Antec Nine Hundred

Y

YKC

Guest
Hey guys,

I was considering getting this case as I was told that Asus RamPage Formula will be a very hot motherboard. Read a few reviews but still have some queries. Hope to hear from you guys as I think you all will have the most accurate usage knowledge.

A few questions in mind:
1) Since the PSU is at the bottom of the case, will it be a problem connecting the 4 pin power cord to the top of the motherboard?

2) This case seems relatively open and should be a dust collector especially at the inside, am I right? If yes, how bad is the condition?

3) One of the review mentioned that the amount of dust collected is so bad that it looks bad with its clear side panel. Is that really that bad? Any way to reduce the dust collection, like air filter?

4) Installation of harddisk with the harddisk cage, it was mentioned that the screwing part is quite a hassle, is that true?

5) Lastly, this case doesn't seems to have any cable management component installed inside. In this case, how do we manage it so that the cables look presentable from clear side panel?

Sorry for the questions, just wanted to make sure I pay for what is worth. Thanks!
 
b1lk1

b1lk1

Tech Monkey
Skip this case. The NZXT Tempest is far better and has better cable management. Even the Coolermaster 590 I just reviewed is far better for less money. The 900 need to be retired.
 
Y

YKC

Guest
Antec 900 really not that worth it?

Anyway I was considering CM Centurion 5 for my Asus RamPage with XFX 9800GTX 512MB, but the salesman said that the casing ventilation might be not suitable for such hot devices. Is that right? As in, is Centurion 5 really not suitable in my case?
 
Y

YKC

Guest
Went to read some reviews on NZXT Tempest.

The case didn't have as great reviews as Antec 900. But I guess probably is due to comparing with other high end casing.

Just to double check some of the things mentioned for NZXT Tempest:
1) The material used in the case is rather soft and easily bent.

2) The PCI slot area has some bumps that is protruding towards the cards area which causes installation of graphic cards to be difficult.

3) The optical drive bay is loose as the securing areas are not well secured.

Anyone knows any of these comments are true?

Thanks in advance!
 
b1lk1

b1lk1

Tech Monkey
I personally reviewed the NZXT Tempest and the Centurion 590. Not only did I feel the Tempest was a far better case than the 900 in both quality and airflow (I also owned a few 900's) it is far better for cable management. I currently run a Centurion in my main PC since it also has far better airflow than the 900 once you add the fans that Coolermaster did not include. That salesman is trying to clear out his old stock as I cannot agree that the 900 is better than either case. If you ask me, for the money, the Centurion 590 cannot be beaten by anyone. Ample room for the largest video cards. PLUS, the Centurion allows you to mount your PSU with the large 120/140MM fan pointed down. This also helps orient the PSU wires against the back of the case for easier management. The 900 does not allow this. I used to call the 900 the king, but it is definitely dethroned.

Your answers:

1. Metal in all 3 cases same thickness

2. Never noticed that or cause me any problems.

3. The tool-less holders are somewhat flimsy but tha can be easily remedied with a few screws. The Antec requires you to use screws.

The Antec 900 has less space inside for parts and you will get cramped with high end video cards inside.
 
madmat

madmat

Soup Nazi
b1lk1 said:
I personally reviewed the NZXT Tempest and the Centurion 590. Not only did I feel the Tempest was a far better case than the 900 in both quality and airflow (I also owned a few 900's) it is far better for cable management. I currently run a Centurion in my main PC since it also has far better airflow than the 900 once you add the fans that Coolermaster did not include. That salesman is trying to clear out his old stock as I cannot agree that the 900 is better than either case. If you ask me, for the money, the Centurion 590 cannot be beaten by anyone. Ample room for the largest video cards. PLUS, the Centurion allows you to mount your PSU with the large 120/140MM fan pointed down. This also helps orient the PSU wires against the back of the case for easier management. The 900 does not allow this. I used to call the 900 the king, but it is definitely dethroned.

Your answers:

1. Metal in all 3 cases same thickness

2. Never noticed that or cause me any problems.

3. The tool-less holders are somewhat flimsy but tha can be easily remedied with a few screws. The Antec requires you to use screws.

The Antec 900 has less space inside for parts and you will get cramped with high end video cards inside.
Click to expand...

The Silverstone TJ10 soundly trounces both the NZXT AND the Coolermaster. It has more room than either, is built from better material than either and it's not a knockoff, it's the mold that others are attempting to copy.

As to screws versus screwless, it's a matter of tastes. Screwless are fine if you're constantly swapping drives in and out but if it's a PC that you plan to use as is for it's lifespan then screws are the better choice as they can't and won't allow the drives to come loose. If you're so pressed for time that you have to consider screws a con then look into investing $30 in a B&D 12V drill/driver. I can pretty much assure you that with a drill you can drive four (whole) screws in about the same time as it takes to slap screwless rails onto a drive and slap it into a hole.

If the non-screw setup is the type with the holders in the case then yes a drill isn't as fast but I guarantee that you will shove a 5.25" drive back through the hole with very little effort on those type of bays. If you shove a drive that's screwed in through the hole you've destroyed your PC.

As to the 900, if you like the look of it then go for it, don't be swayed by fans of other brands. The 900 has some nice points to it although it's a little too "boy racer" looking for my taste. It's still a decent case.
 
b1lk1

b1lk1

Tech Monkey
Are you seriously comparing a $250+ case to sub $100 cases ? If the Silverstone TJ10 did NOT trounce all cases under $200 then I would say it was an utter failure.

As for drives coming loose, I can't see how that would happen unless you move your PC which most people don't. Even if you do, all these cases with tool-less designs have holes to add a few screws. Same with shoving a drive through. You'd have to be a real hammer-head to do that honestly.

I was comparing against the 900, not a case that cost almost 3 times as much. In that respect, the NZXT and Coolermaster easily win and the 900 is just plain dated and lacks cable management features. It's only good point is airflow and even that is surpassed in the 2 cases I mentioned. If someone was considering ANY of the cases I am talking about as their next purchase, I guarantee they would not even consider spending $250+ for the Silverstone.
 
madmat

madmat

Soup Nazi
Ok, well... when you say that a certain product is better than all comers you should qualify it with a disclaimer like "in it's price range" as it sounds like you're saying it's better than anything out, period. Although I have to say that the Antec 1200 (I believe that's the name of it) looks like a pretty nice case from a performance perspective at least, I'm still not too hip on the look.

BTW, the TJ10 goes for well over $250 but if you're looking for a no holds barred uber case it's high on the list.

As to shoving a drive into a case... I guess I must be a real hammer-head because I've done it with my old Kingwin KT-424. I grabbed the case from the top, front and rear and lifted it from the floor only to have the top drive slither back into the case and, yes, after that I anchored my drives with screws but that sort of defeated the whole toolless aspect of the case.

edit: I guess I missed the "for the money" part. Sorry, I only got 1hr of sleep yesterday.
 
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b1lk1

b1lk1

Tech Monkey
Trust me, my head is also full of divots. I just have a hard time picturing the drives moving, but I am also pretty cautious when moving my PC so I guess I should qualify that statement as well that it is definitely possibly with a moment of carelessness, but not something that is overly expected.
 
Merlin

Merlin

The Tech Wizard
In the build for my little brother, I found the Antec Ninehundred to be a great case for the price. The cabling was not bad with the PSU in the bottom. The only cable that was hard to rout was the 4 pin power cable for the mobo.
Good air flow and the case ran really cool.
I even considered getting another 900 case for a server.
I cant really say anything bad about the case...and I'm really picky about things
attachment.php

:techgage::techgage: Merlin :techgage::techgage:
 
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madmat

madmat

Soup Nazi
I've got to ask, why are the top two drive bay covers set back further than the rest and the drives? BTW, beautiful paint job... self done?
 
Merlin

Merlin

The Tech Wizard
madmat said:
I've got to ask, why are the top two drive bay covers set back further than the rest and the drives? BTW, beautiful paint job... self done?
Click to expand...
LOL....... I had this all apart and when I put it back together, I thought it looked better ( to break up the front design ).

Thanks for the comment.....I plan to use House of Kolor paint on the next design and more clear coat layers. This one I used AutoColor with one clear coat.

Summer is here and I am still clearing out the barn for a paint shop....like TecDaddy's...he has a great setup

:techgage::techgage: Merlin :techgage::techgage:
 
b1lk1

b1lk1

Tech Monkey
No offense, but when you dig up an old thread to bash a company that has sold millions upon millions of product and have under 200 complaints at the CA BBB, I find it insignificant at best.
 
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