Hands on with the Antec P280 by VR-Zone.com
We went on a little trip to Antec's offices in Taipei to have a look at their new P280 chassis which is set to replace the P180 series over time. The new chassis follows the classical design of the P180 series but adds some much needed new features.
Although at first glance there doesn't seem to be a huge difference between the P280 and the most recent model in the P180 series, the P183 V3, it's clear that things have changed. For starters, the ports have been moved from the side to the top of the chassis and the air vents on the door are gone. The power and reset buttons can now be found on the top of the chassis instead of behind the door. You also get two USB 3.0 ports as well as a pair of USB 2.0 ports and audio jacks. The top is now home to two rather than one 120mm fan.
Popping off the side panel reveals a completely re-designed interior which makes better use of the space. Gone is also the divider which was something of a love/hate thing. We should also mention that Antec has sadly gone from aluminium to steel side panels, although these are quite thick at 0.8mm and on top of that the company has added a sheet of polycarbonate to help reduce noise.
As you can see the interior is now black to keep with the latest trends in cases. The hard drive trays are now much easier to access as well and are angled 90 degrees. Some may be upset with the move from metal to plastic trays, but the new trays have a much better design and are fitted with vibration absorbing silicon grommets. There are six 3.5-inch drive bays and although all the trays can be fitted with 2.5-inch drives, Antec also added a pair of dedicated drive bays for a pair of 2.5-inch drives. The chassis also has space for three 5.25-inch drives in screwless bays.
Around the back you'll find no less than 9 expansion slots, a 120mm fan, two holes for tubing for watercooling and three separate fan controllers for the pre-fitted fans. Antec also pointed out that the chassis has washable dust filters fitted to both the front (behind the door) and the bottom of the chassis. There's also plenty of holes for cable routing, something that was far from ideal in the older models. A massive cut-out in the motherboard tray should also make it easy to access the rear of the motherboard when you want to change your CPU cooler, no matter where it's located on the motherboard.
Overall the Antec P280 is a huge step forward for the series and with an estimated retail price of US$139.95 (S$182) which seems pretty fair for what's on offer here. We should hopefully be getting a unit for a closer look, but in the meantime, check out our video below for a more in-depth look over at Antec's offices. For more detailed specifications, hit up the Antec P280 product page.
YOUTUBE VIDEO
Antec P280 hands on preview
Hands on with the Antec P280
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