Antec P160 or Antec Super LanBoy?

[walkure]

Can one remove the unused HD bays if they are only using 1 or 2 HD's in order to increase air flow?

 

[perdomot]

Wouldn't make any difference if you did because the trays aren't what's blocking the air flow. The cage that holds the trays is very close to the fan and does most of the damage. The grill inside doesn't help much either.

 

[Spike]

Originally posted by: perdomot
Wouldn't make any difference if you did because the trays aren't what's blocking the air flow. The cage that holds the trays is very close to the fan and does most of the damage. The grill inside doesn't help much either.

Actually, it would help. You can physically cut out the bottom two slots if you are only going to use two HDD's. This allows better flow around the bottom of the cage. Or you could use the top and bottom slots and cut out the middle. I have not tried this myself, but have hear it works well and is easier than using bungies to mount the drives.

-spike

 

[walkure]

Sorry, but how does bungie-mounting your drives come into play?

 

[Spike]

Originally posted by: walkure
Sorry, but how does bungie-mounting your drives come into play?

Sorry... "alot" of people seem to like cutting out their drive bays completely and mouting HDD's on bungies for minimal air disruption. This allows better cooling of the drives as well as cleaner air flow into the case. I recall seeing someone here who had done that with their SLB. I would never do it myself due to the time and labor involved (not really much, but I'm lazy), supposedly it works pretty well.

If anyone wants to post pics of their setup, then feel free to help inform us.

-spike

 

[LoneWolf15]

I chose the P160 (windowed version) myself after looking at the Chenbro Gaming Bomb 2 (wasn't available at the time and now too pricey for my tastes), Coolermaster Praetorian, Thermaltake Tsunami, and several others. I'm extremely happy with it.

 

[YtseFlyer]

I picked up a P-160 without the window from CompUSA for $60 net after Antec rebate. Added a Seasonic 460w Super Silencer for $79 from eWiz via pricewatch. This is a very nice case--now if MSI would ship the Neo4 I could finish............

You won't be disappointed with the P-160.

 

[Zap]

I have never owned or worked on a P160, so I don't have a direct comparison, however I really like my Super LAN Boy case. I used to not like it because of the stupid front grill. However, it grew on me and I bit the bullet when I got one for under $90 shipped from Directron (some special). I removed the front grill and now love the case. I also recently pimped it with a new finger guard. Here's my micro-review with linked pictures.

Picture from front
Picture of inside
Closeup of front finger guard

My system is reasonably fast and is relatively quiet. With background noise can't hear it running. In quiet room can hear low hum. Case doesn't exhibit flex. I think it would look sharp in black. The already excellent ventilation can be made better by cutting out the whole fan area and using wire finger guards on both sides of fan. Front grill is fugly and needs to be replaced by finger guard. Front door should go away. I really like how this case doesn't have any extraneous holes in it, thus preserving a linear front=>back air flow. I really like how this case doesn't have a side panel fan or holes. Case is a bit cramped, but I only had to build it once (so far).

SYSTEM SPECS:
P4 2.53GHz @3.33GHz
Zalman CNPS7000-AlCu
MSI PT880 motherboard
2x512MB Original Samsung PC2700
MSI Geforce FX5900XT (claimed 28db fan)
Antec Super LAN Boy case (stock front grill removed, "atomic" finger guard added, some silicon isolators added to front fan and power supply)
Pioneer 16X DVDR
Maxtor 250GB HDD
TTGI SuperFlower 350W power supply with single 14cm fan

LIKES:
-Small, yet takes normal ATX boards
-Lightweight, yet doesn't feel flimsy or flexible
-Relatively inexpensive compared to higher end cases
-No power supply, so I can choose one
-Better ventilation than most cases
-Quieter than most cases
-HDD grommets and rear fan isolators

DISLIKES:
-Stock front grill, fixed by removing and replacing with finger guard
-Door over external drive bays, haven't removed yet because it feels like it'll break
-Front fan isn't isolated (I fixed it on mine with aftermarket stuff)
-Rear fan doesn't have LEDs
-Fan grills more restrictive than finger guards (especially the part of chassis behind front fan)

Heck, at $45 (after tax, after MIR) my friend and I are this )( close to driving 116 miles to the nearest CompUSA that has it in stock.

 

[Zap]

:|

I drove the 116 miles to the nearest CompUSA that was listed as having them "in stock" on the web site (Encinitas store). Went there on Saturday with two friends. Was told that their computer listed four of them "in stock" but they couldn't find the cases anywhere. Paid for a few anyways since the store manager offered to ship them to us for free, if the cases were found in the next few weeks (otherwise refund CC). The girl in customer service was really nice and helpful. Went home empty handed.

Also had gone to Fry's, but stuff either was no longer on sale or sold out. Most stores have week-long ad prices. Fry's does not.

 

[hytek369]

Originally posted by: Mik3y
super lanboy

 

[Pollock]

Originally posted by: LoneWolf15
I chose the P160 (windowed version) myself after looking at the Chenbro Gaming Bomb 2 (wasn't available at the time and now too pricey for my tastes), Coolermaster Praetorian, Thermaltake Tsunami, and several others. I'm extremely happy with it.

Pretty much the same story with me.

 

[Spike]

Zap, question about your fan setup. I have been debating taking off the front grill and was wondering about a filter. I have a grill to put over the fan for fingers but want to get a simple filter for my system. Are the generic mesh aluminum ones any good and would they work with the lanboys front fan without the grill?

I have hear about using furnace filter but I want something that can be cleaned and is easy to work with.

-spike

 

[Salvador]

Does anyone know if I can get a OCZ Modstream psu in the Super Lanboy? I'm thinking about this psu, but hear that it's a little larger than normal and is a tight fit with some cases.

Sal

 

[sandpj]

Originally posted by: Salvador
Does anyone know if I can get a OCZ Modstream psu in the Super Lanboy? I'm thinking about this psu, but hear that it's a little larger than normal and is a tight fit with some cases.

Sal

There's about 3" clearance from the back of my Antec SL350 PS and the back of the DVD drive. As long as the OCZ is not more than 1-2 inches bigger than the Antec SL350 (which is 5 1/2 inches long), than you should have enough room for the cablesfrom the PS and DVD.

 

[Zap]

Originally posted by: Spike
Zap, question about your fan setup. I have been debating taking off the front grill and was wondering about a filter. I have a grill to put over the fan for fingers but want to get a simple filter for my system. Are the generic mesh aluminum ones any good and would they work with the lanboys front fan without the grill?

Probably would work as long as it doesn't add too much thickness. The screws for the fan look like long machine screws, not your typical fan screw. Potentially if the filter is too thick, the screw won't reach the case unless you go to a hardware store and get longer ones.