Installing a system thanks to the many features is a piece of cake, it really is. I've installed systems in many different types of cases from £30 cheap and (not so) cheerful to Lian Li's and I have to personally say the Antec case was easier than the Lian Li's but also more rewarding, especially if you want to start hiding you wiring and go for a clean and tidy appearance. There are obviously the clips to hold the wiring top and middle, plus plenty of room at the top and behind the drive bays to hide anything else remaining. Even the IDE cables can be hidden to a certain extent as the HDD trays orientation allow you to put the IDE and power connections to the back of the case.
For watercoolers the rear 120mm exhaust has obvious benefits as you can easily mount a 120mm radiator to the exterior of the case, although obviously this won't be as beneficial as an intake mounted radiator which won't be a possibility without modification.
There was really only one main issue I found with the case come install time which has to do with the PCI slots. If you have a graphics card in the top PCI/AGP slot and have DVI connectors on the card which you use together with a VGA adaptor, you will find that the case framework above the top slot will make attaching the adaptor a real pain in the ass. It's very close indeed, bearing down on the adaptor, but you should be able to wiggle it into position (just). This problem stems from the fact that the framework is there to support the top of the PCI slots which are not part of the removable motherboard tray. This needs to be thinner or perhaps flat like the PCI surrounds to accommodate these commonly used adaptors as not every adaptor is created equally. I used three different types with varying degrees of success. The only other issue I had was that the Power LED connecter on the case is of the two pin variety. My motherboard header is three pin in length (two pins used). Luckily for me I had a three pin connecter around from a much older case and was able to make my own adaptor.
Ok, let's looks at some numbers before we move onto my conclusion. I've housed my current AMD system in the P160 which is:-
Barton 2500+ @ 3200+ (), MSI FX5950 Ultra 256-VTD, Corsair TwinX512 PC3200, W&CC Watercooling system with CPU and Northbridge blocks, Aerocool Aeropower II 520w Titanium PSU, Hauppage TV Card, Vantec Spectrum PCI Fan cooler, LiteOn 24x CDRW, WD 80gig HDD, Vantec Nexus 305 Rheobus and CCFL Inverter plus 2x CCFL's
The three cases I'm comparing are the Antec Performance P160 (2x 120mm fans at 12v), the SkyHawk V770 (2x 80mm front intakes, 1x rear 80mm exhaust) and the Chieftec BX Tower (1x 80mm front intake, 1x 80mm rear exhaust). Temperature recordings were taken at a room temperature of 24C.
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Idle
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Load
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SkyHawk
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29
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33
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Chieftec
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26
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28
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Antec
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27
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31
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The main issue with the SkyHawk is that despite the fact it has two front 80mm intakes, they are pretty much blocked by the one piece fascia, which only allows for air intake from a hole below it. This limited efficiency degrades further over time as since the intakes are hidden unless you manually check often, they will be blocked by dust without your knowledge. I guess it does mean the front is always clean looking but overall cooling for the case does suffer with poor intakes.
The Chieftec's numbers are low, only 2C above ambient, which is mainly because the 'hole' style design means the case is very open to the air and only limited active cooling is needed. It does however collect a lot of dust, although nowhere near the amount of the SkyHawk and its negative pressure.
The Antec P160 has a nicely designed airflow and uses 120mm fans; this should speak volumes from the outset. The front intakes are not perfect and can be quite restrictive when coupled with the filter and mesh, but I have seen a lot worse (the SkyHawk for one). System temperatures hover comfortably between 26 and 29 but this is also a lot quieter than the other 2 cases, again through the use of 120mm fans. Cooling could be a bit better but isn't a worry as such.
Final Words
I think it should be obvious already what my overall opinion is, but let's go through it again.
The case fascia design is controversial, some will like it, and some won't. Personally I love it. The P160 has just the right amount of chrome to give you the BLING but without going overboard. It would have been nice if the fascia was made from the same brushed aluminium as the rest of the case, although in reality you will be hard pushed to detect the difference visually. The front intakes with the black mesh background and soft blue glow reflected off the chrome surround looks fantastic in low lighting, very atmospheric.
The stealth bays work very well and are frankly the best design I've seen to date offering to hide your optical drives but in no way hinder the drives front functions, with even the LED being still visible. All this and the covers are still universal and able to be used with the drive rails. Speaking of which, the drive rails (for both 5 ¼ and 3 ½ bays) are the first of many features designed to make system installation both quick and easy. Thumbscrews are used throughout, the HDD's are mounted onto vibration dampening trays, and even the front intake fan is on a removable tray. Antec have also provided a removable motherboard tray and have done lots to cut down on vibration, from rubber grommets to mount the HDD's to plastic strips to back the motherboard tray onto. The interior is roomy, easy to work in and gives you a very tidy appearance with minimal effort, as the orientation of the HDD cage, the clips and free space all work together and make clutter practically disappear.
Couple of bad points, DVI-VGA adaptors in the top PCI slot can be a pain, and you will be their a while wiggling it into place. The Power LED connecter is 2 pin in size when most motherboards I've used have 3 pin in size (3 pin in length, 2 pin in actual fact, middle pin is empty). The pre-mounted rubber mounts for the exhaust fan break very easily indeed, and despite being warned I snapped 2 before I even got it mounted. However being a 'look on the bright side' kind of guy, I took the opportunity to mount my watercooling radiator externally to the case by bolting it to the exhaust with the fan still inside.
I love this case. I've looked at £30 cases and I've looked at £130 and up cases, but this Antec P160 has got to be my favourite. I love the easily clean appearance of the interior, the BLING chrome on the front, the rotating utility panel, great stuff. The case is begging for a window and Antec do make replacement window panels for it (and they too match the front intake in appearance), so that will be my next purchase but even if you're not that interested in looks this P160 will impress you with its features alone. Price is good too at sub £100.
Pros: Chrome and Aluminium appearance fascia, Stealth bays, Drive Rails, Thumbscrews throughout, Rotating utility panel, Temperature probes and Digital display, Intake fan tray, Hard drive trays, Removable motherboard tray, Lightweight aluminium construction, fully lockable, 120mm exhaust and intake, soft blue glow from front intake slots, roomy interior, easy to tidy the interior, easy to work with, Great manual, Price.
Cons: DVI-VGA Adaptors can be problematic, Power LED connecter is 2 pin not 3 pin, Rubber mounts on exhaust fan snap easily
Bottom Line: If you need a case that is feature filled, easy on the eyes, wallet and installation then the P160 is it. I love this case, and if you like the look of the fascia with its Chrome and Aluminium appearance, you will love it too.
Hit us up in the Forums if you have any questions or comments.
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