INTRODUCTION
A few days ago a friend of mine decided to go out and purchase several hardware components to build a small HTPC to place right next to the TV set he has inside the living room. The problem was that since he's not much into mITX and mATX mainboards (neither am i to be honest) he had to find the ideal ATX compatible midi tower that would feel right at home in his living room both in terms of design/appearance and of course low noise levels. Unfortunately although the market is filled with a virtually infinite number of PC Cases there aren't that many midi towers that feature noise-absorbing coating so it did prove to be a somewhat difficult search. Antec sent us their latest and quite elegant P100 Midi Tower roughly a month ago so the moment he called asking for my opinion on the matter i knew exactly what to recommend.
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’s offering of enclosures includes a large range of cases, such as its technically advanced Performance One Series, cost-effective New Solution Series and server grade cases designed for the needs of all workstation and server markets. Antec’s products also include front line power supplies such as its TruePower Quattro Series and EarthWatts, the most environmentally friendly power supplies available. PC gamers are an increasingly significant consumer of performance components, and many Antec products are geared toward the gaming demographic, like the Nine Hundred, the premier gamer enclosure. Antec also offers a computing accessories line comprised of many original products, including its patented LED Fans and Notebook Cooling solutions. 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.
Much like the entire Performance One line of PC cases by Antec the primary selling points of the P100 are the simple yet elegant design and the very low noise levels thanks to the thick steel and noise-absorbing coating used. Of course because of the smaller size compared to its larger brothers the P100 doesn't share the same spacious interior (only supports up to ATX mainboards) and it certainly can't pack the same number of features but that doesn't mean Antec left anything to chance so there's still enough space for up to 5 fans (3x140mm/2x120mm), two 5.25" and seven 2.5/3.5" drives. The interior although not very spacious can still hold graphics cards up to 317.5mm in length and CPU Coolers up to 170mm in height so most people should have no problem with it. However that's not all you'll be getting with the P100 Midi Tower by Antec so let's take a closer look to see everything it has to offer.
SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES
PACKAGING AND CONTENTS
Antec packs the P100 inside a grey/yellow box with a large product image at the front and the place where the case was designed (California).
Another product image is present at the left of the box used to showcase the front USB 3.0 connectors.
On the opposite side we see the interior of the case.
The features and size of the tower are showcased at the rear with the help of 12 pictures.
Packed inside a plastic bag and between two Styrofoam spacers the P100 is safe.
A plastic bag placed inside the tower contains a paper listing the bundle contents, warranty information paper, two Molex to 3pin fan adapters and a bag with screws and spacers.
THE P100 EXTERIOR
Much like the entire Performance One line of PC Cases the 484mm tall, 220mm wide and 523mm long P100 features a stylish design with simple lines.
To reduce noise levels both side panels are made by thick solid SECC steel.
The front fascia is actually a door covered by a thin sheet of brushed aluminum.
Right above that door we see the I/O which includes the On/Off and reset buttons, 2 USB 3.0 ports, 2 USB 2.0 ports and the typical headphones and microphone plugs.
Just like the side panels the front door also features a thick layer of noise-absorbing foam material.
Unfortunately much like most midi towers currently the P100 only comes with two 5.25" optical drive bays.
Right beneath the 5.25" bays there's perforated cover that acts as a air-filter for the one 120mm preinstalled fan right behind it. Here you can place another 120mm fan or a 140mm one.
At the top the P100 has two mounting spots for 120/140mm fans which by default are occupied by two thick pieces of noise-absorbing foam.
Moving at the rear we see a 120mm exhaust fan, 7 expansion slots, 2 water cooling grommets and the usual PSU area.
Rubber coated thumbscrews keep both side panels in place.
At the bottom we see four round rubber feet and a removable air-filter.
THE P100 INTERIOR
As already mentioned both side panels are made by thick SECC steel and also feature a thick layer of noise-absorbing coating on the interior.
The interior features a nice black matte color and looks quite spacious for a midi tower.
Both 5.25" drive bays feature tool-less lock mechanisms.
The 7 drive trays feature vibration absorbing round rubber feet and can hold both 3.5" and 2.5" drives.
We've seen more durable drive trays in the past but these are not half as bad.
The mainboard plate has 4 rubber grommets for cable routing and an extra-large hole beneath the CPU area.
Both the front and rear 120mm fans come with their own Low/High speed controllers.
All of the expansion slots are secured via regular screws and although a tool-less mechanism would save time regular and thumbscrews are best.
At the bottom area we just see two feet used to hold the PSU.
Here we see the two thick foam pieces which can be replaced with 120/140mm fans.
The P100 also has plenty of space between the mainboard plate and the right side panel for cable routing.
BUILDING THE SYSTEM
As always this section of our review is not ment to build a working system but just to show everyone what you can expect from the PC Case at hand in terms of interior space.
ATX mainboards will feel right at home inside the P100 and as you can see there's plenty of room remaining.
The P100 also has plenty of space for even the largest and tallest (up to 170mm) CPU Coolers.
You may not be able to fit most mGPU cards inside the P100 but for normal setups it has plenty of space.
If you use a long PSU like we did you will lose half of the bottom rubber grommet.
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 (if the case doesn't have one we use our own).
CONCLUSION
The P100 may be many steps beneath its larger brother the P280 both in terms of interior space and features but that doesn't mean it can't hold its own. For once thanks to the thick SECC steel used and the noise-absorbing coating the P100 is one of the most noiseless towers we've ever used something which will certainly satisfy potential buyers who may want to place it into their living room (just like my friend). The very simple yet elegant design of the P100 is also another plus for people who may want to place it in their living rooms since it obviously doesn't attract much attention. Unfortunately the thick side panels along with the noise-absorbing material especially since the two top 120/140mm fan spots are also taken by it increase heat on the interior and although the P100 has the potential of high airflow levels still right from the box it doesn't. Worth mentioning is that the P100 has enough space at the top to even accommodate an 240/280mm thin radiator something which Antec doesn't seem to advertise much. In terms of quality my only issue is with the front door since it's primarily made out of plastic but it's not like most manufacturers don't do the same.
With a current price tag set at USD83.20 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and at 85Euros inside the EU (Amazon.co.uk) the P100 Midi Tower by Antec is priced just right and falls right next to many other feature-rich midi towers (although not many bear the same noise-absorbing material). Of course if you have the space, you can afford more and you want something better you can always go for the larger P280 which is not really that much more expensive compared to the P100 (roughly USD25/30Euros). However if space is a big issue or if you don't want to cross the USD100 mark then the P100 is a very good choice and that's why it gets our Golden Award.
PROS
- Build Quality
- Design (For Some)
- Potential Airflow Levels (3x120/3x140mm Fans)
- Noise Dampening Material (Side Panels & Front Door)
- Top 240mm/280mm Thin Radiator Space
- Front Door
- Price (For Some)
CONS
- Only Two Pre-Installed Fans
- Front Door Quality