Antec P193 Review

Results Analysis

Results churned something of a mixed bag for the Antec P193. Starting with the CPU stress test with all of the cases four fans whirring quietly away inside its soundproofed shell, the P193 came out above average, but a good few degrees from being the best we've seen in the CPU stress test, SilverStone's FT01. A CPU delta T of 24°C puts it on par with the Lian Li PC-P50 which we saw last week. Reducing the fan speed to minimum put the P193 close to bottom with the CPU to reaching 26°C above room temperature.

With its whisper quiet 200mm side panel fan blowing cool air over the heatsink of our passively cooled Radeon HD 3850, the Antec was bound to be a decent performer in the GPU stress test. With the fans running at full speed, the GPU delta T of 29°C was one of the best we've seen so far, beaten only by Antec's Nine Hundred Two and even then only by 1°C. Turning the fans down barely effected the temperatures, adding just 2°C to both GPU and CPU delta Ts and keeping the Antec amongst the top runners in the graphs.

Idle performance was another area in which the P193 was a little lacklustre. Perhaps it's due to the compartmentalised nature of the internals, perhaps its due to the lack of intake fans at the front of the case or even a combination of both. Either way, with fans at full spin, the performance was identical to that of the Antec Nine Hundred Two with its fan also at full. Dropping the fans to low made little difference to the results, with the case staying in the middle of the graphs.

Value and Final Thoughts

It's great news that the P193 is so much cheaper than its predecessor when it was released, but what has it got to compete with today? Well, luckily for Antec, its biggest competition for the P193 is itself. People looking for performance PC cases with great build quality and more airflow than a wind farm are likely going to considering a Twelve Hundred or a Nine Hundred Two.

However the P193 is a little more reserved than these cases which veer more towards the aggressively styled side of the spectrum, although it's not as subdued as the original P190 which is a disappointment in our eyes. We feel that this case might appeal to professionals looking for a house for their dual-CPU workstations. The P193 poses a cheaper but similarly elegant design to the Silverstone TJ07 if you can get over the big side panel fan stuck on the side.

If the plastic used is an issue for you and you only need a regular ATX case with similar performance and subtle design then Lian Li PC-P50 is around £30 cheaper and is a full aluminium design. However in spite of its more expensive materials the Lian Li will be noisier than the Antec as it doesn't feature any sound proofing.

Being largely based on its siblings in the Performance One range, the P193 is one hell of a case. The side panel fan mount was a surprising addition which many people think will look pretty fugly. If you can see past this though, then you really get your 140 quid's worth. The case can accommodate shedloads of hardware, it's super quiet, boasts great cooling and has loads of features. Attention to detail has been paid its dues throughout and the build quality is second to few.

• Build Quality
• x
• x
• x
• x
• x
• x
• x
• x
• x
• x
• 10/10

• Ease of Use
• x
• x
• x
• x
• x
• x
• x
• x
• -
• -
• 8/10

• Features
• x
• x
• x
• x
• x
• x
• x
• x
• x
• -
• 9/10

• Performance
• x
• x
• x
• x
• x
• x
• x
• x
• -
• -
• 8/10

• Value
• x
• x
• x
• x
• x
• x
• x
• x
• -
• -
• 8/10

• Overall
• x
• x
• x
• x
• x
• x
• x
• x
• x
• -
• 9/10

Score Guide