Antec P150: A Review

[Atomik]

Recently purchased a new computer, the case of choice being my first non Lian-Li case, the iPodish Antec P150. Was it a step backwards? It's all relative...

The good:

-Looks! I was unsure whether I would love it or hate it, but after seeing it in person, I definately love it. Pictures don't do it justice.
-Suspended hard drives. Wow, I will never be able to go back. Insane improvement, definately the best quality this case possess.
-120mm rear fan, 2x92mm front fans (optional). For most, 2x120 intake/exhaust is overkill and I find this arrangement efficient.
-The little things: Left panel thumbscrews permanently attatched to door, cable management hooks on right side of HD bays, subtle blue LEDs for power and HD, improved drive rails, extra material on panels to dampen sound.

And the not so good:

-Power supply (DOA for me). I went with a Seasonic S12 anyways, but still annoying.
-Questionable construction. Namely, the front "door". Mine will not sit properly on the hinges. Also, before a little dremmel work, the door was so crooked when close that my CD-ROM covers would not operate correctly. Minor dremmel work, but for $160 (CDN) I was hoping to leave the dremmel out of this build.
-Front fan "door". Located on the main front door, this mini-door did not fit AT ALL on my case. When screwed in, the hinges would not line up and would vibrate annoyingly. When unscrewed, would vibrate. Expected better craftmanship/attention to detail. Entire front system seems like patchwork/afterthought.
-USB/Sound ports. Such a clean looking front ruined with this placement. May not have been possible to place these on the side, but an otherwise perfect looking case is comprimised.

Take it for what it's worth. If anyone has any questions I would be more than happy to answer them, so long as my internet stays intact. FYI, current comp is as follows and was built with the sole purpose of silence.

-Antec P150 with Seasonic S12-430
-Asrock 939Dual-SATA2 with Athlon X2 4200+ and OCZ 2GB PC3200
-Thermalright SI-120 with Nexus 120mm @ 900rpm
-ATI X800XL with Zalman CNPS-VF700Cu
-Samsung Spinpoint 120GB SATA2
-Seagate 7200.9 300GB SATA2
-Nexus 120mm, 92mm Fans
-M-Audio Revolution 7.1 (looking for replacement)

I do miss my Lian-Li's, and with respect to overall construction/quality, the P150 is no match. However, I would recommend it to those looking for silence above all else.

 

[JeffMD]

Atom, wow, check your case to make sure the entire frame itself isnt twisted or something. Saddly my P150 didn't arrive perfect either, the bottem left corner had been crushed so I had multiple vent fingers snapped in half and part of the corner was cracked. Didn't effect the way the door sat, but is noticable when looking at it from the side.

how ever my problem and yours (sans doa psu) are shipping screw ups.. not antecs fault.

I refitted my game pc with this case and I really love it. The suspended drives, the masking drive covers, the abundant use of thumb screws, the air filters. The psu was very quiet, but alas i had to replace it because it only did 16amps on the 12v, and I needed 18amps.

 

[Atomik]

JeffMD: That was my initial thought, but the case is square as can be. Shipping damage is not evident. My point is that I feel the door could have been constructed better. The rest of the case is a marvel, which further accents the problems with the front door system.

Too bad there wasn't an option to buy this case without the PSU; doesn't seem like the best quality to go along with such a case. What PSU did you end up getting?

 

[Bobthelost]

Drop antec an email, they seem to be incapable of making good doors at the moment (See P180 for examples) but the odds are that if you complain that they will send you a new one.

 

[Tiamat]

I agree with you. I own the P150 and on top of what you said, after 3 weeks, the suspensions broke. In 2 years, my suspensions in my other case never showed signs of wear...

In any case, I also agree than Antec =! Lian Li quality wise. Its too bad that Lian Li hasnt manufactured any cases with as good airflow pattern and hdd vibration control as Antec has.