CeBIT 09:Just no, no, no.
The Antec P182 is an excellent case and the P190 was a good looker (but try to pick it up without getting a hernia), but it looks like "3" is a bad number for the case manufacturer. The P183 updates look pretty cheap and nasty in the flesh, while the side of the P193 was attacked with an ugly stick.
Most of the design is much the same: the same door and general build quality are there, but the plasticy bits seem obviously plastic and we feel the slash look just doesn't suit what was an attractive and clean design.
Having owned a P190, I do understand that the case just wasn't wide enough and the side fan infringed on the graphics card's space, however while Antec has attempted to find a solution, we feel the one employed on the P193 isn't it.
Antec needs to have another go at this and, in the meantime, it looks like you're better off buying the existing models or sit waiting in hope that the next generation will be better.
Addendum 13th March: We grabbed a phone call with Antec earlier today who were keen to stress that these products were "pre-production", with new features like eSATA on the front panel, improved dust filters and airflow through the front vents (which Antec claims will also be redesigned) and it will include the ability to use larger PSUs and swap them out easier. We were also told that while the plastic looks cheap on the new design in the pictures, it will change in the final product
That's all good, but when pressed on the design changes Antec were less hard to pin-down to what will stay and what was "pre-production". The side-fan on the P193 is likely to stay, but it seems Antec will be concentrating on features over design in the third iteration of the 180s and 190s. Availability should be from April we were told.
The Antec P182 is an excellent case and the P190 was a good looker (but try to pick it up without getting a hernia), but it looks like "3" is a bad number for the case manufacturer. The P183 updates look pretty cheap and nasty in the flesh, while the side of the P193 was attacked with an ugly stick.
Most of the design is much the same: the same door and general build quality are there, but the plasticy bits seem obviously plastic and we feel the slash look just doesn't suit what was an attractive and clean design.
Having owned a P190, I do understand that the case just wasn't wide enough and the side fan infringed on the graphics card's space, however while Antec has attempted to find a solution, we feel the one employed on the P193 isn't it.
Antec needs to have another go at this and, in the meantime, it looks like you're better off buying the existing models or sit waiting in hope that the next generation will be better.
Addendum 13th March: We grabbed a phone call with Antec earlier today who were keen to stress that these products were "pre-production", with new features like eSATA on the front panel, improved dust filters and airflow through the front vents (which Antec claims will also be redesigned) and it will include the ability to use larger PSUs and swap them out easier. We were also told that while the plastic looks cheap on the new design in the pictures, it will change in the final product
That's all good, but when pressed on the design changes Antec were less hard to pin-down to what will stay and what was "pre-production". The side-fan on the P193 is likely to stay, but it seems Antec will be concentrating on features over design in the third iteration of the 180s and 190s. Availability should be from April we were told.
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