Antec NSK2400 HTPC Case

[PAGETITLE=Introduction] As a reviewer of PC hardware products, I find I have the most fun at my job when I get to take a look at a product that does things differently. Who wants to live in a world of cookie-cutter PC components and accessories? It's much more refreshing to see new approaches to solving engineering problems, and novel solutions that push the envelope of performance. In the world of enthusiast PC cases, though, there seems to be a formula that every manufacturer follows. Front case fan, back case fan, PSU at the top rear corner of the case, and so on. Sometimes an extra case fan will be added on the side, or on the top of the case. There are few manufacturers that seem to be willing to experiment with new design techniques to improve upon that formula, which is why the chief means of differentiating computer case products from each other seems to be in varying their external appearance. One PC case manufacturer that has shown considerable initiative as of late in advancing the technical side of case design is Antec. When their P180 burst onto the scene in 2005, its innovative multi-chamber design turned more than a few heads, placing the power supply and hard drives in a separate tunnel beneath the motherboard compartment, among other unique features. Designing the P180 with separate thermal zones allowed the variable-speed fans in each zone to run only as quickly as needed to deal with the heat load in that particular zone, similar to the thermal design of the Apple Power Mac G5 and Mac Pro, in order to minimize operating noise. The Antec P180 was Antec's first â€&oelig;Quiet Computing" product, as part of an initiative to bring low-noise technology to the enthusiast market. When Antec released the NSK2400 case in 2006 to address the growing Home Theater PC (HTPC) market, they followed the same design philosophy, translating the P180's multi-chambered design to a horizontal form factor. Noise is a significant concern in HTPCs, which must not only operate reliably, but quietly as well. In addition to assessing the NSK2400's aesthetics and ease of use, this review will delve into the technical side of things, examining the various ways that this case deviates from the old school of case design, and how these new ideas advance the state of the art in thermal design. [PAGEBREAK] [PAGETITLE=Out of the Box; Specifications] The NSK2400 case arrived safely, packed in an outer protective cardboard box. Like the rest of Antec's current product line, the NSK2400 comes in an attractive, sturdy retail carton, with photos of the case and a listing of its features. The packaging is bright and glossy, and reflects substantial attention to detail. Inside the carton, the NSK2400 is held securely and gently in place by a pair of multi-layer foam endcaps, and wrapped in a clear bag. The instruction manual is also packed loosely inside the box. This case isn't heavy, but it's no featherweight; my initial impression as I lifted the case out of the box was of solid construction and beefy structural design. The NSK's side, top, and bottom panels are all painted in a black matte finish, with a slight texture. The finish nicely complements the front panel, which sports a silver plastic bezel. The more recent Antec Fusion shares the NSK2400's internal design, but replaces this front panel with a real, brushed-finish aluminum plate, and adds a vacuum-fluorescent display and large volume control knob; those preferring a minimalist HTPC may prefer the less-expensive NSK2400 design, however. In my opinion, either case would be at home in almost any home theater system. Inside the NSK2400, there is a packet of included accessories. These include a power cable for the power supply, a complete set of screws and other hardware, a dummy panel to block one of the side fan locations, and a set of interlocking plastic pieces that we're not quite sure what to do with at this point. Specification Comment Model NSK2400 NSK stands for New Solutions Series â€“ a series of cases that aim to build on the success of the original Solutions Series cases (SLK designation). Case Type MicroATX Media Center/Desktop This case features a horizontal orientation, designed for placement in the equipment rack of a home theater system. Exterior Dimensions (H x W x D) 5.5" x 17.5" x 16.3" The width of this case matches that of most home entertainment components (receivers, CD changers, etc.) Cooling Provisions 2x120mm Tri-Cool (Side Exhaust) Twin 120mm exhaust fans give this case undeniable cooling potential. Thereâ€™s plenty of air intake area on this case as well. Drive Bays 4 Total 2x 5.25" External 2x 3.5" Internal This case can accommodate dual DVD drives, if direct dubbing is desired. Its rich, spoiled cousin, the Fusion, only has one external 5.25" bay, giving the other one up for a 2-line VFD. Material SECC Steel This case appears to use 0.8mm-thick steel for its side panels, which adds ruggedness and noise reduction properties. The front bezel of the case is plastic, with a silver plastic cosmetic piece. Expansion Slots 4 Being a MicroATX system, this case wonâ€™t support a huge amount of expansion. This isnâ€™t much of a problem, since most MicroATX boards already integrate decently powerful graphics, sound, and network connectivity. Power Supply Antec SU380 â€“ 380W ATX12V v2.0 The included power supply looks like an older Seasonic model, re-branded as Antec. Itâ€™s nice to know that the PSU is a quality component. Weight 7.78kg This case has a reassuring heft and a solid feel to it, for which it pays a bit of a weight penalty, but not an inordinate one. Iâ€™m not sure if this figure includes the weight of the PSU. Motherboard Support Micro ATX The internal design of this case limits the motherboard to a Micro ATX form factor. Not that this poses a problem in most media center applications â€“ modern MicroATX boards are designed with HTPCs in mind. [PAGEBREAK] [PAGETITLE=Antec NSK2400 Features Overview] As with all of Antec's more recent enthusiast-market cases, the NSK2400 features a tasteful exterior design, with emphasis on functionality. The real story with the NSK2400 isn't what's outside, however, but with what's inside. The Antec NSK2400 incorporates several of the fundamental design principles of the P180, including multi-chamber design, and multiple large, slow-spinning fans. The front of the NSK2400 is relatively minimalist in comparison to the Fusion, which shares the same interior design as the NSK2400. While the fusion sports a volume knob and 2-line VFD, as well as a stealth optical drive cover, the NSK2400 is more Spartan, with only a pair of bezel covers over the 5.25" bays, and a set of front-mounted USB and audio ports. The Fusion also adds a front-mounted Firewire port. Neither case based on this internal design contains provisions for an external 3.5" drive. The rear of the NSK2400 offers numerous paths of air ingress for the main chamber, which are designed as â€&oelig;cold air intake" for the CPU cooler and expansion cards; more on that later. The PSU is also mounted at the rear of this case, which limits the case to a MicroATX motherboard form factor. Everything else is pretty much standard fare. This case is constructed of 0.8mm-thick steel, which imparts a very solid structure. The most distinctive feature of this case is its unorthodox cooling scheme. Instead of trying to cram 60mm fans (which aren't very good for noise reduction) on the back of the case among the I/O ports and expansion slots, Antec uses the uncluttered side panel as the mounting location for two large 120mm TriCool fans. These fans have a three-speed selector switch that allows them to operate at high speed or low speed based on the preference of the system builder. Since these fans exhaust from the side, and are the only exhaust from the case's main chamber, care should be exercised when fitting an NSK2400 case into a cramped equipment rack to ensure that these fans can breathe. The vents on the other side of the case provide ambient air intake for the power supply so that its thermally-controlled fan can operate as slowly as possible, minimizing noise. The twin 120mm case fans draw the majority of their air from a large vent area on the bottom of the case, though several strategically-placed air intakes on the rear of the case provide cold air intake to specific heat-producing components. It's a clever way of creating lots of open, un-restrictive ventilation area. The top panel of the case, which fastens with a single thumb-screw, also features a cold-air intake for the video card. Taking a look inside the NSK2400, the first thing that we notice is that the internal space is divided up into three sections. The power supply and optical drives get their own separate compartment in order to feed the power supply with a steady stream of colder ambient air instead of air that has been warmed by preheating in the case. Air for the main chamber is drawn in through vents at the bottom of the front of the case, and the air first passes over the hard drives before entering the motherboard chamber. Another feature of this case is a built-in cable management system that makes it easy to keep all the wiring neatly tied out of the way. Two re-closeable cable ties are provided along the wall between the hard drives and the motherboard, and a sliding door is provided between the power supply compartment and the motherboard compartment, which keeps the air spaces isolated. Installation of the 5.25" drives is simplified by a removable cage that simply lifts out. A pair of rubber feet keep the drive cage firmly in place when the top of the case is installed. To lift out the cage, simply lift up at an angle. The included power supply with this case is an Antec SU380 power supply, which is another product of Antec's working relationship with Seasonic, who is the OEM for Antec's NeoHE and TruePower Trio power supplies. This particular power supply bears strong external...

Antec NSK2400 HTPC Case

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