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.
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ezorb - Tuesday, November 15, 2011 - link
Its highly suspect that you would not include these legendary cases when reviewing a "quiet" case. even if the price point is off by more than $100, people seeking a quite case need to know if the extra $100 is worth it.Dustin Sklavos - Tuesday, November 15, 2011 - link
The FT02 is fair, but unfortunately we never got a P183 in to test and compare. :(mtoma - Monday, November 21, 2011 - link
I should also mention the Fractal Design Define XL. It should be a good match for Antec P280. If only Dustin could do a review of that case, many enthusiast would be at rest. After all, the holidays are coming...danjw - Tuesday, November 15, 2011 - link
This doesn't seem to be in the channel yet, any idea when I could buy one? Also, can you measure the space between the top and the motherboard. I would like to know how thick of a radiator + fans can be mounted there.geogecko - Tuesday, November 15, 2011 - link
Antec's site says the max CPU cooler height is 170mm.danjw - Tuesday, November 15, 2011 - link
Radiator, not heatsink, as in liquid cooling. He indicated there was plenty of room above the motherboard for a "thick" radiator, but doesn't say how thick.MrSpadge - Tuesday, November 15, 2011 - link
That's less than in my P182. And that couldn't take a Thermalright Archon. Mhh.. I guess I'd rather have the space on top of the motherboard than behind it.MrS
danjw - Tuesday, November 15, 2011 - link
Hmm, the Archon is 170mm, which is what Antec says this one supports. Why do you think the 182 would support a taller heatsink then this one?lithium451 - Wednesday, November 16, 2011 - link
I have the P182 also and at some point I found a FAQ on Antec site that the maximum height was about 160 (maybe 162) - which pretty much matches what I see with my 158mm cooler.Sounds like its about 8-10mm more room.
danjw - Tuesday, November 15, 2011 - link
On another website, I found that their is 38mm between the motherboard top edge and the pre-installed top fans. So a 35mm thick radiator should work fine on this case, if anyone else was wondering.