Antec Nine Hundred "Advanced Gaming Case" Review by afireinside

[afireinside]

With heat output from recent components rising at a rapid rate (kentsfield and x1950 I'm looking at you) both gamers and overclockers alike are searching for the "coolest" case, both appearance and cooling wise. Antec seeks to solve this problem with the Nine Hundred "advanced gaming case" stuffed with up to FIVE 120MM FANS and a mammoth 200MM FAN at the top. Sounds pretty good, right?

Lets look at the case:

It comes in a nice black box with the typical Antec styling

http://afireinside.evilspork.net/AFI/antec900/IMG_1116.jpg

This case is made of steel, very sturdy construction, but also very heavy. I didn't get a chance to weigh it but it dwarfs my previous kingwin kt424 (PC65 knockoff) and super lanboy.

http://afireinside.evilspork.net/AFI/antec900/IMG_1117.jpg

First area of interest being the "mesh" front panel of NINE 5.25" drive bays and TWO 120MM fans. Both of these fans are blue LED "trispeed" fans by Antec rated for 79/56/39cfm at 30/28/25dba.

http://afireinside.evilspork.net/AFI/antec900/IMG_1118.jpg

Where's the power switch? Right here!

http://afireinside.evilspork.net/AFI/antec900/IMG_1119.jpg

Looking at the top we have the power and reset buttons, firewire, audio, and USB. There is also a tray for MP3 players, cameras, flash drives, etc to be stored. Looking back further we see the spotlight of the case, the massive 200MM blow hole. Rated for a very impressive 134/108/83fm at 30/28/24dba with a max power draw of 3.6w (.3A) at 12 volts, this is a real jaw dropper. This fan is also a "tricool" allowing you to switch fan speeds on the fly.

Side panel

http://afireinside.evilspork.net/AFI/antec900/IMG_1120.jpg

The side panel features a small window and a 120mm intake with more mesh. Fan snaps into place easily. I chose a Yate Loon D12SL-12 for this as Antec does not include one. Also note that this window feels very flimsy and crackles when you hold the side by the windowed part.

http://afireinside.evilspork.net/AFI/antec900/IMG_1122.jpg

Included are all the screws you need, a manual, a rubber "floor" for the top tray, and a 5.25" -> 3.5" converter

http://afireinside.evilspork.net/AFI/antec900/IMG_1123.jpg

Inside shot of the beast

http://afireinside.evilspork.net/AFI/antec900/IMG_1124.jpg

The dual LED intakes along with the two 3x 5.25" -> 3x 3.5" converters

http://afireinside.evilspork.net/AFI/antec900/IMG_1127.jpg

One of the HDD converter bays along with the "wind tunnel" adapter allowing you to add ANOTHER 120mm fan (I chose another YL DS12SL-12) in lieu of putting drives in the bay to blow directly over your video cards. As you can see the front intake fan and mesh grills are attached to the HDD bays, so much for putting a radiator in the front.

INSTALLATION

First thing to PISS ME OFF was this:

http://afireinside.evilspork.net/AFI/antec900/IMG_1139.jpg

I don't know what retard decided it would be a good idea to make it so you have to put screws through a hole down 3/4 an inch then screw them in, but Antec needs to fire him ASAP. Luckily I use a magnetic screw driver so it wasn't THAT bad but if you don't have a magnetic screw driver, be prepared for a nightmare.

http://afireinside.evilspork.net/AFI/antec900/IMG_1143.jpg

http://afireinside.evilspork.net/AFI/antec900/IMG_1144.jpg

Next there's the little 5.25" -> 3.5" external bay converter. I decided to use my fan bus. As you can see IT'S TO WIDE FOR MY FAN BUS. I can not screw both sides in. It uses the same "put screws through a hole into another hole" thing like the HDDs. Even with my magnetic screw driver this was hell. I ended up throwing the thing at the wall and giving up.

Now the next problem, WIRING. Obviously with the PSU on the bottom this won't be fun. A picture is worth more than a thousand words in this case so I'll just give you one instead of talking.

http://afireinside.evilspork.net/AFI/antec900/IMG_1145.jpg

HDDs were hard to wire, hiding anything is impossible, and everything is super cramped. I'd never use this case again without a modular PSU. Antec apparently missed the note that putting space between the back of the mobo tray and the case wall to hide unneeded wires.

http://afireinside.evilspork.net/AFI/antec900/IMG_1147.jpg

Water cooling? DIDN'T THINK SO!

http://afireinside.evilspork.net/AFI/antec900/IMG_1148.jpg

Good luck hanging a radiator off the back. No room between fan screws and the side of the case.

http://afireinside.evilspork.net/AFI/antec900/IMG_1149.jpg

Sitting on my desk ready to rock...

BUILD TIME: Took me over 3 hours to build. Very annoying case to work with.

NOISE: With Antecs impressive "30dba" specs on high speed, I expected a quiet case. Especially considering I consider my DS12SL-12s "dead silent" and they're rated 28dba. WRONG. I was greeted with a very loud and deep WOOOOSH sound. I'd put the sound level on par with a 48dba delta, just not as high pitched or annoying. And that was BEFORE my 7900GTX coolers kicked in. After turning all the 120MM tri cools down to "low" and the 200MM to "medium" and booting into windows so that the nvidia drivers would spin down the cards, it was quiet. I'm not much of a silent freak, I've run 3x 48dba deltas in an open case before, 2 at 12v and 1 at 7v, but I'd say this is pretty quiet. If you're an absolute nut about noise you might want to look elsewhere though.

For reference I'm running 11 fans:
3x Antec tricool @ "low"
1x Antec tricool 200MM @ "medium"
2x Yate Loon DS12SL-12 @ 12v
AMD stock fan
2x Nvidia 7900GTX coolers
Foxconn C51XEM2AA stock cooler
OCZ 700 watt gameXstream PSU

Conclusion: This case sucks. Easily the WORST CASE I HAVE EVER WORKED WITH. Between the nightmare drive bays, the cable routing hell, 3hr+ build time, and all the other annoyances I can safely say I'd never buy, use, or recommend this case under any circumstances even though the cooling IS AMAZING. As far as a FRUSTRATION FACTOR I'd give this a 10/10 in that category.

Cooling: Airflow through the case is superb. The 200mm fan really helps to keep the the mobo cool while the 120mm "wind tunnel" and 120mm side intake keep your graphics cards nice and chilly, great for SLI. My GTOs temps are slightly better now than they were sitting on my desk with a 130cfm delta @ 7v blowing over them! 10/10 for cooling.

Aesthetics: With a sleek black appearance, an all mesh front, blue LED fans, and a 200mm blow hole, this thing SCREAMS badass. The tacky side window/fan combo, stupid looking "tray" at the top, and lack of ANY way to route wires kill anything the case had going for it though. 4/10.

Value: Well it's a case, you can put a computer in it, it keeps that computer VERY cool. I guess that scores it some points. I picked this case up for $98 dollars at Provantage.com (great site) and for 98 dollars, I was expecting something that I wouldn't have to throw across the room in anger. If you can put up with the long list of flaws it may or may not be worth the price tag. 6/10.

Final score: 20/30 - 10/10 frustration factor = 10/30 or 33%. Come on Antec, I do better than that on math tests. Bottom line is this case has great potential but Antec dropped the ball. If they made a new revision that was longer so that the damn drives didn't cramp and wider with room behind mobo tray for wire managment, maybe it would be good. In it's current state, the Antec Nine Hundred is "meh" at best.

[NickS]

Great review man. Very enjoyable to read. I'm sure with 30+ zipties you could get wiring under control, but it shouldn't have to go to that extent.

You're right, it seems like a "meh," case.

[Noob-ftw]

Great review, thanks for being the guinea pig =-)

[Sheik]

Also the NVIDIA 8800GTX is rumoured to be 28CM long so I'm guessing there is no way it's going to fit in there either ?

[afireinside]

G80 should fit IF you don't have the "wind tunnel" in the HDD bays or any HDDs.

[Sheik]

I almost sold my Antec P160 and got this case last week. Really glad I didn't now even though I love Antec cases.

Thanks for your honest review. Good one.

[WesM63]

Thanks for the good review AFI! What a :banana::banana::banana::banana:ty case, i'll stick with my Ultra Aluminus that the only downfall i see with it is the shotty aluminum. (changing hardware often results in stripped screw holes)

[dig412]

Thanks for a review where you actually review it, not just spout out stats and say its great ;)

[DTU_XaVier]

I was also considering this case, mainly because of the many 120mm fan spots as well as the 200mm... What stopped me was, like you, the wierd positioning of the PSU, which would make it impossible for me to even plug in my P4 connecter...
Also, you complain that watercooling isn't possible... The case definitely isn't built for watercooling in the first place, so that's not a minus IMHO :)

Best Regards :toast:

[elec999]

Great Review. The case looks very promising.
Thanks

[eddieate]

Good review, thanks :thumbsup:
I want that 200mm for my stacker :slobber:

[Nazu]

That's one crappy case :slapass: Didn't expect this kind of quality from Antec, who has done many great cases before this like P150, P160 and P180.

[NickS]

Welp, theres always a hump in the road somewhere with manufacturers product lines. I guess this ones it.

[LordofDoom]

Is it Full Tower? A full tower version could possibly be easier to work with.

[NickS]

Well it has 9x 5.25" bays, so I think it's inbetween a full tower & a mid tower tbh.

[LordofDoom]

Maybe they should make it the size of the 2000B or TJ-07 :D

[Shift]

Thank you for the extremely honest review. I looked up a few reviews for the case and so far all the reviewers like it. I guess it is always better to get a review from a user than just a reviewer.

[Revv23]

AFI, i was thinking the same stuff when i was looking at it, sorry you have to bite the bullet.

[dukenukem]

really good review,thanks for letting us know about it.

[Dubz]

nice review. but my experiences with the box is a little different.

1. as i was able to tuck the wiring away pretty decently. and i am using the same psu as the above. but the bottom mounts psus can be a pain.

2. only thing i did different is i didnt use as many hdds as i have a home server for that. dont like the added heat in my main rig.

3. and i didnt need the hdd cages either because i was only using a single hdd. and the two front fans were enough for good air circulation.

4. only about one hour assembly time for me. but i did only using a single hdd, dual dvdr's and one gpu.

but some things that i do agree on is the mounting screws for the drives. a magnetic screwdrive is needed.

and the fan speeds are only controlled from inside the case.

will add some pics in a few of my set up.

[afireinside]

I'd like to see where you tucked your wires. Then again having a single HDD, 1 gfx, and no molex on the mobo makes it a lot easier. I'm sure I could have done a bit better but I got to the point where I didn't care and that it would suck no matter what. With a modular PSU it wouldn't be as bad. I'd never use a single HDD though, NEED RAID.

[irev210]

The build quality of this case sucks. It seems to be made in a different factory from where the P180 is made.

I received the case and a screw was jamed in a hole, threads stripped... metal is thinner than P180, just overall lower quality.

I recommend waiting for the P190 guys, this thing could have ROCKED, but just falls short.


Thanks ANTEC... I bought your fusion for my media center, you had me buy the P180... it rocked, and the nine hundred... you lost me. Please do better guys! dont take those short cuts.

[Phosphate]

Thanks for the honest review. The only "good" thing is that I'm sure Antec will perfect something with this kind of air cooling capability by the time I get ready to build my next computer.

I really like the 200mm on the top rather than the side (like with the Armor)

[thunderstruck!]

Very nice and thorough review AFI. I hope to read more reviews from you. I think antec should release a nice full tower. I'm sick of these cramped, non-w/c friendly cases. I think I will still get a Stacker 810/STC-01 (w/e it's called :p:).

[apexracing]

Nice review there AFI. Seems as if my predictions for this case are quite true, it doesn't appear to be nice to work with at all, and it looks quite "cheap" as well.

[AAmeeting]

I just got my P180 and this case wasn't even on the radar, the P180 with the sandwich of steel and plastic is a real quiet case! this is just a big air bubble. I don't mind the PSU at the bottom of my case, I just wish I had a modular PSU.


also the math doesnt add up

120x5 = 600
+ 200
__________
800mm

hmm, false advertisement.

[IvanAndreevich]

That's one crappy case :slapass: Didn't expect this kind of quality from Antec, who has done many great cases before this like P150, P160 and P180.
Wait.. are you calling P180 great? :stick: POS cooling performance. Pathetic!

[gr8golf]

I've rebuilt my rig with the Nine Hundred and am trying to decide if it's a keeper or to return it.

Pros:
Temps are A LOT lower with this case - even with fans set to low speed
Fans set to low - case is very quiet
Mid Tower size is good

Cons:
The 3.5" drive adapter is WORSE than described earlier
Blue LED's in the fans - will have to replace
Fans are controlled by switch (in case) - should be temp driven
Has a side window - I'm not a fan
No HD or Power LED
Top mounted front panel connectors - should be on the front
I prefer aluminum

I may just have to take this thing back and get the new Silverstone TJ-09. I just wish the damn thing was a little smaller.

[syne_24]

Conclusion: This case sucks. Easily the WORST CASE I HAVE EVER WORKED WITH. Between the nightmare drive bays, the cable routing hell, 3hr+ build time, and all the other annoyances I can safely say I'd never buy, use, or recommend this case under any circumstances even though the cooling IS AMAZING. As far as a FRUSTRATION FACTOR I'd give this a 10/10 in that category.



haha..i freaking love that part :)

damn i knew this case just look sucks from the beginning already and this really confirm it. Sorry you had to take one for the team bro, but damn atleast you gave an honest review about. Props :toast:

[Poodle]

Wait.. are you calling P180 great? :stick: POS cooling performance. Pathetic!

P180 is like Churchill said about democracy. It's crap but it's the best one we've got.

Many don't agree 100% with all the design of the p180. I'm one of them and over at spcr I've posted many things that could be different. This stuff you always gonna get though, when you want to satisfy a broader field of costumers (Mike Chin and Antec had both overclockers and silent seakers in mind when the drew it). It's easy to mod to your liking though and this was much of the idea with it and mine is nothing like a normal p180.

It's one of the most popular high end cases ever. You are the first on that I've seen calling it "pathetic!".


This 900 case looks like something Thermaltake could have done... With these silly windows and "extras". I don't like the look of the top of the case either.

The p180 makes Antec loads of money for a reason. IMHO, this case won't come near in sales.


But I respect those who like it and hope that it will perform great. :)

[DavidBanana]

The build quality of this case sucks. It seems to be made in a different factory from where the P180 is made.

II recommend waiting for the P190 guys, this thing could have ROCKED, but just falls short.


.

ETA of the 190...?

[Killnine]

Wait.. are you calling P180 great? :stick: POS cooling performance. Pathetic!


Wow, thats a relatively ignorant comment. Yes, this is XS and most of you guys want the highest performance possible. Yet, extreme cooling was never a headline of the P180. Silence was.

Now yes, they did try and make the P180 as thermally efficient as possible, and I think that Antec did a great job. You can look at almost any review on the net. But to call it pathetic is just way overshooting it.

You are entitled to your opinion, yes, but dont make this case appear to be the worst thing ever. It may be one of the most successful and well-accepted cases Antec has ever made.

[[cTx]Philosophy]

Way to give dis case da hatchet :P

I rememebr when the Thermaltake Tsunami Dream was best crossflow case, and I always thought mine blowed :P

[jebo_4jc]

Thanks for the informative review. I think the front of the case looks great. It's a case that I want to like, but I just can't, not with those wiring issues. I'm interested to see pics from the other guy who said he got his wiring clean.
LED fans = "teh l337 look at my gam3r case d00d it rawks!". I hate them. Young teenagers might like them though.
Antec was close with this one, but I will definitely be sticking with my p180

[GAR]

Everyone has a right to their own opinion, i own this case and i love this case, just because the cooling is the best i have ever seen any case with all sides closed, i mean this thing is a cooling monster, and i love the way it looks, cable management isnt bad at all, i will post pictures soon. please dont put down a product to that extreme just because you got impatient..........this is a great case with minor flaws that can be overlooked........there is no perfect case, wich ever works, if looks and cooling is your desire than this is the best air cooling case, the 200mm fan moves about 134cfm of air, thats incredible amount of air being pushed out of my tuniq tower wich results in great temps, i give this case a 9/10.

[Vengure]

Great review its sad to see the honest truth sometimes but gotta find out if their good or bad

[Madmonkee]

i too have this case, the floppy dirve carrier works well if you use the floppy drive, No problems there. The noise factor, ok its not silent, i have my 200mm fan on low, the two front intake fans, one is on medium other is low. I have put an extra 120 akaska fan in there, that seems to be the noisest fan tbh! The rear exhaust is on medium also. Compared with my AMG viewplus 1000 with x3 80mm fans x2 120mm fans, the case is lovely and quite.
You could easily replace the standard antec 120mm if you desire ultra quite fans. The build quality is not to bad, probably not as good as my amg1000, but ok. I followed the instructions on how to setup the case but soon threw them away. Dvd-rw went in first, then the DVD rom, followed by the floppy cradle, which if you use the supplied screws was no problem to fit. Next I popped the HD's in one of the wind tunnels again no problems there. Psu..... mmmmm a modular one would be good in this case me thinks, I have the enermax noisetaker 600w which did prove to be a sod to sort out cable management. Motherboard install was easy enough, I had to install an extra 3 brass mounting pins again in the pack. Motherboard installation is a pain if you have allready installed the ROM drives (normally mobo would be first on my list but booklet said otherwise) very tight but it will go. CPU cooler I used was the Tuniq tower which is very tight!! It has to be installed on a slight angle, you cannot set it to have the fan exhausting towards the 200mm case fan, more of a design flaw with the Tuniq, not the case. I then sorted out all the cables as best I could, again there isnt anywhere to put them out of the way, you cannot tuck them behind the cdroms or hd cradles which is a pain. But they do give you large Zip tie like things down the side of the cradles to put all of you cables in, to try to keep things tidy (imagine the cables running from top to bottom of the case on the edge of the motherboard). What you will need to do is have the cradles half in when you are sorting out the cables, otherwise its a real pain. What I decided on doing was to leave the tunnel with the extra 120mm fan in the middle of the tower, so it will fire air at my tuniq, my tuniq will draw that air and expell towards the final 120mm exhausting, good flow setup me thinks, and it is!!! The HDDS were put at the bottom, this is where i found a handy hole to slip all other cables into!! :) Basically there is anough room to get rid of unwanted power cables etc underneath the cradle, about 15mm gap. I decided not to use the usb and firewire slots on the top, so those wires were fired back into the top of the case. Managed to slot my x2 BFG7800GTX OC's in and sound card in between, and lovely jubbly!

Fired her up, the LEDS on the fans are static, they just throw light onto the fan blades, mine are a slight different shade of blue lol the top one is a greenish blue an the bottom dark blue. Fancy replacing them with white, the HDD Led is the same blue on the top of the case, which is good as i like to see whats going on with the HD's. Noise levels i find are very acceptable, if i turn up the tuniq it will drown out all the other fans on top speed. Air flow is just great, cannot grumble with that. I managed to install everything without any cable ties, i think i could use 2 or 3 but apart from that its all good.

Bad points IMO
No room at all for Watercooling, forget it.
Cannot use the side vent on the window because it will foul my tuniq tower. Very tight fit, im sure this will be the case for any other tower coolers.
Cables are untidy, but can be sorted out i think.
Large amount of plastic, but it doesnt look to bad.
No filters on the Fans, perhaps a pair of tights might do the job! :)
So overall
Cooling 10/10 Remebering its on air.
Ease of Install 7/10
Cable tidyness 6/10
Build Quality 6/10
Noise levels (IMO) 7/10 (with reguards to all other systems i have built over 20 1 being a jet plane, 10 being silent)

so 36/50.
For me it matches my setup, alot of my leds for example power led on my speakers are blue, so is the LEDs in this case, Its black as the rest of my kit. I Like it, it has a handy slot on the top for usb devices.

[Madmonkee]

if you were to remove the fans from the HD cradles you could get a water cooling micro system in there.

[Madmonkee]

already had to clean the front of the case, plenty of dust on there! :)

[LudLud]

Does anyone know what the weight of the case is ? i can't find it anywhere, its not listed in the specs on antec's site either :/

[Polizei]

I agree with you 100%, the case does look bad ass... not enough for me to get one though. Im happy with my Tsunami.

[oshox]

Antec's been dropping the ball lately, with shoddy cases and crappy PSU's. With other companies like Thermaltake, Cooler Master, Corsair, and Seasonic continually kicking their asses in reviews, enthusiasts are going to pay the extra few bucks for higher quality. ESPECIALLY when it's with something as essential as Case & Power Supply.

For your average Retail shopper, though, Antec has one of the most recognizable names in this category, so their sales won't suffer for a while yet. Hopefully they can use this time to fire some of the idiots in their design staff.

P180 is still a nice case, but I'd still rather have a Stacker.

[LudLud]

well i got mine and i gotta say its pretty good, ill report back when i receive the rest of my components and i put my new pc together. It should fit just fine.

[dinos22]

that big ass fan on top how loud is that mother and was it the main noise contributor

[gr8golf]

that big ass fan on top how loud is that mother and was it the main noise contributor

I have mine running on Medium and it is barely audible. On low it isn't audible and it moves A LOT of air out of the case. This case has it's faults, but airflow and awesome cooling isn't one of them.

[irev210]

I have mine running on Medium and it is barely audible. On low it isn't audible and it moves A LOT of air out of the case. This case has it's faults, but airflow and awesome cooling isn't one of them.

yah, the 200mm fan on top is awesome, VERY quiet on low and MOVES the air. I have a scythe infinity on this computer and it really takes advantage of the 200mm fan.

I also love the top tray with the rubber pad, and where the USB/power buttons are located.

This case could be the best case ever if it had the same build quality of the P180.

[irev210]

Does anyone know what the weight of the case is ? i can't find it anywhere, its not listed in the specs on antec's site either :/


not much, maybe 8lbs?

I would say 1/2 the weight of the P180. Thinner steel, cheaper everything.


You guys should all go to antec.com and express your anger toward the crappy quality of the nine-hundred case.

[big poppa pump]

I have this case and its extremely easy to work with. It took me about an hour to put everything in there and get going including taking some smoking breaks and a quick snack in between. Coming to the wiring management, TBH, I can do a better job with my eyes closed. All you need is some patience and some ingenuinity.

BTW...this houses an ultra-D with an opty 165 (naked) @ 3Ghz idle/load 26C/35C. I love the cooling in this case and I have all the fans controlled by the sunbeam fan controller and its hardly audible.

[ANP !!!]

Nice review..

I want this case :(..

[dinos22]

I have mine running on Medium and it is barely audible. On low it isn't audible and it moves A LOT of air out of the case. This case has it's faults, but airflow and awesome cooling isn't one of them.
what about high

has anyone bothered to have a temp sensor to check the case temp and outside temps to compare how effective all these fans really are

[xVeinx]

Do you think this case holds promise with future revisions? I would prefer a few changes myself, notably the drive cage at 90 Degrees to the main case, etc. I am a big fan of windows though :) (using an Ultra Aluminus right now).

[icon57]

not the greatest design by antec imho

[crochammer]

Nice pics Big Poppa, thanks.

Thanks also for the honest review, IYHO of course but fair overall.

There is no perfect case and what looks good is totally subjective. I have built and modded more than I can count and I think this case has good potential for mods and good price point as a base to start.

The P180 is a good case but a little drab for me. Maybe for the server. I like windows. No I love windows.
I would start with a cable management shroud right up against the PSU. A modular unit would help. I think aluminum or dark acrylic.
It would have been a better design with room behind the mobo and/or behind the drive stack for cable management. 1/2" would be good. A big miss as far as I am concerned.
I like the location of the front sound, usb and power buttons. It's about time. I have a bad back.
I love the small tray for my memory sticks, etc. The Canon digital will sit nice there while I am uploading.
The niggle over the fan controller fit is just that.
My 5.25" Hexus fan controller will work great. IMHO, 3.5" units are a bad idea.
It's not designed for watercooling. The design is obviously for AIR.
It should have front fan filters that are easily accessible. A big negative design point but I can work with that.
I always install 4 bottom wheels . If I was building them they would all have that feature. This is NOT a LAN party case.
I am also seriously considering a Thermalrock case:toast: .

[DTU_XaVier]

Will be helping a friend build a rig with this case and an 8800GTX (when it shows up :rolleyes: ), and will report back if it fits (if it doesn't, HE'LL have a fit :p:)

Best Regards :toast:

[afireinside]

8800GTX will fit as long as you don't install an HDD or the HDD bay additional fan where the card will be.

[ZX7891]

at compusa, we had a broken antec 900 case in back, it was cracked all the way up the top, but i took a look at it, and theres not much room in it at all

[Snatch]

Nice review. The case is :banana::banana::banana::banana:, if you ask me.

[bjp999]

Check out a positive Antec 900 review ...

Another Review (http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=126395)

[Leeghoofd]

Well each case has it flaws, I just assembled a 900 case for a friend and like Bjp999 I thought it over how to hide the wires and keep the airflow goin. Some thinking was required but overal after some testing and fitting I came up with a good clean setup.
I placed a small filter before the lower fan so it doesn't suck in all the floordust, all fans are set on medium and aren't really audible ( think you have superhearing mate ! ) , only noise I hear is the Zalman 9700 cpufan. It houses a 8800gts at the moment normally my GTX will arrive tomorrow, I'll see if it fits. I'll post some piccies tomorrow 2 ...

Overall I think the review here is too harsh on this case, it's well ventilated & silent at medium level setting, doesn't weigh a ton , isn't so expensive compared to other cases of this build quality. I really like it and it's about the same idea I have for my own soon to be build modcase...

Note : Get a magnetic screwdriver !! Proper tools always help with pc assembling !! and take ya time to think it over and then screw it all in place !! plus if I wanna house 5 Hd's and wanna tidy up all the wiring I would have chosen a bigger and wider case anyway ...

[xMrBunglex]

nub

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b267/davedave01/1-3.jpg
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b267/davedave01/2-1.jpg
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b267/davedave01/3.jpg
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b267/davedave01/4.jpg

:bananal:

[Micketh]

I have this case also I think its great quiet fans and thift out some air they really do shift out some air, the temps in my case are awesome if you ask me. Especially compared to my old Termaltake Tsunami.

[VooDooRoo]

First off thanks for the review..Which I`m glad to have read AFTER I bought my 900...

why you might ask?Well this review might have clouded my judgement into buying the case.
I wanted a case that would keep my four HD`s coolish and looked good and wanted water cooling.

Now the 900 is all that!

I got mine a week ago and had very few problems,I have big hands and it was a little fiddly at times but managed.
Also some ppl have said the HD screws are to short to go through the HD brackets and into the hard disks?
Mine(a week old) came with screws measuring(off the top off my head) 4 to 5 inches long and fit perfectly
maybe Antec has been listening to ppl`s complaints and have started including these screws? Good for them if they have


Now my water cooling is cooling the CPU and keeps the temps down very nicley...


So if your after a case,Take a look at what you want it for and sit in the shop for a good half hour
thinking what if I do this and whats this for and if I put this here....

Strong points

Solid case
great air movement (I covered side air intake up) see grill in pic
low fan noise,my fans all set on low
front panel changable to suit how you want it.

only thing I didn`t like for a bozo like myself took ages to get the power,LED HD light and reset switch sorted onto the motherboard!
maybe a +/- so you know which is which?


So capping off,It`s a great case I think and I`m 100% satisfied maybe you wont be but take a good hard long look.

See pic for water cooling No CPU fan noise for me!

http://www.coolermaster.com/index.php?LT=english&Language_s=2&url_place=product&p_serial=RL-MUA-E8U1%20/%20EBU1&other_title=RL-MUA-E8U1%20%2F%20EBU1AQUAGATE%20Mini%20R80%20%2F%20R12 0


VooDooRoo in Japan

[ghcmonkey]

Wow, that is one clean case xMrBunglex! I wish i could route my wires behind my mobo tray, too.

[RobNyc]

wow how did you do that MrBunglex?

Great review.. everything is about right though ... the best thing about it is I can put the HDD Cages anywhere.. Fans to cool my cpu better and the cooling its just the most important thing for me and its silent when you connect it to psu fan connectors =)

[afireinside]

Nice wire management mrbunglex, no need to call me a nub though :(

http://sean.nickfire.com/core2redux/antec900wiring.jpg

I've been working on it... This damn enermax PSU is crap. Whoever decided that putting sata and molex connectors on the same string is retarded. I need to get rid of some of these drives to... I need to rewire the top fan also so the cable is long enough to run hidden behind the mobo tray. Same with the out take fan and 12v connector.

[VooDooRoo]

afireinside

your water cooling did you just put that in?

Dunno how old or if it`s new or not?But my 900 has to holes in the case

right about where ur sound card is with little rubber flaps for cables/pipes to fit through...

But just sitting and looking at ur "insides" and the size of your coolant tubing,Probably wouldn`t fit throught them....do you put the side panel on? and run them out the spare fan hole??


V D R

[afireinside]

Nah it's been there for a while. I have one of the first 900s. I didn't know they added any holes. I don't put the side on. I have 2 holes cut above the exhaust fan but I don't have a way to mount the rad externally.

[iluv2fly]

Antec Nine Hundred Water cooled

Mounted a 240 rad under the top fan. I Love this case :D :thumbsup:

I have rev 1.1 of this case. Antec added HD audio to the external ports, They added external water cooling holes to the back of the case. Also the hardrive installation issues has been taken care of. They added longer screws.

[Shiki87]

this case is lot,lot smaller then the TT Armor,it looks like a kid near Shaquile:)

I would never buy it,because I try to find something in this case what can explain its very high price but I couldn't do that...

it is only my opinion,you don't have agree with this...

[RobNyc]

Here's mine
i hate the way it secures the hard-drives its the biggest pain

[RobNyc]

Hope teh Scythe Ninja or Infinity mount and it can blow air to the back

[timber715]

here is mine... powder caoted and modified.

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t130/timber715/after.jpg

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t130/timber715/newwindow.jpg

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t130/timber715/Picture008.jpg

[iluv2fly]

Just to let you know that Antec came out with a new revision of the case. It's currently 1.1

The hardrive installation issue has been taken care of. The cage was modified and now it has longer screws so it is real easy to install it.

They added HD audio to the front.

They added holes for water cooling.

[Apollo 13]

can someone plz help me. Where is the Speaker wire? I can't hear my system posts while booting. My system runs fine but I can't get any posts sounds even if I take out the memory.

[RobNyc]

Just to let you know that Antec came out with a new revision of the case. It's currently 1.1

The hardrive installation issue has been taken care of. The cage was modified and now it has longer screws so it is real easy to install it.

They added HD audio to the front.

They added holes for water cooling.

HOw do we get the upgrade or something ?

btw guys.. I got a 7950gt today but the dvi to vga adapter doesnt fit in the back .. so it seems like i might have to use my second slot of pcie but i dont think thats good unless im running SLI right

[timber715]

can someone plz help me. Where is the Speaker wire? I can't hear my system posts while booting. My system runs fine but I can't get any posts sounds even if I take out the memory.

there isn't any built in speaker in this case...

[TEDY]

where do you see the revision number?????? i wanna be sure to get 1.1

[Apollo 13]

there isn't any built in speaker in this case...

so how do you guys get any posts sounds?

[Apollo 13]

someone plz help...if there is no way around this then this case sucks. What if I run into a problem down the road...how am I suppose to know what the problem is if I can't even get it to posts?

[Kaze06]

Buy a speaker :rolleyes:.

[Apollo 13]

Buy a speaker :rolleyes:.

I have speakers...I just want to hear my system posts.

[SkylinGTR26]

this case is actually very nice, the material its made of is so much better.
I wish i got this instead of the aeroengine i got, cept it was like 60bucks more =[

[deees]

I have speakers...I just want to hear my system posts.

Many of the newer motherboards have LED displays for POST messages so speakers aren't necessary. If your motherboard doesn't have a LED display, you can velcro a speaker inside an unused drive bay.

[Apollo 13]

Many of the newer motherboards have LED displays for POST messages so speakers aren't necessary. If your motherboard doesn't have a LED display, you can velcro a speaker inside an unused drive bay.

thx...I have a PSN-E mobo so I don't know if it has the special LED lights. Also what do you mean I can velcro a speaker inside a unused drive bay? where would this speaker connect to get get the posts sound?

[VooDooRoo]

Apollo 13

thats are what mobo manuals are for! :clap:
look for a speaker connector on the mobo....

I can look it up on the internet if your feeling to lazy,but would be very hard to explain. (Oh it`s near the bottom left of the second RAM slot)
ANd if you don`t have a manual look the model up on the net...:comp10:

V D R

[Machinus]

Mr Bungles, where did you get your case??? I can't find one with those awesome holes in the side panel : (

[deees]

Mr Bungles, where did you get your case??? I can't find one with those awesome holes in the side panel : (

If you're referring to the holes in the motherboard tray, he cut/drilled them. Here is a whole thread on cable management for the 900:

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=126395

[fps4life]

i feel sorry for a fireinside because i only just bought this thing 3 weeks ago and mine has water cooling support no modding required the holes wre already thers with a plastic dust cover for the tubes not that im gona use it but came in hands for running wires that i need as a com tech with a mobile diagnosis system/ gameing rig/ multimedia dj kit althis outa the back of a single mercedes benz sprinter i'll have to pics of the setup i'll blow someones mind

[fps4life]

in relation to the post speaker question with your mobo you got there should have been a conector thats white with a bunch of pins on it for easy conection of power on led hdd led post speaker power on button and reset button one that your speaker will conections will need to conect to the pins labeled speaker i also have the p5n-e sli mobo havn't installed yet waiting on cpu and graphics

[fps4life]

HOw do we get the upgrade or something ?

btw guys.. I got a 7950gt today but the dvi to vga adapter doesnt fit in the back .. so it seems like i might have to use my second slot of pcie but i dont think thats good unless im running SLI right

get a dvi to vga monitor cable unless your using a crt monitor then you can always try makin your own adapter with some length between the 2 conectors

[Malk]

I've rebuilt my rig with the Nine Hundred and am trying to decide if it's a keeper or to return it.

Pros:
Temps are A LOT lower with this case - even with fans set to low speed
Fans set to low - case is very quiet
Mid Tower size is good

Cons:
The 3.5" drive adapter is WORSE than described earlier
Blue LED's in the fans - will have to replace
Fans are controlled by switch (in case) - should be temp driven
Has a side window - I'm not a fan
No HD or Power LED
Top mounted front panel connectors - should be on the front
I prefer aluminum

I may just have to take this thing back and get the new Silverstone TJ-09. I just wish the damn thing was a little smaller.

My 900 has a HD Led?
And the power Led is the Fan LED´s ? :)

Regarding the review: i agree with some of the drawbacks, but i think its overemphazised, its really not that bad, and besides, the cooling makes up for some of the quirks IMO.
It is a bit too small for me, another 5 CM in both height and length would have made wonders, but i kinda liked the drive bays.
But all that im willing to put up with, because Its easily THE COOLEST air cooled case i ever tried, and i tried a few :)

[xMrBunglex]

Mr Bungles, where did you get your case??? I can't find one with those awesome holes in the side panel : (

i didn't even realize i had an account here :ROTF:

i used an electrician's tool called a SlugBuster to punch those clean holes in my case. Dremels leave raggedy looking holes. i'd recommend a hole punch if you can get your hands on one. if not, you can use a drill with a step bit and a Dremel buffer attachment to clean out the holes when you're done.

doing it the way i did it forces you to extend some wires though. the wires for the top panel stuff (power & reset buttons, USB, headphone & mic jacks, etc.) will have to be extended. wire strippers and butt splice connectors. good times.

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b267/davedave01/WireSplies.jpg


i ended up building four of these in a month and got sick of it. i haven't touched a new 900 since.

[Machinus]

nub

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b267/davedave01/1-3.jpg
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b267/davedave01/2-1.jpg
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b267/davedave01/3.jpg
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b267/davedave01/4.jpg

:bananal:

Thank you for the inspiration good sir! Here is my work:

http://gluons.googlepages.com/my900.JPG

[xMrBunglex]

looks good. i like how you used those rubber grommets in your holes. very clean. you'll want to move your right memory stick into the yellow slot though. it only works in dual channel mode when both sticks of RAM are in the same-colored slot.

that P5K is a really nice looking mobo.

[outbreak42]

To be honest with you, if you found the Antec 900 to be annoying to work with is most likely because of laziness. Good things come with a price, like Oscar Schlinder. If you take your time, and don't rush with this case becomes as easy as any other case. And a little bit of modding makes it one of the best cases out there. ;)