Antec Performance One P280 Midtower Case Review
Antec P280 Midtower
No matter the age or skill level there is a handful of brand names that any user that has built a system will know. Fairly high on that list, if not top, would be Antec. Antec has been making cases since 1986 and since has had several cases that are very popular, like the Gaming series Ninehundred. Some were instant love/hate scenarios like the latest Dark Fleet series. Antec also has cases for enthusiasts who want a case that can perform, but not be decked out with lights and flashy looks. For those users Antec has the Performance One series. It has classy outer looks and quiet operation, but the space to hold even the largest of system parts.
Lately, Antec has been having an issue designing a case with proper cable management. The last several of cases from Antec had very little room to run cabling behind the motherboard tray. Antec has said with the P280 chassis they have fixed this, and boy did they. The P280 sports a whopping 1-inch of clearance between the side panel and the motherboard tray.
With the Performance One series one of running complaints was the power and reset buttons were behind the door on the front of the case. Antec has fixed this as well. They moved the power and reset buttons from the front to the top of the case. Now the only reason to open the door will be when you will need access to the 5.25″ bay devices or to clean the front intake filter.
Antec has also updated the internal layout of the P280. Gone is the thermal chamber separation the past Performance One cases had. This is changed to a more open design. This gets a simpler internal layout, no complicated drive cages, and lowers the overall weight of the case a touch as well. With the old style drive cages gone Antec moved to a drive tray setup that can accept either 2.5″ or 3.5″ drives.
Antec says the P280 will carry an MSRP of $139.95. Now if that is a little too much, or you prefer the Gamer series, no worries. Antec will soon be releasing the Eleven Hundred for the Gamer Series. The Eleven Hundred is based on the same internal structure as the P280l. We first got a glimpse of both cases back at BlizzCon 2011.
Let’s take a look at the features and specifications of the Performance One P280, then on to the P280 itself.
Features of the Antec P280
- Supports up to XL-ATX motherboards (10.3 x 13.6)
- 9 thumbscrew expansion slots
- Easy-to-remove air filters
- 6 total cable routing holes (4 that are grommet-lined) with 30 mm space behind motherboard
- HDD trays with silicone grommets / dual compatibility with 2.5 drives
- Maximum-sized CPU cutout
- Tool-less 5.25 drive bays
- 3 included 120 mm TwoCool exhaust fans with fan power hub
- 4 optional intake fans (2 in front, 2 internal)
- 2 front panel USB 3.0 ports with internal connector (USB 3.0-to-2.0 adapter available for $2.50)
- 3 year warranty
Specifications of the Antec P280
- Case Type: Super Mid Tower
- Motherboard: XL-ATX (10.3 x 13.6 / 262 mm x 345 mm), Standard ATX, microATX, Mini-ITX
- Drive Bays
- External:3 x 5.25 (tool-less)
- Internal:
- 6 x 3.5 / 2.5 using tray mounts
- 2 x 2.5 (dedicated)
- 2 x top 120 mm TwoCool exhaust fans with 2-speed switch (standard)
- 1 x rear 120 mm TwoCool exhaust fan with 2-speed switch (standard)
- 2 x front 120 mm intake fans (optional)
- 2 x internal 120 mm intake fans (optional)
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