Antec Nine Hundred (900)

[MattyBoy]

Synopsis:
1. Introduction
2. The frontage
3. Other panels
4. Interior
5. Assembly
6. Performances
7. Assessment

1. Introduction

These last months saw an evolution in the distribution of the release of heat within the PC. If it is not completely false to affirm that this last consumes (and thus dissipates) always more, this report is true only on a total scale. Indeed, the success of Athlon 64/X2 on Pentium 4/D, then the introduction of Core 2 Duet, and finally the counterpart via the versions low consumption of Athlon X2 (EE and EE SFF) shows in an obvious way that a controlled consumption is from now on a key point of the success of the processors sold with the detail, just after the performances. And those which passed from Pentium 4/D or Athlon X2 to Core 2 Duet in order to level their PC reduced consumption of their processor, an association which would however have been not easily credible still a few months/years ago.

On the other hand, if one is delayed on the graphics board, in spite of a ratio performances/consumption which seems to tend to progress, the typical models integrated in the PC of players are from now on the first consumers of energy (at least during the execution of plays), and the new models always tend to consume even more than the precedents.

In addition to the local problem of the dissipation of the heat released by these chips (the role of the ventirads), also the problem of the dissipation of the heat concentrated within the case arises. Even if it should well be recognized that the majority of the graphics boards greediest evacuate directly out of the case heat (majority of the models dual-slot, except the 7950 GX2 or only with half for the 7900 GTX or GTO). It is within this framework that Antec launches today its new case intended for the players, Nine Hundred. Principal characteristic? The integration of a ventilator of 200 Misters American is indeed well-known to have already democratized the ventilators of 120 mm a few years ago, whereas the 80 mm was the standard in the current cases. The advantage of increasing the size of the ventilators being for recall a report/ratio “moved volume of air/always better noise”.

Does Nine Hundred introduce a new generation thus?



2. The frontage

Antec has often evil to work out frontages successful on its top-of-the-range cases (P160, P180, NSK 6500 in particular), and unfortunately Nine Hundred does not derogate from the rule. More than sober this one appears rather basic and uniform, character lack as well in its design as on the level of materials used.

The circumference is composed of very thick plastic (4 mm on average) and rigid, of very good quality. Completely black (not of another version available besides), it exceeds bays 5 " 1/4 of 1,3 cm and is closed again slightly on them. Aesthetically and functionally, it is thus connected with a bumper and thus partly points out cases like Armor or Stacker 830 once its open door. A door: here well what Antec would have of employing here. One finds indeed recessed only bay masks 5 " 1/4, which are present besides in very great number (9).

From this exhaustiveness and the renunciation of bays to the native format of 3 " 1/2, one cannot be prevented here from reconsidering once again in Stacker. It is besides to note that there still, the masks of these bays are only metal grids with broad holes charged to let pass the maximum of air, since one finds behind step less than two ventilators of 12 cm joined with these bays (and perfectly visible)! In fact, only the 3 higher bays remain free for those which wish to preserve the ventilation of origin.

As it from now on became the standard on the majority of the top-of-the-range cases and important size, the connectors in frontage as well as the buttons are gathered on an insert located in front of the higher panel. Slightly in skew in order to be directed towards the user, it gathers the buttons of starting and restarting (traditional pushbuttons, always out of plastic), which frame the sempiternal trio made up of 2 ports USB, 2 audio connectors and 1 FireWire port.

Passed a certain disappointment concerning the banality of this frontage, it does not testify any less, like always, of the target of this case: players and overclockers, those privileging before all the ventilation and for which the sound harmful effect are a secondary aspect, considering the number of openings and the joining of two ventilators to very the masks (contrary to P180 in particular). Note however that once connected, the two ventilators with before emit a blue light via 3 LED, which according to the sensitivities of each one could be perceived like an embellishment or a disadvantage.

[MattyBoy]

3. Other panels

Once is not habit, the panel of left not included of origin a broad transparent plexiglass window. Very widespread of the time of the SX1030, it tended to disappear lately and to be more available only in the form of option quite difficult to find, except for certain cases like Super Lanboy. Its interest remains for recall of exhiber its configuration and neons integrated into the various ventilators of its configuration, in particular at the time of LAN… Covering only part of space overhanging the mother chart, it is supplemented by an extremely openwork grid and on which it is possible to fix an additional ventilator of 12 cm, for (them) the chart (S) graphic (S) thus. One always regrets on the other hand the absence of handle facilitating the opening of this panel!

If the right panel is anything else only one plate of steel folded and painted, the higher panel integrates the principal innovation of the case: the ventilator of 20 cm! Integrated into the back of this panel and right behind a grid in honeycomb, it occupies all the width and exceeds each side even slightly. It is however a good surprise to find it here and not on the side panel, where the ventilators of an exceptionally large size are generally confined, because its utility larger will be thus assembled in extraction. To also note the presence of a recess between this ventilator and the connectors audio/USB, straightforwardly qualified by Antec of “Plate of arrangement [...] adapted perfectly to deposit there keys, a numerical camera, a multi-media reader, etc”. Maybe, but one can say of it about as much the higher part of any case…

The panel postpones finally is extremely close to P180. One thus finds the food not in top but all in bottom (its role of ultimate ventilator of case being advantageously replaced by the ventilator of 20 cm), but without space with the charts girls since it does not profit from a dedicated room. And one finds a last ventilator of course, of 12 cm, on the right of the inputs/outputs of the mother chart. It should be noted that each side panel is retained via 2 screws with hand. Last detail which does not mislead: Nine Hundred is the first case which we test to lay out of masks openwork with the level of the charts girls!

4. Interior

Let us pass on the fixing of the charts girls, unfortunately always so standard at Antec (is obviously always too much to require of the manufacturer to have simple screws with hand instead of traditional screws at this place). The site for food does not have grid making it possible to downwards install a model provided with a ventilator of 12 cm; these models will have thus to be installed ventilator to the top (what the back fixing plate authorizes), in order to take part in the ventilation of the case. Small consolation: the food rests on 4 silicone pads making it possible to damp out the vibrations.

As you can note it, contrary to the majority of the cases, one finds in front of the case only one structure, designed not to accept that peripherals of 5 " 1/4 like wants it the frontage of the case. How to fix the hard disks consequently at it? That is done by means of flexible cages, each one being made up of a ventilator of 12 cm to front, being able to receive 3 disks hard and being able to be installed with any height behind the frontage, monopolizing 3 site 5 " 1/4. A system which points out there still strongly that of Stacker. It is thus possible to install with the choice 6 hard disks and 3 peripherals 5 " 1/4, or 3 hard disks and 6 peripherals 5 " 1/4, to see 9 peripherals 5 " 1/4 (the hard disk being in this case installed in a rack with this format). Note however that it will not be possible to install only 4 or 5 peripherals 5 " 1/4 considering Antec does not provide additional masks to replace the possible removal of a cage.

Antec provides two accessories on this level: a mask allowing to install only one external peripheral of 3 " 1/2 (what will then oblige to remove the ventilator in the cage where this peripheral will be installed). But also, a structure settling with the back of one of the cages, and authorizing the installation of a ventilator of 12 cm to cool the boards graphics directly. Same manner, once this accessory installed the cage will not be able to receive any peripheral any more. It allows besides rather superfluous considering the possibility of offering a better cooling to the graphics board is already offered via the site present on the panel of left. Note in the passing that Antec A had the good idea to fix these cages at the means of screw with hand (at a rate of 8 for each cage, but nothing obliges you to leave as much of it).

Disappointment, no eyelet is planned for the installation of the hard disks. Admittedly, Antec intends this case for those which privilege cooling, but it is not a reason not to make it profit from its experiment as regards silence, considering the addition of these eyelets does not involve any complication!

Ventilation

With final, not less than 4 ventilators are thus included of origin in this case: two of 12 cm in insertion (with before), a third of 12 cm to the back, and finally that of 20 cm. All are equipped with a connector of food hard disk, and with a switch with 3 positions to control the number of revolutions. On this subject, the official characteristics of Antec are interesting to consider for once, because if they are not comparable with those of the other manufacturers, one can think a priori that they are reliable to compare his own ventilators.

It is noted thus that it is especially at low number of revolutions that the advantage is most obvious in favour of the model of 20 cm: with 400 rpm, this last generates a flow of the air more twice higher than the model 12 cm with 1200 rpm, for a sound harmful effect slightly weaker officially! Whereas to 30 dBa, if the difference in number of revolutions remains always impressive (800 rpm against 2000 rpm), the advance of the model of 20 cm are not any more “but” of 70% - what remains very comfortable!

[MattyBoy]

5. Assembly

The assembly of a configuration within Nine Hundred is made same manner as for the majority of the traditional Antec cases. 6 of the 9 spacers of mother chart are already installed, it only remains to add the 3 missing ones (for a mother chart ATX). With the passage, one of these 6 spacers could not be tight on our specimen of test, the hole being a little too broad (tolerance a little too high with this stage of manufacture).

The installation of the peripherals 5 " 1/4 requires the shrinking of the mask in frontage, which is done by means of two screws per mask. One does not find fortunately a second mask metal behind, as it is still too often the case. The same screws maintaining this mask can be re-used to fix the peripheral; Antec multiplies the types of different screws indeed to use, for lack of fast more frequent recourse and attachment units to the screws with hand, which often brings hesitations. With regard to the hard disks, once all the screws with hand fixing each cage removed, it are enough to push them to extract them (via the frontage thus). It is possible to install to 3 discs by cage, but attention: the operation requires a screwdriver which has on the one hand a magnetized head, and on the other hand sufficiently long to reach the sides of the disc via the small openings skirting each cage. Antec could clearly have simplified us here the life, for example via screws with hand with high head, and which could in addition have profited from silicone eyelets…

The food finally settles like always in the last, and it is necessary to pay attention so that its cables are sufficiently long. Even if the problem is a little less present than in P180 (where this one is locked up in a cage and even further away from the mother chart), the food of entry of range is likely to pose problem, and even our Tagan U15 530 W was limiting on the level of the connector 8 pins, located all in top on the mother chart Intel.

With final, one notes all the same that space is a little exiguous on the level of the mother chart, and cables the sheathed and peripheral S-ATA are welcome in order not to obstruct the flow of air.


6. Performances

For this test, we could have recourse to a configuration a little more muscular history to put the system of ventilation of Nine Hundred to the test.

• Core 2 Quad QX6700 (2.66 GHz)
• Ventirad Intel, locked to 45% (2050 rpm)
• 2 X 1 GB Crucial PC2-8000
• Intel D975XBX2
• Radeon X1950 XTX
• WD Raptor 74 Go
• Reader DVD Asus 16x/48x
• Tagan U15 EasyCon 530 W

The temperatures were recorded after one hour of simultaneous execution of IOMeter, VillageMark and 3 sessions of CPUBurn. It should be noted that the sonometer was placed at 15 cm opposite the case.

Nine Hundred is indeed a case equipped with an excellent ventilation; the element which translates that in the clearest way remains the probe integrated into the mother chart. Thus, with its 4 at least regulated ventilators, Nine Hundred approximately as effective as P180 with its ventilators at bottom, hard disk except thus (even with the lower ventilator, it would be significantly hotter in P180, not being cooled directly). Except that at rest, P180 is then very noisy with its ventilators at bottom: 6,5 dBa more than Nine Hundred at rest! It is in addition noticed that in this last, the cooling of the hard disks is excellent, some that is the number of revolutions chosen for the ventilator of the cage.

Alas, the problem is that Antec not having made any effort on the level of the damping of the vibrations of this last, it appears very noisy. That is seen in particular with the importance of the difference between the noise level at rest then in load when the ventilators are at least, in spite of an already average sound harmful effect of 50,5 dBa. 58 dBa against 46 dBa for P180: an enormous difference, which is to be put on the back of Raptor, the disk hard most frightening to test on this level.

Note finally that the processor remained rather not very sensitive to the various number of revolutions of the ventilators of cases in Nine Hundred, in spite of the number of revolutions fixes ventirad. On the other hand, the operation of the ventirad of X1950 XTX makes that this last increases its number of revolutions only once the temperature of 70°C reached, before going down again once to 66°C. This choice makes that the instantaneous temperature recorded at the end of the tests does not have a value (always included/understood between these terminals); on the other hand, in the cases where the internal air is fresher, the ventilator of X1950 XTX starts much less often, from where a less sound harmful effect. An element to be kept at the head for the analysis of the results, even if this ventilator discrete and is generally covered by the noise of the others.

7. Assessment

With final, Nine Hundred achieves its goal well to offer an excellent cooling to any configuration which one can place there. That it is on the level of the hard disk, the graphics board, the processor or any other element, the flow generated by the ventilators is very effective and Antec makes it possible even to still improve cooling of the graphics boards. However, this goal is reached more via a significant number of ventilators (4) and ventilation grilles that by really benefitting from its element-key, the ventilator of 20 cm. Effective and very discrete, this one is indeed made forget by the ventilators of 12 cm, Antec making use of it in order to increase ventilation and not to replace several ventilators of 12 cm.

All would be perfectly well if the manufacturer had not left the principle that the purchasers of this type of cases remained completely insensitive with the noise. In the contrary case, it would have taken care to make profit the disc cages from eyelets out of rubber or silicone, which it is the only one with really controlling today. A sound harmful effect useless, and in certain cases, very present, could thus have been avoided. In the same way, we regret the absence of dust filters and fast attachment units, which as much if not would have been appreciated by the potential buyers. Because at the bottom, this case has blow enough of evil to be distinguished from references like Stacker 830 on the matter, with the design much nobler and out of aluminium. Remain its price much more accessible of approximately 5500 Rs.

[Parin]

Is Antec Nine Hunderd series available yet in India ?
thanks for review

[raj14]

Sorry to bump a very old thread but i gotta clear this one.

Antec Nine Hundred is NOT Rs.5,500/-

Antec Nine Hundred's Retail price is Rs.9,000/- Plus Taxes