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
Testing Methodology
For testing ATX cases, we use the following standardized testbed in stock and overclocked configurations to get a feel for how well the case handles heat and noise.
| Full ATX Test Configuration | |
| CPU |
Intel Core i7-875K (95W TDP, tested at stock speed and overclocked to 3.8GHz @ 1.38V) |
| Motherboard | ASUS P7P55D-E Pro |
| Graphics Card | Zotac NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 (244W TDP) |
| Memory | 2x2GB Crucial Ballistix Smart Tracer DDR3-1600 |
| Drives |
Kingston SSDNow V+ 100 64GB SSD Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB SATA 6Gbps Samsung 5.25" BD-ROM/DVDRW Drive |
| CPU Cooler | Zalman CNPS9900 MAX with Cooler Master ThermalFusion 400 |
| Power Supply | SilverStone Strider Gold 750W 80 Plus Gold |
A refresher on how we test:
Acoustic testing is standardized on a foot from the front of the case, using the Extech SL10 with an ambient noise floor of ~32dB. For reference, that's what my silent apartment measures with nothing running, testing acoustics in the dead of night (usually between 1am and 3am). A lot of us sit about a foot away from our computers, so this should be a fairly accurate representation of the kind of noise the case generates, and it's close enough to get noise levels that should register above ambient.
Thermal testing is run with the computer having idled at the desktop for fifteen minutes, and again with the computer running both Furmark (where applicable) and Prime95 (less one thread when a GPU is being used) for fifteen minutes. I've found that leaving one thread open in Prime95 allows the processor to heat up enough while making sure Furmark isn't CPU-limited. We're using the thermal diodes included with the hardware to keep everything standardized, and ambient testing temperature is always between 71F and 74F. Processor temperatures reported are the average of the CPU cores.
For more details on how we arrived at this testbed, you can check out our introductory passage in the review for the IN-WIN BUC.
Last but not least, we'd also like to thank the vendors who made our testbed possible:
Thank You!
We have some thanks in order before we press on:
- Thank you to Crucial for providing us with the Ballistix Smart Tracer memory we used to add memory thermals to our testing.
- Thank you to Zalman for providing us with the CNPS9900 MAX heatsink and fan unit we used.
- Thank you to Kingston for providing us with the SSDNow V+ 100 SSD.
- Thank you to CyberPower for providing us with the Western Digital Caviar Black hard drive, Intel Core i7-875K processor, ASUS P7P55D-E Pro motherboard, and Samsung BD-ROM/DVD+/-RW drive.
- And thank you to SilverStone for providing us with the power supply and SATA power cable.
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Zoomer - Tuesday, November 15, 2011 - link
Antec should consider including an insert to cover one of/both the top 120 mm spaces. This will help with reducing noise, while leaving open the radiator option.I was also surprised that given the height of the case, an additional 120 mm front fan couldn't be squeezed in. This will probably help with cpu temps, as it can get more cool air. Perhaps even accommodate 38 mm thick fans. These are quite efficient. From all the cutouts in the case, these two things will be needed to even have a semblance of a positive pressure case. Copious tape will probably help, and I suppose I could swap out the expansion slot covers.
Davidlim - Tuesday, November 15, 2011 - link
I'd be happy to win one of these.matchan1 - Tuesday, November 15, 2011 - link
This case rocks. Watchout cooler masterSabresiberian - Tuesday, November 15, 2011 - link
What I want from Antec is a Lanboy that will hold a 10-slot mainboard.A redesign of the Skeleton might get me, but it would have to be a serious re-think, as the Skeleton was an enthusiast's wannabe, which ended up hampering access that it should have made easier. A 10-slot capable Skeleton redesign could be interesting, to me.
;)
auralcircuitry - Tuesday, November 15, 2011 - link
This is actually the case I have been hoping Antec would make for several years now. I love most of their features, but am hesitant to spend $200+ on a housing for my PC.I just built a PC about two months ago and ended up using a cheap NZXT that already has dead fans and is falling apart. Lesson learned, spend the money and buy a real PC case! If this model existed two months ago I would have bought it without hesitation.
KUColBond - Tuesday, November 15, 2011 - link
Looks like a real step up from the Three Hundred I've got now.hudey123 - Tuesday, November 15, 2011 - link
My many, many years old Super LanBoy is really starting to show its age. Even though I love the size and the brilliant little tool drawer under the front door, I'm ready to move on. I LOVE the looks of this case, and that to me is mostly what a case is all about. Great review, thank you!pentijum - Tuesday, November 15, 2011 - link
Great case... I want to build a 100% silent PC and I am 100% sure that this will be the case I will use...confused one - Tuesday, November 15, 2011 - link
Water cooling is becoming mainstream, with both processor manufacturers offering water cooling as a factory option. You mentioned the case is designed to accept a cooler but you don't test the fitment. I know you can't try all the options; but, I though you all might start test fitting oem radiators and letting us know how well (or not) they fit. Thanks.knurdtech - Tuesday, November 15, 2011 - link
Looks perfect for a server build