Introduction: Antec P182
The original P180 series joined the Performance One family in early 2005. Nearly two years to the anniversary, Antec has released the refined P182 Performance One ATX case. The name may be new, but the engineers borrowed heavily from the old P180 to create this improved design. Benchmark Reviews has compared both cases side by side, and we clearly define the innovative changes in the new Antec P182 Performance One ATX Case in this review.
The computer case (also referred to as the chassis or enclosure) has become a means to extend your personal tastes into a unique appearance. Nobody knows this better than the system builders who cater to the demanding consumer, or the do-it-yourself enthusiast and hardcore gamer. Since modifying a computer case is an extremely involved endeavor for only the most patient craftsman, the next best solution is to purchase from the myriad of styles, sizes, and purpose-driven cases available on the market today. Not surprisingly, Antec offers many of the cases we have seen when we speak of the many styles.
For this article, I will compare the new Antec P182 Performance One ATX case to the older Antec P180B from which it was improved from. One thing certainly hasn't changed: the name doesn't say much. I have learned that sometimes seeing the product is better than hearing the name, which is why I have plenty of images to help explain what the P182 is really about.
Introducing the P182, the newest edition in Antec's continually improving Performance One design. More innovations have been built in, such as an external fan control for the top and rear fans, a special gun metal black finish, cable organizers and even rubber grommeted ports for externally mounted liquidcooling radiators. All of these improvements build upon the great features of the original P180: the triple layer side panels and door design, and the upper and lower chamber structure to isolate power supply heat from the rest of your components. The P182 truly is the new standard by which all other performance cases will be measured.
About the company: Antec, Inc.
Antec began in 1986, long before the tech boom of the late 1990’s, in Fremont, California. Now operating offices in the United States and Europe, Antec offers products to 25 countries worldwide. Presently, Antec maintains a popular range of products in: computer cases, power supplies, cooling fans, lighting components, and accessories. Antec is the original High Performance Upgrade company, which created the PC upgrade replacement category at retail. Their enclosures and power supplies have been the #1 seller by far in North American distribution and retail channels for five years running.
Antec P182 Specifications
The Performance One series is Antec's all-star line-up of enclosures. Some stars seem to shine brighter than others, as we discovered in other Antec reviews, and while the name of this product line may indicate top tier features, the actual performance and features are undefined.
Special Features:
• Attractive gun metal black finish
• Dual chambers structure: The power supply (not included) is located in the lower chamber to isolate heat from the system and lower system noise
• Special three-layer side panel (aluminum, plastic, aluminum) dampens system-generated noise, making this one of the quietest cases available
• Material: 0.8mm cold rolled steel for durability through the majority of chassis, 1.0mm cold rolled steel around the 4x HDD area.
• 11 Drive Bays
- External 4 x 5.25"; 1 x 3.5"
- Internal 6 x 3.5" for HDD
• 7 Expansion Slots
• Cooling System:
- 1 rear 120mm TriCool Fan with 3-speed switch control (standard)
- 1 top 120mmTriCool Fan (standard)
- 1 lower chamber 120mm TriCool Fan (standard)
- 1 front 120mm fan (optional)
- 1 middle 120mm fan (optional) to cool the VGA
• External fan control on the rear panel for the top and rear fans in the upper chamber
• Motherboard: up to Standard ATX (12" x 9.6")
• Double hinge front door designed to open up to 270º
• Rubber grommeted ports on the rear for liquid-cooling tubes allow you to mount external liquid-cooling hardware
• Front-mounted ports provide convenient connections:
- 2 x USB 2.0
- 1 x IEEE 1394 (FireWire, i.Link)
- Audio In/Out (HAD & AC'97)
• Cable organizers behind motherboard tray minimize cable clutter
• Silicone grommets in the hard drive cages to absorb vibrations and reduce noise
• Built in washable air-filter
• Case Dimensions: 52cm (H) x 21cm (W) x 51cm (D) / 21.3" (H) x 8.1" (W) x 19.9" (D)
Since the P182 offers water cooling accommodations along with a few 120mm fans, Antec strongly recommends choosing from their EarthWatts, Phantom, NeoHE or TruePower Trio series of power supply units to optimize performance of your P182. With exception to the Phantom 500, all of these power supplies are lackluster in appearance. But never mind that, because it really won't matter how ugly the finish is since the P182 hides the PSU in a drive cage exactly as the P180 did. On the other hand, Benchmark Reviews doesn't strongly recommend anything, so use whatever power supply you want.
Antec kept the silicone grommets in the hard drive cages to absorb vibrations and reduce noise. This is a carry-over from the P180 design.
Closer Look: P182 Exterior
Unlike the older P180 series which it originated from which had the A and B models designating Aluminum and Black finish, the P182 is a stand-alone model. Antec offers the P182 Performance One ATX case in just one color, and only one color: Gunmetal Grey (aka Black). By now you are probably shouting at the computer screen, declaring how wrong I am because you have seen a silver version. You probably think that I am oblivious to the Antec P182 SE, which is Antec's Special Edition model which is offered in such small quantity that even I couldn't get one for review. So forget about the old P180A/B, because now it's either P182 or P182 SE.
Before I get into the thick of this review, I want to offer brand-new readers a little background. When I first reviewed the Antec P180B, I thought it was just a boxy black enclosure with no real design appeal. Well, the P182 is essentially identical from the outside, and "sports" the same minimalist features in its design. I am not entirely fond of plain black square computer cases, especially big heavy plastic and steel ones. To be fair, I didn't like the Lian Li PC-B20A for it's plain square design at first either, but it is now the case I use for my own personal computer at home. My point is this: the look grows on you, and you may be surprised by your change of heart. I certainly was.
Even if first impressions of this black on black case are absolutely true, and it turns out to be totally bland, at least I found enough evidence to suggest that the overall design is intended to impress function before fashion. After all, which would you rather have: a computer which improves performance or one that simply looks good? Of course, I would like to have both; mainly because I think it is possible to have a beautiful enclosure with many performance enhancements. But to really appreciate the P182 design, and after a few weeks I eventually did, you will need to discover the intimate details.
I am convinced that the designers at Antec have always strived more towards the direction of performance with their products, with very few of their cases sacrificing positive results for good looks. It will come as no surprise that the P182 is very much a "sleeper" just like the older P180 series was; because nobody would look at it and guess that it performs as well as it does based on its appearance.
Nothing has really changed in the overall exterior appearance. In fact, from the front the P182 is exactly the same as the old P180 series, and unless you open the door up to expose the bezel you would be hard pressed to tell the difference. In the new P182 Antec has corrected a big mistake made in the P182 series: they painted the horribly ugly primered steel inner door cover (see directly below). The rest of the bezel and door remain the same, which is a good thing because I didn't find any problems in this are with the previous P180 series.
For those of us, which include me, who are not used to pushing the bezel door all the way back past the position pictured, it will come as a surprise that the door swings all the way around to lay flat against the side panel of the case. Just as in the older P180 series, there is a two-hinged system which requires just a little extra effort to get past the first position. Don't be alarmed by the sound it will make, you cannot break anything; it just sounds like it.
The lack of see-through windows means that visual elements will not be a factor for selecting internal components. I think that this will upset some gamers and modders, who will sometimes insist that every internal hardware component come equipped with its own array of LED's. For the performance hardware enthusiast and overclocker however, this is bliss.
Since most people dislike having to continually open the front bezel door to access power buttons and optical drives, it would seem that getting rid of it completely would be more popular. Not so, at least no in the realm of Antec cases. Since the doors don't lock, it really makes no sense to hide buttons behind it. Like many other cases on the current market still using front bezel doors, if you burn CD's or DVD's you should get used to either keeping the bezel door wide open or listening to your optical drive knock on it when the work is complete.
There were a few times where the ventilation seemed poor in the P180 series. Antec has answered this problem with more open ventilation behind the bezel, as you will see in the section of this review which covers the interior details.
Just like the P180 series, the new P182 comes with three adjustable speed 120mm TriCool cooling fans and two additional 120mm cooling fan compartments. Now it seems reasonable that there be so much intake area to the front of this case. In the image above the front I/O panel is exposed, and the power button is hidden behind a plastic covered metal door. There isn't too much glitz or glamour added to the P182, with the only escape from the black on black colored theme being just a few small silver colored gems consisting of the front I/O panel, lock, and buttons.
From the rear you can see the most obvious changes, beginning with two large soft rubber grommets which indicate that the P182 is now ready to house your liquid cooling equipment. Without giving away too many of the interior details and spoiling that portion of this review, I will warn you now that water and liquid cooling equipment will be housed completely outside the P182.
In addition to the liquid cooling hose grommets, Antec listed to some of the complaints surrounding the fans and their control switch dongles, and reworked the design so that two of the three adjustable speed 120mm TriCool cooling fans can be controlled without having to open the case and dig around for the control switch. The new P182 offers control over the top and rear TriCool fans, with settings of "L-M-H" indicated below each switch. Also note how the switch is flush mount, which means that they won't be accidentally bumped or broken off.
Judging from the Antec P182 images thus far, any kind of lighting will go to waste inside this enclosure. Since there are no windows which would allow you to show-off your internal hardware, it really won't matter how ugly your power supply is, or how bright your LED's and CCD's shine. What this really means is that you could even use an Antec PSU with their raw steel finish and nobody would ever know if it looked hot or not; which explains why they seem to recommend them for this case.
Closer Look: P182 Interior
When I reviewed the original P180 series, I was not excited by the appearance or design at all. I said it would be unfair to call the P180 series all function and no fashion. But this new P182 is supposed to be the refined product, the culmination of improvements. Suffice to say. it still lacks some eye candy. But even with the missing shapes and colors to keep your interest it is fair to say that the overall exterior design is complementary and elegant.
Thankfully, the Performance One family knows that the most important part is on the inside. Open the P182 and you see a whole other side to this case you would have never guessed existed. This is where you should start to form your first impression.
The Antec P182 Performance One ATX case is quite impressive once you open it up. Now I begin to see where Antec's engineering team spent some time, almost every design feature available to the older P180 series has been closely inspected and in some places refined, all to ensure it earns its namesake. Pull-out cages equipped with draw rings and retainer posts make for handy access. The vented 5.25" drive cage allows for screwless rails to glide in and out for simple installation.
In the P182 revision, Antec left the lower half of this case untouched, but they have redesigned the upper portion in at least to important places. To start with, the 5.25" cage went from a 3+1 compartment to a full 4 device compartment. I was never clear why Antec designed the P180 series with one small 5.25" cage under a larger set of three, and it seemed like a pretty unproductive design, but they did it right this time around. But wait, there's more change... just not much more.
Fan placement was already well designed and well engineered in the P180 series, so it makes sense to keep it the same. The P182 comes with three 120mm TriCool fans, and there is room for a fourth 120mm fan directly in front of the upper 3.5" drive cage.
Familiar to the past P180 series, silicone rubber grommets are attached to both 3.5" cages, and they are soft enough to absorb any vibration. Also retained in this design are the soft strips of silicone rubber inside the power supply frame; because where there's a fan, there will be vibration. This PSU frame is not really necessary, but it does help clamp down the power supply and keep it safe from any rattling or vibration.
You may have noticed in all of the above images that the power supply is nearly pressed into the lower chamber fan. I will go into more detail about this issue in the next section of this review, but it's worth taking a close look at these images so you can understand the issue later.
Previously a unique standout feature, Antec has retained the separated chamber system and cable vent portals. In this design Antec makes one additional refinement, and adds a grommeted channel to the side of the portal cover. This feature keeps the path of heated airflow contained and more efficiently exhausted from the case.
One of the nice changes included in the Antec P182 us the number of included wire ties and cable bands. On some power supplies, you can orientate the wires to be closer to the closed side of the case. If you position your power supply this way than the ATX main cable group can be run up the back, being secured by the cable bands you see above. The 750W power supply I would use in the Antec P182 was too long to run up the back without interfering with the fan.
I have mixed feeling about the new silicone rubber feet used on (or under) the P182. They are great in regards to absorbing vibration, but they are so soft that they often catch and drag on carpeted flooring. Additionally, if the case is warmed by internal components they feet may lose their adhesive backing and peel off. For now I haven't seen any of these problems, but this case is only a few weeks old.
P182 Detailed Interior Features
This section will detail some of the finer points inside the Antec P182 ATX case. Antec has done a great job correcting some old problems, in a few areas of this enclosure they have added new features on top of the improvements. Beyond the liquid cooling considerations, it appears as though Antec may have forgot to plan for the future. Although I think they placed emphasis in the right area's, it seems that some of the newly emerging problem area's weren't kept in mind. Since CPU's are beginning to run cooler thanks to lower power consumption, even liquid cooling may be past its prime.
At the end of 2006 the computer hardware industry began to see the future of power supply units unfold with the release of 1KW (1000W) PSU's. More power means a bigger PSU enclosure, and since most recently released video cards are hungry for power it seems safe to believe that high-output PSU's are here to stay. This means trouble in terms of the Antec P182.
Unfortunately, it appears that Antec is falling behind the times when it comes to power supply units, as well as planning for their evolution. Just take a look at their aging line of PSU's for proof: all rated for 650W or less and finished in plain steel. This might explain why the P182 doesn't play well with anything bigger than the long established standard for ATX PSU sizes.
Similar to in orientation to other reverse mount (false-BTX) style cases, the power supply has been relocated to the lowest portion of the case where it is coolest. This not only allows the PSU to run at its most efficient temperatures, but it also allows the P182 to isolate any heat buildup. Unlike most other ATX cases where the power supply is fastened to the backside of the case with four screws, the P180B adds and additional steel cage with silicon rubber strips to frame the PSU and hold it into place. A 120mm TriCool cooling fan separates the hard drive portion of the lower chamber from the power supply. This positioning keeps the hard drives clear of nearby heat producing components, but it also means that warmed air in drawn into the PSU.
The images below give a good representation of the motherboard chamber. The PSU cables travel up through the large left portal, and SATA cables can travel down into the hard drive chamber through the right portal. The formed cutouts in the chamber portal covers allow each chamber to become its own isolated environment, free from thermal impact by adjacent components.
Another 120mm TriCool cooling fan is positioned at the rear of the P180B, which is directly at the level of the CPU. There is a third 120mm TriCool cooling fan directly above the horizontal location of the CPU. These fans work together to exhaust heated air from the largest heat-generating component, which ultimately allows the other components in this chamber to operate at an ambient temperature. The fan speed controls for these two fans are located on the exterior side of the case near the upper-rear corner.
Antec paid close attention to small details in the P182 ATX case, which is evidenced by the special vented expansion bay blanks. Anyone else, and this includes a few $200 cases I have seen, feel like plain stamped steel would do. It is encouraging to see Antec really take the extra effort so that we may achieve the best performance possible. However, the only way into the lower 3.5" cage is through the narrow opening you see on the left in the image below.
Even though the Antec P182 ATX case has a removable 3.5" drive cage at the lower front compartment of this enclosure, the additional 3.5" cage above it is also removable. Either location is good for hard disk drives, especially since there aren't too many floppy disk drives in use anymore.
As previously mentioned, all of the 3.5" device bays have soft silicon rubber grommets to absorb vibration or hard impact shock. Only the upper compartment has removable trays, which will certainly come in handy for hot swappable hard disks.
On the backside of the upper 3.5" device cage there is a small black compartment which is useful for screws and accessories. This was a carryover from the old P180 series, and Antec felt it deserved a return appearance in the new P182.
I wasn't very disappointed in the design when I reviewed the old P180 series, and yet conversely I am not very pleased with the new design of the P182. There are still a few particular items that left me less then impressed. Shortly after reviewing the original Antec P180B Performance One ATX case, I was refitting the side panel back onto the case, and without much force I broke off one of the plastic hooks. The redisigned P182 has not changed this problem, and their are still three small plastic hooks at the top and bottom edge of the side panels. Lucky for Antec, they held their own for this review.
Aside from the nearly impossible power supply compartment, I found the case itself to be extremely heavy. Other than the gunmetal grey finishing panels on the exterior, the sound deadening sections on the inside of the door panels are among the few places you will find aluminum. Just imagine a heavy-gauge steel case, and then fully cover it in a thick plastic skin and you why this case weighs over 36 LBS completely empty. I have carried fully loaded mid-tower computers which weigh less than the Antec P182 does empty, so don't expect to be moving this item very often.
Final Thoughts: Antec P182
The part of this review which frustrated me most was installing the Hiper HPU-4M730-SS Type M 730W PSU. At 7.1" long, it is only slightly longer than the average 5.5" ATX power supply unit, but it was a chore to get fit into the PSU compartment because the cables were so close to the fan. My advice to all, and ultimately my lesson learned, was to remove the lower chamber fan completely before installing the PSU. Elsewhere, there was plenty of elbow room to work with while installing the motherboard, hard drives, and optical drives. I found cable management to be far more enjoyable then any other case to date, which was already taken care of for me by using the chamber portal plates to keep things tidy.
Antec includes a large variety of screws and fasteners with the P182 kit. You won't rely on them though, since most items such as 5.25" drives use a screw less design with snap-in rails. The two additional 120mm cooling fan brackets were a little more work to reach, with removal of the hard drive and 3.5" drive cages necessary for access.
In my testing with the Antec P180B, operating temperatures dropped across the board. Of course, with the TriCool fans capable of operating at three different speeds, the cooling performance is relative. With all three of the 120mm cooling fans operating at the high (H) setting, I did notice moderate noise. However, since the door panels are thick and sound dampening, all of that noise paid dividends in the form of one very cold case.
The finished product definitely earns respect, and offers many improvements over the older P180 series. I didn't want to pass judgment based on looks, and the internal design proved to be noteworthy which made me thankful that I didn't. The unique design of this case alone is a cooling-performance improvement all on its own - allowing for isolated cooling chambers between the two largest heat-generating components.
Performance One Conclusion
Packaging and presentation are always above-par with Antec, which is why it becomes a bit of a letdown when you open the box and the contents aren't just as glamorous. Although I like the Antec P182 Performance One ATX case overall, I just cannot bring myself to look at it as an attractive enclosure. I am personally a fan of black, but this is possibly just too much. Alternatively, the Antec P182 Special Edition case takes this version to the next level, and from what I have seen it would be more my style. Some extra attention to the design and appearance would have helped the P182 score better in this category.
The construction is nearly perfect, which lends to exceptionally high functionality found in the P182. The performance derived from this enclosure is obviously the end result of a refined and reworked design. I didn't want to label the P182 as purely function and no fashion, because it's just not true. It's not the P182 Special Edition, but its still far from ugly. In regards to functionality, there are many more pro's than cons. Larger video cards (GeForce 8800 GTX and Ultra, Radeon X1950) and power supplies (< 6.5") will feel very cramped, but aside from this there are no major issues to speak of.
Antec offers the P182 for $169.99 at their online store (SKU:81820), and it is also available for the same price at NewEgg.com. Since both the manufacturer and the nations leading online merchant share identical pricing, it seems that the paying a full $40 more than the older and nearly identical Antec P180 series is commonplace. Somehow, I must have missed the $40 worth of improvements, because it doesn't seem to add up for me. This really hurts the value rating for the P182, because there are several enclosures near the $200 range which look much better and offer slightly more.
In conclusion, the Antec P182 Performance One ATX case is at the upper spectrum of computer enclosures. Clearly a premium product, but with a premium price tag still attached. I can recommend this enclosure to serious hardware enthusiasts and overclockers, which often demand performance more than a stylish design. The P182 would also work well in elegant corporate environments, where it will show off the refined design, and not attract too much attention.
Pros:
+ Legendary quality control
+ Research & development shine through
+ Liquid-cooling compatible
+ High strength reinforced steel construction
+ Plenty of primary working space
+ Excellent cooling performance
+ Unique chamber design isolates heat-generating components
Cons:
- Heavy! 36 LBS Empty!
- Small power supply chamber
- Appearance still needs work
- Fans (all on high) are loud
- Silicone rubber feet may peel off
Ratings:
-
Presentation: 8.25
-
Appearance: 8.25
-
Construction: 9.5
-
Functionality: 9.5
-
Value: 8.0
Final Score: 8.7 out of 10.
Special Thank-you:
This review would not be possible if it weren't for manufacturers like Antec who are willing to have a picky hardware analyst like me dissect their products. I am grateful, and certainly appreciate the opportunity.
Questions? Comments? Benchmark Reviews really wants your feedback. We invite you to leave your remarks in our Discussion Forum.
Related Articles:
|
