Sheer Beauty...

Author's Rating:

Pros: Front device hookup (Firewire;USB;Mic;Heaset); Thumbscrews (Better than SEX!* *Sounds cool!); Efficient and QUIET Cooling!

Cons: Reset button not recessed; Leads to front of case LEDs are weak and may break

The Bottom Line: 
Well thought through design. The ease of the thumbscrews to the excellent cooling and top front connectors makes this a top notch product!

Author's Review
(Purchased Jan 2004).

I have never bought a pre-built PC system (save for Apple ][ + or //e). Everything - even back in the 386 days, was spec'd out for the new system.

My recent was the beginning of 2004 (ok ok.. I am late). The previous to that was 1999. The absolute last and neglected part of the system has always been the case. Heck even they become obsolete in the collusion dance. A new MOBO spec comes out, and the case only works with ATX cases and power supplies.

Well after buying a slew of 120GB harddrives from Maxtor (six in total now), I found the 1999 case was having cooling and connectivity issues.

For 2004 purchase, I decided to not only move the case high on my list but to solve my issues.......

Which came first? Chicken or the Egg?
I hated going behind the case and plugging things in like headset and speakers. Not only that, I felt - what if I get a game device with USB --- or my video Camera with Firewire? All these should plug IN THE FRONT of the case. Well that was a "goal" but the motherboard (mobo) would have to support that too.

Hmm... wanted all the above.. PLUS firewire.. so the game was afoot -- I had to find a motherboard that had firewire (#1) then had the ability to have front-of-case connectivity. Not easy. But I ended up with the Asus P4P800-DX mobo.

Front-of-the-case connectivity - (my term) just means - the motherboard provides extra connectors internally on the board itself. So if you look at the back - it has 4xUSB; 1xFirewire; full audio. But the mobo comes with 4xUSB extra - 2 for the front. (2 more if I had a connector). Plus 1 extra firewire, the head/mic and also an AUX IN - which I connected for my ATI. Other connectors as well (2nd SPDIF etc). For this reason alone, it is why I never buy prebuilt - there is more to a motherboard than what is at the back or the type of memory.

The P160, for the connectivity side - it had all the cables to connect to the mobo.. and Antec boasted a rather impressive spec list..

Form AND function
Back has a lovely 120mm Fan (see bottom) - then you put in your OWN powersupply (not included). I bot an Antec TruPower 480 - comes with 2xFans itself.

Instead of having to look for a bloody inferior phillips screwdriver for every little task, you are provided thumbscrews throughout the entire case (save drive drawers).

There are two screws at the back to remove the left side of the case. Once open, you can insert/remove cards using smaller thumbscrews.

The devices - 5.25 top and HDD bays below are all designed to use provided rails and drawers.

The top bays - devices can slide from the front. They provide rails - you attach the rails to your device (say DVD or CD) and then you slide into the case - no need to "open the other side of the case" to screw in the device. When you attach the rails - you can choose what holes to use (more or less recess). The case comes with two "color coded" doors. The doors "hide" the devices - two buttons on the front press the device buttons in back. They only provide two of these doors - so if you don't have any more, you would use different slots on the rails.

I just found out today, you can buy extra parts for the case now - via the Antec site - I may buy a few more doors.

The drive bays are different. They provide you 4 "drawers" which come with screws and rubber "mounting grommets". Cuts down on vibration. Once in their drawers - you slide them in. Instead of "from the front or back" you slide them from the slide. Sort of makes the cables a tight fit (think too tight).

You can buy extra drawers too - for swapping in/out drives (I don't recommend that!)

Between the HDD bays and the front is a place for another 120mm fan. I finally installed another one - from SilenX - that is a tad quieter and moves a wee bit more air. The fan is tall enough to go over ALL OF THE HDDS Nice.

The front snaps off. A small cable connects the front to the case (via connector). The cable is used to light 3 blue LEDs. One of the leads to a blue LED broke and only 2 are functioning now. (they should improve that).

Once off, there is a plastic filter that needs to be cleaned periodically. Further, on the very front are 3 grills (blue LED shines down over the grills). The grills tend to collect dust (due to sucking of air) - and I clean them with my finger periodically. Not nice looking -- but better than if they would have hid the grills and forced me to open up the case more often than I would like.

At the top of the case is a 45degree swivel. On it - 2xUSB; 1xFireWire; Reset; 2digit led, 2xround led, MIC-IN; Phones-Out; 2 activity LED, Power.
- The 2 digits aren't for the speed silly! (CHUCKLE - always loved those things.. made me feel fast when using the slow junk). Those change (along with the 2xround led) to show you the internal temperature - they provide 2 probes - put them anywhere you want. If nothing else, the temperature would rise if a fan would stop or due to blockage. Then again it will rise when I am playing Halo -- the ATI card for shure heats up!

The negative on the panel - the reset button is NOT recessed - and is no different than the power except that it is smaller in diameter. A flaw - a few times I have accidently hit that key. With XP, you can have something happen if the power is hit differently (ie ASK) but not reset.

Again with the front controls - the MIC/Headset work fine. Somebody screwed up though. Either the case or MoBo connector had the LEFT/RIGHT audio reversed - I changed that and all is well.

I just love being able to plug the headset in the front or unplugging it and the regular amp works. I have used the Firewire with the camera too. No getting on the ground and looking for the fallen cable or the connector to plug into.

.. and how does this "case" look?

You've got the Look..
From their site:

"Made from recycled fighter jets.*
There are plenty of ways to experience mind-numbing performance. You could strap on a jet and blaze across the sky. Or you could just grab our new P160. Carved from supremely strong anodized aluminum — the same stuff fighter pilots swear by — our whisper-quiet case boasts 10 drive bays. A swiveling control panel. And a low-speed 120mm fan. So get a P160. And experience the kind of performance usually reserved for our folks in blue.

(*OK, that's not really true. But it sure sounds cool.)"


Absolutely a beautiful case. Silver and chrome - stunning. You look at it and know (A) It cost a bit of coin (B) It is worth every penny.

The only negative is with the front panel - they have a place for a 3.5" drive. These days unrequired. ASUS allows an internet BIOS update. Ghost comes with a BOOT CD. I was able to make a Maxtor PowerMax disc on another machine. Yet the openning is shown - I would have preferred an extra cover to remove the 3.5" bay opening.

... yeah, but does it solve the biggest problem? HEAT?


Heat!
Worse part of the entire system is the heat generated. Not only does the CPU have a FAN to move heat away, but so does the bloody video (ATI All-In-Blunder 9600Pro). The mobo had built in sound and 10/100 NIC to boot. I figured down the road I could look to a better audio solution.

.. Cables..
To resolve some of these issues, first, I use rounded EIDE UDMA66 cables - the flat ribbon cables tend to stop air circulation. I find with my MoBo and sliding drives - I probably could be ok with the flag cables, but I still use round ones.

.. Fans..
The 1999 junk case had a place for 3 80mm fans. Two at the back and one at the front. Even better - the fans do not pass over the harddrive bays. Excellent. So they are as hot as a frying pan 247. (My other review on the ADS external drive case talks to this).

Even better, the fan location at the back has a grill - itty bitty holes - that basically prevent proper airflow from the case. (we suck air into "FRONT" and out of "BACK" of the case). No idea on the holes in the front. [b]Horrible sundy imported junk.[/b]

Okay, so what is better? Well enter the P160, it comes with a 120mm fan at the back. STOP! Right there we have overcome a huge hurdle - the fan is BIG - not a tiny 80mm POS. This thing can run SLOWER and still move MORE air than the 80mm. The result? QUIET and EFFICIENT! The grills are enough to prevent small fingers, but big enough to let the air move freely.

A second fan can be installed - it sits right IN FRONT of the 4 drive bays! I have since done that and sure enough feel a slight draft over the drives. I see (not scientific) that the temperature has fallen a bit too, internally.

.. Material..
Being completely aluminum, it keeps the temperature down too. In someways the case acts in its entirely like a big heat sink. Well built and designed.

Conclusion
Overall I am impressed and in love with this case. It looks better than your average beige junk. It is quiet. I love the thumbscrews - so fast and easy to remove the case and pop things in our out. And the front headset is 100% required... not to mention the other connectors.

(I found a lot of cases have the MIC/Headset in the front, and perhaps a USB, but few in late 2003, had Firewire as well).

I see they have recently added the P180. The front is totally different - but what caught my eye - you can have up to 5 fans - including one at the top (where most heat collects). Not sure my next will be the P180, but if they have thought out other cases (esp smaller ones) like the P160, I definitely will be buying from Antec again.

So next time.. START with the case first..