Antec P150 still has rubber band suspension?

Enclosures and acoustic damping to help quiet them.

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richard13
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Antec P150 still has rubber band suspension?

Post by richard13 » Sat Nov 18, 2006 8:16 am

I woke up this morning like a kid at Christmas. My thoroughly researched parts finally arrived a couple days ago and I was ready to build my new machine! Boy, was I disappointed when I opened the very first box (the P150). The side panel wasn't perfectly straight but I figured I could live with it but then I felt inside and sure enough those older style rubber band suspenders were there. What the heck?

I thought Antec converted to the bungee type many months ago! Or am I mistaken on this? Is there any way to find out which ones have bungee from the outside of the box?

I am going to return/exchange this one today.

Anodyne
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Post by Anodyne » Sat Nov 18, 2006 9:24 am

I just received a new Solo case I ordered from Fry's/Outpost.com last week, and it came with the newer bungie-style cords. I don't know if there's any way to tell from the outside of the box, though. I was under the impression from forum postings that Antec had converted all the P150/Solo cases to the bungie-style cords. Maybe your store slipped you a restocked/returned case?

panda-R
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Re: Antec P150 still has rubber band suspension?

Post by panda-R » Sat Nov 18, 2006 9:32 am

richard13 wrote: I thought Antec converted to the bungee type many months ago! Or am I mistaken on this? Is there any way to find out which ones have bungee from the outside of the box?
Unless your buying from a dealer that moves high volumes, you won't get the new bungee type. I bought mine from a high volume dealer and i still got the old crappy rubber. However, all isn't lost, you can go to your local fabric store and buy some elastic clothing bands for a few bucks and you have your fix right away. Or just call antec and tell them you want the new bungee cords.

tempoct
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Post by tempoct » Sat Nov 18, 2006 12:22 pm

I've just got the P150 two weeks ago from local Frys. The case is relatively new (my PSU dated 0604... Rev A4). I don't remember the date of case being QC coz it's under my mobo.
It still got rubber band. On contrary, the Solo case from the same store does have the new bungee type.

RAFH
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Post by RAFH » Sat Nov 18, 2006 3:04 pm

They may not have upgraded the P150 as soon or perhaps they haven't been moving as fast. I got my SOLO last June and I got the new bands.

richard13
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Post by richard13 » Sat Nov 18, 2006 4:43 pm

Well, the P150 I had was from the local Fry's so I figure they are high volume. I know for sure that they have sold out of the P150 several times since June when it was alleged that the rubber suspension would be swapped for the bungee ones.

A thought occurs to me that this changeover is just a rumor rather than a substantiated fact. I mean, surely a change like that should have filtered down to places like Fry's by now. It's been, what, six months already?

Anyway, the 2nd P150 I picked up this morning had surface scratches on it so I returned that one too. Considering I have a Neo HE 550 lying around doing nothing and since the Solo was on sale I decided to get it instead. The only concern I had, and still do, about the Solo is the glossy black finish which I'm sure I'll have to dust about every 30 seconds. :wink:

RAFH
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Post by RAFH » Sun Nov 19, 2006 12:34 am

Good for you.
By the way, I haven't found the 'dust' problem to be that significant. Besides, the black doesn't attract the dust, it just shows it up. Which is a good thing if you think of it.

Devonavar
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Post by Devonavar » Sun Nov 19, 2006 1:18 am

Yes, the change should have filtered down to Fry's by now, but it's more than a rumour. Antec confirmed that the new P150's were all shipping with the updated bands some time ago, as reported here.

I would talk to Antec about getting the bands replaced; I'm surprised to hear that they're still on the market.

richard13
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Post by richard13 » Sun Nov 19, 2006 8:42 am

I have read this review. It was, in part, why I became interested in the P150 in the first place. Are you the writer of it? If so, did you speak with Antec yourself or are you referencing some other report?

I just find it very odd that this correction hasn't showed up in the mainstream marketplace. But then again, Antec has a reputation for taking seemingly forever to correct things (i.e. the Neo HE PSU issue).

Devonavar
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Post by Devonavar » Sun Nov 19, 2006 2:16 pm

Yes, I wrote the review, based on information from Mike Chin (SPCR's editor-in-chief) who corresponded directly with Antec. I was present in the background when the conversation took place.

inti
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Post by inti » Tue Nov 21, 2006 5:35 am

I just got a P150 in the UK, and it had rubber bands still. I'm not complaining, the tension and springiness of the bands is just right for drive suspension. Also it was tough to get the drives to slide in, and the fact that the rubber bands have a circular cross-section so that they 'roll' over the drive really helped - although I can see how some people might partially sever the bands if not being careful sliding in a drive that has a sharp edge.

The P150 has been a joy to put together: I find many small things are 'just right'. For example the motherboard standoffs are a couple of mm higher than average, so you can route cables under the motherboard easily. The front panel USB connectors are nice and thin and flexible, and just the right length (shame about the thick inflexible I1394 though). The drive suspension system is awesome, and saves hours compared to DIY suspension. The modular PSU is excellent, no more floppy drive power cables for me. The whole is generally great to work with, with both side panels removable and the front panel swinging open as well. The only things I'd change are:
(1) the paintwork scratches too easily, like the Sonata before it
(2) the front panel can only be swung open if you have the side panel off, although you do need regular access to the front panel for example to clean the filters.
(3) shorter motherboard power lead, it's far too long, seems a strange oversight as they must know how far the max distance of the motherboard socket is in this case.

RAFH
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Post by RAFH » Tue Nov 21, 2006 3:33 pm

I have to agree with you about that 'right' feeling. Its not perfect but they sure did get a lot of stuff right. That bit about the front panel only being openable with the left panel off is my biggest issue and really, its not that big of a deal. I have to move the whole rig to get that panel off, but its a good thing, gives me a chance to clean it good.

nutball
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Post by nutball » Wed Nov 22, 2006 12:46 am

inti wrote:although I can see how some people might partially sever the bands if not being careful sliding in a drive that has a sharp edge.
It's not a question of the rubber being severed during the putting together of the box -- the problem is that the rubber used in the suspenders perishes rather rapidly when exposed to warmth. It becomes brittle, and breaks, dropping your (maybe still spinning) drive on to the floor of the case, or if you're lucky on to the drive below it (!). This can happen regardless of how carefully you put the drives in.

I rebuilt my P150 a few weeks ago after it had been running for ~6 months, and lo and behold I found that unbeknownst to me the drive suspension had failed. Fortunately my drives had survived. I've replaced it with the suspenders from a Solo now, which I feel much more happy about.

RAFH
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Post by RAFH » Wed Nov 22, 2006 10:39 am

Yikes!

I am liking the grommet system ever more.

kater
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Post by kater » Tue Dec 26, 2006 11:46 pm

i got my p150 in mid November - it still had rubber bands but it had a v fresh psu

i don't use the rubber bands as my hdd is in scythe qd enclosure (standing, cables up) and i sold the psu as i found my s12 quieter

anyway, the case rocks, the only thing is i have to clean the front intake pretty often - at least once a month

so far i've already broken and repaired the reset button a few times, but had no other issues

pandb
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just contact antect support

Post by pandb » Wed Dec 27, 2006 2:45 am

email antec support and they will send you the fabric suspension bands if you contact them.

TheRove
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Post by TheRove » Wed Dec 27, 2006 5:36 pm

Am I the only one who dislikes even the newer suspension mechanics of the Solo? I can't put a first generation Raptor in there without it tilting to a 45 degree angle. The alternative doesn't decouple but it's still better than most other cases.

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