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Should I get an Antec P180 Case ?


Mixman

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I now have a P160 case in which I have the system in my sig. I have my X2 3800 clocked to 2800 at 1.42V with temps at 36deg idle and 52deg load with Prime95. My other temps are PWMIC 40 deg and Chipset 44 deg. This is with 2 Antec 120mm fans, a Vantec CardFan and Big Typhoon helping to cool the memory in addition to the CPU.

 

I am wondering whether buying a P180 will help me to keep the temps down. Since it has cutouts for three 120mm fans it seems like a better cooling box, not to mention more silent. Should I try a P180 or will there be no cooling difference between that and the P160 ?

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I'm just not feelin the love for my P180 that I do for my P160. The whole front/door/hinge assembly is so cheesy and the power supply being in the bottom of the case with the fan in the middle of the bottom compartment is just plain mutant. Yeah you can mod it so a fan goes in the bottom front, but sheesh they could have just designed that in. It's also a nightmare hiding the wire mess. I'll let you know Wednesday evening how the actual temps and noise compare between the two, not quite finished with the P180 yet.

 

The P160 on the other hand is my favorite case to date out of dozens in the last 20 years. I bought the $5.99 solid side panel from Directron and cut a 120mm hole in it right over the CPU fan and added a fan filter and my case temps are now the same as with the side panel off the case.

 

If you look in the case mod forums at HardOCP theres some great closeup shots of the P180 that may help you decide. Personally if I was doing it over again I'd just get another P160.

 

-pickles

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Guest thespin

I cut a 120mm blow hole in the top of my P160 and mounted Thermaltake's Big Rad inside with an aluminum filter outside. The P160 rocks. If you need more case cooling, try Evercool's PC Air Conditioner (100 quiet CFMs for $15) which mounts in a 5 1/4 inch bay. To get around the problem of it blowing outwards (and downwards) instead of inwards, I bought two, removed the blade and motor from the one facing outward (left the speed control switch and circuit board), plan to cut the fan and motor mounts (with fan and motor) from the second one and glue that assembly (upside down facing inwards) to the facaded one that faces out. I will then hook the motor and power cords to the switch facing out.

 

I did try reversing the fan on the original but that didn't work because of the fan's design. To reverse the flow I needed to also reverse the direction of the motor but these motors usually won't run backwards.

 

Anyhow, when I am done (God willing), the crossflow (combined with the 120mm fans) front to back will be awesome ...

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