INTRODUCTION
On a day just like today 10 months ago we launched this entirely new project and since in such a short time we've managed to make gigantic steps i just wanted to thank all of you our readers for your continuous support. Getting back to today’s review some of you may recall that one of the many manufacturers that made their debut in this year’s CES the Xi3 Corporation predicted the end of desktop computing when they unveiled their HTPC sized Z3RO Pro Computer system. Now i do hope that in the future technology will make it possible for us to own tiny systems with tremendous potential able to play the most demanding of games and thus remove the need for large tower based systems but until that day comes i will always choose a full tower over a midi/mini PC Case because quite honestly i like having the extra space not only to fit the largest possible hardware components but mainly to do that with extreme ease. So today we will be taking a look at such a tower and more specifically the latest addition to Antec's performance one line the Super Mid-Tower P280.
Antec, Inc., is the leading global brand of high-performance computer components and accessories for the gaming, PC upgrade and Do-It-Yourself (DIY) markets. Founded in 1986, Antec is recognized as a pioneer in these industries and has maintained its position as a worldwide market leader and international provider of efficient, quiet, and reliable products. Antec has also achieved great success in the distribution channel, meeting the demands of quality-conscious system builders, VARs and integrators. Antec is headquartered in Fremont, California, with additional offices in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, as well as in Germany, China and Taiwan. The company’s products are sold in more than 40 countries throughout the world. Please visit www.antec.com for more information.
The P280 Super Mid Tower PC Case is the last model in the performance one line of PC Cases designed and manufactured by Antec and just like the P193 and the P183 before that (two very good PC Cases) it features an elegant design, plenty of interior space (XL-ATX compatible), excellent airflow potential (up to 7 interior fans) and offers noise insulation (quiet computing panels). Unlike however the P193 V3 which we had the chance to use a while back the first thing we noticed once we took the P280 out of the box was its weight of 10.2kg which is way less compared to the 16.4kg of the first and that really had us thinking that it would not be just as sturdy. Luckily however we were wrong and so the P280 although not perfect proved to be a very good and sturdy feature-rich PC Case as you will all see later on in this review.
SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES
PACKAGING AND CONTENTS
The case is shipped inside a large black/yellow box with an image of the unit on the front right beneath the Antec 25th anniversary logo.
There are two product images also on both sides of the box, one taken diagonally from the right side and one showcasing the interior.
Moving to the rear we see several images showcasing the features of the P280.
A plastic bag and two Styrofoam spacers covered with cardboard are in place to keep the unit secure during shipping.
The bundle consists by several installation screws inside a plastic bag, 5 cable ties and the user's manual.
THE P280 EXTERIOR
At first glance the Performance One P280 Super Mid Tower looks a lot like the P193 just a little bit more classic (which is not a bad thing).
In the normal version neither of the two side panels has a window on it but both are quite thick to reduce noise levels.
The front fascia features a very thin gunmetal anodized aluminum plate.
The I/O is placed right above the front fascia and includes 2 USB 2.0 ports, 2 USB 3.0 ports and the usual headphones/microphone mini jacks.
Over at the lowest end of the fascia we see the Antec logo.
The door opens from right to left and unfortunately you can't switch sides like with other cases (the good thing is that the door opens a lot more than in the picture - a total of 270 degrees).
Behind the front door Antec has placed a thin layer of foam to help in keeping the noise in low levels.
Three 5.25' optical drive bays are placed behind the front door.
Beneath those you will find an access panel which doubles as an air filter.
As you can see there's room for two 120mm fans but unfortunately Antec decided not to include even one.
The power on/off and reset buttons are placed on the top of the front fascia.
There are also two 120mm TwoCool Antec exhaust fans right beneath a grill placed at the rear top of the case.
The rear of the P280 is also black as we've come to expect from most PC Cases nowadays.
A Low/High fan speed controller is placed at the top rear. From here you can adjust the speed of both the top 120mm and the rear 120mm TwoCool Antec fans.
By default the P280 comes with a preinstalled 120mm rear exhaust fan.
I was very glad to see that Antec gave a total of 9 PCI expansion slots to the P280 and two large water cooling grommets.
As usual the PSU bay is placed on the bottom.
Both side panels are kept in place with the use of rubber coated thumbscrews.
At the base of the P280 we see four round rubber feet and a removable air filter right beneath the PSU space which i was very surprised (in a positive way) to see that it gets removed from the left side (not from the rear as with most cases that have one).
THE P280 INTERIOR
Both side panels are quite thick due to the 0.8mm polycarbonate dampening material placed on their inside.
The interior of the P280 features a black matte paint and what really stands out the most is the huge hole beneath the CPU spot.
All three 5.25" optical drive bays feature a nice and sturdy locking mechanism.
Right beneath the optical drive bays there's a small spot for two 2.5" drives and 6 drive trays for both 3.5"/2.5" drives. You can also mount two 120mm fans on the left side of the drive cage (just use the two clips) to increase airflow inside the case.
The drive trays are quite sturdy but not as much as aluminum ones.
As mentioned earlier the P280 has a very large opening allowing you to easily swap CPU backplates. There are also 4 smaller openings on the tray for cable management purposes.
The TwoCool rear 120mm exhaust fan doesn't come with a protective grill so pay extra attention when routing cables near it.
Moving further bellow we see the 9 PCI expansion slots which are held in place with rubber coated thumbscrews.
Getting to the PSU space we see the large air filter and the Antec Design logo right next to it.
Cable management is very easy with the P280 since there's a total of 30mm between the mainboard tray and the right side panel.
You could easily mount a 240mm radiator at the top if you replace the stock fans.
BUILDING THE SYSTEM
As always the purpose of this section is not to build a fully working system but rather to showcase what you can expect from the case at hand in terms of interior space.
Since Antec classifies the P280 as a Super Mid Tower it may not be as large as some of the other HPTX/XL-ATX compatible Full Towers out there but still its interior is a lot larger than that of a normal midi tower.
You can mount even the largest CPU Cooler out there without worrying about clearance issues, at least not related to the case itself.
The Performance One P280 also has room for up to 330mm long graphics cards.
Unlike other similar PC Cases you will not forsake the bottom routing hole if you decide to use a long power supply such as the Huntkey X7 we used in this review.
NOISE LEVEL TEST
After giving it much thought we decided on performing noise tests with each PC Case we receive by placing our ExTech HD600 vertically ontop of each case to measure the noise levels emanating from the pre-installed fans at both 50% and 100% with the help of a fan controller.
CONCLUSION
When Antec announced the Performance One P280 Super Mid Tower a few months back i was really excited mainly because the first thought that came to mind was that since the P193 V3 was a great PC Case (and just an upgrade of the original P193) the brand new P280 would be a lot better and although i wasn't 100% on the spot the P280 proved to be a very good PC Case. As a matter of fact it is so good that as all of you know we decided to ask Antec to include one in our current giveaway. Now the only reason i say that i wasn't 100% on the spot is because the P280 may follow the same design and share many of the features found in its predecessors but it's not as quiet (marginally worse) and also lacks the left side panel fan featured in the P193 V3. On the other hand it's lighter, has a better airflow potential (if you install all 7 fans), has an all-black painted interior and generally it's a more "complete" solution than its predecessors. Still there's room for improvement so i really hope Antec releases a P300 or something similar really soon.
Price is also very important when choosing the right PC Case and with a current price tag set at USD93 inside the USA (Amazon) and at around 120Euros inside the EU the Performance One P280 Super Mid Tower by Antec is a real catch. It has the looks, has plenty of interior space, very good airflow potential, noise dampening material (side panels/front door) and a very good price tag, what more can anyone ask? True it's not the perfect PC Case out there but we always have to consider the price tag of a product along with what it offers at that price tag and so because all of the above the Performance One P280 Super Mid Tower PC Case by Antec receives our Golden Award.
PROS
- Build Quality
- Design (For Some)
- Spacious Interior (XL-ATX Mainboards)
- Airflow Levels (7x120mm Fans)
- Rear Speed Fan Controller
- Noise Dampening Material (Side Panels & Front Door)
- Room For Up To 330mm Long Graphics Cards
- 9 PCI Expansion Slots
- Front Door
- Price (For Some)
CONS
- No Forward Fan Included
- No Side Fan (Unlike The P193)