Antec P180 - Worth getting a replacement? (via warranty)

jermaink · Post by **jermaink** » Sun Jul 31, 2005 4:37 am

There are few niggly things about my case which are annoying me, and I'm wondering whether I should (or even would be able) to use the warranty to get a replacement.

The door doesn't shut properly (slight bulging problem), but is this enough to ask for a replacement?
There are scratches down one of the sides...
Also, 2 of the hooks used for closing the case have broken off as well.

The case is still very good, but I've only had it for (almost) 2 weeks, and it's already got a few issues which isn't good for a case I hope to last for a couple/few years.

Any thoughs?

silence · Post by **silence** » Sun Jul 31, 2005 7:02 am

I also have the same bulging problem with the front door on my P180. I have refrained from returning it because A) it would have to be shipped back to Newegg, and B) taking everything back out and undoing all the cables would be such a waste of the 5 hours it took me to put it all together. There doesn't seem to be any major defect in the door aside from the fact that it does bulge out in the middle near the power button. If I were to guess it could be caused by the hinge not suspending the door at the proper height, but again I'd have to take a closer look. I'll be watching this to see what you end up doing with yours; there has been at least one post confirming that replacement parts are not available for these cases at this time.

-DG-

jermaink · Post by **jermaink** » Sun Jul 31, 2005 7:14 am

Yeah...though I wonder whether the problems I stated constitute a breach of warranty, so that it could be returned.

I definitely agree with the hassel not being worth it. I might keep it for a while, and enforce the warranty in a few months or something. I do like the case, but having bits break off after a couple of days during standard building and not having the door close properly are not things which should exist in a new product.

IonYz · Post by **IonYz** » Mon Aug 01, 2005 7:29 pm

Yeah, my Black P180 bulges but so were the aluminum P180s at Frys. It doesn't look too bad, setting apart the USB/FireWire/Etc area a bit more then the door.

2grVe · Post by **2grVe** » Mon Aug 01, 2005 10:31 pm

Guess this isn’t a one off, my door has the same bulge in the middle of the door. The door will not close flush.

Tried to figure out if the top and bottom is curved or the middle.

I called the shop, he said I could send it back (and considering several people have the same defect it should definitely be a warranty issue) or with his blessing try and bend it straight. I had a go but considering the plastic it wasn’t that easy. It made it a little better but I am not that happy. I cant be bothered (and don’t really have the time) to send everything back so he offered to send me a replacement door whenever spare parts showed up.

Have to see,

runcible · Post by **runcible** » Tue Aug 02, 2005 4:23 am

Glad I'm not the only one!

Have the same bulging/warping front door issue, and was thinking about warranty claim. Along with the pain of having to remove everything then re-install it all again, leaving a rather sour taste in my mouth.

However I'm beginning to wonder if this issue has anything to do with the expansion/contraction of the aluminium front panel?

Bear with me here.

I've noticed that when my room is cold, the door panel is noticeably warped, and very cold to the touch (chilly here in Melbourne at the mo). However, after the room warms up to a comfortable level, and the door is just cool to the touch as opposed to very cold, the door is far less warped and almost flush with the USB/Firewire panel.

My theory is that where the aluminium panel clips onto the door the plastic is being 'pulled' inwards, creating the warp/curve.

Any opinions? Am I imagining things? Barking up the wrong tree? Does my grasp of the expansion/contraction of aluminium due to heat leave a lot to be desired?

I await the collective intellectual might of the SPCR forums to (hopefully) agree with me or shoot me down in flames. In the nicest possible way of course.

IonYz · Post by **IonYz** » Tue Aug 02, 2005 5:33 am

I don't know it temp has anything to do with it. When I first got my case it was over 35c outside and from the touch had been on the delivery van all day. It was VERY warm inside. And the front bulged.

Haven't noticed a real difference after it has been sitting in the office. Even the ones in Frys, in a cool air conditioned environment, look the same as mine.

Suppose once separate parts become available we can all just ask for the door instead of gutting it out. Me, I'm not as worried because the way I'll be using the case. Its very understated and perfect to just place below my desk in the shadows and disappear. If this was a bling case, I'd be pissed by the smallest imperfection.

dodecahedron · Post by **dodecahedron** » Sat Aug 06, 2005 12:47 am

hi there.
i too got this bulging door issue

the door is sort of "bellying" outwards.

took a few pics, tell me is this what yours look like?

bottom:

middle:

top:

I/O panel:

the door panel bulges 1/16 inch next to the I/O panel.

do you know if this is considered a defect, and justifies having the case replaced by the retailer? and is the retailer obliged to comply?
I certainly expected a top-of-the-line case (and rather expensive case) such as this not to have such a flaw.

or is it possible to have Antec supply a replacement door?
is it at all possible to replace the door, can this be done by me and not by an Antec service-persontechnical ?

DrStrange · Post by **DrStrange** » Sat Aug 06, 2005 4:20 am

I think Antec meant to have the door closing properly but have rushed this case to market, because if you look at the inside of the door where it is opposite the USB/Firewire ports you will see another strong magnet about 6cms x 1/2cm but nothing that it can be attracted to. It should be a simple mod to superglue a nice metal piece on the front frame of the case so that it pulls the door in.

jermaink · Post by **jermaink** » Sat Aug 06, 2005 7:59 am

The 'bulging door' problem does seem to be fairly common.

However with the 'broken case pannel hooks', I might be able to get a replacement under warranty. (I've also got a few nasty scratches on the cages inside and my resent button isn't working...

jermaink · Post by **jermaink** » Sat Aug 06, 2005 8:01 am

dodecahedron, your bulging is quite minimal. I'm getting about 5 mm on mine, while yours looks to be about 2 mm.

dodecahedron · Post by **dodecahedron** » Sat Aug 06, 2005 9:05 am

yep,it's about 1/16-2/16 of an inch (used US units

it's about 3 mm).
so, has anyone got his case replaced over this issue ?

2grVe · Post by **2grVe** » Sat Aug 06, 2005 10:35 am

My door bulges about 2-3 mm. I have taken off the front and checked it against a flat surface and it is definitely bent. On mine the door does have a second magnet in the middle (including a magnet to connect to) but due to the bend it doesn’t make a difference. It doesn’t seem that strong anyway.

p.s. does anyone know how to best remove the rivets in the P180, can I just pull them out?

Shadowknight · Post by **Shadowknight** » Sat Aug 06, 2005 11:31 am

I don't know offhand, but there's a thread in the casemod forum of hardforum where someone took out rivets from the bottom PSU cage of the P180 so they could mount a fan on the front of the case.

2grVe · Post by **2grVe** » Sat Aug 06, 2005 11:41 am

Thanks, I found the thread... he used a drill and drill bit.

dodecahedron · Post by **dodecahedron** » Sat Aug 06, 2005 12:27 pm

2grVe wrote:My door bulges about 2-3 mm. I have taken off the front and checked it against a flat surface and it is definitely bent. On mine the door does have a second magnet in the middle (including a magnet to connect to) but due to the bend it doesn’t make a difference. It doesn’t seem that strong anyway.

can you explain how you took the door off ?

dodecahedron · Post by **dodecahedron** » Sat Aug 06, 2005 12:29 pm

Shadowknight wrote:I don't know offhand, but there's a thread in the casemod forum of hardforum where someone took out rivets from the bottom PSU cage of the P180 so they could mount a fan on the front of the case.

http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=936507

2grVe · Post by **2grVe** » Sat Aug 06, 2005 12:40 pm

can you explain how you took the door off ?

I should have been clearer; I took the whole front panel off, not the door specifically. Which is a good point, the store I ordered from promised to send me a replacement door whenever they became available. I wonder if he means to send me the front panel or just the “door”. Can it be removed without breaking the frame?

Freelancer77 · Post by **Freelancer77** » Sat Aug 06, 2005 1:07 pm

2grVe wrote:
can you explain how you took the door off ?
I should have been clearer; I took the whole front panel off, not the door specifically. Which is a good point, the store I ordered from promised to send me a replacement door whenever they became available. I wonder if he means to send me the front panel or just the “door”. Can it be removed without breaking the frame?

The entire front bezel as a unit can be removed without much risk if you have a steady hand.

There are three decent sized "catches" in each side of the plastic of the front bezel assembly, and they can be pushed in enough to release with hand pressure, or if you aren't 6'4" and 215#, with a straight slot screwdriver.

I would recommend releasing all three from the hinge side of the door first, from top to bottom. Hinge side because it has less material stiffness compared to the side including the lock, power/reset buttons, I/O group and lamps. Top first for the same reason, the lower half has more total material to support the intake grilles/doors, plus there is more distance from the top to the middle catch. On the door closing side the opposite is true, the middle catch of the three is closer to the top.

This picture was taken after painting the front so bare steel didn't show with the doors open and filters off. You can see the rectangular holes for the door catches, three to a side. Note that the case is oriented nearly upside down in this view.

And just to add a point, my case had no physical or material imperfections like those who started this thread, so it's not a universal condition. You have every reason and right to activate the warranty for proper replacement parts. Replacing scratched side panels and warped front doors is small potatoes to Antec compared to a dissatisfied customer who will be less likely to purchase or recommend Antec in the future. It's their job, and you paid for what you expected, make sure you get it. Settling for a product that you paid good money for and dissapoints you is pointless.

I steered clear of Antec for quite a while because of things I didn't like about their construction or design. I took a look at the P160 because it had several significant design improvements, but fell short of gaining my money. The P180 hasn't turned me into an Antec-or-nothing type, but it's an outstanding case and well worth the price and I couldn't be happier with it. But had it been marred I would have returned it without a second thought.

dodecahedron · Post by **dodecahedron** » Sat Aug 06, 2005 11:35 pm

2grVe, who is the retailer you bought the case from who had promised you a replacement ?

question to all the peeps with a warped/bulging front door:
when did you buy the case? i'm starting to think maybe Antec shipped a bad batch.
mine was shipped from Antec USA (Fremont, CA) on July 25.

2grVe · Post by **2grVe** » Sun Aug 07, 2005 1:54 am

2grVe, who is the retailer you bought the case from who had promised you a replacement ?

The retailer is a German internet store called Frozen Silicon. They were the only ones that actually had them (and did not just list them with an out of stock label). I have not had any problems with the store and they have always been helpful so I do not doubt he will keep his word.

My case arrived around a week ago so about 01.08.05. I don’t know if there is a serial number somewhere. On the box I can only find the type (P-180 EU) and a C/No.: 328.

Does anyone know how to identify a batch or series?

jermaink · Post by **jermaink** » Sun Aug 07, 2005 3:16 am

I'm in Australia, so I'm assuing that the problem is pretty widespread.

Hellspawn · Post by **Hellspawn** » Sun Aug 07, 2005 7:47 am

I was just about to pull the trigger tomorrow, glad I found this thread. I think I'll sit out and see what the Antec response on this is first.

jermaink · Post by **jermaink** » Sun Aug 07, 2005 8:20 am

It's still a very good case. It's just that my case has several of the niggly problems. Big bulge, broken hooks, scratches on cage, reset button not working.

I'd still get it over almost every other case, providing that these problems are covered in the warranty.

suchageek · Post by **suchageek** » Sun Aug 07, 2005 1:29 pm

Mine was shipped from the San Francisco Bay Area to Phoenix. While the box wasn't in good shape the case was fine. The clips on the side doors work if you remove it carefully. I use a little pressure pressing up at the same time. I've had mine off and on at least ten times. Reset button works. I have a slight warp on the left door and once attached it's fine so it's very slight but I did notice it off. I've had serveral cases and all side doors seem to not be perfect.

I tried to remove the front bezel so I could remove the fire wire and audio cable but the top clips are really in there so I stopped. Called Antec and the guy said it's tight to minimize vibration. To those who did manage to remove the bezel, did it reattach well?

Freelancer77 · Post by **Freelancer77** » Sun Aug 07, 2005 11:54 pm

suchageek wrote:Mine was shipped from the San Francisco Bay Area to Phoenix. While the box wasn't in good shape the case was fine. The clips on the side doors work if you remove it carefully. I use a little pressure pressing up at the same time. I've had mine off and on at least ten times. Reset button works. I have a slight warp on the left door and once attached it's fine so it's very slight but I did notice it off. I've had serveral cases and all side doors seem to not be perfect.

I tried to remove the front bezel so I could remove the fire wire and audio cable but the top clips are really in there so I stopped. Called Antec and the guy said it's tight to minimize vibration. To those who did manage to remove the bezel, did it reattach well?

Yep, I've had the front bezel off twice, popped back on just fine. It is on tight, that's for sure. But the pressure needed to release it isn't excessive. If the plastic was the older, rigid kind I would have stopped, but the P180 plastic has enough give to work with.

silence · Post by **silence** » Mon Aug 08, 2005 8:08 am

Mine was ordered and shipped from Newegg on 6/28/05 from the following location:

Industry Warehouse
14237 E. Don Julian Rd.
City of Industry,CA 91746

When it arrived the box was in good to excellent condition, as it had no punctures or severe dents and the packing materials inside the case were untouched. The case has no visual blemishes other than the bulging door.

Runcible:
I have also noticed that when the A/C in my house is turned up and the temperature is reduced, the front door panel becomes more warped compared to when it is the same temperature inside and outside my house. I would expect the case to react to temperature because not only is it exposed to temperature differences, but the airflow through the case likely induces temperature-related changes. The front door comes in contact with all of the air that passes through this case, so if this air is indeed cooler than "normal" it *might* have something to do with the warping effect. Just a thought...

-DG-

IonYz · Post by **IonYz** » Mon Aug 08, 2005 8:52 am

jermaink wrote:dodecahedron, your bulging is quite minimal. I'm getting about 5 mm on mine, while yours looks to be about 2 mm.

Yeah mine is closer to 5mm too. The bulge starts shortly below the top of the door and doesn't stop until near the bottom.

Purchased mine from End PC Noise with free ground shipping.

2grVe · Post by **2grVe** » Fri Aug 19, 2005 10:32 am

I can not remember who mentioned it, but locking the door for extended periods of time seems to help with the bulging issue on the P180. I haven’t installed my system yet so I have had time to leave the door locked for the last couple of days. The door isn’t perfect yet but I can definitely see an improvement in the way the door shuts. I cant imagine that this fixes the door completely but if anyone can not be bothered fixing it completely, it does seem to help. The bulge is now maybe 2 mm less and the door seems more willing to fit flush…

dodecahedron · Post by **dodecahedron** » Mon Aug 29, 2005 4:28 am

OK got my replacement case today.
took quite a while and some arguing with my vendor but...

packing is different.
the external box was pretty banged up (unlike first time) but i guess that's sloppy shipping.
previous case came in a box-with-a-box: inside the external carton (with all the pics and logos) was another carton, fitting very tightly, and inside that was the case. this time no internal carton!

however this time there was a carton "wrapper" around the part of the case between the two styrofoam pieces at the ends, no such thing with the first case.

also the screws came in 2 bags now not one, one bags for motherboard screws and stand-offs and second for all the rest (i think this topics explains why: http://forums.silentpcreview.com/viewtopic.php?t=22948 . i think i read somewhere an Antec rep saying they were changing the packaging of the screws so it's clear which ones are for the motherboard).
seems Antec has changed the packing style.

i also got the manual, which i didn't last time.

the door on the new case is fine. so that problem is solved.

however i've a different question now.
(i've a feeling the box/case had been opened. possibly some bought this case had returned it?)

the 38mm fan in the lower chamber came uninstalled (not connected to its metal braket). did anyone get a case with the big fan disconnected ???

the annoying thing: the trays of the upper HD chamber apprear to be "bent". the vertical sides of the tray aren't perpendicular to the bottom of the tray but bend slightly inwards (one of them is simply bent!). i took a few pics to show what i mean:

first tray:

second tray:

are everyone's trays' vertical sides bent inwards like that or is it just mine ?