Get a FREE fully-working copy of Steganos Security Suite 7 (worth £49.99) when you sign up to the Practical PC Newsletter. Review: Antec Plus660AMG
Iain Laskey drools over a PC case - it's not a pretty sight!
| Product | Plus660AMG |
|---|---|
| Company | Antec |
| Web | www.antec-europe.com |
| Price | £89 |
| We like | Build quality, front ports, rail storage, fans |
| We don't like | Possibly too heavy! |
| Rating | 10/10 |
| Requirements |
Some cases are cheap, some not so cheap. I've often gone for the most inexpensive case available when building a PC. After all, the differences aren't exactly useful. Or are they?
A Big Heavy Box
When the Antec Plus660AMG arrived, the first thing that I noticed was that it was heavy. Really heavy. Unpacking it revealed a beautifully finished case in a dark metallic grey that actually looked far sleeker and sexier than you'd expect. The thickness and quality of the metal used was responsible for the weight and the immediate impression was of tank like sturdiness.
Sitting on top of the Plus660AMG was a brief but useful manual with all the information you need to make the job of fitting the PC's innards as smooth as possible. The side panel was held on by two screws which when removed allowed it to be unlocked and removed. The panel has a catch to lock it in place or you can choose to screw it back on if needed. Personally I like to have side panels that are easily removed so having a sliding catch instead of a row of screws was a big plus point.
Inside the case were a neatly stowed mains lead and a box of screws and risers. The main PSU is a 330W version of Antec's superb TruePower unit. This features a pair of cooling fans that adjust their speed to match the cooling requirements as well as far tighter voltage levels. There is also a dedicated power cable you can use to attach any case fans to. These will also be controlled by the PSU to suit the cooling demands.
The front of the case features a Firewire port along with a pair of USB sockets behind a small flap. If your motherboard supports extra ports this is an easy way to make them more accessible. It's a lot better than scrabbling about the back of the case every time you need to plug something else in. The front connections have a cable fitted inside with well-labelled plugs ready to attach to the motherboard.
Building
As with all cases, the building starts by fitting the motherboard risers so that they match the holes on the motherboard. The risers ensure the motherboard doesn't touch the case and short circuit. The motherboard is then screwed on to the risers.
There is a removable drive cage for fitting the hard drives inside. CD or DVD drives need to have rails attached before they can be fitted though. These are supplied and a natty holder on the floor of the case keeps the spares nearby for later expansion. Once 'railed up' the drives slide in nicely before locking in to place with a solid click.
The power cables from the PSU are generous with more that enough for even a heavily equipped PC and once fitted, you are ready to fire up the PC. The number of fans that comes with the Antec case is impressive. Apart from the two on the PSU, there are two other case fans including one fitted to the side panel. I was concerned these might be noisy but once the sturdy side panel is replaced, the noise level was quite acceptable. Of course, you don't need to have them all running if you don't want which reduces the noise levels further.
Rather unusually, the front features an additional pair of LEDs marked I and II. These can be attached to suitable motherboards to provide visual feedback on things like network activity.
Expansion
The Plus660AMG has three 5.25 inch bays and two 3.5 inch bays with the 5.25 inch bays designed to take drives on rails. The top front of the case can be removed without taking the side off providing easy access. The main drive cage can take up to three hard drives and has a slot for another fan if you need additional drive cooling. If you intend having two or three 7200RPM drives this will be useful. The case is quite wide compared to most which makes it easy to work inside although if space is a premium, you may find the width a problem.
Conclusion
This is a beautifully engineered case. The build quality and finish are both superb and it simply oozes quality. The attention to detail is impressive with lots of nice touches - it was even packaged nicely. The only real criticism is that being so heavy, it would be nice to have somewhere at the back to get a good grip on when manoeuvring it in to place. The high quality TruePower PSU is the icing on the cake. At this price it comes highly recommended.
