Antec Eleven Hundred Case Review

Antec has been in the PC enclosure game for quite some time now, putting out gems like the full-tower Twelve Hundred and the Nine Hundred (now on V2), as well as some uniquely designed cases such as the LanBoy Air and Skeleton. They have given us a chance to review their brand new case as it is brought to market: the Antec Eleven Hundred. This case is designed to fill the gap between the mid-tower Nine Hundred V2, and the full-tower Twelve Hundred. Let’s see if its place at the table is a good fit.

Antec Eleven Hundred (Photo Courtesy of Antec)

First Impressions

Technical Specifications

Below are the product specifications directly from Antec. You can see one of my favorite items to see on case specifications, maximum graphics card size, has made its way on to this list. Kudos to Antec, as this is a burning question for a lot of users. A point that is missing on here that would be quite helpful to users wanting to purchase this (or any) case is the CPU cooler clearance. If that item is added, a potential buyer can simply look at the specifications when going big with today’s CPU heatsinks.

Specifications (Courtesy of Antec)

The Box Itself

Now we can look at the beast, but first let’s see the retail packaging it will come in. You can see Antec spared little expense on the full color graphics on the packaging, which details some of the features this case will provide. As usual, the case is protected in Styrofoam and plastic inside the box, making a secure fit for transport. This specific version came in a plain cardboard box as well as its retail skin. I’m not sure if that is how it would ship from your preferred web vendor, but that is how it arrived at my door.

Antec 1100 retail packaging (Front)
Antec 1100 retail packaging (Front)

Antec 1100 retail packaging (Rear)
Antec 1100 retail packaging (Rear)

Looking at the actual case, you can see it has a nice semi gloss black finish all around, with a large Plexiglas window on one side which has the ability to mount two 120 mm fans (optional – suggested as intake). There is a large 200 mm fan on the top with a blue LED (included – exhaust) that looks like the Antec Big Boy. This 200 mm fan is one of the common features shared amongst the Antec Gaming series of cases. On the backside of the case, behind the motherboard, you may notice that it has an opening for another 120 mm fan to blow into the case and onto the motherboard. On the rear of the case you will see the typical setup with a 120 mm fan (included – exhaust), nine expansion slots, two holes with grommets in them for any water cooling apparatus that you may want to install, and of course a space in which to install the PSU (which is filtered).

Case Front (L)
Case Front (L)

Case Front (R)
Case Front (R)

Top 120mm fan (Antec Big boy?)
Top 200 mm fan (Antec Big Boy?)

120mm fan behind the motherboard to help keep it cool
120 mm fan behind the motherboard to help keep it cool

Rear of the case showing Expansion slots, 120mm exhaust fan, PSU area.
Rear of the case showing Expansion slots, 120 mm exhaust fan, PSU area.

Dust filter for PSU
Dust filter for PSU

Next, you can see the Front I/O panel sporting two USB 3.0 ports, two USB 2.0 ports, a HDD activity light and power LED; on top are the power and reset buttons. One can also see the six 3.5″ tool-less drive bays, two 2.5″ bays, and the three 5.25″ external bays for your Blu-Ray players, card readers, and fan controllers if needed. Lastly, you can see the included accessories and instructions. I really like the specifically formed 2.5″ bays that will house your SSD’s quite nicely without screws (but you can use one to secure it even more) as well as the quick locking mechanism for the 5.25 bays.

Front panel I/O (2 USB3, 2USB2, Heaphone/Mic jacks, Power/drive activity lights
Front panel I/O (2x USB3, 2x USB2, Audio I/O, Power/drive activity lights

Power/Reset buttons, top and center

Drive bays (removable and can also clip 2 120mm fans on to it)
Drive bays (removable and can also clip two 120 mm fans on to it)

2.5" bays for your SSD's
2.5" bays for your SSD's and 5.25 bay locks

3.5" drive with attached rails
3.5" drive with attached rails and drive (rail shown on top of drive)

Included Accessories
Included Accessories

Internally, you can see the large cut-out behind the motherboard for easy heatsink installation (read: you do not have to remove the motherboard from the case). You can see in the second picture that there are holes in the motherboard to support up to a XL-ATX sized board and 4 video cards up to 13″ (330 mm) long.

Digging around a bit more inside the case, you can see a few cut-outs with grommets in them which make cable management easier and yields a cleaner look. Like almost all grommets in cases, these seem to suffer from the same problem: they will not stay in place. All too frequently I found myself poking right through trying to route the wires through the holes. It becomes increasingly difficult as more wires and larger connectors try to go through there. Is it too much to ask these to be glued in or be set more securely, or does this just happen to me?

Cutout on the motherboard 'tray' for easy installs of the CPU heatsink and fan
Cutout on the motherboard 'tray' for easy installs of the CPU heatsink and fan

Motherboard tray area showing cutouts/grommets for wire routing
Motherboard tray area showing cutouts/grommets for wire routing

Below, you can see what it looks like with a full system in it. I didn’t zip tie the wires (several were included) so of course there is still potential for a much cleaner look at the bottom of the case. Even without it though, there is plenty of room to run these wires in the back of the case as there is up to 36 mm of space between the case and rear panel. That means no more flexing panels when trying to shoe-horn all your wires behind the motherboard! Great job with that thinking Antec!

Full system installed
Full system installed

Installation completed, close up of the components
Installation completed, close up of the components

Installation and Use

For this build I installed the following hardware:

As most people would expect with a tool-less case, installation was quite easy using the thumbscrews, avoiding constantly looking for and using the trusty old Phillips head screwdriver that frequently finds itself never where I left it. The filtered 5.25″ drive bay covers pop off easily, as well as the convenient quick lock Antec uses to hold optical drives and other 5.25″ peripherals in place. They included hard drive rails for use on 3.5″ drives (mount on the sides, snaps right in) to slide right in and out like a dresser drawer. They felt secure, but were still easy to slide in and out.

Motherboard installation was, per usual, easy. There really isn’t much to report here outside of the flexibility of the case in allowing up to an XL-ATX sized motherboard as well as sizes below ATX such as mATX. The pushpin stock Intel cooler doesn’t need a back plate, but when mounting the board, there is plenty of room due to the large cut-out to add a more robust heatsink/fan and accompanying backplate without removing the motherboard from the case.

Routing the cables was also a relatively easy task. There are plenty of cut-outs, with grommets in key areas around the motherboard allowing for easy cable management. The one drawback I have seen with these grommets, and this isn’t just for Antec, is how easy they come out of their holes. A little glue or some stickum’ would go a long way in keeping these in place. But once everything was routed through and completed, you can see that clean wiring should be pretty easy to accomplish.

As far as the cooling goes, Antec has put a focus on airflow with the Gaming Series, and the Antec 1100 is no different. With a 200 mm fan up at the top and a 120 mm fan at the rear (included) along with space for seven others, you should be able to deduce that there is plenty of cooling capacity. One wish I had, and this also goes across a couple of brands, is that the vendor include more fans. Two intake fans at the front would round this case out very nicely. As it stands, there is adequate airflow even for overclocking, but I would still prefer some forced intake fans included. Another peculiar item is what appears to be the passive Antec 1200 fan controller on the back of the case. In this sample, it controls the 200 mm fan LED and looks to control the speed, but there was no switch in this sample. There are also two empty slots next to it to add more Antec 3-speed fans. It appears (I have not confirmed) that you can simply clip those switches in place so you can control three fans with this space.

One thing that I didn’t notice with this case is the ability to put a larger water cooling solution in the case, for example, with two 120 mm radiators. If one choses to use one of the kits say from Antec (Kuhler 620/920), it seems that we can easily mount this type of single 120 mm radiator sized cooler right on the rear 120 mm fan. However, if you want to go bigger with either custom water cooled solution, or a larger ‘kit’ (read: 2×120 mm radiator), you will have likely have to mount it externally. Dropping the 200 mm fan didn’t reveal any easy mounting points that I could see.

Conclusion

Those of you that have read my reviews before will know that I like to cut to the chase. My overall impression of this case is quite positive. I have personally owned both the Antec Nine Hundred, as well as the Antec Twelve Hundred. Antec’s goal of a “…super mid-tower that fills the gap between mid-tower Nine Hundred and full-tower Twelve Hundred” has been fulfilled and I would like to add, quite well. You don’t quite have the potentially cumbersome size of a full-tower, but you do get the space to fit large video cards and motherboards that other mid-towers may not have.

My only complaints about this case are more of a personal preference than an inherent design flaw. Case manufacturers need to add more fans out of the box. My wish isn’t that they fill ALL optional fans positions, but just make it so there is optimal airflow out of the box. Forced intake AND exhaust. In this case, add at least an intake fan. The other concern again is not vendor specific and has to do with the grommets and how insecure they are in their locations. Let’s get some glue or something sticky on those so they stay in place a little better than they do. Both of these concerns are not a big deal, but something I feel manufacturers can add. Fans and something to hold the grommets in place inexpensively brings an even better experience to the user. Last, and something specific to this case, is the seeming inability of the case to use larger water cooling systems without modification. Having that added flexibility would have been a definite plus.

Pricing for this unit comes in at $129.99 MSRP which is right in between the mid-tower Antec 900/902 ($99.99/$114.99 at newegg.com) and the full-tower Antec Twelve Hundred ($159.99 at newegg.com). Availability should be at your favorite e-tailer after 11/22.

Wrapping things up, the Antec Eleven Hundred really has everything one would want in a case. Good looks, good filtered airflow with plenty of room for additional fans, tool-less installation, many (9) expansion slots, grommet-lined holes for cable management as well as plenty of room behind the motherboard, will fit large motherboards and video cards (13″), round out just some of the major positives of this case earning itself an Overclockers.com approved stamp!

~Earthdog

About Joe Shields 326 Articles
Joe started writing around 2010 for Overclockers.com covering the latest news and reviews that include video cards, motherboards, storage and processors. In 2018, he went ‘pro’ writing for Anandtech.com covering news and motherboards. Eventually, he landed at Tom’s Hardware where he wrote news, covered graphic card reviews, and currently writes motherboard reviews. If you can’t find him benchmarking and gathering data, Joe can be found working on his website (Overclockers.com), supporting his two kids in athletics, hanging out with his wife catching up on Game of Thrones, watching sports (Go Browns/Guardians/Cavs/Buckeyes!), or playing PUBG on PC.

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Avatar of David
David

Forums Super Moderator

15,810 messages 10 likes

Nice write-up Joe! :thup:

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Avatar of Robert17
Robert17

Premium Member

3,689 messages 132 likes

Nice review. Cases have come a long way over the years. You mentioned the spec sheet added video card length specs as a good addition to the spec sheet, not historically printed by manufacturers. I would like to suggest that they add something you did in the review as well. The clearance between the motherboard tray and side panel would be nice to see on the box. By all manufacturers. Cable management junkies would benefit at a glance.

I understand grommets. I just don't understand them on the inside of a case. Typically they provide some hindrance to airflow, therefore dust flow, or cockroach flow, whatever. So on an exterior opening they make sense to me. Cables may get some small measure of strain relief from them but not enough to make a well sleeved or insulated cable that much more secure. I say leave 'em out of the interior openings, just go with rolled steel.

My $0.02

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Avatar of EarthDog
EarthDog

Gulper Nozzle Co-Owner

76,483 messages 3,227 likes

Thanks for the kind words!

As far as the grommets, part of their purpose of course, is to prevent the steel/aluminum from slicing in to your wires. You mentioned rolled steel and that would seemingly resolve that issue. Their location though (on the motherboard tray essentially) wouldnt block any airflow really. I mean sure it will prevent it from going behind the case area but what would that accomplish (serious question)? I think with them down, it prevents needed airflow from going to a place that doesnt need cooled. And on the looks side, its nice to see the wires end at the grommet and not through it. (My .02).

:)

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Avatar of Sammich
Sammich

Member

296 messages 0 likes

wire management... flipped PSU support... motherboard backplate fan... 129.99!

wow, +++ antec

Will definitely buy

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Avatar of Robert17
Robert17

Premium Member

3,689 messages 132 likes

EarthDog, I understand your point. Yes, it kinda hides the wiring from view which is fine and dandy by me too. But like yourself get a bit aggravated by remounting the grommets that pop out. Maybe gluing them in would be the best way to handle that minor irritation ? I just figure it doesn't matter all that much in the Grand Scheme of Things, not bad to have or not. I've popped one out, don't miss it, left the others in. Next case I purchase won't require them. But a bit more wiring room behind the MB tray is high on my list.

Fewer 5.25" bays, like the Antec 1100, more mounting/reconfiguration options for the 3.5" trays, and as many filters as there are fan mountings (just in case I get a hankering for reversing air flow), and sound insulation on larger panels (I guess that's a mod I should easily do myself). These are preferences on my bucket list.

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Avatar of Rich'[ard]
Rich'[ard]

Member

2,734 messages 0 likes

this new case doesn't look tacky like the rest of the series. the 900.2 and the 1200 looked a bit plastic and bulky. it seemed like you had to put a lot of effort into making it look like a very nice case. but this new case looks damn fine! lol
upgrade from a 900.1? hmmmm...:santa:

thanks for the review :)

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Avatar of ssjwizard
ssjwizard

Has slightly less legible writing than Thideras

5,583 messages 149 likes

Looks like a solid case, I dislike the drilled acrylic side window though, it looks terrible IMO(as a general statment, not specifically this case).. Still nice case.

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Avatar of bmwbaxter
bmwbaxter

Member

4,135 messages 7 likes

This case doesn't look like it has the ability to fit a 220 ran internally without modding, am I correct in this conclusion?

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watchthisspace

Member

542 messages 0 likes

Is the top fan very noisy? I'm very close to buying one of these as it's ticking all my boxes

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W
Wombat62

New Member

1 messages 0 likes

Great Case

Just bought one of these and this is a great case and with plenty of room.
My GTX560GSO fits in ever so easy and the extra fans installed on the side window keep this as cool as ever.
Only downside was after a week the On/Off button on top has got stuck in the on switch.
Antec's response is "you will need to remove the power/reset switch housing from the inside of the computer. Once you remove this you should be able to un-stick the button. You will need to be able to see clearly the bottom of the housing, you cannot do this by feel. There are tabs securing it to the case, you will need to push these in gently. The housing should began to slowly free itself as you push on the lower half. Be careful not to push against the power and reset switches.

Once the housing is free, you can re-seat your button positions".

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