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Antec Sonata III 500 Computer Cases
Customer Reviews for Antec Sonata III 500 Black 0.8mm cold rolled steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 500W Power Supply - Retail
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Price: $149.99
Sale Price: $109.99
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Review Summary (741 Reviews): Rating + 4
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Reviewer Product Review
ehidle
Tech Level: high
Ownership: more than 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
2/9/2010 6:01:53 AM

Rating + 4 Terrific Case


Pros: Quiet, heavy, solid case. I've built dozens of PCs with this chassis and never had an issue with them. USB front port ESD tested just fine to +/- 4kV contact and +/- 8kV air discharge. Air filter is a nice touch. Case design is nice and goes with most modern office decor.

Cons: Needs the following improvements: Fewer molex power connectors and more SATA power connectors. Change 6-pin PCI-e power connectors to 6+2pin. Ditch the switch+molex on the case fan and put a SYSFAN power connector on it. They need to start putting stronger power supplies in these. 500W is easily overcome in a modern SLI/XFire setup. Needs longer USB header cable for front ports for better cable routing. The option of an additional cooling fan in the front would be nice, but for most systems built with this case and stock supply, the factory cooling is absolutely sufficient.

Other Thoughts: This case was not really designed to be a 1000W gaming rig. The stock 500W will support a hot CPU and a nice pair of video cards (a 200W GPU setup and 130W CPU leave plenty of room for the mobo and drives). You can't eat your cake and have it too, so if you want to build a 3-way SLI setup with 9800 GX2s and put 800-1000W in this box, you can't also have it be quiet with the fans running at low speed. The stock P/S has a temperature-sensitive fan, and while the switch on the case fan is inconvenient, the fan still does its job. High power = high fan speed = noise. There's no way around that. You can do more for cooling simply be routing your cables properly than you can by adding a fan. Obstructing air flow with bad cable dressing is the #1 mistake that home PC builders make.

i7-920 + GB X58A-UD3R + 6GB + 9800GX2 @ Standard Clocks

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tehclong3435
Tech Level: high
Ownership: more than 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
2/8/2010 9:10:22 PM

Rating + 5 Solid purchase


Pros: Very solid case, I bought two of them in Jan. 08. One for a media center (I put the feet on the side put it in the av rack) and another as a gaming machine for a roommate. The 120mm fan is very quiet and effective, the side loading drive bays are great, and 500w psu included. awesome.
A great solid case, 2 years ownership no problems

Cons: The blue power light on the front can be quite bright in a media center scenario... but when it goes into sleep mode it flashes... also quite brightly. unless you need a good night-light, don't plug it in.

Other Thoughts: 2 years and 2 of these cases, no problems at all, still running the original power supplies.... that's why I bought a 3rd one yesterday for my new workstation.

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JAOmega
Tech Level: somewhat high
Ownership: 1 month to 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
1/28/2010 4:04:45 PM

Rating + 4


Pros: The case is quiet, and stays cool, even with fewer fans then any other PC I built.
the case is small, which is nice and easier to put in place then a full tower.

Cons: The case comes with an variable speed fan. This is a nice feature (sound/heat). There is no place built into the case to allow the user to adjust it w/o opening the case.
The black finish scratches *very* easily.

Other Thoughts: I recommend the case.

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JR
Tech Level: somewhat high
Ownership: more than 1 year
1/26/2010 1:57:42 PM

Rating + 4 Very Safe Purchase


Pros: Affordable
High quality construction
Understated styling
Quiet
Lockable
Roomy
Great HDD mounts
HDD filter
Solid and efficient power supply

Cons: Plastic door
Piano black finish smudges easily

Other Thoughts: I've had this case for well over a year now. It has been terrific. It's easier to keep clean on the inside because of the front filter. Very quiet, and I love the looks of it.
Be careful with the front door. It is plastic, and while mine is still attached, it could be easy to accidentally break it off, especially having kids or pets.

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SMeGa
Tech Level: somewhat high
Ownership: 1 month to 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
1/22/2010 4:33:04 PM

Rating + 5 sunoco


Pros: nice case silent blue leds good feature filter hard drive bays
in right spot easy change outs rubberized silent gromets and trays rolled metal good galvi no sharp edges best of all comes with 80 plus power antec 500w with 8 pin pci-e and 8 pin p4 connector ...: ) SBD easy door with lock and dust filter design

Cons: different colors ? white ? a handle ?

Other Thoughts: not flashey clean and practicle

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N/A
Tech Level: average
Ownership: 1 month to 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
1/22/2010 7:55:19 AM

Rating + 5


Pros: Quiet, plenty of room inside, seems to cool well.

Cons: You need to open an access panel to get to the on switch or optical drive, mildly annoying for my use. But since the access panel has a lock this would be a positive feature for other uses.

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N/A
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 week to 1 month
This user purchased this item from Newegg
1/22/2010 1:30:04 AM

Rating + 4 Nice case


Pros: Well made and nice case.

I liked the hard drives caddy.

Quiet enough...

Cons: Putting an ATX motherboard can be tricky.

Front door is not very solid.

Left panel hard to remove, at first I tought it was locked.

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N/A
Tech Level: average
Ownership: 1 week to 1 month
This user purchased this item from Newegg
1/21/2010 7:19:36 PM

Rating + 5 Great case


Pros: The case is sturdy, looks great, and keeps all of my components cool. I could hardly ask for anything better.
Oh yeah, and the price is right.

Cons: none

Other Thoughts: The fan that comes with the case has a manual switch on the inside of the case for low, medium or high fan speed.

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Brad
Tech Level: somewhat high
Ownership: 1 week to 1 month
This user purchased this item from Newegg
1/19/2010 7:58:31 PM

Rating + 5 Good case


Pros: Love the finish on this case. Got a supprise when it arrived and had a locking front panel, didn't expect that (Its probably listed somewhere in the description though... just lazy and didn't read :P)

Nice home for my overclocked AMD Phenom II x4 965.

Cons: None.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No

N/A
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 day to 1 week
This user purchased this item from Newegg
1/18/2010 9:02:39 AM

Rating + 4 Antec Sonata III


Pros: Nice sized case. Solid power supply. Very quiet with one large case fan and one HDD installed. Front door is a nice touch. Front USB ports are nice as well.

Cons: Mobo tray doesn't slide out. Front mounted eSATA port doesn't seem to useful to me. Would have preferred Firewire. Tight fight for the 5.25" drive bays. Cable management is non-existant. Not enough room for a front mounted fan with a large video card.

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N/A
Tech Level: somewhat high
Ownership: 1 week to 1 month
This user purchased this item from Newegg
1/15/2010 8:58:53 AM

Rating + 4 Nice Case ... But..


Pros: Case is really quiet compared to a build that I did a few years ago. I love the construction, toolless drive trays and the included powersupply. Mobo fit well w/ no issues.

Cons: There are a few things that were a PIA.
#1 On the rear of the case (below the large exhaust fan) there is a perforated opening about 2in X 4 in. I believe it's there to provide air flow to any PCI cards. The catch is that the case has a filtered opening in the front - so having this large perforated area (holes are about 1/8 inch each) the air will come into the case at this point vs. coming throught the filter. Not knowing why they did this - so I used some duct tape to cover the opening..
#2 was that the power cord, Sata Cables and hardware were in a box that was trapped under the hard drive trays.. I had to fart around for about 20 min to get the darn thing out

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Big Dmc
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 day to 1 week
This user purchased this item from Newegg
1/15/2010 1:26:29 AM

Rating + 5 Hey not bad!


Pros: First of all this is the first Antec case I have ever worked with. I like Antec power supplies as well so the fact that this one came with one pre-installed was a plus. It's the color green because it's energy efficient and provides 500 watts output max. Perfect for most builds unless of course you want to do extreme gaming then you might need a little more power.

Love the case fan has a little switch in there for adjusting the fan speed. Low, med, and high. It moves a lot of air by all means and keeps the heat low. It also has rubber shocks for your hard drives and comes with the screws to mount them. They reduce vibration and noise from the HDD's and it's a quiet case unless you turn that case fan up all the way because it's loud on high but I like that because I know it's working.

Plenty of room inside it's your typical mid tower case but I will for sure buy this one again. Had some of the standoffs already pre-installed which saves some time. But they're easy to put in.

Cons: The door you open on the front to get to your optical drives could use a little more reinforcing but overall it's on there okay. Key locks for the side and front door panel seem a little pointless unless your using the machine in a business where I guess a secretary might steal your hard drive or something, but nice to have. Doubt my client will even use them. Honestly I think you could still get in there no matter what especially through the front door panel.

Other Thoughts: Bought this for a build for my friend's dad who wanted a new PC built rather than buy a junk "pre built" system.

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Nitrous241
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 week to 1 month
1/14/2010 7:08:37 AM

Rating + 4 Great Case


Pros: Great build quality, good looks, big fan, lots of space

Cons: Didn't come with a chassis to mount a cd drive.

Other Thoughts: This case would get the highest rating from me if it had the chassis for the cd drive. There's plenty of space for HD expansion and additional optical drives. Great build quality. Understated appearance...none of those stupid flashy neons. All business. Still manages to look cool. Seems like the airflow is great; helped out by the large fan.

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Joel from Edgewater
Tech Level: high
Ownership: more than 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
1/13/2010 5:33:31 AM

Rating + 5 Good all-around case for home use


Pros: Nice looking, relatively low price, quiet, good power supply. I love the little trays for the hard drives and the rubber grommets that keep vibrations to a minimum. The door in front gives it a nice smooth look.

Cons: The black finish shows dust and is susceptible to scratching. The door is a pain if you need to open it often. As with most Antec cases the rubber feet do not hold up well to sliding across a floor.

Other Thoughts: I bought this almost two years ago for a build for a family member. The machine has been used daily and is still kickin'. It is mostly used by little kids, so it's a testament that it hasn't been destroyed yet! The price has come down a little since 2008. With the 500-watt PSU this case is a great deal.

Intel 975X ATX motherboard
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz
Rosewill RCX-Z775-EX CPU cooler
Seagate Barracuda ES.2 250Gb
EVGA GeForce 8800 GTS 320Mb graphics card
Corsair XMS2 DDR2 800 8Gb (2Gb x 4)
MS Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit

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N/A
Tech Level: somewhat high
Ownership: 1 month to 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
1/13/2010 2:19:42 AM

Rating + 4 Good Case


Pros: Good quiet case. Barely notice that it is on. Set the big 120 mm fan on medium speed. Had it for a few months w/o any problems.

Cons: Front cover plates to cover empty drive bays are flimsy and of low quality and do not attach firmly to the unused bay.

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N/A
Tech Level: high
Ownership: more than 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
1/12/2010 6:10:30 PM

Rating + 5 Nice quiet case with quality PSU


Pros: If you're looking for a mid-tower case that will be quiet and only need a 500W power supply, this is a great value.

Cons: I had some issues cooling after installing an ATI 4870, but it was fine with my tiny nVidia 8600. I resolved it with an extra aftermarket fan but now it's not as quiet as before.

As mentioned earlier, the feet are pretty bad. I removed mine as it sits on a carpeted floor.

Other Thoughts: If you think there's an outside chance of overclocking or installing a higher-end gaming card that will generate a bit of heat, then look elsewhere. If you need a solid case that is quiet with a good quality PSU (Antec PSU's are basically Seasonic) , I highly recommend this one.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No

GeeksOnGuard
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 week to 1 month
1/12/2010 8:26:40 AM

Rating + 2 Atypical 4 an Antec


Pros: Sexy case that came with decent PSU and the locks are kid of neat.

Cons: Fingerprints show terribly. Collects dust like a mother. Case has a serious ESD issue. Front USB ports worked for a week and when I delivered the build to my client the next day they stopped working. Also the door on the front is poorly constructed and a nucience. has been a real big pain in my neck since it happened while I was in Vegas for CES.

Other Thoughts: DO NOT BUY THIS CASE.
I love Antec cases, esp. my Nine Hundred ~ but this one is terrible.

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N/A
Tech Level: somewhat high
Ownership: 1 week to 1 month
This user purchased this item from Newegg
1/11/2010 8:21:10 PM

Rating + 5 Nice case


Pros: Nice case, has plenty of room inside, two USB ports and audio on the front for easy access. I am really enjoying this case, bought it to set up my Fiance's new computer in. She wanted quiet and we sure got it with this one. The rear case fan and power supply fan are barely audible and seem to supply plenty of air for the components. Components went into place with the provided hardware and are secure.

Cons: The on/off and reset switches are under the front cover plate. If you want to turn your computer on, you have to open the cover to access the button.

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N/A
Tech Level: high
Ownership: more than 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
1/10/2010 9:48:14 PM

Rating + 4 Up Date


Pros: Quiet case with the fans on medium setting. Cleanable filter, Tool less 5.25" bays and HD bays. Nice finish.
500Watt PSU works great. I have been running an EVGA 8800GTS & E8400 - 24/7 on it for about the last year. Heavy gage steel used to build case; not flimsy at all....

After a year's use, The door is still intact!(Hasn't broken) Same with the 2 that we have at the shop that are a little bit older than mine.

Cons: Cable management SUCKS! (Have to be really creative with the PSU cables not used.) No place to really hide any cables. One removable side panel.

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N/A
Tech Level: somewhat high
Ownership: 1 month to 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
1/10/2010 4:25:05 PM

Rating + 3 The front doesnt come off, the back panel doesnt either


Pros: quiet. no need to buy another fan.

Cons: Ok, the front does come off if you are willing to finesse clips via two 90 degree bends. In all practicality it isnt going to happen. The read panel however is NEVER going to come off. Technically you shouldn't need to but I broke the front filter the first time I used it and now I NEED to. (try and find a replacement filter - lol!)
You CAN put an additional fan in the front to pull air over the HDD cage BUT not if you have a massive video card.

Other Thoughts: I went with this size case because I like the versatility but this design came out of nowhere and prevented me from maintaining and upgrading my box like I normally do.
Oh yeah, the front power switch is "weird"

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Alchemistmatt
Tech Level: high
Ownership: more than 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
1/9/2010 6:45:09 PM

Rating + 5 Solid, quiet case


Pros: Very quiet case, 500W power supply, very nice finish, can close door to keep kids fingers away from buttons.

Cons: 500W Power Supply is too small for dual video cards. Also, power supply is not modular, giving cord clutter. The door does have to be opened to access the DVD drive and my internal card reader.

Other Thoughts: I used this case to build a Core2 Duo system in 2007, then purchased another case for a Core i5 system in 2009. The power supply has more than enough juice for my needs (GIGABYTE GA-P55-UD3R motherboard, MSI N9800GT-MD1G video card, three Western Digital hard drives, Lite-On DVD, Rosewill card reader). I find it beneficial to add a second fan (Antec 120 mm TriCool Case Fan) to pull air past the drives.

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N/A
Tech Level: somewhat high
Ownership: 1 month to 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
12/31/2009 8:09:45 AM

Rating + 5 Great case


Pros: Very quiet, good looking, good power supply

Cons: Rubber foot came off, but really, who's going to carry this around? Just put it back under there and don't worry about it.

Other Thoughts: Newegg's fast shipping, gotta love it.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No

Scott
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 day to 1 week
This user purchased this item from Newegg
12/28/2009 11:11:48 PM

Rating + 5


Pros: Solid construction: Great case for my new WHS. Runs very cool, and quiet. I owned the Antex Sonata I from a build I did in 2003, and that ran perfectly for 5 years without issues.

Cons: None

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Patrick
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 day to 1 week
This user purchased this item from Newegg
12/25/2009 6:24:19 AM

Rating + 5 Excellent and quiet case


Pros: Quiet
Solid construction
500W 80+ Bronze PS

Cons: Not exact fit for my micro ATX motherboard (missing 1 mount under the SATA ports)

Other Thoughts: I have an Antec P182 case for my main computer. It was tough to spend over $100 for a case when I used to the $20 beige cases for so long, but I am glad I made the switch. When I was looking to build a Windows Home Server, I did a bunch of research and SilentPCReview.com recommended the Sonata as a solid and quiet case. They were definitely right. I love the soft mounted HDD trays (same as my P182) and the front eSATA port is something I wish I had on my P182. This is a great case and the sale price ($99) was icing on the cake.

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EndofEternity
Tech Level: average
Ownership: 1 month to 1 year
12/22/2009 7:55:46 PM

Rating + 4 great case + psu deal


Pros: + adjustable rear fan is quieter than my CPU fan on low and medium settings, but its a little loud when set to high. airflow is fine on the medium setting though.
+ great psu for one that comes with a case.
+ easy installation of all parts.
+ hard drive trays are especially nice, with soft rubber grommets to reduce vibration and noise

Cons: - front door is a little impractical (power button behind door. i guess some people would like this to avoid things like small children reseting the machine, but its a little awkward for me)
- installing a front fan would probably be really difficult.

Other Thoughts: the case is NOT for people looking to build a monster and keep it cool. it DOES keep a modest build very quiet, and very cool though. the fact that it comes with a solid 500W PSU is a huge plus.

make sure it fits in your case before you buy! the fan is quite close to my RAM, but it does fit. other mobos / cases may have difficulty fitting it

Antec Sonata III case
Gigabyte MA770T mobo
AMD Phenom II 720 @ 2.8ghz (stock speed)
2x2GB AData AX3U 1600 DDR3
ATI Radeon 5770

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N/A
Tech Level: average
Ownership: 1 month to 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
12/12/2009 7:00:37 AM

Rating + 5 For a quiet computer


Pros: The power supply is awesome for one that comes with a case.

It's a nice looking case that is subtle and doesn't try to look overcomplicated.

Cons: I kind of wish the front door open to the other side.

Attracts fingerprints.

The dust filter doesn't seem to do much.

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JAWS R.H.TECH.
Tech Level: high
Ownership: more than 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
12/11/2009 3:11:05 PM

Rating + 1 Believe it? ...ITS JUNK !!!


Pros: The power unit and the fans...Good thick metal too but thats it!

Cons: Cheap plastic front door... Junk! dvd drive plates fall out.... Junk! Can't remove the right panel its rivited in? Brillant! So trying to pull the cheap plastic face off you have to reach inside case...Well I do want air coming in from the front and leaving out the back since theres no side fans which I knew ,there must be a front fan for minimum cooling right?...Guess what no place to mount it opps yes there is inside the hard drive cage Brillant! so you can recycle the warm air or you can try to remove the front and let it flop around the front in front of the filter which only comes out if you drop the computer on its side.EASY BAKE OVEN TIME !!!Im not happy I expect more from ANTEC products

Other Thoughts: NEVER AGAIN...3 Different models all bad designs I bought this last one thinking "ok finally a good simple case" and its the worst of them all...I wrote an earlier review stating that it was a good case but it was at face value it was left it in a box for a new upcoming build. Stunned is all I can say... the basic things that make a computer build simple and easy are all missing and the quality has dropped off the face of the planet..Im disgusted that I have to take all the extra time trying to set it up! ANTEC used to be the best company for quality and simple usefull cases... What happened to this company I dont know? but they have lost a loyal 12 plus year customer.Wasted my time for the last time....

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granted
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 month to 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
12/11/2009 12:51:57 PM

Rating + 1 I bought the wrong case


Pros: Unlike the original Sonata the external drive door seems like it may last for a few months. I still have my original Sonata - sans door.

Other Pros:
It's shiny. It was well packaged.
The Hard drive access is still my favorite.
It's really heavy.

Cons: NOISY, NOISY, NOISY - this is the loudest case I've ever owned in 5 years.
1. I added some case insulation. That helped a bit.
2. I can replace the somewhat decent supply it came with - already have it. No cost
3. Replace the case fan - that will cost a bit.
4. Replace the CPU cooler fan - it's the noisiest fan. that will cost something.
5. More sound reducing material.
6. Even on the rubber grommets the hard drives are loud. For noise comparison I have a Seagate 1GB - very noise, WD Black 750GB - kind of noisy, WD Green 1 TB, quiet obviously. There seems to be zero acoustic shielding in the front of the case - likely for air flow.

So it looks like some serious aftermarket investment is going to be needed.

Oh there does not seem to be any way to get the other side of the case off without disassembling the case!

Other Thoughts: I own these Antec cases - all bought from new egg:
Two P182's - Kind of quiet.
One Solo - Awesomely quiet!!!
One "original" Sonata that really is quiet.
One Sonata III - an Echo chamber of ringing horrible noise - Avoid

I was supposed to buy the Sonata Elite, because I never buy a case with a power supply. Unfortunately I bought it and put it aside for a month - too late to remedy my mistake and return it.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No

N/A
Tech Level: somewhat high
Ownership: 1 month to 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
12/9/2009 11:06:20 AM

Rating + 2 Front Panel not easily removed, rear panel not at all.


Pros: Antec quality

Cons: the front panel is not easily removable. The rear panel is RIVETED on, severely limiting access to your computer.
Front filter broke first time I used it.
Weirdly behaving front power switch.
No room for second fan if your have a decent sized video card!

Other Thoughts: nice but severely flawed. why they designed it like this is beyond me.

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Fred
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 month to 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
12/9/2009 9:00:40 AM

Rating + 4 Decent, except door


Pros: Bought to replace my old case. Power supply good, design for internals good. I had some initial problems getting new system up and running but discovered my motherboard battery was dead. Replaced and everything went smooth.

Cons: Door on the front is less than worthless. If it swung out of the way and stayed it would be good but it kept getting in the way. I ended up jsut removing it but it looks bad without the door... oh well, I'm not an interior decorator. Only one star for that.

Other Thoughts: I think I paid alot less than they're asking now so I can't speak to value.

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ddc5
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 week to 1 month
This user purchased this item from Newegg
12/5/2009 2:55:51 PM

Rating + 4 New build


Pros: Good sturdy case with a good power supply. Antec power supplies usually make more 12v power than many other brands. This 500w has not trouble with the machine that I built (specs below). This is my second ANTEC Sonata case. It has a filter and isolator grommets for the hard drives to keep things quiet. It holds 4 hard drives, 3 cd/dvd drives, a floppy and a card reader. This case has a few features that I don't like, but the pros far outweigh the cons.

Cons: I wanted a 1394 port on the front rather than ESATA. Had to buy a card reader with a 1394 port.
The case fan has a 3 speed switch that sets the fan at constant speed. Works OK, but my Gigabyte board can control 4 fans. It would be nicer if the fans could connect to a speed controlled motherboard plug. It could run quieter that way.
The plugs for the USB/audio, etc had pin out legends that did not match the motherboard documentation exactly. They all did work when plugged to the correct header, but it was confusing for a few minutes.

Other Thoughts: New computer build:
Antec Sonata III 500 Case w/ 500W Power Supply
GIGABYTE GA-MA770T-UD3P AM3 AMD 770 ATX AMD Motherboard
AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition Deneb 3.2GHz Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core Processor Model HDZ955FBGIBOX -
XFX HD-477A-YDFC Radeon HD 4770 512MB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card - Retail
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3 1600 Dual Channel Kit Model F3-12800CL9D-4GBNQ
Western Digital Caviar Black WD5001AALS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" (2 drives set as- Raid 1 mirror)
LITE-ON 22X DVD Writer Black IDE Model Ihap322-98 - Retail
SAMSUNG DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-S223Q LightScribe Support – OEM
BYTECC Black 1.44MB Internal Floppy Drive - Retail
Koutech IO-FPM421 5-in-1 USB 2.0 Card Reader with USB 2.0 / Firewire 1394a / Audio Ports / eSATA (3.5")
Windows XP Home SP3

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N/A
Tech Level: high
Ownership: less than 1 day
This user purchased this item from Newegg
12/5/2009 8:56:07 AM

Rating + 1 DOA


Pros: Not sure yet

Cons: Power supply is DOA

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HCS
Tech Level: average
Ownership: 1 week to 1 month
This user purchased this item from Newegg
11/26/2009 6:25:17 PM

Rating + 5 Good Case


Pros: Clean install, long front panel cables, no sharp edges. Great price, especially with power supply included.

Cons: Power supply cable management options, no 1394 ports on front panel. Side panel required force to open first time (initially though it was locked).

Other Thoughts: Easy to assemble for a first build. Optiarc DVD burner fit flush, though it required an extra push to lock the rails into the chassis. All hardware needed was included, even enough mounting screws to fill all of the hard drive bays.

Didn't have lots of extra room for a standard ATX board but roomy enough. Case looks great and runs relatively quiet with Tri-Cool on mid, though the sound is noticeable at hi.

Giving 5 eggs because it was an excellent deal at $90

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easydoesit36
Tech Level: somewhat high
Ownership: 1 month to 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
11/25/2009 5:22:49 PM

Rating + 5 Outstanding Deal


Pros: Still in the box after all this time, but gets a five star rating based on it's reputation and the outstanding Shell Shocker deal.

Cons: None known...

Other Thoughts: I'd have to open it to find out...

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Crane
Tech Level: average
Ownership: 1 month to 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
11/24/2009 7:48:20 AM

Rating + 3 Antec Sonata III


Pros: I like the power supply that came with it, it has ample connections for everything. The fan in the back is also pretty nice. I like the front installing optical drives, though it was a little hard to get used to. Quiet!

Cons: The hinge on the door on the front is flimsy, and the lock is basically useless. The reset button on the front never worked, I must have wired it six different times, and it just does nothing. The main issue I have with this case how ever is in the front panel... I can't use any of the two usb ports, or the e-sata port. When I'm using any of those ports I get interference in the audio jacks to the side. Since I'm constantly listening to music/skyping/etc. If I use one of those ports while I'm talking to someone else, they usually complain about a scratching noise, but when the device is removed it goes away.

Other Thoughts: To mount the hard drives the first thing you have to do is put four of those little silicone feet into the hard drive bracket on the bottom. Then you run one of the long screws up through it into the bottom of the drive and mount it from the bottom.

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GMan
Tech Level: somewhat high
Ownership: 1 week to 1 month
This user purchased this item from Newegg
11/20/2009 7:06:56 PM

Rating + 5


Pros: Has all the room I require and more. Holds most large MB with ease. power supply is just right if you are not a big gamer.

Cons: None at this time

Other Thoughts: Should have purchased it two months ago

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Yuli
Tech Level: somewhat high
Ownership: 1 month to 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
11/17/2009 3:21:19 PM

Rating + 4 Nice Case


Pros: Cheap, solid, aesthetically pleasing and comes with a decent power supply. I really dig the removable intake filter. This sort of screen really helps in minimizing dust that gets inside the case.

Cons: My only real gripe with this case is that has to do the mount for an intake fan on the back of the hard drive rack. The screw holes are spaced for a 120mm fan. The problem is that the screw holes are much too small for the screws that are typically required for a 120mm fan. The fan I purchased was an antec three speed 120mm fan. The same brand as the case. But the holes, though spaced compatibly, were much too small. I had to bore the holes out. It was a pain. This is the only reason I didn't give this case 5 eggs.

Other Thoughts: This case was the crux that allowed me to build a current generation budget PC for around $300.

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N/A
Tech Level: somewhat high
Ownership: 1 week to 1 month
This user purchased this item from Newegg
11/16/2009 5:29:04 PM

Rating + 5 Awesome Case


Pros: Case is well laid out. P/S is plenty strong and quiet.

Cons: Glossy finish!

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N/A
Tech Level: somewhat high
Ownership: less than 1 day
This user purchased this item from Newegg
11/12/2009 3:27:52 PM

Rating + 5 great case


Pros: soft silicon things inside the hardrive bay take away the vibration and noise, hard drive bays face out instead of towards the back of the case, requires a key to open the optical drove bay door and the side panel, very nice for lan partys, comes with a great psu.

Cons: they put the box full of screws and the keys in the stupidest place, took me like 5 whole minutes to get it out. and the paint job attracts dust and fingerprints like crazy. im just nitpicking though, not a huge deal if you keep on a table and wipe it once your done tinkering.

Other Thoughts: solid case, saved me some money cuz i got it with a combo that included an amd cpu and the xfx radeon hd 4770 , also i didnt have to buy seperate psu, all in all very nice case buy buy buy

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Jamy
Tech Level: somewhat high
Ownership: 1 month to 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
11/12/2009 12:42:13 PM

Rating + 5 Good price


Pros: Quiet fans, and is sturdy so vibrations and noise are at a minimum. PSU was adequate for my needs, and haven't had any problems with it.

Looks pretty stylish. If only i can get rid of the jungle of wires which kind of detracts from it.

Cons: You have to open the outer door to access any external drives you put in but it makes it look slick. So this isn't really a negative as much as a tradeoff.

Was a bit tight (about 1.5 in clearance at the back of the card) when trying to install Radeon HD4870. Again, not really the fault of the case, just something you should keep in mind. Video cards are huge these days.

The thumbscrews that hold the removable side panel in were a bit difficult to screw in by hand so I never use them.

Other Thoughts: The door doesn't actually have a fixed hinge as the picture may make it seem, so you pretty much have to take it off if you need to open it.

I guess the key would be useful if you needed it but I never use it. I like the handle though.

Overall a very good case, especially for the price.

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Enid Prof
Tech Level: somewhat high
Ownership: 1 month to 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
11/11/2009 1:59:19 PM

Rating + 4 Sonata III after Sonata


Pros: Comes with a decent power supply. HD cages clip in from the side. Front USB not too close together. Large fan = quiet. Just enough room for two MSI N9800GT cards on an ASUS P6T Deluxe V2 board. Door hinge nice but...

Cons: The door latch broke immediately. So did the little latch on the side of the removeable filter screen AND the cover clips...

Other Thoughts: The finish is fine but noticeably "orange peel" compared to the older Sonata. This could be a plus or a minus depending on your point of view. It IS still shiny, though. I added another 120 fan on the drive cage and a Noctua for the CPU. I also went with a Corsair 750 power supply.

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N/A
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 month to 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
11/11/2009 1:29:12 PM

Rating + 4 Good quality case and power supply


Pros: Our family now includes two of these. Nice quality,

Cons: If you need to run fans, it will probably make more noise than you expect. Still within acceptable range, though.

Other Thoughts: Will last a long time. We got 10 years out of our last cheapo cases (got tired of tapping wires together to switch them on) and upgraded to these.

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DigixConsulting
Tech Level: high
Ownership: more than 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
11/11/2009 6:24:23 AM

Rating + 5 Piece of Furniture


Pros: This is a fantastic case. It is *heavy* and just exudes quality and workmanship. This silence of this case is amazing. The huge 120mm rear fan makes almost no noise on the low setting, and even the hard drive mount on grommeted plates that absorb vibration and prevent it propagating to the chassis. The power supply is quiet, efficient, and powerful. The piano-black finish is first rate. I can't say enough good things about it. I've built truckloads of PCs using this case and have never heard a bad word about it from anyone.

Cons: I wish the rear fan had the option to plug into a motherboard for speed control. It has a 3-speed switch, which I guess is better if you just want it to be quiet all the time. Even on the low setting, it keeps the case plenty cool.

Other Thoughts: I am a system builder and I use this case for nearly all of my PCs.

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Tyler
Tech Level: average
Ownership: 1 week to 1 month
This user purchased this item from Newegg
11/10/2009 11:53:37 AM

Rating + 4 Good case


Pros: Big roomy case. I have zero issues with cable management. Came with lots of extra screws and a well-performing EarthWatt PSU. Air flow is acceptable even with one fan. Noise level, even with the fan setting on high, is not loud.

Cons: Front audio input is not shielded properly or not shielded at all. You'll get static from simply moving your mouse or doing any CPU work. It's especially bad if you have a USB and or eSATA device plugged in the front. To remedy this, just plug your headphone(s) into the back of your machine. A minor inconvenience in the larger scheme of things but you as a customer should know this.

Other Thoughts: Bought this case with one of NewEgg's combo deals. This case (and psu) + Phenom II X4 955 + HD 4770. You can't go wrong with Antec. They make good cases and great power supplies.

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N/A
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 week to 1 month
This user purchased this item from Newegg
11/5/2009 9:05:52 PM

Rating + 4 Good Case


Pros: Nice drive mounting system, drive brackets are stored in 5.25 covers, tool free case and case and front panel lock. Front panel esata, 500w antec power supply

Cons: only one exhaust fan, front usb ports are tight for some usb devices.

Other Thoughts: This is a good case, the front panel cords are pretty long and the left side does not open which limits routing.

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N/A
Tech Level: average
Ownership: more than 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
11/1/2009 10:56:18 AM

Rating + 5


Pros: Has worked like a charm, plenty of room, decent air flow

Cons: non issue

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N/A
Tech Level: somewhat high
Ownership: 1 day to 1 week
This user purchased this item from Newegg
10/31/2009 9:12:58 PM

Rating + 5 Great Combo


Pros: This case is great! Looks good, and is functional. Has built in rails for hard drives. The power suppy and fan are very good quality.

Cons: Um...No side view window...if that's a con.

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loopback
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 month to 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
10/31/2009 2:11:44 PM

Rating + 5 I live this fat baby


Pros: Lots of room. Nice power supply and quiet.
It is great to mount lost of drives and have easy access to the drive connectors.

Cons: It is FAT. could be a problem if you care.
Not a real problem for me and necessary to mount the drives sideways.

Other Thoughts: I like the finish and the blue lights.
The door covers the reset and power button so little kids don't mess with them. I['m considering another for a play system so I have the power to upgrade someday.

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RedMatt
Tech Level: somewhat high
Ownership: 1 day to 1 week
This user purchased this item from Newegg
10/28/2009 10:20:07 PM

Rating + 5 Stylish, quiet, convienent


Pros: Pretty case, elegant blue status lights. Well layed-out interior. Sliding rails & brackets for all drive bays. 90-degree rotated HD bay with "silent" trays (drives mount through silicone gromets to reduce vibrations). Quiet speed-controlled rear fan. Quality power supply included. Great value!

Cons: eSATA port may not be the first choice for a front port, especially for those with firewire accessories, such as video cameras.

Other Thoughts: Overall a fantastic value on sale, and a great foundation to a nice build. Used in Core i5 build.

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byte
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 week to 1 month
This user purchased this item from Newegg
10/25/2009 8:18:09 PM

Rating + 5 Awesome!


Pros: A very well-designed case, nice LEDs, a nice little door...

Cons: Hard drive compartment can be a bit cramped.

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otto
Tech Level: average
Ownership: 1 day to 1 week
This user purchased this item from Newegg
10/24/2009 9:43:31 AM

Rating + 5 great value


Pros: Excellent fit and finish, very quiet. Good PSU for an installed unit: dual 12 volt rails and 2 PCI-E connectors. High end features like a removable dust filter and silicone grommets for hard drive mount.

Cons: No manual, but able to find one online. Took me a minute to figure out removable hard drive cage.

Other Thoughts: Overall this case is a great value. It compares favorably to my Lian-Li USB-68. PSU is best installed unit I've seen in an ATX case. After all, Antec makes quality PSU's. Did I mention this case is QUIET?!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No

MeTaLhEaD
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 week to 1 month
This user purchased this item from Newegg
10/21/2009 12:38:03 PM

Rating + 4 Great but not what I expected


Pros: Large case, great PSU, silent rubber washers

Cons: No CPU heat direction like in the Sonata II. Front door doesn't swing parallel to the case like in the Sonata II.

Other Thoughts: UPS must have damaged it, case is nearly impossible to open. Not the reason i gave 4 eggs tho

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N/A
Tech Level: high
Ownership: more than 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
10/19/2009 12:45:40 PM

Rating + 5 Excellent


Pros: These cases are really great! I've built two PC's with them and they are solid and have lots of room for expansion. The power supply that's included is good quality and is great for mid range PC's or gaming PC's.

Cons: NONE

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trnqk7
Tech Level: somewhat high
Ownership: 1 week to 1 month
This user purchased this item from Newegg
10/19/2009 9:18:40 AM

Rating + 4 Great Case


Pros: Love this case-it's very quiet and even with only one fan in the rear exhaust port, it keeps everything very cool. And, it's quiet!

Cons: Front door hinge-wobbly and easily broken. Had to replace the pin from the top part of the hinge after it broke.

Other Thoughts: Good case, just be gentle with the door and you won't regret it.

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gnarbiscuit
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 week to 1 month
This user purchased this item from Newegg
10/16/2009 9:07:17 AM

Rating + 5 Great case!


Pros: Very quiet. I have to put my ear up to it to tell if my PC is on!
Silicone pieces to stop any hard drive vibration noise helps a lot.
120mm rear fan is quiet and keeps the computer cool.
Included power supply has tons of connectors.

Cons: The drive rails for optical drives and floppy drives suck. They never seem to 'click' into the right place and my optical drive is left with the bezel sticking out. If I were Antec, I'd change the rails out for the silicone grommets.

Other Thoughts: The picture is inaccurate and the case really has a black front instead of the silver around the USB and eSata connectors. (Doesn't matter either way to me)

The paint on the case does leave a lot of fingerprints, but set it up then use a rag to wipe down the case. It only smudges on the sides so unless you just love moving your case all day, it shouldn't be a problem.

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Reborn
Tech Level: somewhat high
Ownership: 1 week to 1 month
This user purchased this item from Newegg
10/15/2009 8:12:19 PM

Rating + 5 Second Sonata


Pros: This is the second Antec Sonata that I have used on my builds. Very inexpensive with a decent power supply. This new one has a great Antec Earthwatts 500 power supply. No sharp edges. Plenty of room with pull out trays.

Cons: Wasn't free.

Other Thoughts: Enough room for my GTX 285 and a aftermarket Cpu cooler. Would buy for again.

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N/A
Tech Level: somewhat high
Ownership: 1 week to 1 month
This user purchased this item from Newegg
10/14/2009 11:50:40 AM

Rating + 1 forget this one!


Pros: packed nice

Cons: Shipped box only had case and manual. Case has side panel
lock and the other side is riveted. Had read front panel
had lock (not engaged). The round key and everything else missing, makes case worthless and time and money wasted!!

Other Thoughts: Emailed antec (rat holed). waited 3 days then called 510 number, can not talk to anyone live about geting the key.
Tried 800 number, same thing, try waiting for teck-support
AVR said i was 1 in queue, then got hungup on.

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N/A
Tech Level: average
Ownership: 1 month to 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
10/12/2009 8:34:07 PM

Rating + 4 Great


Pros: The power supply is stable and adequate for my rig, for the money (dont skimp on your power supply) this tower is easy to work in and has a lock, great if you got 3 room mates.

Cons: The looks are rather drab.

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Phanotmandy
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 week to 1 month
This user purchased this item from Newegg
10/12/2009 7:00:21 PM

Rating + 5 Antec is still one of the best


Pros: This is a great case that is well built and has all the features you would expect in a modern case. The finish is excellent o the outside with a great contrast between the piano black paint on the top and sides and the metallic grey and silver on the front.

Two USB ports up front are nice, and the eSATA port is a plus (although I wasn't able to use it in this particular build).

Solid construction and great sound insulation of the drive bays and solid mounting of the rear fan make this a very quiet case with the fan set to the lowest speed. The med and high speeds add quite a bit of noise, however low is all that is needed if you add a 2nd fan on the drive cage (see cons below).

The power supply provides ample connections and power for virtually any need but why at this price point isn't it modular (see cons).

Overall still an excellent case that is perfect for virtually any build.

Cons: Missing features: At this price point the power supply should be a modular unit, allowing for attaching only the power connectors needed and more efficient routing of cables, eliminating the clutter of the mass of unused cables to wrangle at the top of the case.

Also - at this price 2 fans really should be included. the 120mm fan in the rear is quiet enough on low speed, but a 2nd fan on the drive cage is necessary if you are running more than one drive. Granted, only about $8 to add a 2nd 3 speed antec fan, but it really should be included.

Other than those little quibbles, I can't dog this case at all, and even those don't warrant any more than a 1/2 egg deduction for the rating (but I can't take 1/2 an egg - so I stayed with 5)

Other Thoughts: Antec is still one of the best in the PC case industry with thought to fit, finish and features included in their cases. I have the Sonatta II for my PC and when my folks wanted me to build them a PC the Sonata III was the one point I wouldn't skimp on.

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N/A
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 week to 1 month
This user purchased this item from Newegg
10/9/2009 5:47:37 PM

Rating + 5


Pros: Quality PSU, fan, washable air filter, cushioned hard drive mounts... this is about as good as you can get . I does not have one of those silly side panel fans which all the cases were having the last five years or so.

Cons: I am not crazy about the power button inside the drive bay case. Make sure you have a keyboard power on option.

Other Thoughts: I have been using a cheap $35 case for the past 9 years. This is a MAJOR upgrade for me.

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N/A
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 week to 1 month
This user purchased this item from Newegg
10/7/2009 2:15:37 PM

Rating + 2 Good case, bad power supply


Pros: The case is very well put together with lots of attention toward placement of parts and noise reduction. I'd buy the case again without the power supply. It's subtle and under-stated, rather than gaudy like so many modern cases.

Cons: Unfortunately, the case is paired with a power supply that works great -- until you take a power hit and your UPS switches over to battery. This power supply (and presumably most or all of Antec's Active PFC power supplies) can NOT handle the switch-over time of most consumer grade UPSes (4-8ms). I have this plugged into a large (1500VA) UPS and with every power hit the computer shuts off immediately and then powers back up (depending on your BIOS settings, actually). This is 100% reproducible by pulling the plug. The computer runs on battery just fine. It just can't handle the switch-over.

Other Thoughts: You will see the power supply problem noted here on the reviews for the Earthwatts 500 p/s all over the 'net. I wish I'd have read that before I bought this case & p/s combo.

You will also see the problem mis-characterized as the p/s needing a "true sine wave" UPS. That's not actually true. However, most UPSes that offer "true sine wave" output also have fast switch-over times which MIGHT keep your computer up and running most of the time. But those cost hundreds of dollars.

It's much cheaper to replace the power supply, which I have just done, at half the price of this case.

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ScottfromBoston
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 week to 1 month
This user purchased this item from Newegg
10/5/2009 10:50:07 AM

Rating + 5 Nice Case


Pros: Nice Case, easy to assemble, mostly easy to run cables in, quiet, looks nice, lots of ports, great power supply.

Cons: HD cage abuts the SATA ports that point straight at it from my ASUS motherboard, makes cable routing pretty tight. MB fit in pretty tightly against the back of the case.

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N/A
Tech Level: somewhat high
Ownership: 1 day to 1 week
This user purchased this item from Newegg
10/4/2009 6:22:43 PM

Rating + 5 Awesome Case


Pros: I ordered this case for my new computer but ended up using it for someone else's build. I will definitely pick up another one when NewEgg does another special like the $82 deal they had last week. Super sturdy & looks great.

Cons: none

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colby
Tech Level: somewhat high
Ownership: 1 day to 1 week
This user purchased this item from Newegg
10/4/2009 10:11:00 AM

Rating + 4 Great price and good Case


Pros: Great price, case with 500W power supply is under $90 when I bought it.
it is looking cool , quite and solid. It is a new case for my i5 750 and HD 4890.

Cons: not included mid fan.
and after installing 4890, there is no space for mid fan.
If it was 650W, it will have 5+1 eggs..........

Other Thoughts: At the beginning, I am planning to buy other case and Antec 650W power, cause I know 500W may not enough for i5 and 4890. However, it had a combo deal with i5, so I choose it.
It work great right now. Never have any reboot problem.
However, 4890 eats too much. 500W is not really enough, planning to buy 650w or 750w 2 yrs later.
it is 2x12V rail 22A. it is good for new i7 and i5 with single card.
At least, it still works fine after working for 3 days non-stop.

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RB
Tech Level: average
Ownership: 1 day to 1 week
This user purchased this item from Newegg
10/3/2009 9:47:41 PM

Rating + 3 Somewhat disappointed


Pros: Attractive case. Easy build. Really like the HD mount system.

Cons: Smooth glossy paint shows fingerprints.

Other Thoughts: I built my last system in 2000 using an Antec case. I had intended to reuse that beast with a new power supply. After receiving the promo code email, I decided to go for a new case too. The hard drive trays are a nice improvement, although I don't think the box is as sturdy as my old one. The side panel is not as rigid and the latch handle seems cheaper. I think the paint is going to scratch easy.

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Siddhartha
Tech Level: average
Ownership: 1 week to 1 month
This user purchased this item from Newegg
10/2/2009 3:52:42 PM

Rating + 5 Very good Combo


Pros: Very good. It would be nice to have front side Firewire connector

Cons: Nothing so far

Other Thoughts: Same price at some local stores

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PATMAN
Tech Level: high
Ownership: more than 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
10/2/2009 11:26:24 AM

Rating + 5 3rd purchase of this case


Pros: Very nice, quiet. The romoved the vent cone on the inside of the door for today's cpu coolers, I always had to remove it myself. Cannot under estimate the addition of rubber gromets for the hard drives.

Cons: Wish it was 5 bucks lol.

Other Thoughts: if your looking for a mid tower you cant go wrong.

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M_Dog_559
Tech Level: somewhat high
Ownership: 1 day to 1 week
This user purchased this item from Newegg
10/2/2009 10:59:02 AM

Rating + 5 Great so far


Pros: Quiet, easy to install components, all wires had appropriate labels, awesome paint job.

Cons: None so far

Other Thoughts: My first impression is the case looks slick. I almost didn't want to touch it, it was so pretty. But I needed to build the PC. Installing everything was a breeze, plenty of room for what I put in. Everything was so easy to put in, it was probably the fastest PC i've ever built. Once I got everything in and powered up for the first time, I thought something was wrong because it was so quiet, but everything was great, that's just how its built. Working great so far.

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pancoastp
Tech Level: high
Ownership: more than 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
10/2/2009 9:56:35 AM

Rating + 5 Great Case


Pros: I have built 4-5 boxes with this case, and the case is solid. Easy to get in and out, love the eSATA on the front of the case. With eSATA, why do you need Firewire?

Cons: Wish it had 6 HD slots like the bigger ones do... but... with 1-2 Tb drives, i will survive

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fan
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 week to 1 month
This user purchased this item from Newegg
9/27/2009 10:48:03 AM

Rating + 5 Great value, silent PSU


Pros: Silent and cool power supply. Clip rails for 5.25" drives and internal mounts for 3.5" drives are convenient for sliding in and out. Case feels very solid. Plenty of room between drives for air flow. Repeat Antec case customer. Absolutely a great value, and thanks Newegg for the free shipping.

Cons: 120mm fan is only silent on lowest of three settings (using attached switch), though flow seems good enough.

Other Thoughts: Only included 8 screws of the type required to mount 3.5" HDDs to the internal sliding clip mounts (4 per drive required). Silicone spacers are nice and thick, but require longer screws than are typical for mounting drives.

Power/reset switch are also behind the door. Blue power and drive LEDs are bright when viewed straight-on; am considering unplugging them from the mobo during regular HTPC use.

Installed P5QL/EPU board, which is slightly narrower than some full ATX boards. Fit with ease. 120mm fan aligns well with Zalman 9500AT outflow.

Air filter has questionable value util you block the honeycomb holes to the right of the PCI slots.

Front of the case (door and lower bezel) is a simple matte black plastic. Doesn't match the near-mirror finish powder coat black of the sides/top. Front USB/audio/eSATA area is a powder coat black to match the top/sides, not nearly as light as pictures suggest.

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Tarmack
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 month to 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
9/26/2009 11:06:56 PM

Rating + 5 Very Nice Case Overall


Pros: Better door than previous Antec cases - worth the extra money. Wasn't sure about the center mounted HD "pull" fan, but it pulls some air across the drives and also blows directly on passive MB chipset heatsink and on fanless video card with no up front noise.

Cons: Front mounting system w/ exposed clips is ugly, but very functional (my previous Antec 3700 required removing the front - this case does not). Case seems to waste space - there is easily room for another HD tray which wasn't designed into case. My previous case allowed another optical and HD at only 1/2" larger.

Other Thoughts: Overall, very nice. No side venting which allows noise out of case but there is rear venting which allows air to come in from the rear bypassing crossflow cooling. It looks like they intended to allow rear vents to be blocked (small clips) but nothing supplied / available.

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N/A
Tech Level: high
Ownership: more than 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
9/25/2009 10:56:34 AM

Rating + 5 Excellent Case


Pros: - Super easy to install components.
- Very quiet!
- Solid construction.
- Nice looking.
- Well designed and laid out.
- High quality finish.
- Can lock the side panel and front.
- eSATA connection up front
- Lots of room for expansion.
- Pull out trays make it easy to install drives.

Cons: - Power supply has the "spaghetti" style wires.

Other Thoughts: I have had several cheap cases before and could never understand spending the extra money to by a nice case until I owned this one. It made the computer assembly so much easier. Things fit in it easily. And I didn't cut my fingers and hands up trying to get things crammed in. The case is probably the one thing on the computer that you will still be able to use 5-10 years from now. Spend a little more money and get a nice one. You won't regret it.

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Zorlac
Tech Level: high
Ownership: more than 1 year
9/25/2009 10:51:43 AM

Rating + 5 Excellent case


Pros: Classy looking, functional, and QUIET!

Cons: LED's on the front are a bit hard to see from certain angles. Because of that, combined with the its super quietness, I've mistakenly pressed the power button when the computer appeared to be off, but was actually on.

Other Thoughts: This is a gorgeous case for those that don't need or want the flashy "look at me and how much I spent on my computer" type of glowing nightlight.

If your signature on a forum anywhere includes the specs for your computer, this case is not for you.

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Martin
Tech Level: somewhat high
Ownership: 1 day to 1 week
This user purchased this item from Newegg
9/23/2009 7:51:11 AM

Rating + 4 Solid


Pros: Case seems very solid. Case fan and power supply don't add much noise. I have always had good luck with EarthWatts power supplies similar to the one included. The hard drive caddies make installing and removing drives easier.

Cons: The built in air filter is less than solid. One of the clips snapped off the first time I tried to remove it.

Doesn't reduce noise from components as much as I would expect from a case marketed as being silent.

Other Thoughts: It's been a while since I used a mid tower case with a full ATX motherboard, but it seemed like an incredibly tight fit. This is the first time I recall having to maneuver the motherboard to get it to fit through the case opening.

Ran into the same issue with my 9800 video card. Tight fit and does not leave room to mount a fan in front (not that I planned to).

I had hoped the case and hard drive mount would mute the noise from my Raptor drive more, but it remains quite noticeable.

The price seems a little high for what it is, but I suppose if you factor in the separate price of the EarthWatts PSU and catch the case on sale with free shipping, it can be be a good value.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No

vplite
Tech Level: high
Ownership: more than 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
9/22/2009 11:06:09 PM

Rating + 5 Whisper Quiet


Pros: I have this unit sitting on the floor under a desk with the 120mm fan at the medium speed. I can barely tell it's on.

That Antec EA-500 500W PSU is a gem. I have always found it to be more than sufficient, even when I've built systems with powerful graphic cards and 3-4 HDs.

The warm air removed by the rear fan and the PSU keep the case reasonably cool.

The case has an easily removable washable filter in the front.

I know beauty is is the eye of the beholder, but I find this to be a very attractive case with a unique deep shiny black finish. I've even come to appreciate the plastic door in front that hides the optical drive and 52-in-one (or whatever) multi media readers that are a part of my builds now. The front door definitely masks some of the sound from the case.

I now prefer the "sideways" mounted HDs with screw on mounting brackets.. The noise reducing silicon HD mounting grommets are a real plus too.

I've found the plastic door to be sturdy.

Cons: In many systems mounting the optional 120mm fan behind the HD cage would be tight. I'm not sure it would even be very effective, since it is mounted about 1/4 of the way from the front of the case.

I wish the on button was not behind the front case door.

The front of the case only has only has 2 USB ports, but most motherboards have plenty more in the rear. Again, the inexpensive multi media readers I install where the A: drive used to be provide plenty more, but who really wants to have a bunch of USB devices hanging off the front or their computer?

The case is a smudge magnet, but it easily wipes clean with a soft cloth.

The PSU is made in China, a negative, but so are most things these days. As long as quality control checks work. there will hopefully be no problem.

Other Thoughts: This case is a steal when it goes on sale (if you can wait), considering the cost of the Antec 500W PSU alone.

I had planned to reuse a 6 year old Li Lian for a new build, but it had front USB ports on the bottom. This computer had to go on the floor, so this case with the USB ports 8" up the front became a "must buy".

My system: Q9550 stock cooling, GA-EP45-UD3R MB, 2WD 500Gb Caviar Black in RAID0, 1 WD 750 Caviar black (backup), XFX 9500 Video card, 2X2Gb DDR2 SDRAM, Samsung serial optical drive, and an nMEDIAPC ZE-C68 All-in-one USB 2.0.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No

N/A
Tech Level: somewhat high
Ownership: 1 week to 1 month
This user purchased this item from Newegg
9/20/2009 7:35:29 AM

Rating + 5


Pros: Case is well made, easy to work with, and a great value. Plenty of room to work with as well. Cooling is decent using only the supplied fan. The included PSU seems to be very good as well. I haven't had any problems with the case so far.

Cons: To my perception it doesn't seem as quiet as advertised, even with using only the included fan at the lowest setting. Not a big problem though - still a fine case.

Other Thoughts: As some other reviewers have noted, the black paint does show fingerprints and smudges fairly easily. However, it doesn't take any real effort to wipe a smudge away so I wouldn't consider it a con.

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Kundar
Tech Level: somewhat high
Ownership: more than 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
9/17/2009 7:18:43 AM

Rating + 4 Solid Case


Pros: Well-built, well-documented. After gripes with other cases, decided it was worth making a note on how hassle-free this case was. Side panel and front door are easy to operate. No tacky lighting. Power supply has held up well (see thoughts). Quiet.

Cons: An extra mile touch would've been a better cable management set-up. Also, the pads on the case bottom have detached.

Other Thoughts: My case featured the Seasonic-built power supply, so I can't comment on newer users who are reporting different PS manufacturer.

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guy in Syracuse
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 day to 1 week
This user purchased this item from Newegg
9/16/2009 7:50:09 PM

Rating + 5 decent


Pros: ..nice case and PSU for 83 beans. The psu is 80 beans by itself and it is an 80plus psu!
Enough room for plenty of drives..7x3.5" and 3x5".
- Nice and shiny

Cons: ..plastic front door and hinge feel semi delicate. only 2 usb ports on the front, you may want to add extra.

Other Thoughts: Why only 2 usb ports on the front Antec ? ..a bit 2003, don't you think ?

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drew0503
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 day to 1 week
This user purchased this item from Newegg
9/16/2009 5:40:33 PM

Rating + 5 Antec Strikes with Sonata


Pros: I have owned several Antec cases over the years and the Sonatas have always been a great choice. I am not disappointed at all. Excellent case for a nice mid to high range computer. Very well layed out. Hardrive racks are not just for looks they are also very functional. Very easy to swap drives in out if you need to. Ample room for optical drives, as well as esata connector. The case is also very solid, has a nice weight to it. Something you dont get with a 50 dollar case. Also, these cases run very quiet, I know some people love big loud computers and fans but not me. I would rather not know its sitting next to me. Antec has always made a great power supply in my opinion and for the price of this case, it could not be beat. This is money well spent. Thank you Newegg for fantastic service once again. The rest of my parts will come from Newegg also.

Cons: None, you need a good case for a good price this is your best choice.

Other Thoughts: None, Thanks for the good service

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Junior
Tech Level: somewhat high
Ownership: less than 1 day
This user purchased this item from Newegg
9/15/2009 8:06:30 PM

Rating + 5 Pretty Sweet Case


Pros: I really like this case! It has a nice gloss finish. It's not flashy and ridiculous looking like most other cases and its not boring at the same time.

Cons: Drives were a little confusing to figure out how to mount. Little book it came with didn't tell me anything on how to install them! It's been YEAAARS since I've bought a new computer case and I'll admit my knowledge is a little dated.

Other Thoughts: After figuring out how to mount the drives I found the set-up to be very clever! the rubber bushings for the HD mounts are pretty nifty and keep the drive quieter then it already was to begin with.

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N/A
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 week to 1 month
9/12/2009 10:38:35 AM

Rating + 1 The newest power supply has been downgraded in quality!


Pros: Good case in many ways... well-designed, and a good price.. ideal for a silent PC build if the power supply were still as good as originally tested.

Cons: I'm going to write in all caps, because this is important.

ANTEC HAS DOWNGRADED THE POWER SUPPLY QUALITY.

As originally tested at silentpcreview, Tomshardware, etc... this case included an EarthWatts EA-500 power supply, which tested very-well in every way -- noise level, power efficiency, voltage regulation, etc.

A few months back, it appears that Antec changed OEM vendors for the power supply from Seasonic to Delta. The new power supply is very noisy, and is incompatible with non-sine-way UPS Power. (Honestly I've never seen that before in 15 yrs of IT work).

I cannot recommend this product now because of the included power supply. If you can buy it without a power supply, it's still a good case.

Other Thoughts: If you're looking for a great quiet power supply, try the Nexus Value 480.

3 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No

Doc Goodbyte
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 week to 1 month
This user purchased this item from Newegg
9/5/2009 11:06:56 AM

Rating + 5 Best Case I ever bought!


Pros: Looks, power supply, silence, price.

Cons: None for me.

Other Thoughts: My system:
AMD Phenom II X4 940 CPU
Gigabyte MA785G-UD3H MB
Mushkin 4 GB DDR2 XP2-8500

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Matt G.
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 day to 1 week
This user purchased this item from Newegg
9/4/2009 11:57:07 PM

Rating + 5 Fantastic Case


Pros: This case is a beautiful glossy black and looks very nice. Good internal layout for components and cable management. VERY quiet under normal use, and when you need to turn up the fan for gaming you've probably got your speakers up anyway. Included power supply is sufficient to handle most current systems. Subtle blue LEDS for power and HDD look good.

Cons: Large video cards will likely not allow you to install the mid-case fan behind the drive bays. No possibility of installing a front fan. Fan speed control requires you to open the case (nothing a little mod can't fix). Paint shows smudges easily.

Other Thoughts: The front bezel is actually black, not silver as shown - it looks even better this way! The case is a great value, especially when it is on sale.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No

N/A
Tech Level: average
Ownership: 1 week to 1 month
This user purchased this item from Newegg
9/4/2009 6:38:22 AM

Rating + 4 solid


Pros: well built, worked

Cons: Not quite as quiet as I had hoped. 2 wire case fan sucks so I just set speed to high, hacked off the big power connector and put a couple of small terminals on that fit the motherboard fan control.

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GR
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 month to 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
9/3/2009 10:04:27 PM

Rating + 5 This case is a joy to work with


Pros: Really fantastic case to work with. I was replacing the OEM case on a Dell desktop in an effort to quiet things down. This one did the trick. Not only that, but it came with pretty much everything I could ask for to make the process as easy as possible. I absolutely *will* buy this case again in the future. It's my current favorite.

Cons: The only issue I have is with the blue LEDs being a bit too bright -- but that's the issue with any blue LED on any device in a bedroom. I use a strip of medical tape, which allows you to see the LEDs while reducing the amount of glare they put off.

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taintd
Tech Level: somewhat high
Ownership: 1 day to 1 week
This user purchased this item from Newegg
9/3/2009 6:51:29 AM

Rating + 5 Nice little case


Pros: Good sturdy case

Cons: Optional fan placement is in the center of the case, behind where the HDDs mount. Need to use the screws that came with the case.

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jon_in_phx
Tech Level: somewhat high
Ownership: 1 week to 1 month
This user purchased this item from Newegg
8/29/2009 2:47:03 PM

Rating + 5 Quiet!


Pros: Quiet. No nonsense design (although the jury's still out regarding the built-in air filter).

Cons: None yet.

Other Thoughts: My main attraction to this case was 'silence'. I got tired of my old box sounding like our bathroom ventilation fan. And yet I wanted to get another year or two out of my Pentium-4 and socket-478 motherboard.

The Antec case arrived in three business days. I gutted my old box and moved all hardware to the new. Then I had to replace the old noisy CPU fan with a Zalman 9500A fan. Now with both the case and CPU fans adjusted to their quiet (slowest) settings, I can hear the whisper of the drive actuator for the first time. And bios readings show that both the CPU and case run 4 to 5 degrees cooler. I can use the new Zalman fan for future motherboard upgrades. How sweet!

One more mention... I used a Kill-a-watt meter to measure the power usage of my old box vs. the new Antec before I replaced the CPU fan. Power usage dropped about 25 percent during idle times (w/ little drive or CPU activity). I guess there IS something to Antec's "Earthwatts" claim after all. I'm happy.

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g0dM@n
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 month to 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
8/27/2009 1:41:40 PM

Rating + 4 Worth it!


Pros: Been in the business since 2000.
Sturdy as heck. Great paint job. Easy set up. Great power supply. I don't always go for the expensive cases for clients, but when it's going to be a 24/7 machine for security cameras I want something nice. Nice price with the promo I used.

Cons: The rubber mounts on the bottom should be hard-mounted with screws, not glued. They come off... it's actually pretty annoying.

Other Thoughts: This build was for a client that used to have a Sonata II and those rubber pieces fell off too. You would think Antec learned to just pay for the 4 screws and just hard-mount them in place like most cases would.

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Nugget
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 month to 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
8/24/2009 11:16:53 PM

Rating + 5 Nice Home PC Case


Pros: Well constructed, quiet case. Decent routing for cables to maximize airflow. Excellent power supply (80+ rating).

Great number of configuration options given the bays and internal HDD (for RAID) layout.

Nice ergonomic features and front panel ports. Good rubber feet.

Cons: Limited air-cooling options.
* one intake
* one exhaust (included)
* PSU exhaust (which I don't include as case cooling)

The included 120mm exhaust has 3 speed settings, so you can figure out what works for you, but the switch remains in the case, so you'll have to open the door (not a huge deal) to change the setting.

Other Thoughts: This case is excellent for home computing. I wouldn't recommend it for users who wish to build a gaming PC as the air cooling options are minimal. If creating a 50-50 work/gaming PC, I would recommend a graphics card with either an aftermarket fan, or a card that takes up 2 backplane slots, where one is the exhaust from the GPU fan.

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Shiach
Tech Level: somewhat high
Ownership: 1 week to 1 month
This user purchased this item from Newegg
8/23/2009 9:20:43 PM

Rating + 4 Sweet Case!


Pros: Awesome looking case. No unnessicary flashy holes and lights, just smooth black steel. The 500W power supply included is no slouch either, runs great.

Lots of room, and looks great!

Cons: Only 1 con, the top half of the front panel that swings out isn't very sturdy, so you have to make sure if you are picking up the case, you grab below the top half, or chances are you'll rip it off.

Other Thoughts: I was so sick of wading through the wanna be race cars with under lighting and everything else that looked like total garbage.

Luckily a friend suggested I try Antec, and I couldn't be more pleased!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No

N/A
Tech Level: high
Ownership: more than 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
8/17/2009 8:18:24 AM

Rating + 1 FRAUD!


Pros: Case is great! No complaints, here

Cons: Rebate never came! Attempts to contact the company in charge of handling rebates have been unsuccessful

Other Thoughts: Case is great. Just don't fall for the rebate scams

1 out of 8 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No

Johnny
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 week to 1 month
This user purchased this item from Newegg
8/11/2009 3:05:27 PM

Rating + 5 Good brand


Pros: Love the silicone grommets on hard drive's

Fan in rear moves a lot of air, keeps my Phenom II 940 pretty cool

Space for 120mm fan right behind hard drive cage, if you have a bunch of drives, might want to add this

Power supply is very nice

Cons: Paint is a bit thin, but mine looks great out of the box, and as long as you do like 99.9 percent of PC users and let it sit in a cabinet or on a desk, you have nothing to worry about.

Other Thoughts: Came with all the hardware and screws one would need for Mobo's drives, and such. My third Antec case, they are solid units for the money and dont feel cheap like the online auction cases ive used in the past.

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N/A
Tech Level: somewhat high
Ownership: 1 week to 1 month
This user purchased this item from Newegg
8/5/2009 8:23:29 PM

Rating + 5 Excellent if you get it on sale


Pros: This is my second Antec case. I continue to be impressed by the quality of their cases and PSU's. This one has a beautiful black finish. Inside it also looks and feels very high quality. No sharp edges in mine. A little shorter than my other case, but still pretty roomy inside. Nice big and quite 120mm 3 speed rear fan.

Optical drive rails work well. I couldn't get my CD/DVD burner to sit flush, though. Hard drive was really easy to install. Nice silicone mounts.

Cons: Just a wee bit too short to put in an HD 4850 and a 120mm mid-case fan. The card fits, but the power plug sticks out of the front too far and butts up against the fan. Hopefully cooling will be okay without the fan in there.

Other Thoughts: Front of case looks so elegant that I can't decide whether to put any stickers on it. I'll put the Antec sticker on for sure, but not too sure about any others. Too bad, too, because I have a lot of them.

1 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No

N/A
Tech Level: somewhat low
Ownership: 1 day to 1 week
This user purchased this item from Newegg
8/2/2009 1:53:20 PM

Rating + 4 Quality


Pros: High quality, nice removable tray options.

Cons: I didn't notice the dvd tray slider's were behind the blocking plates, no mention of that in the manual or notice sticker.

Other Thoughts: Quality case, would buy again.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No

CorranSW
Tech Level: somewhat high
Ownership: 1 day to 1 week
This user purchased this item from Newegg
7/30/2009 11:50:54 AM

Rating + 5 Great Case


Pros: Despite having only one fan stock, the case has good cooling. Well laid-out case, it was very easy to work inside.
Exactly what is was looking for, a low-profile, office/gaming computer.

Cons: Not quite as silent as promised.
Poor paint job.

Other Thoughts: Using a Nvidia Geforce GTX 275 and the graphics card barely fits inside the case. Anyone planning on using a large graphics card should keep that in mind, installing the second fan will not be possible with a large card.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No

laziofly
Tech Level: high
Ownership: more than 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
7/29/2009 4:21:25 AM

Rating + 5 Very quite


Pros: Solid design, good job for noise isolation. Power supply is good too.

Cons: It should have more space for video card

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headhunter66
Tech Level: somewhat high
Ownership: 1 week to 1 month
This user purchased this item from Newegg
7/28/2009 10:53:45 AM

Rating + 4 Nice case, as expected


Pros: Very well built and sturdy case. I like the hard drive bays since they slide in sideways which really cleans up the cabled and makes access very easy. The case runs quieter then my older case which is what I was aiming for. The manual was sufficient if you have some knowledge of your hardware.

Cons: Not much of a con but it doesn't have a slide out MB tray, but installing without one was fairly simple too. I think one of my DVD burners may be a bit larger then others, I had a hard time getting it into the slot and to get it out would require a crow bar.

Other Thoughts: I purchased this to replace a big, loud fan laden gaming case. I was looking for something quieter and a bit smaller and this one did the trick. It was my first Antec case and I was very pleased with the overall construction. As always, Newegg was fast at shipping it out.

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Rifty
Tech Level: somewhat high
Ownership: 1 week to 1 month
This user purchased this item from Newegg
7/25/2009 10:59:23 PM

Rating + 4


Pros: AWESOME price for this package. Also like the fan included and the screen in the front.

Cons: The swinging door on the front is not that great, wish it did not have it.

Other Thoughts: Good case, good PSU, and good room. Also came with a ton of extra screws and such, plus in my book. I know I went into this buying a case with swinging door on the front that covers your power buttons and drive bays, but do not like it too much. For the price of this deal though, I could not pass it up!

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N/A
Tech Level: somewhat high
Ownership: 1 month to 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
7/25/2009 8:36:45 PM

Rating + 5 Sonata III 500


Pros: This is the third Sonata III 500 case I've used, second for me and I'm truly pleased with this case. My systems all run really cool (45 c) with only stock hs/f and the large cooling fan is so quiet. I also love the rails for the optical drives, so quick and easy to install.

Cons: None I've come across yet in the year I've owned the first one and from the one I built for a friend. He is also pleased with the low noise compared to his old HP.

Other Thoughts: The only issue I've had with these is one case had a bad power switch. I called customer support, told them what I thought was wrong and told him how I troubleshot it. It was delivered in two days and I was on my way. Great customer service!!!!

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blueseazz
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 week to 1 month
This user purchased this item from Newegg
7/24/2009 7:17:27 AM

Rating + 5 Solid Case & PSU


Pros: I was looking for quality and Antec did not disappoint. The case is solid, not flimsy. The psu tested out exactly to specs.
Very happy with my choice. Newegg's service and prices can't be beat!!

Cons: The finish picks up fingerprints very easily but I knew this so I am not taking off points.

Other Thoughts: This is the third Antec case I've purchased over the years. My original build is still running with the included Antec 480w psu inside a Soho file server. I expect this case

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