Soldato
- Joined
- 22 Jul 2014
- Posts
- 3,908
- Location
- Oxon
Haven't seen many reviews around for this, but I recently upgraded my build with it and think it's an excellent compact ATX case for the money (£55).
Some background - MetallicGear are owned by Phanteks so this case is pretty similar to their P300A, except I think better looking and allows for an extra 2.5" drive by default. Dimensions are H: 460mm, W: 200mm, D: 450mm.
New parts:
Interior:
Backside:
Compared to my old MicroATX Antec P6:
It's really only taller, same width and actually less deep.
Included RGB fans:
It has a built in controller or can be hooked up to motherboard RGB.
Drive sleds:
This cases party piece:
New and old parts transplanted:
2.5" drives attached to the holder:
And in the case - power cables perfectly sized:
3.5" drives installed:
Before tidying:
After tidying:
Final looks:
Final thoughts are that it was much much easier to work in compared to the old Antec - mainly because I was able to remove the roof which allows much better access. Despite weighing less, I'd say the build quality is better overall than the Antec. I like the tempered glass panel better too as it's attached at both sides with metal like a normal side panel, rather than just being a sheet of glass on it's own. Being able to fit 5 drives plus the 2 M.2 on the motherboard means it can house a relatively large amount of storage (though yes I do need to consolidate my drives at some point!) compared to even some larger cases which only allow 2 or less 3.5" drives and 2 2.5" drives. Airflow is much improved due to the front mesh panel - my old Haswell was idling at 40C whilst this Ryzen 5 3600 is down as low as 35C with the same fans. I may add the included RGB fans back in at the top of the case and see whether that makes a difference or is too loud.
One thing I don't particularly like is the top exhaust vent and lack of magnetic dust filters but hey ho we'll see whether dust is particularly an issue since the mesh at the front is quite fine. The PSU also has a proper removable dust filter in a plastic frame.
I am wondering now whether I'd have preferred it in white, but I like the understated black too.
Some background - MetallicGear are owned by Phanteks so this case is pretty similar to their P300A, except I think better looking and allows for an extra 2.5" drive by default. Dimensions are H: 460mm, W: 200mm, D: 450mm.
New parts:
Interior:
Backside:
Compared to my old MicroATX Antec P6:
It's really only taller, same width and actually less deep.
Included RGB fans:
It has a built in controller or can be hooked up to motherboard RGB.
Drive sleds:
This cases party piece:
New and old parts transplanted:
2.5" drives attached to the holder:
And in the case - power cables perfectly sized:
3.5" drives installed:
Before tidying:
After tidying:
Final looks:
Final thoughts are that it was much much easier to work in compared to the old Antec - mainly because I was able to remove the roof which allows much better access. Despite weighing less, I'd say the build quality is better overall than the Antec. I like the tempered glass panel better too as it's attached at both sides with metal like a normal side panel, rather than just being a sheet of glass on it's own. Being able to fit 5 drives plus the 2 M.2 on the motherboard means it can house a relatively large amount of storage (though yes I do need to consolidate my drives at some point!) compared to even some larger cases which only allow 2 or less 3.5" drives and 2 2.5" drives. Airflow is much improved due to the front mesh panel - my old Haswell was idling at 40C whilst this Ryzen 5 3600 is down as low as 35C with the same fans. I may add the included RGB fans back in at the top of the case and see whether that makes a difference or is too loud.
One thing I don't particularly like is the top exhaust vent and lack of magnetic dust filters but hey ho we'll see whether dust is particularly an issue since the mesh at the front is quite fine. The PSU also has a proper removable dust filter in a plastic frame.
I am wondering now whether I'd have preferred it in white, but I like the understated black too.
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