Antec Mini P180 Black Steel MicroATX Mini Tower Computer Case - Retail

I love this case

Reviewed By: Gordo on 3/19/2008

Tech Level: high - Ownership: 1 day to 1 week

Pros: I love this microATX case. The design on the front and top are nice; neither overdone nor too plain. The black inside gives it a cool look. The PSU can be installed either right-side-up or upside-down, so PSUs with big fans on the bottom can be installed so they can breathe in fresh air. The PSU compartment on the bottom keeps the PSU away from the main system heat, and it allows them to put nice 200mm and 120mm fans on the top & rear of the case. The fans are quiet (but not silent) on their lowest speed setting; when on medium or high, they move a lot of air. Very good airflow in this case. Plenty of room to install a huge aftermarket CPU heatsink/fan. Rubber feet around the 3.5" drives help reduce any vibration noise from the HDDs.

Cons: Things are a tight fit, and need to be assembled in the right order. For example, I couldn't have my huge CPU heatsink/fan already installed on the motherboard before putting the motherboard in the case; I tried, but couldn't quite angle it in until I temporarily removed the rear case fan. Those with a very long graphics card may need to remove the center drive cage.

Other Thoughts: The power led is white; I would have preferred red or blue. The HDD led is blue. A power supply with modular cables is a big plus with this case. I have a 3.5" external CF reader, and the 3.5" to 5.25" adapter kit works, but it was a little tricky to align which holes to use with the adapter and rails to get it flush with the front. There is a front port for eSATA, but not for firewire.

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The best small case out. -period-

Reviewed By: rzkesp on 11/17/2008

Tech Level: high - Ownership: 1 day to 1 week

This user purchased this item from Newegg

Pros: Physical Looks: The color is exceptional. It has a rainbowish luster if you hit it with a bright enough light (sort of like a gun). The case overall will meet anyone's aesthetic appeal concerns.

Build: The build quality is great. The plastic pieces, when used, are not cheap, and they use thick enough steel on the outside. The case's insides are coated with a thick black polymer that is tough and will not scratch off easily.

Acoustics: It is quiet... but not silent. It has major airflow. The case was designed to not require intake fans, so do not worry about that. It is good for someone who wants quiet for gaming. Sleeping with it on is possible if you are a deep sleeper.

Features: ESATA ports. The case includes an AC97+HD Audio front port connector along with 2 USB. It also has dust filters that are removable. Very nice. It even includes a "extra screws" bay on the 2nd 5.25" drive bay! Cool idea!

Overview: It is beautiful, quiet, and cools extremely well. Solid. I like it.

Cons: The most pressing issue for me is the instructions that came with the case. They are quite lacking and will lead to you doing something wrong. I accidentally installed the "Tooless Hard Drive Rails" wrong and scratched the inside 5.25" bay. It is fine since the damage is unviewable.

Another issue is Quality Assurance failed to see an electrical error in the fan speed controller. In your case, you might get a nice letter declaring an issue with your fan. However, in lieu of that, Antec includes a free 120mm TriCool fan. So if you notice your case's 120mm fan does not start at "low" speed (it will work at low if you start a medium), swap it out. Simple. That is just a small issue.

Another issue, which is not the cases fault, is the size of growing graphics cards. If you get unlucky my 1mm like me, you have to remove the 2nd lower bay. Simple. It would look cooler with it in.

Also, they might have forgot to tap one MicroATX motherboard hole. Oh well.

Not much for complaints.

Other Thoughts: If you are looking for a SMALL case to fit on your desk, get this one. The case has no problems really. It is ideal for anyone building a small gaming rig because it has to fit in a tight space and be carryable. The case supports all graphics cards (if you remove the 5.25" drive bay). The case has excellent cable management and keeps everything tighty on its own. It is personally better than the laser-cut Voodoo PC Lian-Li case I own if that tells you anything.

The case is light by the way compared to most. It will work well for LAN gaming. Also you can do so much with it since it provides great central cooling and "vented slots" for your GPU. The case will keep your system cool. That is without a doubt.

Also the double hinged doors make a great addition to those who use this on a desk. That means the door shuts 270 degrees!

One small pseudo-complaint. The Power LED connector is a 3 pin molex with 2 leads. Easy to fix with the right tools if your pin-out does not match.

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Reviewed By: on 2/2/2010

Tech Level: somewhat high - Ownership: 1 month to 1 year

This user purchased this item from Newegg

Pros: best case hands down. keeps my computer and video card under 45c

Cons: none

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Why Antec?

Reviewed By: Rygel on 2/2/2010

Tech Level: average - Ownership: 1 day to 1 week

This user purchased this item from Newegg

Pros: Solid case.

Cons: It's not full ATX. The hing on the door already cracked, but all antec doors need to be beefier.

Other Thoughts: If antec would have moved the metal that divides the motherboard area from the power supply area just 1/4 inch, it would fit a real ATX board. Why Antec why? I have the Antec P182 (now discontinued) and it makes an excellent file server. This is a smaller version. Make sure your board you want to put in this is MicroATX.
I can't complain, it's my fault for not checking. For the price I paid for this I feel like I committed armed robbery. This case won't sit around long before I put something else in it.

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All-around great case.

Reviewed By: elsnoggler on 2/2/2010

Tech Level: average - Ownership: 1 week to 1 month

This user purchased this item from Newegg

Pros: Bottom-mounted PSU is great design for any mini-ATX case. Cable management was very thoroughly considered in the design. Plenty of airflow for most systems even without any additional fans installed. Does a great job dampening noise levels even without any insulation (including with extra fans).

Cons: Despite having two USB ports on the front, my case seemed to lack the 10-pin connector required to actually make them functional.

Other Thoughts: I wasn't thinking clearly when I bought this case and 2 additional fans, but you have to sacrifice a drive bay in order to put a fan in (for both extra front fan slots). So, one of my fans is in storage now in case the other stops working. Not so bad.

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