Any idea on the availablity of the new revision of the Fusion? Will it be possible to tell it apart from older versions without getting the Fusion Black?

Bah I wish I knew about the new version of the Fusion. I guess I might just move to it, though I am wondering if the new LCD has full iMon support or just Antec's software.

I would guess that it will have a SKU differentiation from the current Fusions, but we'll likely have some of the same revision issues we've had with other product updates, like the P180 door fix and the Seasonic PSU's. Hopefully resellers will be conscientious about updating their listings.

Details were still sorta vague about the LCD during the show. I'll shoot them an email and see if there's any updates.

I was hoping to see a new version of the Aria/NSK1300 with better airflow.

Ooh, the P-182 mirror finish case is pretty. And I normally loathe the "80s refrigerator look," as I call it, but that mirror finish is enough to make me buy it. Wrote a letter to Antec asking them to make it available as an option in their production models.

Anyone else notice that the Silverstone SG-03 looks like it comes with a fan controller? Take a look at the top, on the backside, those three silver knobs. I'm not a fan of its looks, nor of the poor choice of PSU placement, but adding a separate space for a fan controller is a nice touch.

Cramming hard drives in that case can't be much fun, though. Not enough space for any kind of special modding or silencing. Looks like about all you can do is swap the fans for something quieter.

I'm honestly kinda surprised about the switch to an LCD from a VFD. If I'm not mistaken...isn't that pretty much an HTPC/MediaPC type case?

LCD's, while generally much cheaper than VFD's, have horrid viewing angles (note, I specifically mean the VFD's you find in HTPC cases...LCD TV's have great viewing angles nowadays) and are very difficult to make out from over 10 ft away.

I guess maybe if people finally give up on the idea that those little displays can actually show you pertinent information while you're sitting on the couch, then no harm done. My enthusiasm for a while was to go with a graphical VFD installed into an HTPC case....but the high cost of that killed any interest there.

What's that small grey box inside the Antec P190 and Fusion? Is it a dummy load device so the PSU and fans can be run without a mobo?

It's actually one of Antec's Power Supply Tester's, but they stick them in their cases on display for exactly the reason you thought. It's basically the same as jumpering the ATX socket to get the PSU to run without a mobo. (but looks a little more professional than a bent paperclip I guess)

Any word from Antec on the availability of the revised Fusion?

Any further word on the MCE ability of the IR receiver? Does the Windows Media Center edition software react to it exactly as it does to the MCE IR receiver, or do you get some loss of functionality?

Thanks for any help - you guys seem to have the inside track on Antec!

Interesting how we've gone from this,


and this

(They REALLY thought 37dba and 55dba was a good target numbers?!)

to this
[quote]The 2007 CES show proved to be an especially difficult event to report on from a “silent PCâ€

In part I think this has been caused by the massive increase in popularity of HTPCs, and generally the computer moving into the living room and becoming a media center for households (it's no fun watching a quiet movie with a vacuum cleaner on in the background).

Jaganath hit the nail on the head. Multimedia is the next big growth area for PC's. Pretty much every household in the western world that is in the market for a PC already has one. Now the goal is to try to get all those households to have two (at least). The explosion of digital media into the living room makes that the logical next focus.





One of business' names is lost to me now...they were no one we've ever heard of, and weren't even in our market if I remember right. I seem to remember that they were selling more of those damn ipod docks and bluetooth picture frames.

But one of the "chasers" does stand out, a startup out of Australia named Bluebox Devices. Interesting concept...they are developing a purpose-built digital media content delivery system. Basically a "free VOD" service where instead of watching conventional TV channels you will select and subcribe to individual shows and series, all of which are provided free to the subscriber. They were intentionally very vague about how the system works as a busness model, but it sounds like a "directed advert" type of thing, where they target you with specific commercials based on your demographic data and viewing preferences so that it is still advertiser funded like current broadcast channels.

What interested them in us enough to chase us was how proud they were of their hardware. On the hardware side the system has three parts: a "Media Vault", which is basically a file server to store data, a "Media Adaptor" which connects to your tv, and a "Media Controller" which you use to control the system. The Vault needs only AC power, it communicates to the internet and the other components via 802.11n, so it can be stashed "under the stairs or in a closet" (according to their marketing materials). The Apaptor is essentially an 802.11n reciever that has an HDMI output. The Controller is a UMPC sized touchscreen thing that also uses wireless to talk to the Vault. You use it to control the system and to select what you want to download. The controller is apparently fanless, and has some internal memory which allows it to be used as some sort of media player in its own right even if removed from the rest of the system.

Interesting, but at this point its all 100% vaporware. The hardware seems to be fairly realistic, although it was non-functional mockups at CES, but its the distribution system that seems like the least likely part of the system to pull off. They claim to be preparing to begin a beta test in AU this year, and promised to keep in touch if it makes it to north america.

Hey, you guys talked about some of the improvements of the P180(B) that will be implemented in the upcoming P182. I paid particular attention to that section as I had just bought a P180B (beginning of February) for my first PC build.

What struck me as odd, though, was that the improvements mentioned and shown in the photographs (two grommets for watercooling on the back, external adjustment for case fans, that added cable pass-thru between the mobo and PSU chambers, etc.) are already included in my P180B. I went back to your guys' review of the P180 and the addendum, and also checked the case pics for the P180B over at NewEgg, and neither matched my P180B's appearance in regards to those additions...

Now I don't know about the added space for the mobo (I can go check, though -- I haven't removed the right panel yet) or about the "very striking titanium gunmetal gray" (I'm not too good with colors), but the other things are definitely included in my P180B.

What do you think? I only found out about the P180(B) around January, so if I didn't get the memo about any recent changes in its design, or if I just misunderstood the article, please forgive my ignorance. Anyhow, just thought I'd mention that to me the P182 doesn't look any different than the P180B I have.

May I ask, where did you buy your P180B? Thx

Sorry, I forgot to mention that. I bought it off NewEgg at the beginning of this month (I can find the exact date if need be).

182 special edition = boi-oi-oing!

I want more bling in my silent cooling. I miss bling. I have all of these silver sleeves, blue cathodes, etc all sitting in a box

Hi Chumly,

One possibility is that you got some sort of P180B/P182 hybrid. The P182 is, I would assume, being produced in the same factory on the same machines that the P180's have been. It seems like a reasonable idea that they might have switched the chassis machine over to the new P182 molds while they still had some of the P180 outer parts left. Rather than junk the P180 parts, they built a few oddball combo's. They really couldn't call it a P182 if it wasn't all new parts.

Idea #2 is that it really is a P182, and that newegg didn't update their listings. Or they shipped you the "wrong" case.

Either way, Enjoy!

Rusty, just curious, so you don't think P182 internals will make it to P180/P180B? It seems it would make sense to do it, since neater cabling is always welcome. I'd really hate if Antec reserved new internals to P182 only.

The P182 is the replacement for the P180/P180B. They're not going to be sold along side each other. Once the P180's in the channel get sold, that model is gone for good. (At least that is my understanding)

Hmm still don't like it. I want pure black with new internals, not gun-metal.

Han described the "titanium" as being a "new finish". That doesn't specifically mean that the P182 won't still be available in black. I got the impression that the titanium was a replacement for the "refrigerator silver" p180 color.

We'll have to wait until it shows up on Antec's site to know for sure I guess.

If you want black as an option for the P182 make sure Antec knows it. They have an above average record of listening to consumers.