P182/Nine Hundred Comparision

[JazzyJake]

niceeeeeeeee
i think i'll be suggesting this case to customers after seeing that cable routing, partly cause i wanna play around in it = D
and since i didn't see a link for it, here it is at newegg to save a few seconds of searching
Newegg.com - Antec P182 Gun Metal Black 0.8mm cold rolled steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail

[Computer-Ed]

Yeah this case is really give me the itch to switch. I am currently using a Nine Hundred for my system and really like this case a lot but the CLEAN setup of the P182 is very appealing. I know a lot of people like all the lights and glitz on their cases. I LOVE the elegence that the P182 has, a simple timeless beauty that I seriosu think makes this the best looking case I have seen.

Now that I think about it however I wish they would get rid of the spoiler and build up the case top to have it built in so the line stays clean.

[gvblake22]

Originally Posted by Computer-Ed

Now that I think about it however I wish they would get rid of the spoiler and build up the case top to have it built in so the line stays clean.

Agreed, I don't like it either. Isn't it removable though?

[Computer-Ed]

It is removable but it leaves a big area to worry about being covered and thus blocking the fan.

[polobunny]

Originally Posted by Computer-Ed

You need to however be sure of the cable layout and have power extensions for the 24pin, 4pin and 8 pin just in case. However I have come to realize it is a good idea to have those anyway to help with cable routing for almost any case.

Indeed. Even if you don't own a full tower they're becoming quite useful.

[Computer-Ed]

In PC design the number one enemy is heat. We counter this enemy by provide a good air flow within the case to carry the hot air away. However with all the power cords and data cables in the case it can be easy for blockages to that air flow to be created. Now I am not saying these will STOP air flow, but they can disrupt air flow and reduce the effectiveness of the cases cooling abilities.

A lot of people will counter this by adding more fans, the lazy approach. However with a little planning, a few inexpensive parts and a bit more time we can produce a PC that has open air flow, looks amazing when you look in the case and shows how much you really care about your PC.

For purposes of this article we will be using the Antec Nine Hundred case. This case is very popular right now and if properly configured can provide some amazing air flow. Antec has thoughtfully included some clips especially for cable management however this case is still one of the harder cases to get good cable management in without some effort.
To begin with we need the right supplies; I am not talking about the hardware, rather the right supplies for good cable management. I suggest a roll of electrical tape, some zip ties (I suggest 8”) and extensions for our 24 pin and 4/8 pin motherboard power connectors. The total cost for our supplies is around $12.00.

Now before we go putting parts into our case we need to possible do some outside prep work. Let’s say our power supply has unsheathed cabling, like the generic one in the picture. Sheathing the cable will help in keeping the tangled mess under control. It is not required and you can do a great job without it but it does help.

There are a number of sheathing kits and many of them are reasonably priced but I like working on a budget to save my money for more important stuff like a better PSU or RAM. This is where out electrical tape comes in. By wrapping each cable set in tape we can create a “poor man’s sheath”. As you can see in the picture it is not as pretty as the proper sheathing kit but it does the job just as well and is very easy to do. If you want more style electrical tape comes in a LOT of different colors.

In fairness this form of sheathing is a bit stiffer than a well sheathed cable from a professional, but then again it is not as bad as some of the sheathed cables I have seen come with power supplies. This method does work and does a decent job. I have provided a picture to compare an unsheathed and one done with electrical tape.

Now as I said we will be doing this with an Antec Nine Hundred. The “900” has amazing cooling but the PSU position along with the fan locations can make cable management a bear. Our goal is to keep any cable bundles out of the main air flow path.

We begin this process with the case empty and the HD cages out. As you can see we do have a channel at the front of the mainboard area to route cables. A closer look at this channel and you will see places for zip ties to attach and thus help with our cable management. The case comes with some nice tie downs but they are a bit harder to work with, so I have removed them and will be using 8” zip ties.

First we will be putting in our PSU, now in my original case picture, the before shot, you will noticed I had an Antec True Power Trio 650. This is a GREAT power supply but I wanted a modular PSU for this job, I had a Thermaltake Toughpower 1KW available so that is what I will be using. The Toughpower takes up a lot more space at the bottom of the case but that will not affect our cables in the end.

The motherboard on my system is a P965-DS3. The 24 pin connector is at the front but the 4 pin connection is at the top back corner of the mainboard. To make sure I can get the best cable placement I have gotten an extension for both the 24 pin and 4 pin connector. Neither extensions were sheathed so I used my electrical tape method for a quick sheath.

Once I have these laid out about where I want them I will get my Molex cable and SATA cable hooked up as well as my PCIE. The Toughpower has some LONG cables so a single SATA cable will work for my DVDR and HD. The molex cable is WAY too long but I can bundle it at the top of the tray and run my fan cables to it.

Once I have the cables laid out where I want them I pull the zip ties tight and snip off their ends. With the cabling in place we just put back in our components. Now this is where most people stop with their cable management and are content. Well this place provided me a chance to show that while the “900” might not be the cable management dream of the P180, it still has its perks.

The two HD bays mount 120mm fans and act as ducts for channeling in air; they are positioned to fill all of the bottom slots on the case at stock configuration. HOWEVER, they do not have to stay that way.

In the old days we would drop the optical drive from the top slot to the second to allow us a place to stuff any cabling we needed to get out of the way. In the “900” we move the HD bays up one slot and put one of the face plates in its place. Next we pull our old trick and drop the optical drive to bay 2 to give us a nice place to house upper area cabling.
This little shift as you can see works perfect as it pulls the excess cable out of the way so we have no blockage of the fan blow routes. Additionally this move does not affect the air flow design of the case since all it does is create a potential lower heat pocket which has nothing in it and thus does not matter. My testing has confirmed I suffered no heat changes in my system due to this layout change.

BEFORE

AFTER

Our use of a modular PSU helps a lot with keeping out cables we do not need however our little bottom cubby hole allows for the use of ANY PSU and thus lessens the need for a modular PSU to achieve a clean look.

The key in this project was to take out time and plan ahead. We did not settle for close enough solutions, we instead found ways to make this case as clean as possible. The idea for this was inspired by reading others complaining about cable management in the “900” as well as the review I did of the P182 and its awesome cable management. Now with the P182 I did a CLEAN setup in about 5 minutes, this one took closer to 30 minutes. While not as clean as the P182, this does show the “900” can be made neatly and allow for near perfect air flow as it was designed.

Considering that the “900” has an open side panel window and the P182 does not, it seems backwards to be that the P182 would have such amazing cable management and the “900” not”. However the 900 can produce a clean system and its cooling is nothing short of amazing. With a bit of patience and imagination cable management in this system can be neat and tidy.

[Dr. V]

how would the OCZ GameXStream PSU cope with this case?

i mean you would you want to put the fan facing up or down? and in both situations, how would the hot air going into the case from the PSU affect the cooling and what not? im curious about this now...i need to wait before i get this case, but i wanna go get it now just to see this PSU situation lol.

[Computer-Ed]

The P182 does have a system in place to allow the use of top/bottom fanned PSUs?

Now this pic is a botton down shot of the PSU mount, the top has the same spacing. Either method should work fine so I am not sure it would matter.

The heat of the PSU and the HDs in the lower bay in theory do not effect the upper bay, in practice they might effect it but barely. Antec will be soon releasing an inline PSU that is of high quality, 750 watts and 80Plus certified, and that woukld be the BEST option. However I have been assured by the folks at Antec that a top/bottom PSU works fine.

On my P180 I pulled the lower fan and put it in the front of the upper chamber, I will likely do the same here. I am not sure that for a single drive system there is a need as the PSU fan should be neough to cool the PSU and the HD. It will create a fair air draw through the lower bay, that is the goal.

Quick note, I am not familiar with that PSU and not sure if it is oversized or not. The mounting system I THINK could handle an oversized, I guess I will be testing that this weekend, I have a Thermaltake Toughpower 1KW I can throw at it.

[Dr. V]

the OCZ GameXStream is regular PSU size.

now, would i mount the PSU upsidedown? i.e. the fan blowing UP or DOWN?

i just want to make sure when/if i get this im doing it right...

now that i know that it will barely, if at all, affect overall cooling, i just need to know that little point.

thanks for the quick and detailed reply btw!

[Computer-Ed]

Stix my basic science classes would sya to mount eh fan down and thus let it pull the cooler air in the lower chamber through.