Quick Antec NSK6500 build [56K]

KorruptioN · Post by **KorruptioN** » Sat Sep 09, 2006 4:29 pm

Like many, I was interested in the new SOLO case that Antec was releasing. My reasons?

- I liked the way it looked
- It seemed like a good platform for the future (low-noise, good breathability, etc.)
- It is relatively cheap
- A PSU is not included

Anyway, I wanted to replace my aging Coolermaster Centurion. It wasn't a bad choice for low-noise operation, but I quickly got tired of the way it looked, and in it's stock configuration, the lower-front intake was horribly restricted. My oversized OCZ Powerstream sagged as it only had two mount points.

I held off on the SOLO purchase mainly because I didn't really like such a small case - I appreciate some extra room when working in and around components. The NSK6500 was introduced a little later on, and the only real differences that I could see were the extra inch or two in height, the lack of HDD suspension, sound insulation, and the included PSU. The lack of HDD suspension didn't bother me too much as the NSK6500 still featured the silicone HDD grommets (similar to the P180). I was sure they would do a good job.

I didn't use the included PSU as my OCZ 420W is more suited to powering +5V-heavy setups like mine (my motherboard doesn't have the 4-pin ATX12V connection).

The machine in question:
Asus A7N8X Deluxe Rev2 + Zalman NB47J
AMD AthlonXP 2500+M (overclocked from 1.83GHz to 2.2GHz @ 1.7V)
Thermalright SP-97 + 92mm Panaflo Medium @ 7V
2x 512MB Corsair XMS3200XL (2-2-2-5 @ 2.8V)
Sapphire Radeon 9700 + Arctic Cooling VGA Silencer (@ low)
Chaintech AV-710 soundcard
120GB Seagate 7200.7 PATA
250GB Seagate 7200.8 PATA
OCZ Powerstream 420W

Enough said, let's get onto the pics.

The box + environmentally friendly packing materials.

Less environmentally-friendly plastic.

Unwrapped.

Inside.

The included SU-430 PSU -- It is a Seasonic. SPCR reviewed a similar model.

The HDD cage, it is removable.

All the necessary connections.

Bag of screws taped down.

Front panel connectors.

A storage space underneath the HDD cage, it may come in handy.

The rear 120mm Tricool, mine in particular buzzes a bit.

The front bezel off. It is quite difficult to remove, unlike the SLK3x00 cases.

My old Coolermaster case beside.

Poor filtering in the Coolermaster caused this.

After cleaning.

My oversized OCZ Powerstream 420W in. Extra long cables are a pain.

2x 92mm Nexus fans.

My optical drive + floppy drive. The colours don't match 100%.

Motherboard in.

Some sloppy wire management.

HDD trays.

Everything back in.

Closed up. It matches my LCD very well.

The front LEDs are quite bright, even though they are diffused.

So yeah, please excuse my sloppy wire management. Things are placed well enough so that air has an almost direct path through the case. It is significantly quieter than my old Coolermaster... even though that setup utilized some drive suspension (seen here). It is well worth the $100 or so, in my opinion. Thanks for reading, hopefully I haven't killed your connections with the excessive images!

elendil850 · Post by **elendil850** » Sat Sep 09, 2006 5:32 pm

Thanks for the review!

I've been considering this case or the Antec Solo. I'm still not quite sure which one I like best though.

L3thal · Post by **L3thal** » Sat Sep 09, 2006 7:56 pm

Nice pictures! Seems like a good alternative for those looking for more room than the Solo can provide.

Ayah · Post by **Ayah** » Sun Sep 10, 2006 12:17 am

I'm thinking of sticking my dual Xeon rig into one of these.

VT50WA · Post by **VT50WA** » Sun Sep 17, 2006 4:02 am

Really appreciate this great review mate!

One question though, does the NSK6500 has dust filters for the front case fans?

omgy · Post by **omgy** » Sun Sep 17, 2006 11:20 am

If you mount the hard drives lower, they'll run a little cooler.

Also, in my experience, intake fans don't make much of a difference, try without and see what temps you get!

KorruptioN · Post by **KorruptioN** » Sun Sep 17, 2006 12:24 pm

VT50WA, the front intakes are not filtered, which surprises me a little bit. The older SLK3000B even comes with a basic mesh filter.

omgy, mounting the hard drives lower means my IDE ribbons have to travel farther... I may try mounting them lower down, but it's not a big deal. I like to keep my hard drives cool, so I doubt I'll be removing those fans (I might just undervolt them instead).

jwoolen01 · Post by **jwoolen01** » Sun Sep 17, 2006 4:55 pm

Nice build. I noticed the NES in the background. Old school baby.

KorruptioN · Post by **KorruptioN** » Sun Sep 17, 2006 7:07 pm

jwoolen01 wrote:Nice build. I noticed the NES in the background. Old school baby.

Damn right, it still works 100%! I don't even have to blow air on the game contacts, lol.

... imagine a quiet PC in one of those enclosures!

mbetea · Post by **mbetea** » Sun Sep 17, 2006 8:35 pm

Damn right, it still works 100%! I don't even have to blow air on the game contacts, lol.

Gee how I miss those days. Or having to wedge another cartridge in there because the spring is wearing out.

elec999 · Post by **elec999** » Sat Sep 23, 2006 5:59 am

Setup looks nice
Thanks

UK-Bob · Post by **UK-Bob** » Sun Oct 29, 2006 3:35 am

Hi, came across this build thanks to Google. I just had to join the forum and say thanks to KorruptioN for a great post ! I have just built a system based on the NSK6000 and think that its a great case.

Basic build. Soon to be added are Scythe Ninja, Aerocool VM102 and a few other goodies.

Just love the LEDs.

As it is I have a cooler runung setup by 6 C over my old case. Once I have the fans sorted along with the rest of the stuff it should be quiet and cool running

spec: MSI 6747 mobo, P4 HT 3.06, FX5600, 2gig ram (just cheep sticks)

All pics taken with my PDA so no appology for poor quality what so ever !