Question Old case new build

[Fanatical Meat]

I’m planning a new build, I have an Antec P180 case (i ordered it towards its end and it looks more like a P182)
Overall I like this case but the front USB ports are broken and replacement parts are no longer available. Also I’ve read older cases don’t cool graphics cards as effectively they should be cooled.
Filters are slightly messed up too but not broken I need to fiddle with them a lot to get them to stay in place

Question 1 are older cases still viable for modern builds

Question 2 if I need a new case what is similar to the antec P180/182?

*imstalling a front mounted usb hub is not an option, I don’t want to leave the door open. Also lacking front usb is just a inconvenience I don’t have any daily or weekly need for them

Edit: I’ll likely replace the fans I believe they are all 120mm what are some good quiet fans?

 

[VirtualLarry]

A friend of mine really likes his Antec 300 case. Well built, sturdy steel, adequate cooling, plenty of 3.5" HDD bays.

That said, I recently built in a Rosewill Magnetar case, and I have to say, as a "modern" sort of case, I rather like it.

It does have a limited number of 2.5" (3x), and 3.5" (2x) bays, really, more like "drive holders" rather than "bays". And one lonesome externally-accessible 5.25" bay. (For a BD-RE drive.) It was also only $30 on sale.

I've never owned an Antec P180, but from what I remember, it was larger (Aluminum?) tower case, oriented for "server applications", advertised as a "quiet case", and having a front door. (In some ways similar to, in some ways different from, those Chenming / Antec "Dragon" towers, which I owned one of them for a long time. Great server case.)

Whether or not to re-use the case, I don't know, that's really down to personal preference, although, I don't know if I could stand it if there weren't at least a couple of front USB ports, for flash drives or whatnot. (Get a hub for the desktop?)

If looking for a new case, check out NZXT and Fractal Design, those are popular.

https://www.fractal-design.com/home/product/cases/define-series/define-r6-black

Edit: I found that link, at the top of a search for "Fractal Design tower case silent filters". Watching the video, I think I want one of those now, LOL. Looks like it might be right up your alley?

 

[Fanatical Meat]

A friend of mine really likes his Antec 300 case. Well built, sturdy steel, adequate cooling, plenty of 3.5" HDD bays.

That said, I recently built in a Rosewill Magnetar case, and I have to say, as a "modern" sort of case, I rather like it.

It does have a limited number of 2.5" (3x), and 3.5" (2x) bays, really, more like "drive holders" rather than "bays". And one lonesome externally-accessible 5.25" bay. (For a BD-RE drive.) It was also only $30 on sale.

I've never owned an Antec P180, but from what I remember, it was larger (Aluminum?) tower case, oriented for "server applications", advertised as a "quiet case", and having a front door. (In some ways similar to, in some ways different from, those Chenming / Antec "Dragon" towers, which I owned one of them for a long time. Great server case.)

Whether or not to re-use the case, I don't know, that's really down to personal preference, although, I don't know if I could stand it if there weren't at least a couple of front USB ports, for flash drives or whatnot. (Get a hub for the desktop?)

If looking for a new case, check out NZXT and Fractal Design, those are popular.

https://www.fractal-design.com/home/product/cases/define-series/define-r6-black

Edit: I found that link, at the top of a search for "Fractal Design tower case silent filters". Watching the video, I think I want one of those now, LOL. Looks like it might be right up your alley?

Yeah the P180 was a beast of a case, it’s huge and fits every motherboard on Earth including old server board and extended atx.
The thing is huge and heavy
All rolled Steel with some sound dampening, large front door, power supply is at the bottom of the case in its own “air funnel”

Mine is weird because I ordered it at the end of its run so it looks like a weird P180/P182 hybrid. Gun metal not black like the one I ordered but has a large fan cover on the top back like the P180

Again I like this case but I also want something that cools stuff properly.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

@VirtualLarry i watched the video and holy crap!
Vertical mounted GPU option which I think stands it to blow toward a case fan
Magnetic strips to cover unused fan
Those 5.25 bay (ssd) things that look like they can be moved around


Any fear of that many magnets inside a PC?

 

[VirtualLarry]

Any fear of that many magnets inside a PC?

Not really. At least, I wouldn't be worried. The magnet INSIDE a HDD is way more powerful, I think.

 

[aigomorla]

Any fear of that many magnets inside a PC?

totally depends on how strong the magnet is, and what its next to.

If were talking neo's and powerful ones, then yes.
They can screw your HDD Spinner, cause your board and caps to behave funny, a whole lot of other stuff.
If were talking strips, like fridge magnets, or simple ferrite ones, then nah.
Not much to worry about, yet i would still make sure its a bit away from your HDD. It could mess with the read heads inside the shell.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

totally depends on how strong the magnet is, and what its next to.

If were talking neo's and powerful ones, then yes.
They can screw your HDD Spinner, cause your board and caps to behave funny, a whole lot of other stuff.
If were talking strips, like fridge magnets, or simple ferrite ones, then nah.
Not much to worry about, yet i would still make sure its a bit away from your HDD. It could mess with the read heads inside the shell.

Looked at the PDF on @VirtualLarry 's case suggestion. I thought the top panel and side bay panels were magnetic but they appear to be screwed in which is a good thing.

What are your thoughts about an old antec P180 case for cooling modern systems?

 

[ElFenix]

i have a pair of fractal R4s, my previous computers had been in P180/3s. the R4s are mostly quiet but the side panels aren't as dead as the P18x were. the P18x used triple layer panels while the R4 uses just a steel sheet with some heavy foam applied to most of the inside. the R4s don't seem as sturdy as the P18x were - i'm pretty sure the metal is quite a bit thinner. i have no problem using the antecs as a step stool in a pinch, while i'd never even think of standing on an R4. some of the screw hole taps on the R4 weren't done very well, either. in short, the R4s were about half the price of the P18x and show it. they're a definite step up from generic $40 cases, but i think their rep is mostly set by people coming from those, not from people who'd had a really great case previously.

that said, the R6 might have improved upon the R4 a lot and addressed some of those items.

however, many of the plastic tabs that held the sides onto my 18x have broken, so the sides kinda bulge a bit and i have to use the screws on the back.

as to using a P180 for a modern system, so long as you populate the fan brackets with new fans and get a front bay USB 3 bracket, it should be fine.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

i have a pair of fractal R4s, my previous computers had been in P180/3s. the R4s are mostly quiet but the side panels aren't as dead as the P18x were. the P18x used triple layer panels while the R4 uses just a steel sheet with some heavy foam applied to most of the inside. the R4s don't seem as sturdy as the P18x were - i'm pretty sure the metal is quite a bit thinner. i have no problem using the antecs as a step stool in a pinch, while i'd never even think of standing on an R4. some of the screw hole taps on the R4 weren't done very well, either. in short, the R4s were about half the price of the P18x and show it. they're a definite step up from generic $40 cases, but i think their rep is mostly set by people coming from those, not from people who'd had a really great case previously.

that said, the R6 might have improved upon the R4 a lot and addressed some of those items.

however, many of the plastic tabs that held the sides onto my 18x have broken, so the sides kinda bulge a bit and i have to use the screws on the back.

as to using a P180 for a modern system, so long as you populate the fan brackets with new fans and get a front bay USB 3 bracket, it should be fine.

Thanks, I thought about it more. I really don’t want to spend $150 on a new case but I don’t want a $40 case either.
I’m wondering if I could buy a couple of usb plugs/ports from cables to go or some other part vendor and stick them in my P180
As you can see the ports are bent & I have a cat

 

[ElFenix]

also, antec's silicone drive grommets are much squishier than fractal's.

if you can find a USB 3 block that fits that space you could try that. or maybe try stripping the plastic housing off of a cable like this set: https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00P5TSJK4/ref=psdc_464394_t3_B00B3GYIKS

 

[VirtualLarry]

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod...B_3.0_front_panel_5.25-_-12-423-204-_-Product

Huh, OOS. I just picked up one of these a week ago, for a rig here that has a faulty front USB port (unsure if the faulty one is 2.0 or 3.0,o but the case has one of each.)

 

[Fanatical Meat]

I haven’t measured but this appears to be the right size and layout. I’ll have to figure out how to mount it.
I wish the damn USB ports were on the top of the case. Solves so many problems.

https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetai...8LPOQ%2bykzSQWeMShX/GHTb4f2Z3JtU/Ve5A5vCodw==

 

[aigomorla]

What are your thoughts about an old antec P180 case for cooling modern systems?

its not bad, yet its archaic.
It has no USB 3.0 and nearly impossible to do a simple replacement of.

It has the almost no thought in cable management, because back then people made spider nests out of there pc wiring.

IMO, i would dedicate about 70 dollars for a new case, as the recient and modern ones are in a league of its own, if you compare them with the olds.