Antec P182

But if you want the best, you're going to have to pay for it. At £74 the Antec P182 is beyond the budgets of many home system-builders, but it's such a superb piece of engineering that we'd recommend it every time.

Unlike most cases, the cavernous interior is divided into numerous compartments, so the power supply sits right at the bottom in its own enclosed section to reduce the amount of heat spread to the rest of the components. If necessary a small fan can be positioned next to it to add cooling.

The cables then snake up through an adjustable opening into the main section, where the motherboard is installed in the usual ATX orientation. The rear panel has two rubberised holes for any water-cooling pipes and radiators that you may plan to install.

You'll find a removable caddy for three hard disks, with a fan at the front drawing air across them. A final 120mm fan can be placed either at the rear or in the top of the case, and each fan has three speed settings so you can choose between maximum cooling and minimum noise.

All of the drive bays come with quick-release sliding mounts, and our only real complaint is that the same convenience hasn't been extended to the screw catches on the rear expansion ports.

The lockable, double-hinged front door is thinner than many we've seen, but has three layers of aluminium and plastic to reduce noise, and the black styling is understated yet adds to the monolithic feel.

The P182 is a bit bigger than most PC cases, and you'll need a power supply with long cables to reach right up through the hatch to the motherboard, but its innovative design is just perfect for top-end PCs. Yes, it's expensive, but if you want your PC to last we think it's worth it.

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Antec P182 - Recommended

Author: David Bayon