P182 Special Edition - One of the best cases gets better
by Joshua Buss on April 12, 2007 1:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
Final Words
Evolution and innovation drive all fronts of technology, and in the computer case business that translates into a constant battle for finding a perfect blend of functional usefulness, aesthetic acceptance, performance in regards to both temperatures and sound levels, and pricing to match competitors' similar offerings. Antec has already found great success with the original P180 and for years to come it will be a desktop case others are measured against. Its creative use of plastic, aluminum, and steel translated into some of the lowest noise levels yet on a desktop PC case without changing it at all from the way it comes out of the box.
At first appearance, there might not be much attracting a potential purchaser of a PC enclosure to the P182 SE over Antec's other offerings aside from the out-of-this-world paint job, but the work/showcase spotlight might be just the kind of accessory which nudges an interested party over the edge to choose it over the normal gunmetal gray P182. Choices are always good though, and in this sense the P182 and P182 SE make great additions to Antec's line.
The "vanilla" P182 is a nice choice; for around $170 online one can get almost all the same features as the case we reviewed, with a still very attractive dark gray finish. For the user who demands the "best", the P182 SE's still-killer noise performance - one of the best in its class - is available with the addition of the flexible work light, all black interior, and super-shiny mirror finish for a pretty substantial increase in price.. we've seen the P182 SE available for around $230 online. The special edition will be a limited offering, however, so if having the ability to see your reflection on the surface of your case is something you've always wanted, you'll want to jump on it as soon as it's available - but be aware of the fact that it's going to leave a bit of a dent in your wallet.
Evolution and innovation drive all fronts of technology, and in the computer case business that translates into a constant battle for finding a perfect blend of functional usefulness, aesthetic acceptance, performance in regards to both temperatures and sound levels, and pricing to match competitors' similar offerings. Antec has already found great success with the original P180 and for years to come it will be a desktop case others are measured against. Its creative use of plastic, aluminum, and steel translated into some of the lowest noise levels yet on a desktop PC case without changing it at all from the way it comes out of the box.
At first appearance, there might not be much attracting a potential purchaser of a PC enclosure to the P182 SE over Antec's other offerings aside from the out-of-this-world paint job, but the work/showcase spotlight might be just the kind of accessory which nudges an interested party over the edge to choose it over the normal gunmetal gray P182. Choices are always good though, and in this sense the P182 and P182 SE make great additions to Antec's line.
The "vanilla" P182 is a nice choice; for around $170 online one can get almost all the same features as the case we reviewed, with a still very attractive dark gray finish. For the user who demands the "best", the P182 SE's still-killer noise performance - one of the best in its class - is available with the addition of the flexible work light, all black interior, and super-shiny mirror finish for a pretty substantial increase in price.. we've seen the P182 SE available for around $230 online. The special edition will be a limited offering, however, so if having the ability to see your reflection on the surface of your case is something you've always wanted, you'll want to jump on it as soon as it's available - but be aware of the fact that it's going to leave a bit of a dent in your wallet.
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soydios - Thursday, April 12, 2007 - link
Page 2: "...easy access to both 12" fan filters for easy cleaning" should read "access to both 120mm fan filters."JoshuaBuss - Monday, April 16, 2007 - link
thanks.. fixedWelshtrog - Thursday, April 12, 2007 - link
Yes it looks very nice but I for one will not be buying as I consider that Antec have only done half a job in this case by failing to invert the motherboard after fitting the PSU atthe bottom of the case, also no removeable MoBo carrierCorbaTheGeek - Thursday, April 12, 2007 - link
I didn't see the brand and model number of the power supply used in the article.CorbaTheGeek - Thursday, April 12, 2007 - link
Sorry. Just found it. Zalman ZM460-APS PSU.Richey02hg - Thursday, April 12, 2007 - link
Is there a way to check ahead of time if your power supply has long enough cords? Of course this being if you haven't bought the PSU yet. I do not see anything on newegg that says how long PSU cords are or how long you need to have. Or have all the big PSU companies adjusted and made their cords longer over time?InuYasha - Thursday, April 12, 2007 - link
oh god, i can just see my finger prints all over it and i'll never wipe them offsjholmesbrown - Thursday, April 12, 2007 - link
A little off topic, but could anyone point me to the mATX roundup mentioned in the article?I'm building a SFF PC for my cousin, and would like to see Anand's take on several MB models.
A search for various 'mATX' 'roundup' 'micro ATX' etc. terms didn't reveal any articles, especially since the review indicated the roundup was fairly recent.
Thanks in advance.
JoshuaBuss - Thursday, April 12, 2007 - link
http://anandtech.com/casecooling/showdoc.aspx?i=29...">http://anandtech.com/casecooling/showdoc.aspx?i=29...chicagofilms - Thursday, April 12, 2007 - link
Just a heads up, the new P180 cases are modified and have all the same features as the P182.I just got my P180b yesterday from Newegg. $129 w/$30 rebate
It is essentially the same case, with a black finish. The inside is not black though but he standard steel finish. It has the raised mobo so I routed my cables behind it, the same tri-cool fans with the switches on the outside, and the holes for water cooling.
It's a pretty great deal since you are essentially getting a P182 (without the mirror finish) for $99.