Athenatech A3712BB.450 Black SECC Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 450W Power Supply

Pros: The case has monsterous cooling ability, it literally dropped my board and CPU temps 15C compared to my other case. The power supply sports an intake and exhaust fan to remove most of its heat, the 2 80s in the rear move plenty of air as well. I did however purchase a SCYTHE 120mm fan for the side vent, but I believe it was probably overkill as it barely makes a difference in temp when its spooled up, this case cools that well. Do your self a favor and pick one of these up!

Cons: The only VERY minor con is the poor labeling for the front audio, USBs and 1394 jacks. I only cared about the USBs, as this is an HTPC and I dont run earphones or mics out the front anyway.

Overall Review: People that can't read simple instructions or visit the manufacturers website shouldn't review products. There is three very clear areas for 3.5" HDDs. One in the front next to the opticals, and 2 optional areas over the side vents, the website clearly shows this, and it works out great as the case has great flow even with one vent blocked by a 2nd HDD. READ people READ. This was purchased to replace my existing C.R.A.P. case and was definately worth every penny!!!

Pros: Fits where other "HTPC" desktops won't b/c it is not as wide. PSU is quiet, with ample power. As quiet as an Antec NSK2400 or NSK2480, but $40 less, and it holds microATX and ATX motherboards. Side vents allow you to mount 12cm fan(s). I bought a second one because of how much I liked the first one, and I already own 2 NSK2400s.

Cons: Bottom 8cm fan was noisy, so I removed it and its plastic housing. Also removed back 8cm fans. Had to buy a 12cm fan separately - Antec Tri-Cool is a good option (quiet). Remember to turn on PSU before replacing bezel. Front panel connectors could be standard blocks, not a mess of single pin connectors.

Overall Review: Case cools well, even when removing bottom 8cm fan, and back 2 fans. Installing one 12cm fan on the side near the CPU (blowing out), cools sufficiently. I prefer this model over the others that have decals - this one has a "cleaner" look. Wide video cards will not fit (i.e. - large heatsinks will bulge above the clearance of the top panel). Videocards with heatsinks/fans that extend into additional slots should be fine, as long as the heatsink or pipes don't extend above the height of the case.

Pros: This case has a small footprint, decent wattage power supply, and sturdy design. I will be using it for a set-top box. The fans run very quietly. (I have them all hooked up.)

Cons: Tight fitting. I don't mind the hardware they provide to mount the drives... but would love to float a drive over the motherboard. (That's the only place left to put one.)

Overall Review: Spent 30 minutes worrying the PS was dead, but then I took off the front cover section (which needs to be done to put drives in) and found the toggle switch for the PS sitting in the off position. After that, she powered right up.

Pros: Pretty solid build quality (1 exception, see cons) and a nice paint coat. Didn't try to see how "scratch resistant" it is for obvious reasons but it looks sleek. Large video cards fit OK, I got a x1950xt in there with some manuevering. The 6-pin power connector is pressed against the power supply but its not bending or anything. Very quiet system. Like others, I removed the fan underneath the PSU before I even turned it on. Again, quiet fans and good cooling in this system.

Cons: The expansion slot card bay (where you screw down your video card, sound card, etc) is very flimsy. While removing the placeholder tabs I bent the back panel. Not a big issue. Cabling is tricky but if you're reading this you probably have experience wiring PCs. Front panel is somewhat flimsy plastic.

Overall Review: Did not have a problem with the front-panel connections like some mentioned. Yeah, you need your motherboard manual but you usually do anyway. I bought this box to house some old PC parts that will serve as a make-shift HTPC until I strike it rich. It does just that, and looks low-key. My only gripe with the looks are the CD and floppy bay covers and the bold white text underneath the front panel connections. If you dont know where to mount the HDD, you can place it where the floppy would be. HDD's have screw holes on the back sides that you can secure them down with. Also, one of the cooling grates has screw holes to mount a HDD. Satisfied with purchase.

Pros: This combo unit saves you $75+ easily, as the next HTPC case that had these features was close to $100 shipped WITHOUT a PSU! It's narrower than most cases, so it will fit in spaces others wont. It's a simple case w/ no distracting lights, but still aesthetically OK. This is little, but I like the split b/w the front USB ports - you can use larger items plugged in at the same time. I also like the rubber feet - they stick on excellent and are better than plastic or metal. Excellent ventilation and quieter than my older Cooler Master Cavalier 2 HTPC case. The 80mm fans in the back are quieter than the 60mm ones you find in some other cases. 450wt PSU should be able to run anything but hard-core gaming machines. I've heard they have good customer service.

Cons: NO instructions came w/ my case, but you may be able to find some on their website or just by googling. With trial and error, and while watching old episodes of Macgyver (I kid you not) it took me over 2 hours to figure everything out on my own and get it all buttoned up and ready to go. I had to take out the rear fans to install the MB w/o worry of ruining one of the I/O modules. The front panel is plastic, and the rest of the case metal w/ a textured paint-job (it's not 'flat black' like someone else said), but this is being really picky. It looks OK, but not as nice as most other cases.

Overall Review: I removed the fan below the PSU, and put in a 80mm fan on the PSU side of the case. This keeps the case quieter, and probably just as cool (didn't compare temps). It's tighter than my old case, but I didn't have any problem w/ wiring it up. I did not remove the PSU to install everything, as it says it will void the warranty if it's removed, but if you don't care about that then it would probably make the install easier. I had MB risers in my packaging, so don't listen to that one guy below. My front panel clips are also fine. If you're transplanting from another case into this one make sure you take pics of all the wiring/plug-ins, as every pin is individual for this case, and if you have good pics you know which color goes where! I'm running a full-size ATX MB w/ Intel Prescott P4 3.2 HT chip, an AGP video card, and a USB/Firewire card.

Pros: I had a client looking for a desktop in this config. I looked at a lot of cases before sending him the specs. on this one. I use the Athenatech a100's all the time for a commercial application and the 3712 was not a disappointment. It is heavy duty and well though out. Like someone else said, the 80mm fans do a great job of keeping the system cool. As someone else said, the fan under the power supply is a little loud if you are close and I unhooked it too. System still runs cool though. It would be easy enough to install a quieter fan on the side of the chassis if need be.

Cons: none

Overall Review: I'd buy again without reservation. If you buy one, do yourself a favor and pull the power supply until you get everything else put it, just makes things go smoother.

Pros: This goes together alot easier than some might suggest. Devote as much time to putting this one together as you would any other, and everything will be just fine. PS and fans do a decent job with low to mid end equipment. Not exactly your best option for a gamming case, but...

Cons: None if you dont expect what shouldnt be expected from an inexpensive case (ha...say that 10 times fast).

Overall Review: Its not hard to find anything... you probably wont need to call customer support and you probably wouldnt put more than one HD in this thing anyway.

Pros: Inexpensive case for HTPC. Nice layout, sleek, plain exterior looks great with the rest of my home theater components.

Cons: None

Overall Review: Eventually I will upgrade to a quieter power supply. This one is not that noisy but I'm using it for HTPC.