Antec SX-1240 Full Tower Review - PAGE 1

Introduction

Despite their apparent lackluster appearance, computer chassis are actually one of my favourite system components. Think about it – the case is the visual representation of your computer (and physical one too, for the most part), so it’s important for it to not only function well (in terms of accessibility, airflow, etc…), but to look good as well. And considering that the case is one of the few components that survives through years of upgrades (along with the monitor and printer), it’s value is extended over a greater period of time, which makes choosing a good one all the more crucial.

I have owned and played with a few Antec cases in my day and I have come to know them to be solid and reliable units. They also happen to make some quite respectable power supplies as well which certainly helps when you manufacture cases (I only wish more companies would realize this…). The power supply is the lifeblood of every system and as we (should) all know, people and electronics alike need clean blood to live a healthy existence. Dirty power can lead to problems that are almost impossible to diagnose as various parts of a system can be damaged over a long period of time, causing them to function erratically. These problems can be as simple as speratic restarts, but even these can lead to data loss and other ill effects depending on the circumstances (such as flashing your BIOS… ouch). If there is one thing I have learned in this business, it would definitely be, “DON’T MESS WITH THAT WHICH GIVES LIFE, MAN”.

Specs

Type:	Full Tower
Form Factor:	ATX and Xeon
Power Supply:	400W (PP-412X)
Dimensions:	67cm (26.4”) Height 20.5cm (8.1”) Width 47.5cm (18”) Depth
Drive Bays:	14 Internal – 6 x 3.5” External – 6 x 5.25”, 2 x 3.5”
Expansion Slots:	7
Cooling:	1 x 92mm optional above power supply 2 x 80mm rear (included) 1 x 80mm front (optional) 2 x 80mm HDD bay (optional)
Weight:	~ 40lbs
Other:	Snap in fan mounts, side-swinging side panels, and quick release drive bays

The Antec SX-1240 is part of the company’s “Performance Series” and at 26.4” high it’s no slouch. It comes with their PP412X 400W which meets the ATX 2.02 spec, so it is compatible with both the Pentium 4 as well as the Athlon 4 (which is currently only available in a mobile solution). This is an important feature to look for if you are in the market to buy a new case because it will extend its useful lifetime greatly.

It is excellent to see a 400W power supply in this case since it has so much room to expand and it’s no secret that Athlon’s are electricity guzzlers. Once you’ve got the whole SCSI RAID thing goin’ on with 6 fans, 3 optical devices, a Geforce2 Ultra and a 1.4GHz T-Bird, you’re most definitely going to need all the power you can get.