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With value models available for £15, which is a very reasonable price for four walls and a roof for the more important PC innards, computer cases rarely come as expensive as this.
The P182 from Antec is extremely photogenic and, up close, the metal silver sides and front panels are a good substitute for a mirror.
The frame and top of the chassis is black plastic, which not only tarnishes its high-end looks but also doesn’t have the heat dispersion properties of a metal. However, Antec says the plastic keeps noise down.
Aesthetically, grey plastic power buttons are also a slight disappointment. Construction is excellent and the side panels are made up from three-different layers. We’ve speculated that plastic has been used to keep the weight down – the P182 tipped the scales at 14Kg, which is what you'd expect from such a big case.
Inside, components are stored in a modular fashion. The compartments are all metal and serious thought has gone into the layout. First off, the PSU (not included) has a completely separate compartment. It is difficult to access and rather unusually, it sits at the bottom of the case; this helps reduce clutter (the cables are routed more efficiently) and keeps noise levels down. Meanwhile, the hard disk bays sit in one unit and can all be pulled in one fell swoop thanks to a metal hoop.
Additionally, rubber lining to reduce vibrations is present on various enclosures. The only major flaw with the internal arrangement is that the motherboard tray is not removable.
The front door is magnetically sealed and opens to reveal four 5.25in drive bays. Two USB ports, one Firewire and audio connections also sit beside the front door. One external 3.5in drive bay and six internal 3.5in drive bays bring the total to 11 drive bays – worthy of a small server.
The case houses two large and quiet 120mm external fans (one on the top the other at the rear). Controllers with three different speed settings sit on the back of the case to adjust their speed. A third, internal fan sits near the PSU to cool it and aid airflow.
Two rubber-clad vents, or grommeted water pipe holes as Antec calls them, lie on the rear side of the case and make installing externally mounted liquid-cooling radiators much easier.
The wealth of accessories included is generous: cable ties, a large number of screws for fitting devices, an LED light to be attached internally and a cloth to clean the mirror panels are all provided. There’s also a metal grille that can be attached to the top fan and pokes out like a car vent, giving it a mean look.
Due to poor documents, it took us some time to work out where the grille should be placed.
For the price, we’ve seen more attractive cases with assortments of lights and LCD screens, but these are usually more living room, home theatre PC focussed, and none have the superb internal arrangement Antec has put together.
The Antec P182 is ideal for enthusiasts who need easy access to drives, good airflow for overclocking or support for liquid-cooling apparatus.
It's currently available exclusively from Overclockers and Ebuyer.
See also:
A great design and it's quiet, the GX810 is well worth the money 19 Apr 2007
An overclocked DirectX 10 Nvidia Geforce 8600GT card for under £100 17 Apr 2007
An extra-large CPU cooler that also keeps your motherboard temperature in check 20 Apr 2007All Computer CasesTags: Case
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