Antec Performance One
by Purav Sanghani on February 13, 2005 12:05 AM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
Final Words
The P160 has some great features including the tool-less drive bays and expansion slots, the rotating auxiliary module with the integrated simple temperature monitor, as well as the security features that will appeal to almost all enthusiasts out there.
The P160 performed well in our thermal benchmarks, producing an average of 29-30 degrees of ambient heat. With the added 120mm fan at the front, the range of temperatures between 27 and 33 degrees was reached throughout the case. The individual components also ran, on average, 1-2 degrees cooler than those of the past few cases, including the Nemesis series from NZXT as well as the MGE Viper and the Gaming Bomb II from Chenbro.
Even with the added fan, sound performance did not suffer at all. On average, the fans produced about 44-45 decibels with the sealed chassis. The P160 did just as well as the Gaming Bomb II's sound performance.
The external look was also easy on the eyes and we believe that many will accept this model over any of the pre-mod cases that we have reviewed. By far, Chenbro's Gaming Bomb II appealed to us the most with all of the SilverStone cases coming in at second in aesthetics. Though the P160 doesn't have the curves that the Gaming Bomb II had, we are getting exactly what we pay for - we're not dropping over $200 for a case when we can get the P160 for only $125.
Given the combination of features and looks as well as the price for a 1.2mm aluminum chassis, the P160 is a great value for novice users all the way up to the enthusiast class who desire the high quality that Antec can provide. We recommend it over the higher priced aluminum models out there as well as the pre-modded cases that we have looked at in the past.
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ElFenix - Sunday, February 13, 2005 - link
thanks for reviewing a professional looking case =)ViRGE - Sunday, February 13, 2005 - link
I too own this case and would like to make a couple of comments:1) I agree partially that it's a flimsy case. This isn't something Antec did wrong, rather it's just something that comes with using Al. If you're moving from a standard steel case, care is required. Also, the last time I swapped out an optical drive, I had issues with the rail effectively getting stuck in place; I don't know if I had some warping or what, but it was a fairly concerning problem.
2) The case cools fine with just the included fan. I ran a AXP 2600+ system just fine with the stock setup, though I did add a second fan later on when I added some more hard drives, and wanted to force more air across them. I don't know if this holds true for A64/P4 setups though.
3) The rear fan could be better. Antec ships the case without the fan installed, so you need to install it yourself. The pre-install some sort of rubber fastener on the fan, the idea being that like the grommets on the HD trays, the fasteners will reduce noise, but it also makes the fan difficult to install if you haven't installed a fan with them before. The problem is that when I pulled through the first one, it ripped, so I had to put a screw on in place. There's a very specific amount of force required to pull it through and not rip it, and there's no way to know until you've tried, likely ripping one in the process.
4) The washable air filter rocks. It won't keep out all the dust in your system, but it greatly reduces the amount of dust that needs to be removed from the system, and the filter is a snap to remove and clean, which means less work in the end.
5) I can't say enough praise for the "auxiliary port module." I keep my P160 at the foot of my desk, so it's at the perfect height to reach stuff, whereas anything lower would require actually bending down to use. The Firewire port is a very nice touch too, though wiring it up is difficult since it requires manually placing 7 pins(not that Antec could have done better since there isn't a standard).
6) I should probably mention customer service. I got rid of my floppy drive a few months back and needed a plain 3.5" bezel to replace the floppy one; I asked Antec where I could get one, and they sent me one for free, no questions asked.
In the end, it's a very good luxury case, and I don't see myself replacing it for some time. I just wish Antec had included a power supply.
PrinceGaz - Sunday, February 13, 2005 - link
That looks like a very nice functional case, rather like the Al Lian-Li waiting for my next build.It would be good if you could still review some stupid looking cases as the comments readers post are always amusing (even if like most of us I never read past the first page of the review of those attrocities) ;)
phaxmohdem - Sunday, February 13, 2005 - link
I went to MIcro Center to purchase a GAming Bomb II when it first came out and nearly shat my pants when I compared prices and features between that and this P160. Needless to say I am the proud owner of this P160 case and couldn't be happier with it.The rubber grommets on the HDDS keep my raptops eerily silent. Highly recommended
Ovven - Sunday, February 13, 2005 - link
i think i'll stay with my Antec Sonata case :)cHodAXUK - Sunday, February 13, 2005 - link
Great review, I own a P160 myself and I completely agree with the authors conclusions. For those people saying it is cheap and nasty well at it's price point ($115) it is by far the best constructed aluminium case around and it looks flashy whilst remaining easy on the eye. The front of the case is an aquired taste sure, but cheap it is not and I am certain that most people will like it. I base that of what people have actually said when they saw my P160 for the first time, after having my P160 for 9 months I still find it attractive and from a practical standpoint it has been a superb case to work on.semo - Sunday, February 13, 2005 - link
hallelujah!someone at anandtech must have eradicated those demonic objects of evil that have often appeared in articles here, slowly consuming the soul of its reviewers.
drifter106 - Sunday, February 13, 2005 - link
someone will let me know if this is wrong to post, but... if can be found using pricegrabber for less than 114.00 ship...strike with me with a wet noodle if i did a no-no
drifter106 - Sunday, February 13, 2005 - link
thanks for the review. this was my choice until i came across the stacker.CrystalBay - Sunday, February 13, 2005 - link
Does it cool adequately with the single provided fan???