I personally think the Corsair C70 gets close to the military theme. But they could do a bit more like release a digital camo or multicam version, lots of enthusiasts would eat it up as they don't have to pull out the spray cans.
Oh and a decent Corsair PSU and fan controller that matches the theme/colours would be perfect, we already Gold Corsair Vengeance memory and the Asus Sabertooth motherboards that match colour wise.
Want to change my el cheapo case, but for ME this one won't work... Kid managed to spill a glass of water over existing case, luckily it doesn't have a top vent so all is well...
Now which good case can I get that doesn't have a top vent I wonder... Most of the good Antec, Corsair and Bitfenix ones seem to be ruled out...
I don't want to lock it in the cellar like some retarded offspring, either. You need to live with these things. I look at my case every day, and I'm glad its a silverstone. Not everyone can have a 10, though. But everyone should have at least a 6 or 7, and for $50, you can. It just isn't this.
Fractal Core 1000 is good for what it is, a cheap mATX case, but it does have compromises. Not in love with verticle HHD mounts, among others. Wonder why Lian Li doesn't get mentioned (price probably).
Put it on top of the desk. Top vents are very common in cases these days; You will have trouble finding one that doesn't have on. I actually think Antec hit a home run. It is light, so easy to move around. It hits a very low price point. I couldn't care less about front audio headers; I prefer USB headsets for voice and speakers for everything else. I am more concerned with functionality then I am with looks. This case gets the job done, just don't go kicking or hitting it. As light as it is, it shouldn't be a problem to carry in a way that doesn't do it harm.
I currently have a P180 case, and it is hell to work in. I just swapped a Core2Quad for a new Ivy Bridge Z77 system. I had scrapped up both my hands pretty good just getting the thing put together. I hated working in the case; I wouldn't mind babying a case a bit, if I didn't have to deal with the wiring hell I had with the P180. Sure, it doesn't have the sound dampening of the P180, but I usually am playing music, so it doesn't matter.
Blocking off top fan holes is easy. Cutting boards, toaster oven bake pans, wood, or that imitation graphite sheet appliqué. With a couple standoffs a fan guard that allows air flow and on top stacking works. Trouble is I do not see a reason to choose this over other cases.
I'm somewhat surprised by the cooling and acoustic performance, it kinda reminds me of the Eleven Hundred. Really didn't figure this case could compete with more expensive cases on the market. I suppose looks are an acquired taste and the short front audio header could be an issue (really hope they fixed this one) but performance is where it counts in my mind and to be honest, for $60, people buying this thing really shouldn't expect much except that they've got excellent cooling and low noise.
The only true drawback in my opinion is the small GPU clearance that could present as an issue to some longer HD7970 (reference could fit, no problem). There's also no removable hard drive cage. Although people having a $400+ card should really look into more expensive cases as well.
The four 5.25" bays are still silly though. When are manufacturers going to realize that?
For me, this is another indication that Antec is now an "also ran" when it comes to computer cases.
They couldn't make the Solo II any bigger, yet this piece of junk is both longer and taller. And the Solo II is still in available is any colour, as long as it's black!
Is the market for this bigger than the Solo II? Antec pours resources into this, Corsair into the massive 900D.....
The Fractal R4 is what the Solo II should have been.
I don't know if it's just me but I thought different people have different tastes. It's not the type of case I'd buy but I think they didn't to too bad a job for the price.
It looks like a Tonka Trunk. Not even a good one, a cheap one. that's literally my only complaint with this case. If they release one that's just black, no other colors anywhere. Then that's a case I can recommend to people. Honstly just change the colors to all black and it's "good enough".
For my personal use I wouldn't buy it because the lines are wrong AND the colors are ugly. I like the sleek industrial look. I'm also willing to go up to 100 on cases.
Bottom line, I'm impressed they built a case that performs THAT well and is tooless AND has a fan controller that's actually effective. Those are some damn good acoustic levels. Simplify the lines, get rid of the unnecesary ditches around the 5.25 drives, cover the top one with a temp readout maybe, make it all black, add some dampening foam and charge 100 bucks. I'd buy it.
Reading this kind of review convinces me all the more of the wisom of my obtaining used Antec 300 cases whenever I can. Half the price, better IMO. And when I say used, I just mean eBay; some of the ones I've bought have been sold as new/unused, so even better.
I've been waiting for a case to de-throne the HAF 912 for some time now in the $50-$60 range... looks like I will keep on waiting. If CoolerMaster could release a HAF 913 with USB3.0 support... maybe also add a few for 2.5" doo-dads for the growing prevalence of ssds... that would be awesome. But even as is, I have yet to see another case come close. The modular HDD bay is just awesome, cooling options are top notch, and the lack of flimsy steel just seals the deal.
I really do wish that people [especially reviewers] would quit assuming that they know what it is the public wants -
To wit - " We don't need four 5.25" bays anymore anyhow (we really only need two at most these days)."
This is not true for many, and especially the "high performance" crowd to which this is supposedly addressed.
I love the build quality of the older Antec cases, and what has kept me from buying again, but instead buying Cooler Master, is exactly that there are not more open bays in the case.
I still use a floppy on occasion, have 250MB internal Zip drives, and do my copying of optical stuff directly from one drive to another - that accounts for four, and does not make much room for a fan controller or a display of some sort.
I fully realize I am not the norm, but, after taking a quick survey of about 20 friends, I am not in a SMALL minority either. Most people I speak to [and come in contact with daily, as part of my job - selling, repairing, and maintaining computers] think that 6, my favorite, is excessive, also think that 3 is too few.
And I bet you could find an 1100 at about this price on sale, after rebate or both. Now if only they made a decent mitx case that takes a standard psu and a gtx 680 sized card.
You have a problem with the top slot: "and the fact that the top one is basically blocked by the internal cables for the I/O cluster means the front of the case gets broken up needlessly" Why not mount the optical drive in the bottom slot? Esthetic issue solved. The other thought here is that there are many 5.25 kits for SD cards and such that would actually fit in that slot because they do not have a full case to interfere. That's what I'm going to do. This isn't the prettiest case, but it is incredible value for the dollar.
I wish you would have shown and talked about using this case with a 240mm radiator hooked up at the top. Would have been really good info for someone who is looking for a case that would accommodate a 240 mm radiator like Corsair's.
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33 Comments
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headbox - Thursday, January 17, 2013 - link
The catch: uglier than Hillary Clinton in a thong.It's 2013. So much more can be done with plastic than this. When it comes down to it, "how it looks" is one of the main factors in choosing a case.
The Von Matrices - Thursday, January 17, 2013 - link
I haven't yet seen a case that pulls off a military/camo theme. I wish manufacturers would just stick to solid colors.StevoLincolnite - Friday, January 18, 2013 - link
I personally think the Corsair C70 gets close to the military theme.But they could do a bit more like release a digital camo or multicam version, lots of enthusiasts would eat it up as they don't have to pull out the spray cans.
Oh and a decent Corsair PSU and fan controller that matches the theme/colours would be perfect, we already Gold Corsair Vengeance memory and the Asus Sabertooth motherboards that match colour wise.
ac2 - Friday, January 18, 2013 - link
Don't worry, you don't need to sleep with it...Want to change my el cheapo case, but for ME this one won't work... Kid managed to spill a glass of water over existing case, luckily it doesn't have a top vent so all is well...
Now which good case can I get that doesn't have a top vent I wonder... Most of the good Antec, Corsair and Bitfenix ones seem to be ruled out...
Samus - Friday, January 18, 2013 - link
I don't want to lock it in the cellar like some retarded offspring, either. You need to live with these things. I look at my case every day, and I'm glad its a silverstone. Not everyone can have a 10, though. But everyone should have at least a 6 or 7, and for $50, you can. It just isn't this.ShieTar - Friday, January 18, 2013 - link
Bitfenix have the Merc Beta, and Antec has the whole "New Solution" line without any top vents. Prices are similar to the 60$ price point too.Blibbax - Friday, January 18, 2013 - link
Fractal Core 1000?infoilrator - Saturday, January 19, 2013 - link
Fractal Core 1000 is good for what it is, a cheap mATX case, but it does have compromises. Not in love with verticle HHD mounts, among others.Wonder why Lian Li doesn't get mentioned (price probably).
danjw - Friday, January 18, 2013 - link
Put it on top of the desk. Top vents are very common in cases these days; You will have trouble finding one that doesn't have on. I actually think Antec hit a home run. It is light, so easy to move around. It hits a very low price point. I couldn't care less about front audio headers; I prefer USB headsets for voice and speakers for everything else. I am more concerned with functionality then I am with looks. This case gets the job done, just don't go kicking or hitting it. As light as it is, it shouldn't be a problem to carry in a way that doesn't do it harm.I currently have a P180 case, and it is hell to work in. I just swapped a Core2Quad for a new Ivy Bridge Z77 system. I had scrapped up both my hands pretty good just getting the thing put together. I hated working in the case; I wouldn't mind babying a case a bit, if I didn't have to deal with the wiring hell I had with the P180. Sure, it doesn't have the sound dampening of the P180, but I usually am playing music, so it doesn't matter.
bigboxes - Tuesday, January 29, 2013 - link
Yeah, but Antec made improvements in all that you say with the P180b, P182 and P183.infoilrator - Saturday, January 19, 2013 - link
Blocking off top fan holes is easy. Cutting boards, toaster oven bake pans, wood, or that imitation graphite sheet appliqué. With a couple standoffs a fan guard that allows air flow and on top stacking works.Trouble is I do not see a reason to choose this over other cases.
ac2 - Sunday, January 20, 2013 - link
Thanks for the suggestions folks...dingetje - Friday, January 18, 2013 - link
yeah but for the right money i'd still give hilary what she wantsEzioAs - Thursday, January 17, 2013 - link
I'm somewhat surprised by the cooling and acoustic performance, it kinda reminds me of the Eleven Hundred. Really didn't figure this case could compete with more expensive cases on the market. I suppose looks are an acquired taste and the short front audio header could be an issue (really hope they fixed this one) but performance is where it counts in my mind and to be honest, for $60, people buying this thing really shouldn't expect much except that they've got excellent cooling and low noise.The only true drawback in my opinion is the small GPU clearance that could present as an issue to some longer HD7970 (reference could fit, no problem). There's also no removable hard drive cage. Although people having a $400+ card should really look into more expensive cases as well.
The four 5.25" bays are still silly though. When are manufacturers going to realize that?
Robert in Calgary - Thursday, January 17, 2013 - link
For me, this is another indication that Antec is now an "also ran" when it comes to computer cases.They couldn't make the Solo II any bigger, yet this piece of junk is both longer and taller. And the Solo II is still in available is any colour, as long as it's black!
Is the market for this bigger than the Solo II? Antec pours resources into this, Corsair into the massive 900D.....
The Fractal R4 is what the Solo II should have been.
Skidmarks - Friday, January 18, 2013 - link
I don't know if it's just me but I thought different people have different tastes.It's not the type of case I'd buy but I think they didn't to too bad a job for the price.
dj christian - Monday, January 21, 2013 - link
"Solo II is still in available is any colour, as long as it's black!???What do you mean? Where you drunk when you typed that? There's only the black version and none else.
Ening - Friday, January 18, 2013 - link
looks fine to me...nagi603 - Friday, January 18, 2013 - link
It might be cheap, but that ugly mil camo means you either hide it in the basement or spend some extra cash on black paint to cover it. It is hideous!Bonesdad - Friday, January 18, 2013 - link
far too ugly to look beyond any goodness inside...try try again Antec.Hrel - Friday, January 18, 2013 - link
It looks like a Tonka Trunk. Not even a good one, a cheap one. that's literally my only complaint with this case. If they release one that's just black, no other colors anywhere. Then that's a case I can recommend to people. Honstly just change the colors to all black and it's "good enough".For my personal use I wouldn't buy it because the lines are wrong AND the colors are ugly. I like the sleek industrial look. I'm also willing to go up to 100 on cases.
Bottom line, I'm impressed they built a case that performs THAT well and is tooless AND has a fan controller that's actually effective. Those are some damn good acoustic levels. Simplify the lines, get rid of the unnecesary ditches around the 5.25 drives, cover the top one with a temp readout maybe, make it all black, add some dampening foam and charge 100 bucks. I'd buy it.
alyf - Friday, January 18, 2013 - link
The "botherboard" tray? :)jabber - Saturday, January 19, 2013 - link
When can we get a grown up case that reeks of style and sophistication?HardwareDufus - Saturday, January 19, 2013 - link
hideous at any pricemapesdhs - Saturday, January 19, 2013 - link
Reading this kind of review convinces me all the more of the wisom of my obtaining used
Antec 300 cases whenever I can. Half the price, better IMO. And when I say used, I just
mean eBay; some of the ones I've bought have been sold as new/unused, so even better.
Ian.
nwarawa - Saturday, January 19, 2013 - link
I've been waiting for a case to de-throne the HAF 912 for some time now in the $50-$60 range... looks like I will keep on waiting. If CoolerMaster could release a HAF 913 with USB3.0 support... maybe also add a few for 2.5" doo-dads for the growing prevalence of ssds... that would be awesome. But even as is, I have yet to see another case come close. The modular HDD bay is just awesome, cooling options are top notch, and the lack of flimsy steel just seals the deal.dj christian - Monday, January 21, 2013 - link
"The drive trays slide in from the rear of the botherboard tray instead of above like most cases"What do you mean? How can you slide them in from above?
Hrel - Thursday, January 24, 2013 - link
if you have the case laid on it's side, like you would if you were installing things.chrome_slinky - Thursday, January 24, 2013 - link
I really do wish that people [especially reviewers] would quit assuming that they know what it is the public wants -To wit - " We don't need four 5.25" bays anymore anyhow (we really only need two at most these days)."
This is not true for many, and especially the "high performance" crowd to which this is supposedly addressed.
I love the build quality of the older Antec cases, and what has kept me from buying again, but instead buying Cooler Master, is exactly that there are not more open bays in the case.
I still use a floppy on occasion, have 250MB internal Zip drives, and do my copying of optical stuff directly from one drive to another - that accounts for four, and does not make much room for a fan controller or a display of some sort.
I fully realize I am not the norm, but, after taking a quick survey of about 20 friends, I am not in a SMALL minority either. Most people I speak to [and come in contact with daily, as part of my job - selling, repairing, and maintaining computers] think that 6, my favorite, is excessive, also think that 3 is too few.
D1RTYD1Z619 - Sunday, January 27, 2013 - link
And I bet you could find an 1100 at about this price on sale, after rebate or both. Now if only they made a decent mitx case that takes a standard psu and a gtx 680 sized card.Belard - Tuesday, January 29, 2013 - link
I've seen better.... worked with better. This thing is ugly and cheap.fluffyhead - Monday, February 25, 2013 - link
You have a problem with the top slot: "and the fact that the top one is basically blocked by the internal cables for the I/O cluster means the front of the case gets broken up needlessly"Why not mount the optical drive in the bottom slot? Esthetic issue solved. The other thought here is that there are many 5.25 kits for SD cards and such that would actually fit in that slot because they do not have a full case to interfere. That's what I'm going to do. This isn't the prettiest case, but it is incredible value for the dollar.
Mike89 - Thursday, March 14, 2013 - link
I wish you would have shown and talked about using this case with a 240mm radiator hooked up at the top. Would have been really good info for someone who is looking for a case that would accommodate a 240 mm radiator like Corsair's.