Antec P280 Review: When Enthusiasts Are Engineers
by Dustin Sklavos on November 15, 2011 10:20 AM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
- Antec
- P280
Noise and Thermal Testing, Stock
Despite being very enthusiastic about the design of the Antec P280, I had real concerns about performance in practice. I'm just not a fan of negative pressure designs; historically I've seen positive pressure cases produce better thermal results. Antec's reps even asked me about my experiences there, but thankfully the P280 can be configured that way and then some. I also don't like the two exhaust fans in the top; I've never liked top exhaust fans in cases, as it's always seemed like a great way for noise to leak out. So suffice to say, I entered the actual testing of the P280 with some trepidation.
Performance for the P280 is for the most part middle-of-the-road. I think its biggest competitor is probably the up and coming Fractal Design Define R3. What's worth noting is the very minimal impact running the fans at low speeds seems to have had on the enclosure's performance.
Turning down those fans results in one of the quietest cases we've tested under load, though the results are within the margin of error compared to Fractal Design's Define R3. When we let them ramp up, though, no amount of sound dampening can really save the P280. Thankfully running them at low barely affects thermals, and as a result we get decent performance from a quiet case. So far Antec is on the right track.
Facebook
Twitter
RSS
164 Comments
View All Comments
worde - Friday, November 18, 2011 - link
I had already decided on the Fractal Define XL when I saw this case and now I'm not sure anymore. I have some issues though. I was wondering if it's possible to remove the fans on the top and cover the inside of the top panel with noise insulation. Furthermore the insulation on the side panels looks so thin I'm not sure how effective it can be, is there room to add a thicker layer?Otherwise this one looks like a winner, spacious, low noise, subdued looks. I seriously can't decide between this and the XL.
TheStork - Friday, November 18, 2011 - link
Well, this is certainly going to give the Corsair 600T some competition. I bet that's why I see the 600T $120 USD AR at Newegg.NatoR812 - Friday, November 18, 2011 - link
Nice Case, great desing, black sharp.harun90 - Saturday, November 19, 2011 - link
Just another comment. Maybe I'll finally get lucky :)Teizo - Saturday, November 19, 2011 - link
I got the original P-180 when it first came out and I loved it. The chambered design was nice, but it did make assembly a bit tedious. This new spacious design is really nice.HeavyDuty - Saturday, November 19, 2011 - link
Looks pretty good, but perhaps a bit larger than what I'm looking for right now.Gerr - Sunday, November 20, 2011 - link
Debating between this P280 case, the R3, and the Thor V2 for a new case this Xmas to replace my Antec 900 that is too much of a dust magnet. Would love to see a comparison done between these 3...;)Mr-Happy - Monday, November 21, 2011 - link
Doesn't look like an evolution per se but is certainly a nice choice for multiple applications. Wouldn't mind stacking one of my servers in there and truly giving the airflow a test with it loaded up with 15K SAS drives.Curt4Computers - Monday, November 21, 2011 - link
Awesome. Looks like just what I need.faxbandit - Tuesday, November 22, 2011 - link
Sweet case!!