Antec SX1040B Case Review

Package Includes SX1030 SX1040 1 Tower Case 1 300 Watt ATX SmartPower (PP303X) - installed 1 400 Watt ATX SmartPower (PP412X) - installed 1 Power cord 2 Case fans 1 Set of screws and motherboard standoffs 1 Complete set of drive rails ( 8 rails ) 1 Installation manual

  A computer case reflects both the personality of the person who owns it and the computer that is inside.  When it comes to your computer, quality should always have priority over price.  Many consumers are willing to sacrifice quality to save money.  Fortunately for us Antec's Performance series offers great quality at a very reasonable price.  I have been using this case for the past year and am going to tell you why this case is one of the best, if not THE BEST case in the world.

Style:

The Antec SX1040B from both sides and the front.  As you may have noticed this case is "Smoke Gray" and not Black.

  This is one of the best looking cases that I have ever seen.  The drive cover can hide unsightly beige drives (if you want them there in the first place ;) and is a tower so it's very roomy inside.  Antec also put locks on the front door and the side cover to hinder someone breaking into the case.  An effective deterrent, but somewhat vulnerable to anyone who has the time to circumvent these measures (it is a case after all, not a safe ;)

It's easy to remove the front plastic cover to rework the LED wiring or clean up some dust.

Style Score:
9.5/10

Durability:

My biggest complaint with this case:

The picture shows where the door connects to the case. The white markings are from where the plastic is bending after a year of use. It's hard to see from the picture, but it is almost to the point where the plastic holding the door in place will break off.  After that happens I'll need to find a replacement.  My suggestion is that this portion of the door be made out of metal (or at least stronger plastic).  We probably won't be seeing that in the future so my other suggestion is that Antec should allow consumers to order spare parts off of the Antec website for a reasonable price.  Update! I have been in contact with Antec and they allow you to order spare parts by contacting their customer service. You will also be glad to know that their new Performance Plus series has a 3yr Warranty.

Unrivaled durability gives this case a 10/10. The problem with the door brings it down .7 of a point and the paint scratching brings it down .3 of a point.

Durability Score:
9.0/10  

Cooling and Case Noise:

 It seems that the current trend in Computer enclosures has been shifting towards aluminum.  The advantages of aluminum cases are their lightweight and supposedly dissipate heat better than other cases.  However, when a case is on for an extended period of time the temperature inside the case will eventually stabilize whether or not the substance the case is made out of is better at dissipating heat. This is why proper ventilation and space are the most important aspects of case cooling.  

  I have seen several reviews that claim that this case is noisy.  I'd like to think that the fans, heatsink, and powersupply that you use are the main cause of noise in your case.  The degree to which the case vibrates, thus contributing to the noise, is negligible.  If you think your case is loud buy low dB fans (Panaflo's), whisper quiet powersupplies, and stay away from those 60dB / 8000 CFM Delta's on your heatsink. ;)

The shear size of the case makes it very easy for air to properly circulate.  (Part of the case is cut off at the top).  You can see in the picture to the right how the lower drive bay cannot be removed since the AGP Card gets in the way.  All you have to do is remove the AGP Card and then the drive bay... not that big of a deal.

  The included Antec labeled fans aren't very noisy and provide more than adequate airflow.  Only two are included so if you'd like to max out the fans you should invest in two more.  Fan grills should be purchased also (one of my fans was killed when it picked a fight with one of my hard drives).  

The Hard Drive bay includes a fan holder.  My Panaflo is constantly sucking air over the drives, helping to keep them cool.

  Overall, superb cooling capabilities for a typical SOHO user.  Overclockers might want to mod a few extra and there is plenty of space to do so.

Cooling Score:
10/10


Miscellaneous Features:

The floppy drive bay being installed into the case.  Install the drive by screwing it into the bay. Slide the bay into the case and pull the latch forward to lock it into place.

	To install 5.25" Drives you must screw one of these brackets to each side of the drive and then slide the drive into the drive bay.  This allows for easy removal of the drives after the power / IDE cables have been unplugged.

  The one thing that unfortunately is lacking from the case is a slide out motherboard tray and since this case is geared towards Small Office / Home Office (SOHO) then a slide out motherboard tray would definitely be an improvent to this nearly perfect case.

Miscellaneous Features Score:
9.5/10


Conclusion:

  This case is very close to perfect.  Any small qualms I may have had with the case in the review were mere annoyances that I have run into over the past year of use.  Simply put, you should settle for nothing less than the Antec SX1030/1040.

Pros:
Stylish
Durable
Effective Cooling
Spacious Design
Well Designed
Affordable

Cons:
Plastic Door Hinge
Drive Bay Removal Hindered by AGP Card
Lacks slide out motherboard tray

Overall Score:

Buying Info:

Currently the SX1000 (no PSU) is selling for $63 US shipped, the SX1030 is selling for $95 US, and the SX1040 for $120 US.

Check Pricewatch.com for current Street-Pricing or Buy Direct from Antec-Inc.com