Antec Nine Hundred - Get it or pass?

B

BurntToast

2[H]4U
Joined
Jun 14, 2003
Messages
3,677
Newegg, Frys and most places sell the case for $150. These two places (same company behind them) sell the case for $112 and $115.

http://www.excaliberpc.com/Antec_Gamer_Nine_Hundred_ATX_Mid/NINE_HUNDRED/partinfo-id-569586.html
http://www.bk-computer.com/Antec_Gamer_Nine_Hundred_ATX_Mid/NINE_HUNDRED/partinfo-id-19668.html

If I rated the stock performance of this case, I would give it a 9. But looks I would give it a 6 at best. The slanted top w/tray looks retarded and the window is murder. It all clashes with the nice front mesh grill.

For the performance capabilities of this case I can overlook the fuglyness of the case. But I would hate to buy it just to see a windowless version come out.

Another thing is that I would like to buy a case now if possible. Because I will be ordering a new rig soon. So for the next 2-4 weeks I could work on the case and make sure that all of the fans and moding work is done by the time I order my parts. So just like I dont want to order it to find out that a windowless version comes out, I also dont want to order it for around $120 just to find out that they dropped the price to $85.

This is mainly a rant. But if you guys could give me feedback I would appreciate it.

BTW the cm stacker 810 and T01 are nice cases (in a way). I was considering them, but they are too larger IMO.
 
Me i'm going to wait for a few reviews of the case. I have a P180 right now and I love it. But the cable routing is a bitch. Plus the area for the psu is tight. The Nine Hundred seems very similar but without the bitchyness.
 
Check out the Antec Solo and the Akasa Eclipse, look much better and can give comparable cooling.
 
Azogoth said:
Me i'm going to wait for a few reviews of the case. I have a P180 right now and I love it. But the cable routing is a bitch. Plus the area for the psu is tight. The Nine Hundred seems very similar but without the bitchyness.
Click to expand...

I understand what your saying, but am I wrong when I say you buy a case for functionality, cooling, and looks not how hard it is to setup every what 1 or 2 years you transplant components? Plus, I hear the P180 is very easy to user service (add/remove hdds, CDROMS, etc)
 
the nine hundred is just butt ugly, theres no getting around it. I personally wouldn't be able to stand it. Get a P180
 
Tutelary said:
the nine hundred is just butt ugly, theres no getting around it. I personally wouldn't be able to stand it. Get a P180
Click to expand...

Or the Solo would work nicely too. I agree, it is ugly.
 
Adding and removing hd/cd roms is easy. It's upgrading psu's, and mobo that's a pain. I had 2 mobo go south on me and the cable routing is a pain, plus I upgraded my psu's again a huge pain. I love the case it's quite, keeps everything cool, but it's a pian when you want to upgrade.


dchrsf said:
I understand what your saying, but am I wrong when I say you buy a case for functionality, cooling, and looks not how hard it is to setup every what 1 or 2 years you transplant components? Plus, I hear the P180 is very easy to user service (add/remove hdds, CDROMS, etc)
Click to expand...
 
The side panel I could live with, but I hate the top, Plus its steel. For $100+ mid. tower it should be aluminum.
 
I like the fact that it's steel to help with vibrations. I like the air flow and functionality. I would even get the case if it weren't for the looks. Personally the looks are just too bad for me to enjoy it. :/
 
The more I look, the more I like the Antec Solo. The only thing the Antec Nine Hundred has over the Solo is more room for hard drives and better air flow.

Antec Solo looks to have a crappy power button that may work or break. But I think that I can live with that... install a new one if it comes to that.

But before ordering one I think that I will first make a run down to Frys to check out both these cases in person.

Antec Solo link - http://www.directron.com/solo.html (Better price than newegg, cheapest reputable dealer that I would purchase this case from)
 
Aronj66 said:
The side panel I could live with, but I hate the top, Plus its steel. For $100+ mid. tower it should be aluminum.
Click to expand...

I'm sorry, but too many people are ignorant about the differences between aluminum and steel. Steel cases are both more sturdy and more quiet than aluminum cases. If you're going to cite the temp difference, aluminum makes at most 1*C difference in a fan cooled configuration or WC configuration with any air flow. The only time an aluminum case is going to be a factor in cooling is with a passive cooling system where the aluminum is a big part in heat transfer.
 
I just got this case today and I think I'll really like it. I've had a P180 for over a year now and am just ready to change. I got the side off the Nine Hundred, but for the love of pete cannot get the frikin thing back on. I'm sure there's a trick, but I haven't figured it out yet. :(
 
Aronj66 said:
The side panel I could live with, but I hate the top, Plus its steel. For $100+ mid. tower it should be aluminum.
Click to expand...


Steel is a good thing. I can chrome plate things easier that way :D
 
Got another one, but haven't had a chance to try the side panel yet. I do like this case though. I also like the 180 alot, but I've always really disliked the way you had to run cables. It's just difficult at best.
 
I'm a proud owner as well who is very pleased with the cooling. Great air flow, quiet...as long as your not running it on high, even then it's quite tolerable.

I actually like the looks of it, and as of yet, it's not cloned like the vast majority of the cases out there are.

Sphere
 
Call me crazy but I like the looks of it. Seems as though it would perform very well too.
When I look at cases, performance comes first, then the Fugly factor, but I actually like this case.
Of course, I Dont need a new case...at all...she won't let me....sounds like a challenge...Oh No, Not again! :eek:
 
I recently installed a system in a P180. I don't know what cable routing woes you had issues with. I found the case to be easy to work with and well built. My CPU at 2 weeks folding has maxed at 47*C (due to ambient temp) but usually sits at a steady 43*C (still folding).
 
The Nine Hundred looks like a Stacker, except worse. If you do want a good case with this style, go for one of the original Stackers(not the 830).
 
eeewwwww that thing is kinda wierd don't you think? It's like...angular and full of holes...

Personally I think you would be better off with the P180 but thats just my opinion...that case is SEXY.
 
I don't know what cable routing woes you had issues with.
Click to expand...

Did you put any drives in the bottom drive cage? Also, some of the cabling issue does depend on what you have in your system and possibly the motherboard whether it has 2 or 3 PCI slots and you have cards in them. Not saying 'everyone' has had issue, but there have been plenty that I've read.

I finally checked the windowed side panel and it went back on without to much hassle. I did have some dings on the drive covers though. The metal is showing through the black. Which shouldn't be happening. Contacted Antec and they shipped out replacements that day. Antec does have good customer service, at least in my dealings with them.

I do wish it had 1 more drive bay so I could put my X-Fi Platinum in, but with only 3 bays I guess I'll have to do without. Don't really use it that much anyway. :rolleyes:
 
Got it a couple weeks ago, I really like how everything laid out.. :)

100_0455.jpg


100_0490.jpg
 
RiZnO
Click to expand...

Just curious why your DVD drive is at the very bottom and it's inside a desk.

Do you have good air circulation in that desk hole? To me it kinds defeats the purpose of the 200 mm fan on top.
 
Not really there is at least 8 to 10 inches of space above it. I close the door unless I am gaming. Temps never get above 35c mb 40 chip while gaming. Teh back of the desk is not "on" so there is no oven effect the case blows hot air out of the hole.
The DvD was put down there for three reasons. 1. Its Sata (to get rid of ide ribbon) and I wanted it close to the sata on the mb 2. to keep the psu run short and neat. and 3. Just because :)
Lets see some of your pics too...! :)
 
Rizno, how is that scythe mine doing for you? I have always looked at it and it looks interesting. Is it anywhere comparable to the Infinity or SI-128?
 
Unfortuneately Ive only used a venus12 up untill now with my opteron and actually all my chips back to thoroughbreds lol... But its wayy lighter than it looks, it is not heavy at all, the mounting surface had a mirror finish and the fins are very thin they can easily bend back and forth but also easy to bend to fix... the mounting mech is very snug the cooler wont "slide" on the chip like some coolers do... my opteron is at a FarCry stable 2.5 and at highest settings in game I get about 39c to 41c in this case, after a couple hours of mp.. :)
 
Quick questions/requests: How solidly connected are the front fans and HDD cages behind them? Can you install the fans without the cages? Pics?
 
It's fugly. I'd get the P180.
Click to expand...

I had the 180.

This case is not loud. The loudest thing is my frikin hardrives. Not sure why they went from being quite in the 180 to really loud. I guess the rubber bushings in the 180 DO dampen the sound of the drives. Hmm. :confused:
 
jaegertech said:
Quick questions/requests: How solidly connected are the front fans and HDD cages behind them? Can you install the fans without the cages? Pics?
Click to expand...

The two front fans attach to the hd cages.... and the hardrive cages slide out the front in sets of three slots. you would have to take the screens off the cage then mount the screens back into the 5.25 slot without the cage then put the radiator in from inside but mount it using the 5.25 drive slots somehow with the fans on either side of the rad. You would be able to use a supplied 5.25 to 3.5 converter to mount a hdd up top in one of the extra slots above a radiator.
 
RiZnO
Click to expand...

RiZnO, have you noticed any louder hardrive noise? Wonder how I can dampen it a bit. The Raptors are somewhat loud anyway, but the metal on metal seems to make it worse.
 
I just saw the 900 in person at fry's today and I thought it looked awesome. I had never heard of it until I saw it there. The thing looks mean and is very sturdy. I thought it was the best looking case there on display.
 
i got my nine hundred yesterday . its a great case .
my temps dropped by 10 degrees . thats awasome .
everything runs cooler . its not noisy either .
i would reccommend this case to anyone who decides to go with AIR COOLING .
thats my 2 cents .
have a fantastic weekend .
cheers .
 
Having built many custom PC's over the years, my personal criterea for a good case is high quality aluminum (light weight, looks better than SECC both inside and out), minimum size of 120mm fans front, back, top and side (quiet and max air circulation esp. for today's gaming video card(s), side window (to show off inside and clean cabling), no front door (door looks nice but is a pain in the way) and finally relatively low cost. After much reseach I decided on my Antec P160 modified with a side window/fan and top blowhole.

If cost was no object, I would have got the Silverstore TJ09 which also has the PS on the bottom for better air flow and weight distribution. The P180 was my runner up but it is just a little too heavy and the thick side panel is harder to window mod.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top