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 (4 star rating)
Background
I recently purchased a custom built PC, and one of the stipulations I had before ordering the PC was that I be able to choose the components used in the system. I had done quite a bit of research prior to ordering the system, and the case I selected was the Antec Sonata with an Antec 380w TruePower power supply. It is used to house the common PC components of a computer (motherboard, optical drive, hard drive, floppy drive, video card, HSF). There are literally hundreds of different PC cases on the market today, and I chose the Antec Sonata ATX Mid-Tower case because I was looking for a PC case with the following characteristics that were most important to me:
- Quiet
- Good airflow for keeping all components inside the case cool
- Reliable power supply with minimum of 350w power rating
- Styling that is not gaudy or cheesy
Basic information
This case is made almost entirely of steel, except for the front bezel, which is made of plastic. The color is called piano black , which is just a fancy name for a deep black that is shiny and somewhat reflective. It is an average sized mid-tower case, measuring 16.8" x 18.3" x 8.2". It has three 5.25" external drive bays, two 3.5" external drive bays, and four 3.5 internal drive bays with rubber grommets to absorb hard drive vibrations. I didn't know what a grommet was, but by looking at the drive bays I've concluded that it is basically just a little piece of rubber that is located at the contact point between the hard drive and the case. The front bottom-section of the computer has little divots, which are not noticeable when you look at the computer from the front, that allow air to flow into the front of the case. Each side of the case has BB-sized holes spelling out the brand name "Antec" on the upper part of the side-section.
It has one rear-mounted 120mm fan that comes standard, and one front 120mm fan slot for an additional fan (this additional fan is optional and must be purchased separately). The case includes an air filter, located behind the front bottom-section, that can be removed, cleaned and then re-installed to minimize the amount of dust that gets into the case.
The front of the case has a little silver colored flip-open cover for the front ports. The front connections include two USB 2.0 ports, one Firewire port and 2 audio ports. The audio ports are a microphone jack and a headphone jack. Coming out of this flip-open cover is a bright blue light emitted by LED lights. Some may find this annoying, but it can easily be turned off permanently by disconnecting the power connector for the lights.
The included power supply is the Antec TruePower 380 watt ATX12V. It includes a single 20-pin main power connector, a 6-pin AUX power connector, a 4-pin 12V power connector and several other peripheral power connectors. It is backward compatible with older motherboards, so even if your motherboard doesn't support the 6-pin AUX power connector or the 12V power connector, it will still work with this power supply. I won't go into any more of the details of this power supply, as this is a review of the case only, but Antec has a reputation for power supplies that deliver solid, reliable power to all of your PC's components& and this one lives up to that reputation.
Included in the box
Aside from the packing material around the case, and the case itself , the only other items included in the box were the instruction manual and a little bag of screws, connectors, keys, etc. The instruction manual was helpful with laying out the power / LED connections, USB / Firewire, Audio connections, fan and motherboard power connections, and finally the motherboard and floppy / optical / hard drive installation. It is written clearly and is easy enough to follow during the installation.
Installation of components in the case
Since I did not install all of the components myself, I cannot give first-hand commentary on this topic. I did, however, speak with the person who built my PC. He gave some general information about the installation of the components:
- The power supply includes a 3-pin fan power connector. This connector allows the motherboard to adjust the speed of the fan according to the temperature of the power supply. This allows the power supply fan to run more slowly, and thus more quietly, when the case temperature is low. When the temperature of the power supply goes up, so does the speed of the fan.
- Both the 3.5" hard drive and 5.25" optical drive installations were easy. The 5.25" drive bay has two drive rails that make it easy to install the optical drive. The 3.5" drive bay has a tray for each 3.5" drive and special screws (included) to use for the tray, which allows for easy installation.
- The motherboard installation was average in terms of complexity and amount of time needed. Although there is no motherboard tray, there was enough room in the case to line up the motherboard to the holes and then screw it down. No extra steps are required and there are no special features which make the motherboard installation easier than any other case.
My Use of the Case and Advantages
My impressions of the case, and how well it met the important characteristics that I listed above:
- Quiet --- this case is generally pretty quiet. It is certainly quieter than my two previous computers, which were both Dell Dimension models. However, I think the BB-sized "Antec" holes on each side allow more noise to escape. I can understand how these holes would be beneficial for cooling purposes, but they are counter-productive to the manufacturer stated goal of this being a silent case. With the case within arms reach of where I sit, I can still hear the hum of the fans and can hear the hard drive head spinning (even with the front bezel closed to help dampen the sound from the optical drives and the hard drives).
- Good airflow --- this case has a design which excels at keeping the internal components cool. Sufficient airflow is achieved with the one 120mm fan located in the rear of the case, along with front divots which allow air to enter the front of the case. I am guessing that the BB-sized holes on the side also contribute to the airflow dynamics. Bottom line is that air temperatures inside the case have never exceeded 3-4 degrees Celsius above the ambient temperature of my room (where my PC is located).
- Reliable power supply --- the Antec TruePower 380w power supply has ample power for my needs, and has been reliable thus far. Time will tell if it continues to be reliable. I will update my review if I face any issues with this.
- Styling that is not gaudy --- this case, to me at least, is very nice looking. I chose it because it is sleek looking without being overbearing. The deep shine of the black finish is much more attractive to me than lots of flashy lights and neon coloring that is often found in todays PC cases. Additionally, the steel construction is sturdy and should last many years.
Disadvantages
A couple complaints about this case:
- The included lock on the front bezel and on the side of the case detracts from the sleek appearance of the case. I don't lock my computer, as I don't have any reason to keep it locked. To me, these locks are unsightly.
- The BB-sized holes will allow dust to enter into and accumulate inside the case, since there is no included filter for these openings. I could install my own filter for these holes, but that is extra work for me (I am pretty lazy and definitely am not very handy, thus this is very annoying to me).
- The exterior finish is easily dirtied with fingerprints, dust, etc. and requires regular attention to keep up the shine. This is not a big deal, but does require more cleaning maintenance than a regular PC case.
Conclusion
Overall, I am happy with the Antec Sonta case. The quietness, sleek design and cooling capabilities all make this case a good value. Add in the rock-steady Antec TruePower power supply, and this becomes a great value. I wish the case and power supply were completely quiet so that it was truly a silent PC, but since it is a lot quieter than other PCs that I have used, I am satisfied. The couple drawbacks that I listed are minor, and are not significant enough to keep me from recommending this case. Since the Antec has released a newer model, the Sonata II, this case can be found at a real bargain price at some stores. I definitely recommend it if you can find it for a good price.
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