Antec Twelve Hundred Review!

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<img src=";http://www.CyberGamer.com.au/users/24149/articleimages/645/Twelve_Hundred_001.jpg" alt="" width="300" />
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<span><strong><span><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Introduction</span></span></strong></span>
<span>Antec, Inc. is the global leader in high-performance computer components and accessories for the gaming market. At the age of 23 Antec is stillrecognized as theindustry standardand has maintained its position as a worldwide market leader. Thisinternational provider of quiet, efficient and innovative products is dedicated to giving gamers what they want.</span>
The Antec Twelve Hundred(1200) is the successor of the well known Antec Nine Hundred(900) Case. The Antec 900 case was asensation around the globe, winning numerous awards and became the standard for high-performance gaming cases. Does the Antec 1200 promise to bring anything different to the table, or will it be a feeble marketing attempt?
<strong><span><span style="text-decoration: underline;">In depth look</span></span></strong>
<img src=";http://www.CyberGamer.com.au/users/24149/articleimages/645/Antec_1200_005.jpg" alt="" width="300" />
Antec assures you that your product will arrive snug and unharmed. The 1200 comes packaged in a large plastic cover and sandwiched between two custom fitted foam paddings.
<img src=";http://www.CyberGamer.com.au/users/24149/articleimages/645/Antec_1200_008.jpg" alt="" width="300" />
The 1200 gamingcase lookslike a beast, itsporst a standard black theme andis made from steelwith a few plastic parts. As you can see there is plent of ventalation from the front and side panel which adds excellent air circulation properties.
There are a total of 12 drive bays, these are broken up into 3 optical drives and 9 internal storage drive bays. There are 3 hard drive cages which house 3 hard drives each, to give a total of 9 possible hard disk drives. Each cage can be repositioned and removed.
<img src=";http://www.CyberGamer.com.au/users/24149/articleimages/645/Antec_1200_010.jpg" alt="" width="300" />
The front panel connection is very similar to the one of the 900's. There is just one major difference and that is thereplacement of Firewirefor eSATA. Personally I benefited from this because my External HDD can now easily be connected without having to use the port on the rear of the motherboard. However it is all user preference, as photography buffs who use a firewire connection will be unhappy to see there port replaced. The other connections are two USB ports, a microphone and headphone jack as well as the power/reset button and activity LED's.
Located at the top of the case is a convenience tray which is handy for mobile phones, music players, cameras and other peripherals. As well as the star attraction of the case; the uniquely mounted<strong>Antec 200mm'Big Boy' Tri-Cool exhaustfan</strong>. This fan can be controlled viaa port on the rear of the case and significantly decreases the case's temperature. Much like the 900's exhaust fan it is used to pull warm air outside of the case and off of the motherboard.
<img src=";http://www.CyberGamer.com.au/users/24149/articleimages/645/Antec_1200_014.jpg" alt="" width="300" />
The interior of the case is an all black theme which looks very sleek. From the inside we can truely see how big this case is, Antec provides you witha lot of working space however the 1200 does not support EATX (only ATX and mATX). Unfortunately Antec do not provide you with a removable motherboard tray, which is a real shame because I like to install my components away from the case. However this is irrelevant with the large room that they provide you.Antec has also incorporated a cable management system which I will speak about further onin the review.
From the rear we can see that there are two 120mm blueexhaust fans, two pre-cut holes for water cooling tubes to pass through, an IO Shield plate, a standard PSU or Antec's CP series PSUmount as well as seven ventilated expansion card slots. Also located on the rear is a fan control switch. From this switch you can control the speeds of the 200mm exhaust fan and the two rear 120mm exhaust fans, as well as toggle the blueLED for the top 200mm fan.
<img src=";http://www.CyberGamer.com.au/users/24149/articleimages/645/Antec_1200_015.jpg" alt="" width="300" />
One of the additions in the 1200 which I find very appealing is the implementation of a cable management system. We first saw this implemented into the Performance Series, but proved to be a big hit, now we are seeing it implemented into Antec's other high-end cases.. Not only does this feature make your system look incredibly tidy but it improves the air circulation in the case. This is pretty important when you can have up to eight case fans in this beast. The only downfall to this management system is that I found some cables cannot fit through. All of the cables from my power supply could fit through but it was a matter of getting the side panel back on. Some users also find cable length to be a problem too. Overall this feature is a great addition.
<img src=";http://www.CyberGamer.com.au/users/24149/articleimages/645/Antec_1200_016.jpg" alt="" width="300" />
Earlier I spoke about the case having three removable hard drive cages. It is also worth mentioning that each of these hard drive cages house one blue 120mm intake fan. This is a very convenient method of intaking cool air and exhausting this over the hard drives and other components.Each of these fans are controlled by a fan control speed knob which is located at the bottom right of each cage, the fan speeds and effects will be displayed under the performance section of the review. In the image above it is easy to see a mesh like device sticking out of one of the cages. This is a dust filter prevents the dust from entering the case whilst intaking cool air.There are a total of four dust filters, oneis includedin all of the hard drivecages and an additional one on the side panel.
Note: Each filter can be easily removed and washed for reuse.
<strong><span><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Pricing</span></span></strong>
The Antec Twelve Hundred is still unfortunately considered as an expensive case. However if you want performance, you have to spend the extra money. In regular circumstances the 900 or new Antec 902 can perform adequately for the dollar, but for users which require a bigger rig the 1200 just does not compare.
Regular Price: $259[LINK]: <a href=";http://www.mtechcomputers.com.au/product_info.php?products_id=4416&osCsid=8a558a0e84048c50c7d0e83a90996e08">http://www.mtechcomputers.com.au/product_info.php?products_id=4416&osCsid=8a558a0e84048c50c7d0e83a90996e08</a><strong>One Time Offer (Limited Stock): $180</strong>[LINK]: <a href=";http://www.mtechcomputers.com.au/product_info.php?products_id=7182&osCsid=8a558a0e84048c50c7d0e83a90996e08">http://www.mtechcomputers.com.au/product_info.php?products_id=7182&osCsid=8a558a0e84048c50c7d0e83a90996e08</a>
<strong><span><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Performance</span></span></strong>
I can gladly say that there is no use for my homes air conditioning system anymore.
The Antec 1200 case is perfect for overclockers. The case offers excellent air flow and cooling which is vital for getting the most out of your components. Although the case has fantastic cooling and untouchable air circulation, it has its draw backs. The noise and light factor were at the top of the list. I found the case extremely irritating at night due to the fact is the equivalent of having a jumbo jet in your room. Also if you are a user which indulges in the frequent overnight download you can kiss your sleep goodbye, it is literally impossible to fall asleep with 5 blue LED fans hissing and glaring at you. Unfortunately only one of the fan's LED's could be toggled with.
Below I have listedthe fan and case specs:
<strong>120mm Case Fan:</strong>Low/Med/HighSpeed: 1200/1600/2000 RPMNoise: 25/28/30 DBAAirflow: 39/56/79 CFM
<strong>200mm Case Fan:</strong>Low/Med/HighSpeed: 400/700/1000 RPMNoise: 24/28/34 DBAAirflow: Air Flow 83/127/168 CFM
<strong>Dimensions:</strong>- 22.9" (H) x 8.4" (W) x 20.2" (D) - 582mm (H) x 213mm (W) x 513mm (D)
<strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Conclusion</span></strong>
The Antec Twelve Hundred is a case which is just immaculate. The design, cooling and features of the case are just outstanding. When it comes to picking a case the only person which can choose it, is you. If you do not like the look or feel of the case thenit is clearly not the right one for you. I myself have afew personalpreferences when choosing a case:
<ul>
<li><strong>An all aluminum design</strong></li>
<li><strong>Sleek, low profile design</strong></li>
<li><strong>Removable motherboard tray</strong></li>
<li><strong>Non-Molex fan connectors</strong></li>
<li><strong>Large and lengthy size</strong></li>
</ul>
As you can see the Antec 1200 doesn't suit me personally, I just found the case's light's and noise unbearable. Some users like the loud, gamer look but I myself don't.Howeverthis is still an exceptional case and the performance of the case is unmatched for any air cooled environment.
<strong>Performance: </strong>10/10<strong>Design: </strong>7/10<strong>Price: </strong>7/10
<strong>Overall: 8/10</strong>
On a final note, I would like to that Antec for providing me with such a high quality case and be on the look out for there new cases (Antec 200). I would also like toremind everyone to keep reading our reviews and post your thoughts below.Thanks for your attention.
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