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 SLK2650-BQE
Iain Laskey examines Antec's latest budget case
| Product | SLK2650-BQE |
|---|---|
| Company | Antec |
| Web | www.antec.com/uk |
| Price | £60 |
| We like | Quiet, well constructed, drive rails |
| We don't like | Rather bland looking, no Firewire port |
| Rating | 10/10 |
| Requirements |
Antec's new 'budget' offering, the less than sexily titled SLK2650-BQE is aimed at people who want Antec quality but are willing to forgo some of the extras they can live without. That said, this case still offers some pretty nice features.
Features
The SLK2650 includes a SmartPower 350w power supply as standard. These PSUs adjust their fan speed to compensate for the current temperature and load and are designed to be both quieter and cooler than many others. This particular unit has a single large 120mm fan and does indeed run fairly quietly.
The box itself is steel and may be a bit too heavy for some people, especially those used to more lightweight options such as Antec's LanBoy series. The rear contains a large 120mm fan which can be optionally augmented by an additional side fan. The case does include an air guide which is designed to aim the side fans output at the CPU area. You'll need to supply your own 80mm fan though to make best use of this but even without an additional fan, it still helps provide a direct route for cool external air to reach the CPU's fan and heat sink. The rear again features the small storage bay for screws and fittings in common with some other Antec cases.
The front of the case has a large door that keeps all the drives tidied away from view which may or may not be good depending on how often you need to load CDs or DVDs. Finally, a pair of USB ports are included. We'd have hoped to have had a Firewire connector and some audio ports at the front too though. The case is finished with a matt black slightly textured paint which hides fingerprints nicely unlike some of the glossy black cases out there. Antec also provide a nice little installation guide which is a great help to first time builders.
Installation
Fitting the components for this review provided no real problems. The 3.5 inch drives have a removable cage to make fitting them easier but we'd recommend making sure this is fitted before you start adding cards to the motherboard or you might find things a bit tight. Also, being a budget case, it lacks a motherboard tray so a little planning is required to ensure you don't end up struggling to fit some components in-situ.
A really neat feature is a new style of drive rail. Previous incarnations needed to be screwed on to the drives but the ones supplied with the SLK2650-BQE simply slip on. We were surprised to find just how well this worked and the drives felt as solidly installed as if they'd been screwed in. Up to four 5.25 inch and two 3.5 inch drives can be accessed at the front with further room inside for two more 3.5 inch drives. Changing front mounted drives is made easy by a single release point.
The single side panel is held on by a pair of thumbscrews making it easy to dive in and re-arrange components if that's your thing.
Once powered up, the SmartPower CPU surprised us with its quiet operation. The larger than usual rear fan helped to minimise noise further. It's not totally silent but it is very quiet.
Conclusion
The Antec SLK2650-BQE is a very nice case. It's well built and has most of the nice touches from its more expensive brethren plus a three year warranty. The price isn't outrageous either. That said, you can get some very nice cases for the same price or less complete with additional fans, lights, side windows and all those other bits that seem de-rigour these days. However, if you want a good, solid, quiet case and PSU that won't frighten people with a Jean Michel Jarre light show, the SLK2650-BQE could well be the one for you.
