If there're no intake fans installed, will air be pulled in only through the dust filters?

Probably not. Unless the case is completely airtight except for the fan holes, some air will leak through the spaces between the optical drive bay panels, etc, but most of it should come in through the filters, I would think.

Applause to MikeC!
Nice work. Just i tiny problem. We need 'em in Europe as well.


It would be very nice to avoid paying 210 $ in shipment for a P180.
Then again where is the Seasonic S12-500 I'm planning to buy?
Sweden is not a prioritized market apparently.

Yeah, it's not a big inconvenience. I actually turn on the computer along with the other gear on a power strip, there was a BIOS option to turn on "after AC power loss". So the only thing I'd really need would be a way to hard reset the computer, and that's not something you need very often. I was just a bit puzzled why they didn't just make them accessible from the outside when other stuff already is. But the public terminal explanation seems to do.

Now if only the SPCR logo was backlit by blue LEDs...lol

New on TechTV, "Pimp My P180!"

Today's feature : adding a fish tank side panel to your P180!
Special bonus : spinning hubcaps!

I've never tried them, but if you really want to, perhaps you can do it with EL wire?

I must say that I'll do nothing to change the minimalist look on mine (if I do get one). Either the photos are very well taken (and photoshopped) or this is one case to rival Apple's in looks!

I just thought a backlit logo would look nice -.-;;

But fine, if you want to go and make fun of that bleh.

SPCR Black P180 > *

Sorry for having a little fun at your expense. My position on this is strictly to each his own.

You made me look at the pictures again. I don't see the SPCR in the big photo on the first page, only on the photo on the 2nd page. Is it, erm, digitally altered or are they two different cases?

And in the spirit of making fun of things, is the front door plastic / aluminum as well? It'll be nice if it is steel - that way we can stick magnets to it like a real refrigerator

I just E'd Endpcnoise.com about the pre-order. I'll let ya'll know what they tell me about the price and dates.
Nice work on the collaboration Mike!

Hello all. Been a while since I've posted here.

Have been pretty happy with my kit. Was still browsing the odd article from SPCR, to see how things are going.

I have to say, i hadn't thought I'd come across a case that had me nigh on drooling on the spot.

Personally, I *LOVE* the room for expansion in that case. The fans, the partitioning, everything down to the door screams that this had been throught through.

Being able to access Firewire, USB and co without having to open anything is GREAT.

And - with the door closed - not being able to accidentally (should even cover most cases of "stupid little brother/pet/relative) bumping into the power/reset button.

VERY GOOD. I *like*. LOTS. Mutt's nutts, dogs bollocks, absolutely stupendous.

The only nags I personally have at this point are these:

(1) Air filters. I seem to have read something in passing about 'some' air filtration in the system, but nothing really clearly showing filters. Which is a pitty - that would be GREAT if that would be covered.

Get that CLEAN air into your system .

(2) The "exhaust" on top. Why ... the mesh? Wouldn it have made more sense (I'm guessing here) to just leave the mesh covered, and redirect the exhaust away from the user?

Having the choice for the "rear and up" fan, with it's peculiar 'guard mesh' would be helpful here.

I am guessing that there *ARE* reasons for all this, just that I can't think of anything intuitively .

In any regards, Mike - GREAT work. It goes to show that if companies actually REALLY decide to listen to "people who *DO* know what they're talking about" ... both sides win.

Antec can make mucho $$'s, and we get what we want.

Darn, if this thing had been around 1 year ago, I'd have flat out bought it. I may, yet, get the black SPCR version ... if it shows up in the UK / Europe at all?

GREAT work. Definately more than several steps in the right direction. Is this the answer to everything? No - nothing ever is. But for me - this is great. I like 'bigger' cases, which are not towers ... the expansion abilities in that thing are nothing short of wonderful.

Antec earned a LOT of "like me" points with that one in my book.

*resists temptation to buy one ... at least for a little while...*

@MikeC: in case you haven't made up your mind on the UK distributor, may I suggest MicroDirect? This way, next time I'll go to the UK, I'll come back with a P180!!! I am only interested in the black one, the silver is too flashy for me...
The Antec Tricool aren't bad at 1,200 rpm, but still noisy. The problem I'm having with the fan that came with my 3000B is that under 900 rpm it doesn't really move air. It would be nice to have the two fans in the back and top at under 900 rpm, but I'm not sure if they would start so low.

Erm, I realize you folks speak a different language in that quaint land of yours , but surely the JPG file format is the same? It's worth a thousand words and all that...

Or perhaps we should organize a group buy... let's wait and see.

That would be überSweet.

F word, i wish it were not so tall. Hmmmk guess i'll have to wait for v2.0

would this be quieter and cooler than sonata II if both are fitted with identical components?

Can you tell me about the pre orders for the SPCR Antec P180 case? At the end of http://www.silentpcreview.com/article249-page1.html It suggests you might already be taking them.
Thanks, John Jenkins

That's my E to endpcnoise.com. Darin just got back to me:

John,

Hello! We won't have any of the P180's until about 1.5 months. Then we'll have them up on the site and ready to go. After seeing these things I'd say they're worth the wait!

Thanks,
Darin

Nice of him to get back to me so quick on a holiday weekend but he didn't answer the question.

***I rephrased the question and he got back to me fast. He basically said he didn't believe there would be a preorder for it because they will be getting a lot in.

Errrm, you seem to be forgetting about the VGA air duct. Filtered it is not.

The appearent lack of options to cover up the VGA duct, the top-exhaust and the vent holes around the PSU without modding seem like the only shortcomings of this case at first sight. Which really tells me a lot about the amount of thought and careful desing that must have gone into it. Well done and congratulations to Mike for launching the first SPCR co-branded product!!

I second the recommendations to make extra sure that reviews continue to be truly independent. Mike knows perfectly well that if reviews cease to be independent, that would be the end of SPCR. But the same thing is true, even if there only is a perceived lack of independence. There are two ways to go about this:

• Hide any affiliations between reviewers and vendors. If nobody knows, there is little to fuel the perception of a lack of independence (barring blatantly partisan reviews).
• Clearly disclose all affiliations, and be up-front about the issue. Have the reviews done by people without any perceived conflict of interest wherever possible.

Most hardware review websites go the first route, and this (in addition to the crappy job they do) is why few people trust them. It's just impossible to know which interests the person doing the review serves. Mike obviously (and not only with since his work with Antec) has avoided this route. In order to really make a difference in this respect, it would be great if SPCR had a statement about the work-ethics issues involved in hardware reviews. This is a commercial site, intended to make money, at the very least to cover its costs and pay Mike a living. Clearly acknowledging the fact that potential conflicts of interests exist, disclosing all affiliations (counselling jobs etc.) whenever possible, and explaining why SPCR nevertheless has nothing to gain from biased reviews could set it apart from the bulk of sites being quiet on the issue. It is tough work to educate people, and not necessarily rewarding. But I still feel it would suit SPCR well to make this effort.

BS. I called up the company and the gentlemen said they would have their preorder section for their website up next week for the P180 when the arrive next month, so apparantly, there is some communication breakdown. MIKE! Fix it!!

Hahaha! I love it!
Not only is does the case look very slick with the simple yet elegant spcr logo its black!
Back in the original P180 thread myself and a few others asked if a black version would be available. Well thank you Mike and crew, my dream case has been created.

Kudos!


If I had one wish, it would be that the top fan duct could be swappable between the current mesh version and a solid dampened version.
None the less that is not enough to detract from the overall excellence of the case.

looks awesome, can't wait to get one

Hey no problem, arent we all?

The info is in the last page... "Starting mid-to-late June, a Limited-Edition Black Anodized SPCR/Antec co-branded P180 will be available for purchase from EndPCNoise in the US and from FrontierPC in Canada."

the one suggestion i have is put the inside aluminum panel on the door. the plastic looks tacky and cheap when the door is open.



i really wish those 2 120mm fan openings were piggyback, without the 3.5" drive in there. modding to fit a 2x120mm rad would be sweet, and who uses floppy drives anyways?

Unfortuneately, some disk subsystem drivers on supplied on floppy disks that are needed to install the OS.

I believe he means to move the floppy to a different spot, not get rid of it all together. The problem is that it still wouldn't work (in terms of eliminating legwork to get a radiator installed across both intakes), as you'd still end up having to cut through the panel dividing the two compartments before installing the rad. If you're going to go through the trouble of doing that, may as well just cut the floppy bay out at the same time. It's true though; if the floppy were in a different spot, it may be possible to cut thrugh the divider and install a radiator without removing the 3.5" external bay, were it in a different spot.

-Ed

Install two 120mm Rads in series then? Cant be that hard drilling a hole for the tube.

Damn !!! Completely didn't realise I need a new case...

Silver one available for pre-order in the U.K. here.

@MikeC: for the actual review, please show the P180 populated with a nForce4-SLI motherboard and two long cards fitted with AC Silencers. I don't think they will fit with the middle HDD cage installed. Of course, you won't really need the middle cage if the bottom one works as specified. But I'd like to see some close-up pictures of the cables passing from the bottom compartment to the upper one.

Huh? Won't fit? Give me a puff of what your smokin there.