Antec p180 Mods

[Sokratz]

I got a p180 tonight and I'm giving it the ol' harry eyeball. I've already had to make some cuts just to fit my hardware in but was wondering if anyone has also made any modifications to the design for whatever reasons.

Specifically one thing that I'll be changing is that the bottom psu/hd fan fin on the backside will be notched on the top an on the bottom about 1in long x .5in wide to make room for cables to come from the HD's to the MB and PSU. I've already cut a 3x3in square on the backside of the mb plate to accomodate for waterblock mounting pegs. Also I'm thinking about cutting a hole right below the front board lights/connections to route the cables into the backside of the floppy drive duct and then down into the psu chamber, and up into the MB.

I'd also be very interested if anyone has already adapted this box for their water cooling kit. I'm tryin to figure out how to get 2 inlets and 3 outlets routed into the case.... oof.

 

[Tiamat]

Personally, I would be somewhat reluctant to cut into a 160$ case.

Now, my 80$ superlanboy on the otherhand, is all modded out.

 

[Cr0nJ0b]

it's pricing at about $102 now for some retailers...would you cut into a $100 case?

 

[Phantronius]

This is the first case i've had that I have no desire to rip or cut apart, its perfect as is.

 

[Gerbil333]

I don't see why you'd need to cut into it. It's already designed for great cooling, silence, and cable management. The key to all of that is routing the cables.

 

[milleron]

I don't know anything about mounting a water block, but as to the rest, have you read the manual?

This case is already set up for great cable routing. You certainly don't need to cut or notch a thing to get cables from the PSU to the HDs. You're supposed to take ALL the PSU power cables UP through the larger of the two openings and then bring the power cables for the HDs BACK DOWN, along with the data cables, to the HDs through the smaller of the two openings. That's how you route them around the lower-compartment fan.

Regarding taking cables through the "floppy drive duct," down into the PSU chamber, and up into the MB, I can't imagine what you're talking about.

I routed cables very carefully in mine, used a few wire ties and a couple of adhesive cable holders, and had no trouble making a pretty ship-shape rig without modding anything. The task looked daunting at first, but I did it all in about 45 minutes. The only thing I wish I'd done differently was to have run the 4-pin 12V connector underneath the mobo and up to its connector on the top of the mobo as suggested by the author of the P180 review that Silent PC Review posted yesterday.

Ron

 

[Sokratz]

but why would you want to go UP through the bottom, and then back Down? It's just providing more clutter for the fan in between.