Antec Nine Hundred, a cool cabinet for overclockers

Dark Horse · Post by **Dark Horse** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 4:53 pm

I just built a system with a Q6600 in an Antec Nine Hundred (that's saying a lot for me, since I am pretty pissed off at Antec for their embarrassingly poor choice to abandon quality in favor of mass production, for their SoHo cases). I have bought many of their SoHo cases over the past 10 years and while they started out great, their designs and quality have just gotten cheesier and cheesier, to the point where some literally falling apart! One, I cannot even start with the power button, because the CHEAP spring behind the button is too weak to push it back out! I have others with doors and grills falling off. This is very sad commentary on the management at Antec.

However, my son liked the case, so I bought it for the new build (Christmas gift).

I will give credit where credit is due. The Nine Hundred case is very quiet, with all of the fans set at low speed (default). It cools very well at those settings, and very quietly for the amount of air it moves. I cannot imagine any point in time my son will have to increase the fan speeds, because the system is currently over-clocked to 3.0 GHz -with the stock CPU fan- and it runs quiet and cool; you simply can't do that without good airflow and a good design.

I'd bet that if he wants to push it to 3.3 GHz, it would probably only require the addition of a Zalman CNPS-9700 (or similar cooler), and likely would not require upping the fan RPMs at all.

Also, you can stack a lot of drives in that box (read: "back-office"or "basement" or "Garage" storage of media for 1000Mbps LAN delivery to your quiet, customized set top "boxen"), though you'd then begin affecting the heat signatures and changing the cooling profile.

You've got to admit (I had to admit), that's pretty cool operation. It is a good thermal design. I am now considering building two of these with a RAID 0+1 config to store everything in the house (photos, VHS, DVD, etc), but that would be a big project -getting all of that data onto the drives, once the systems were built.

The biggest drawback to the Nine Hundred is the drive mountings. A second is the "Blow-Hole" with easy access for anyone's soft drink or other libation to damage the system (though smart placement of the case should mitigate this, and the placement of the "Blow-Hole" is very effective).

The whole reason I began buying Antec's cases back in the '90s was specifically because of the easily accessible latching drive cages and the ability to create good airflow (I over-clock everything, always). In short, their designs were superior; head and shoulders above the competition. Yet here we are 10 years later, and on the Nine Hundred you have to remove both side panels to mount the drives (gimme a break...this is Antec's "vision" of the future or a retro freak-show)?!

I was amazed that they'd opted not to use these cages! I once again found myself giving Antec a "huge" Black-Mark for failing, yet one more time, for deciding not to incorporate the removable drive cages! It's not like Antec cases are inexpensive ($160.00 with no PS), and they have to try to save money because they sell at a low price! It's obvious they're trading on their previously good reputation.

And, I am here to let them know about it!

Talk about regressing! If they continue down this path, they'll become like every other cheap case manufacturer, except their cases will still be carrying a high price tag.

That's a bad combination.

Still, all things considered, the Nine Hundred is a very cool and quiet cabinet, for those who like to push their hardware. I recommend it.

However, I'd like to see Antec clean up their act across their product line.

dh

PopCorn · Post by **PopCorn** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 6:24 pm

hahahah, see and every one here pointed fingers at me when i told them i chose the 900, and yet here i am cooling a 3800 X2 oced to 2.5, gts8800, 3 hdds, all with 1 fan running at 800rpm... and still i have average temps

bonestonne · Post by **bonestonne** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 6:38 pm

hmm, i thought about a 900, then i saw the price tag...opted for an Elite 330 instead, and i may get another. i run one PWM fan, and two 7v fans, and i can't here that rig across my puny room except at night when its dead silent in the house, then all i hear is the 92mm 7v fan. gotta do something about that soon though.

i personally think the filtered mesh makes a world of a difference rather than door or solid plastic front. call me crazy, but its true.

thejamppa · Post by **thejamppa** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 6:14 am

Antec Nine Hundreds price has dropped nicely here. I shall opt it for my game rig.

I counted that there will be 8!!! Yes, 8 fans out of 6 fans will be below 1000 RPM (+ VGA cards fans ) cooling my system. Yes I know over kill... ^^

I counted that three antec tri-cools would be changed into GlacialTech SilentBlade 950 RPM fan ( Poor mans nexus )

The side would come 1000 RPM Aercool Silverlighting 120 mm with Mobo control. ( this is just for the getting some bling in form of quad white leds )

HD 3850 has the quiet stock coolers. x 2 (These are 65 to 75mm fans but quiet and smallest fans in my set up )

Scythe S-flex E-model paired on TR SI-128 SE. Mobo controlled

HX 620W's fan

+ Antec Big Boy

Considering amount of fans many probably think I am insane. But all fans are very quiet in use. And I don't plan making Silent game rig but quiet game rig than can cool my hott crossfire.

8 Fans and guy plans making it quiet. We'll see that soon when I get my case and set-up running.

jhhoffma · Post by **jhhoffma** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 7:47 am

thejamppa wrote:I counted that there will be 8!!! Yes, 8 fans out of 6 fans will be below 1000 RPM (+ VGA cards fans ) cooling my system. Yes I know over kill... ^^

( this is just for the getting some bling in form of quad white leds )

HD 3850 has the quiet stock coolers.

I think you'll have to turn in your SPCR Members' Card now...

thejamppa · Post by **thejamppa** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 10:25 am

jhhoffma wrote:
thejamppa wrote:I counted that there will be 8!!! Yes, 8 fans out of 6 fans will be below 1000 RPM (+ VGA cards fans ) cooling my system. Yes I know over kill... ^^

( this is just for the getting some bling in form of quad white leds )

HD 3850 has the quiet stock coolers.
I think you'll have to turn in your SPCR Members' Card now...

You can rip it out of my cold dead fingers...

^.~ I'll see how much I will then have to undervolt fans. The VGA coolers fans are quieter combined than a single nexus at 12v in desktob use. Perfectly enough for me.

thejamppa · Post by **thejamppa** » Fri Apr 04, 2008 10:15 am

Some update. I just 30 mins ago finished assembling my game rig into Antec Nine Hundred. Case is not silent but it is quiet. Even with all fans not changed but standard ante TriCools low case is quiet. Sound it produces is very dark woosh. Quite pleasant actually...

However I will change 3 TriCools into Nexuses or SilentBlades when I have time and strenth to do it. ( I have both extra three ).

Now, the cable routing in Nine hundred was bitch to do, to make it look cleanish. You never can think getting that as clean as you get Solo or P18x.

With Thermalright HR-01 attached with bolt theu kit, the side 120mm fan place is unusable. Height of the cooler won't allow using side fan option. I was too lazy to change cooler into Thermalright SI-128 SE which I have and I planned to getting change it eventually.

Now I manage just do simple thermal evaluation: SLK-3000B with grills removed and 120mm nexus exhaust and noctua 800 rpm intake:

My GPU were idling in 54-56 degree's C. In Nine Hundred GPU's are idling atm 45-47 degree's C. That is tremendous drop. I will edit this post later to get more detailed report.

I will also do search and if there is no user review article and there is strength for me to do, I could do user review of this case. Albeit not designed to be silent case there has been intrest in this case inside SPCR.