Introduction & Features
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| Angled Profile of the SX830 |
Ok, so not being a hardcore hardware monkey, I tend to buy OEM cases and make do with their many (and I mean many) shortcomings. But its for that very reason that I love reviewing cases so much
because theres a darn obvious difference between a good case, and one thats made for the mass market bargain bin basement sales. If you know cases, you know Antec doesnt cater to no bargain bin buyers. Thats for sure. So when Antec shipped me their shiny SX830 full tower, I was ready to treat it with a good bit of (positive) prejudice... its Antec after all!
This is what Antec terms as a performance workstation tower. I like to think of it as a well-crafted piece of artwork for a computer geek anyway. All the standards are there rolled edges to take off the sharpies, lots of roomy workspace, and a suite of areas designed specifically for case fans. Of course, the case has a bunch of extras too, like its lockable swing-out door, removable HD cage, removable floppy cage, two additional case fans on the rear, and
well plenty of working space ;).
What about the basics?
Dimensions: 20.6"(H)x8.1"(W)x18.6"(D)
3 external 5.25 drive bays
2 external 3.5 drive bays
3 internal 3.5 drive bays
300W SmartPower ATX power supply
7 expansion slots
support for mobos up to 12" (W) x 13" (L)
28.7lbs of mobo love!
The entire case is designed with one thing in mind: easy access, baby. You can get in and out quickly, and painlessly. One side of the case has a swing out panel that opens using a nifty handle latch. If you are lazy and/or need to open your case a lot, you can even leave the rear screws off, because the latch is strong enough to keep the panel on the case on its own (if youre not so lazy, a good set of thumbscrews to replace the standard screws will do the trick). Sans screws, the panel comes right off in seconds, and you can slip it back on just as easily.
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| Side Profile with & without a motherboard enclosed |
Inside, you will find other refinements that help with access. Your internal 3.5 drives are mounted in a removable cage. This cage snaps in and out of the case with the flip of a locking lever. Ive worked with cases where the removable cage has a single locking screw once you get your hands on the SX830, you are going to wonder how you could ever have worked on a case without a removable, screwless cage. I tell you, hard drives are a pain to remove, but with the cage you can take your drives out lickity split. Your floppy drives are also mounted on a removable cage, but this cage requires that you remove the front top bevel, and unscrew some thumbscrews. The whole affair is still totally painless, but its a little more work than the HD cage.
The case can accommodate up to four 80mm case fans two on the front, and two in the rear. Antec actually provides the two sleeve bearing rear case fans (thanks guys!), and you can order the case with the front fans as options. The funky purple plastic fan cages snap on and off the case quite easily, and you even get the purple cages for the optional front fans, so you really only need to get yourself a pair of 80mm case fans. The fans that Antec ships look to be the same as the ones they sell, rated for an airflow of 34.4CFM and noise level of 30dB.
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