Antec P100 Review

Antec P100 Review

Manufacturer: Antec
UK price (as reviewed): £74.99 (inc VAT)
US price (as reviewed): $94.99 (ex Tax)

Antec is no stranger to pretty much every case category - mini-ITX, high-airflow, budget gamer - it's competed in every one and done pretty well too. Some of its recent additions have, shall we say, raised eyebrows - the GX700 for example. However, its latest addition, the P100, does look like it's back on form at least as styling goes.

Following in a long line of P-series - also known as the Performance One series - cases such as the P183 and Mini P180, the P100 is aimed squarely at the budget end of the market. Retailing for just £75, it's cheaper than NZXT's award-winning Source 530, which itself scored near top marks for value. However, while the Source 530 was a distinctly high-airflow affair, with no less than eight fan mounts and a large front mesh, the P100 is all about keeping things quiet.


The P100 doesn't feel cheap, but there's something about it that betrays its relatively low price - perhaps the fact it only weighs 8kg or lacks the exterior styling finesse of its predecessors. However, it's still refined and elegant-looking thanks to its clean lines.


Opening the front door reveals a lot about the case's aim. It's clad in sound-absorbing foam and seals tight over the front dust filter and fan mounts. The filter is easily removable as a result - no pulling off front fascias here - and the two 5.25in external bays are hidden behind the door too. The front panel ports and switches are all located at the top of the front fascia and include a healthy amount of USB ports - two each of USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 along with the usual minijacks and power and reset buttons.


The roof sports a large honeycomb vent but this is possibly where our initial thoughts about the case feeling a little cheap come from - there's just no styling here - but then most cases at this price don't have it either. The base offers up a second dust filter, this time catering for the PSU, which sits in the base of the case, straddled by two of the four large rubberised case feet.


As we've already said, the case looks elegant enough, however, being picky you quickly notice certain joins that don't quite line up and the fact the front door hinge mechanisms are fairly exposed while we also might have preferred a straight finish to the front of the case, rather than the angular edges we see here. In short, it's certainly better looking than the likes of the Source 530, but equally it's no design icon.

Specifications

• Dimensions (mm) 220 x 523 x 484 (W x D x H)
  
• Material Steel
  
• Available colours Black
  
• Weight 8kg
  
• Front panel Power, reset, 2 x USB 3, 2 x USB 2, stereo, microphone
  
• Drive bays 2 x external 5.25in, 7 x internal 3.5in/2.5in
  
• Form factor(s) ATX, micro-ATX, mini-itx
  
• Cooling 2 x 140mm/120mm front fan mounts (1 x 120mm fan included), 1 x 120mm rear fan mounts (1 x 120mm fan included), 2 x 140mm/120 roof fan mounts (fans not included),
  
• CPU cooler clearance 170mm
  
• Maximum graphics card length 317mm
  
• Extras Removable dust filters, fan speed switches