close off all of the surrounding vent holes in the case to force the exhaust air to go through the PSU. This would be a much cheaper option, but would require some mods that would void the warranty on your PSU.

3. The third best option would be a quiet, single bottom-fan PSU, mounted right side up (with the fan on the bottom). Some of the heat generated by the hard drives would rise in the tunnel, so the coolest air available to the PSU would be from below, and the airflow from the PSU fan should be sufficient to cool 1 or 2 hard drives for most of us. Obviously, some of the heated air would be drawn through the PSU, but considering that in a standard case the PSU is drawing air heated by the drives, CPU and expansion cards, that would likely not present too much of a problem for it.

Of course, you could choose not to mount any drives in the tunnel, but then you would have to worry about cooling/airflow for them in the top part of the case anyway, and their heated air would be drawn up towards the CPU with the top/rear exhaust fan locations as they are.

All that being said, if the fans are included and they are virtually inaudible at low speed, then you might as well use them - heat is the enemy! The good thing is that this case gives you options.

Me, I'll likely be going with option 3 if I buy one, because I just bought a Super Tornado PSU and I'd like to keep my warranty intact. Just on a cost/benefit basis, though, I think I'll probably just get a 3000B instead and save $100+

How is this case different from the Lian Li 1100? They look very similar.

For what it's worth, another vote for an all-black case. Just don't care much for the mixed black and silver look.

ccd

Just from looking at the casepics on the Lian Li page I would say the v1100 has:
- mobo placed upside-down
- only one 12cm intake and one 12cm exhaust
- lower "tunnel" not seperated from upper chamber
- HDDs are mounted accross the airflow
- all aluminumc case
I bet there're many more details than the few I listed (I didn't search for reviews).

The lower fan that cools the hard drives and power supply in the V1100 is at the front of the case, I think. Antec's positioning of the fan in the center of the case I would think is better for sound control. The V1100 only has one fan at the back of the upper chamber, with no top mounted fan. But that makes me wonder: If you were to mount only a single fan in the upper chamber of the P180 (say, the back fan), would there be an issue with the fan pulling in outside air from the adjacent empty fan mount and then blowing it right back out, rather than exhausting more of the hot air from the case itself?

Also, I agree that I would prefer to have an all-black anodized version of this case available. I still prefer the look of the Lian-Li but I'm being convinced by this forum that the P180 will likely be the better case for silence. And hopefully lots cheaper!