Product Reviews

The Sonata III is the third version of Antec's mid-range quiet PC case. Although it isn't very cheap, the price includes a 500W power supply, so it is good value.

The top half of the lockable front panel hinges open to reveal three 5.25in bays and two 3.5in bays. All are quick-release slots, with the two smaller bays sharing a slide-out cage of their own. Below these, on the inside, are four slide-out hard disk trays. Each is fitted with four rubber grommets to dampen noise and vibrations. The system works to an extent, but disk-seek noises are still audible.

Strangely, there's no fan at

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the front, but you get a removable dust filter, which will need to be cleaned regularly. At the rear there is a three-speed 120mm fan, which is very quiet on the slowest setting. With the near-silent power supply fan, the Sonata III lives up to expectations where noise is concerned.

The seven rear expansion slots aren't quick-release, instead requiring a Philips screwdriver. Only the left side panel is removable. The rest of the piano-black panelling, along with the motherboard tray, is fixed in place. This makes it awkward to hide cables neatly behind the hard disks, but at least all the cables are long enough.

With the front door closed, you can still use the two USB2 ports and eSATA port. There are also headphone and microphone sockets that conform to the new High Definition Audio standard.

The power supply has six standard four-pin power connectors, four SATA plugs and two PCI-E connectors for graphics cards. For the price, it's a decent supply. As the rear fan uses a standard four-pin connector, you won't need a spare fan header on the motherboard.

While we'd have preferred a front fan to increase airflow, the Sonata III is well priced and runs quietly.