New Antec P280 - First Review ...
- Thread starter rikky
- Start date
I've just gone from a p180 to a define r3 ans for my purposes the r3 is much better, very quiet and nice and cool, some parts are a bit tinny mind.
I suspect the p280 will be much more solid but a bit more noisy.
Just fitted my system from my trusty old slightly modded P182:
Into my shiny new P280:
Excuse the crap pics, but I hadn't noticed my son had been playing about with the camera and all my P-280 build pics are wrecked.
The Good:
Looks like the P-182 only more up to date with subtle styling changes, a grown up case without the daft designs!
Tough, very well built and packaged with no blemishes/scratches.
Very easy to work with.
I have a huge amount of cables behind the MB and I just left them and simply closed the panel over without spending ages sorting them out!
The Bad: Front cover is grey, should have been all black imo, but it goes down to personal taste.
The Usb3 cable is to short(if you want to totally conceal it) if your Usb3 port sits half way along the bottom of the MB.
Could have done with a nother couple of cut outs along the very top of the MB tray.
The front 2 fan mounts could have ever so slightly wider holes for rubber fan mounts, I ended up sniping a touch off the notch on the Akasa rubber mountings so they might snap when I remove the fans for a clean.
Into my shiny new P280:
Excuse the crap pics, but I hadn't noticed my son had been playing about with the camera and all my P-280 build pics are wrecked.
The Good:
Looks like the P-182 only more up to date with subtle styling changes, a grown up case without the daft designs!
Tough, very well built and packaged with no blemishes/scratches.
Very easy to work with.
I have a huge amount of cables behind the MB and I just left them and simply closed the panel over without spending ages sorting them out!
The Bad: Front cover is grey, should have been all black imo, but it goes down to personal taste.
The Usb3 cable is to short(if you want to totally conceal it) if your Usb3 port sits half way along the bottom of the MB.
Could have done with a nother couple of cut outs along the very top of the MB tray.
The front 2 fan mounts could have ever so slightly wider holes for rubber fan mounts, I ended up sniping a touch off the notch on the Akasa rubber mountings so they might snap when I remove the fans for a clean.
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Finally had time to take a photo and post. 
Overall, i'm satisfied with the performance of the case. When I set the fan profile in the bios on silent, I can barely hear anything except a soft humming sound, maybe from the pump of the corsair H100. But, if I set it to performance mode, man, it's just like the Antec 1200.
It's more roomy compared to Lian Li PC-B25FWB and Lankool K62 and more easy to work with than the Fractal Design Define R3.
The "Clip-on" fan installation for the fans facing the GPU area is also a very nice touch. It makes it very easy to clean as can be seen here.
The Cons:
1) The front panel USB 3 connector is very short. Longer by 4 inches would have been ideal.
2) The top, front and inside case fans mount is fixed for 120mm fans only. Would have been a lot better if there's an option to mount 140mm as well.
3) The space between the top of the mobo and top of the case barely accomodates a Corsair H100 in push config. Space wide enough like the Antec 1200 for a 240-360 rad in push/pull config would have made this case great.
Happy New Year to everyone.
Overall, i'm satisfied with the performance of the case. When I set the fan profile in the bios on silent, I can barely hear anything except a soft humming sound, maybe from the pump of the corsair H100. But, if I set it to performance mode, man, it's just like the Antec 1200.
It's more roomy compared to Lian Li PC-B25FWB and Lankool K62 and more easy to work with than the Fractal Design Define R3.
The "Clip-on" fan installation for the fans facing the GPU area is also a very nice touch. It makes it very easy to clean as can be seen here.
The Cons:
1) The front panel USB 3 connector is very short. Longer by 4 inches would have been ideal.
2) The top, front and inside case fans mount is fixed for 120mm fans only. Would have been a lot better if there's an option to mount 140mm as well.
3) The space between the top of the mobo and top of the case barely accomodates a Corsair H100 in push config. Space wide enough like the Antec 1200 for a 240-360 rad in push/pull config would have made this case great.
Happy New Year to everyone.
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- 3 Oct 2011
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Hmm, I'm wondering how well cooling would work if you shifted it from the top to the bit near the drives? Probably not that well and I don't know if the tubing would shift.
Really interested in getting a P280 for myself and cooling a 3930 with a H100
Really interested in getting a P280 for myself and cooling a 3930 with a H100
Does anyone with the Antec P280 know if it's possible to change over the front door opening, thus hinging out from the RH side of the case? It's not a killer, but defo would be of benefit to me.
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I would also like to know if you can change the way the door hinges. The corsair 550d has the right idea when it comes to that. I would also like to know what the width of the case is. I am limited to 9". Looks like the case measures just over this on the specs, but was wondering if that was due to the removable PSU filter that sticks out a bit
I just got my P280 and I love it, really nice piece of kit with loads of space, well built and incredibly even with the twin fans on top, quiet too.
I wanted my case to looks smart and discreet, not in your face like a LOT of the designs around - I think most PC cases are tacky, especially with windows and such ****.
I upgraded the three Antec fans to 120mm 1,400rpm Typhoons so the case has 5 in total, 2 front, 2 top, 1 rear. Absolutely OTT but remains quiet and so far is keeping my heavily clocked hex-core cool at 32' idle.
I wanted my case to looks smart and discreet, not in your face like a LOT of the designs around - I think most PC cases are tacky, especially with windows and such ****.
I upgraded the three Antec fans to 120mm 1,400rpm Typhoons so the case has 5 in total, 2 front, 2 top, 1 rear. Absolutely OTT but remains quiet and so far is keeping my heavily clocked hex-core cool at 32' idle.