Antec Mini-P180 Advanced Mini Tower

Build Summary and Conclusion

Build Summary:  The Antec Mini-P180 proved to be a great foundation to build on, with ample cooling, including the huge 200mm “Big Boy” fan placed directly over the CPU area, and mounts for three additional 120mm fans (although only one comes pre-installed).  These are aided in their overall performance by dust-reducing air filters and external speed controls for the fans.  We’re also impressed by the level of attention Antec gave to reducing unwanted noise.  Vibrational noise caused by fans or other components like drives vibrating against the chassis is kept to an absolute minimum with proper use of silicone grommets and a multi-layer door construction.  Heck, even the pull-rings used on the drive cages get latched down so they won’t rattle.

Our overall impression of the Antec Mini-P180 was quite favorable, even if the case is more like a full-sized mid-tower than a "mini" as its name implies.  The height of the case has been reduced by almost four inches from the original P180, but the width has barely changed, and the depth of the case has actually increased.   It still has the great looks of its predecessors with sleek outlines, a double-hinged door, and comes in either the gunmetal grey and black or white color schemes.

What really sells the Mini-P180, however, is the cooling performance and low noise output. Combined with the Intel DG45ID we barely heard any sounds coming from our unit during our post-build testing until we added in a more powerful video card for better gaming performance. At about $120, the Mini-P180 isn't cheap, but its high quality construction, near silent operation, and feature set certainly justify the price. Those looking for a quiet and stylish enclosure should definitely look into the Antec Mini-P180.

  • Can support full-sized graphics cards
  • Two zones isolate heat
  • Near silent operation
  • Fan controls on outside of chassis

 

  • Larger than one might expect for mini-ATX or HTPC purposes
  • Drive bays must be removed to install extra fans
  • Reset button recessed too far

 

 


Tags:  HTPC, tower, Antec, micro-ATX

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