Antec p180 help please!

[Trypt]

I just purchased a P180 by Antec. I gotta say I am totally impressed, the case is absolutely awesome. But I need some help with some components for it:

PSU:
Right now I have the PSU that is in my sig (Antec TP480), but I don't think it will do for the new system, if only because I bought it before SATA and PCI-E were the norm, so not sure if it supports it. Anyhow, for those who have the P180, the PSU mount is on the bottom of the case, and it seems that the only effective fan would be the rear of the PSU. So, I am looking for a good PSU that has a fan blowing out the rear. Also, the PSU has to have all the connectors one may need for a new generation system.

Right now I am considering the Enermax EG-565P-VE FMA V2.0 (24P) 535W, it has a top fan too, probably will be wasted, but importantly it has a rear fan. I prefer Antec but I don't know which one would be a good fit (even tho its an Antec case lol), and from what I see in the pictures, they have a big fan on top but none in the rear.

Budget is a concern, keep suggestions under $80US.

FAN:
The case comes with a top and rear fan installed already, as well as a bottom chamber PSU cooler. This is great as they are 120mm fans and move a lot of air, so no need for a replacement. However, I'd also like to add a fan in the video-card cooler, as well as the front. What are some good 120mm fans that are quiet (not ultra quiet and expensive tho) and have some sort of speed control (even if it is manual and only accesible from inside the case)? Antec says there is no need for fans in the front as the 3 exhaust fans will pull a lot of air already, but I'd like to have at least 1 fan blowing directly on the HDDs in the bottom chamber.

Argh, just saw that the vid-cooler chamber is 80mm, so that will make things easier. However my experience with 80mm fans that move a lot of air is that they are extremely loud. Is there anything affordable out there as far as 80mm is concerned that moves some air but is not annoying as hell?


Thanx for the info, and what do you guys think about the P180?

I will keep more enquiries coming on this case, as I install my stuff and run into trouble with the million and one options of the case. Still waiting for the Opteron in the mail so it will take a while.

 

[Vulcan]

I just purchased a P180 by Antec. I gotta say I am totally impressed, the case is absolutely awesome. But I need some help with some components for it:

PSU:
Right now I have the PSU that is in my sig (Antec TP480), but I don't think it will do for the new system, if only because I bought it before SATA and PCI-E were the norm, so not sure if it supports it. Anyhow, for those who have the P180, the PSU mount is on the bottom of the case, and it seems that the only effective fan would be the rear of the PSU. So, I am looking for a good PSU that has a fan blowing out the rear. Also, the PSU has to have all the connectors one may need for a new generation system.

Right now I am considering the Enermax EG-565P-VE FMA V2.0 (24P) 535W, it has a top fan too, probably will be wasted, but importantly it has a rear fan. I prefer Antec but I don't know which one would be a good fit (even tho its an Antec case lol), and from what I see in the pictures, they have a big fan on top but none in the rear.

Budget is a concern, keep suggestions under $80US.

FAN:
The case comes with a top and rear fan installed already, as well as a bottom chamber PSU cooler. This is great as they are 120mm fans and move a lot of air, so no need for a replacement. However, I'd also like to add a fan in the video-card cooler, as well as the front. What are some good 120mm fans that are quiet (not ultra quiet and expensive tho) and have some sort of speed control (even if it is manual and only accesible from inside the case)? Antec says there is no need for fans in the front as the 3 exhaust fans will pull a lot of air already, but I'd like to have at least 1 fan blowing directly on the HDDs in the bottom chamber.

Argh, just saw that the vid-cooler chamber is 80mm, so that will make things easier. However my experience with 80mm fans that move a lot of air is that they are extremely loud. Is there anything affordable out there as far as 80mm is concerned that moves some air but is not annoying as hell?


Thanx for the info, and what do you guys think about the P180?

I will keep more enquiries coming on this case, as I install my stuff and run into trouble with the million and one options of the case. Still waiting for the Opteron in the mail so it will take a while.

Power Supply: I'd look at the new Neo HE. Whatever you get, make sure the wires are long enough. I know the Seasonic S12-500 and 600 make for a tight fit because they have a short main atx cable.

Fans: For the video duct... The best thing you can do with the duct is take it out. Yes, it really is that bad.

As far as 120mm fans, if you like the stock fans you could always buy more. You could also look at medium speed yate loons. FYI, it takes a bit of work to get a fan to fit in the bottom chamber in front of the hard drives.

 

[Herr Rogers]

I would imagine, if Antec makes the PSU you want /and/ the case you have, then the cords would reach. As for the fans, I don't know. It looks like you're on the right track though.

 

[steveeb]

True Power 2.0 550w works great - it only has one fan (bottom) and all the connectors you will need (even sli)

The video card fan will need to be an 80mm x 15mm. The standard 80x25mm will NOT fit. Delta makes a fan that should work fine (AFB0812VHB)

As for the 120 mm case fan, check out ThermalTake 120mm Smart Case Fan - it comes with a controller and can move up to ~95cfm.

 

[Trypt]

..

95cfm? Jeez, I don't know if I need that, lol. The two exhaust fans that come with the case move a total of about 80cfm, so that 95cfm is too much intake, especially if I get two. It will create serious positive pressure in the case.

About the PSU, the TP2.0 550 is of course my first choice since I already have the 480 and love it. But what bugs me is the fan on the bottom. I know that you can mount the PSU either way in the P-180, so which way to mount it? I would assume the fan should be on top right, since there is some space (half inch) there, at least the air has some space, but where it goes from there I am not sure.


Here is the pic of the case:

http://www.silentpcreview.com/files/images/p180/P180_b_Inside.jpg

The PSU goes on the left bottom side on the pic. This is a seperate chamber with 2 holes (one for the PSU cables, the other for the IDE/SATA cables that go to the HDDs). As you can see, there is a fan in the middle which blows towards the PSU. So ideally, the PSU should have a rear fan blowing out of the case. So, what to do with the Antec 550? If the air blows up, it will hit the metal and come right back down. If it blows down, it won't hit anything at all, it will just whirlwind inside the PSU itself since there is no space.


About the vid-card. Somebody suggested to forget about it all-together. I am not sure.

BTW, I have no idea what all that stuff is on the vid-card fan holder. I haven't installed anything since the hardware box that should have come with the case did not come so I have to wait, but I am confused as it is.

Here is a pic of it:
http://www.silentpcreview.com/files/images/p180/p180open.jpg

So what is all that stuff?


Last question (for now)... The Antec PSU has "fan only" power connectors. I am assuming those shouldn't be used for the built-in fans that come with the case since they are adjustable right?

 

[steveeb]

First, the 95cfm fan has a controller that you can adjust the speed to your liking - anywhere from 38 to 95cfms.

Second, you can mount the PSU with either the fan either on top or bottom. There's plenty of room for air. The fan draws air INTO the PSU and it's forced out the back so no air will be bouncing off the case. The fan in the center of the bottom chamber will feed all the air the PSU needs to stay cool.

Third, the GPU cooler fan can be omitted from your setup without any problems. If you are planning on overclocking your graphics card, the extra air will definately be needed.

Lastly, all those pieces on the GPU duct are drive rails for installing your hard drives and such.

EDIT:
Here's the fan I'm talking about LINK

Here's a link to the 80mm for the GPU duct LINK

 

[steveeb]

One last thing... as for the Antec PSU cables being able to reach the necessary motherboard connectors, the 4-pin ATX cable just barely reaches. With the mobo I have, it has to go over the graphics card and around the heatsink to get to the connector. I've been putting off getting an extension. The other cables were plenty long enough.

 

[Trypt]

...

Thanx Steveeb! I am not sure what kind of OC capability my new card has, but if it does allow some nice OCing I will definitely get that 93cfm fan, I bookmarked it.

I figured out those HDD holders too, when I took the piece out. BTW, what came with your case? I am missing the hardware box, so no screws and no mobo mounts. This I will get tomorrow, but was there anything else they lost when I looked at it at the store? I must know..

Also, now that I know the fan blows into the PSU, all the problems there are over, thanx, I will get the Antec 2.0 550. You said it barely reaches the ATX power connectors tho? hmm, I hope they reach..

Are you running any fans in the front? How air-tight is the case? If it is very tight, then guess there is very little need for the fans in the front. And I hear there are dust filters on the front, I hope they can stay there if mounting a fan. I haven't opened up the front yet.

More qs on the fans: The fans don't have regular connectors for the mobo, so I won't be able to connect them to it. They have to be connected to the PSU it seems. Should they be connected to the "fan-only" connectors of the Antec PSU, or to a regular connector?

more questions to come.. you guys are helping me big time. I have to be completely ready by the time my ram and cpu come in the mail.


edit:
ps - Is my TrueBlue480 Antec PSU capable of running my new system? I know it has enough power by a longshot, but does it have the proper connectors for whatever new 64bit systems need (one thing I can think of is the PCI-E power connector, but there could be more)?

 

[steveeb]

Are you sure you don't have the hardware bag? If you remove the top drive bay, there is a black plastic case attached to the back of the drive bay where you will find all the screws and parts. The only other thing that came with the case was the top fan grill and more drive rails in a small cardboard box. That's it.

At the moment, I'm not running a fan in the front. The front fan mount is in front of the top drive cage. It's relatively easy to install a fan as long as the fan is 120mmx25mm thick. A 120mmx38mm will not fit.

The Thermaltake fan DOES have the three pin mobo connector - if you use it it will operate at full speed. You also have the option of connecting the fan controller, which means you would use a standard 4pin molex for power, while still being able to plug into the mobo for RPM monitoring.

 

[Trypt]

For those with the P-180 case:

1. Whats a good 120mm fan that would fit into the front fan mount right in front of the top HDD cage?

2. Can there be a fan added in front of the bottom HDD cage? If so, same q as above.

3. Will an extra long PSU such as the OCZ Powerstream fit into the PSU holder?

4. If running only one optical drive, where should it go? Into one of the top 3 locations, or in the extra 4th location which seems to be seperated from the rest (why is that anyway?)

5. Do you absolutely love your case? I know I do, I wish it was alive and female, then I'd.. I'd...... well...

Steveeb, thanx a lot bud, I found the hardware after you told me where to look, lol. Funnily enough, I took absolutely everything else apart except that, I figured its the same as the bottom one, see one, see them all you know. But there it was. Should I leave that black box there or remove it? Wouldn't it melt or something, lol?! On the other hand, I could put my diamonds and various chemicals in there for safe keeping, nobody will ever find them!! lol

 

[lordkosc]

About the PSU, the TP2.0 550 is of course my first choice since I already have the 480 and love it. But what bugs me is the fan on the bottom. I know that you can mount the PSU either way in the P-180, so which way to mount it? I would assume the fan should be on top right, since there is some space (half inch) there, at least the air has some space, but where it goes from there I am not sure.

I mounted mine upside down, so the fan is at the top, I don't want it sucking in dust bunnies that might form at the bottom of my case!

 

[steveeb]

That hardware box sure is a great hiding place, however, one problem: If a thief comes in to your house looking for diamonds but can't find any, what do you think would be his second choice? Yep, that cool looking computer sitting on your desk. There goes your computer, your diamonds, everything

As for the PSU cables being long enough, that depends on your motherboard and the placement of the connectors. On my P5WD2 the 4pin ATX connector is above the CPU at the very top/back corner of the board - making it a stretch to get the cable there.

The 4th drive bay that is separate from all the rest... hmmm... maybe it's a structural issue?? I don't know. I did however install my only optical drive in that bay simply because it's the lowest 5.25 bay and I have my case on my desk. It makes it easier to get the cd's in and out. I would put the drive in whichever slot makes it easiest to access.

I took a look in front of the bottom drive cage and there doesn't appear to be any fan mounts. I guess you could rig something up to put a fan in there, but you probably wouldn't be able to use the drive cage. (I personally use the lower cage for my hard drives and removed the upper cage for better air flow from the front intake fan.) I think that center fan in the lower compartment is plenty, however if you think you need more air, you can always swap it out for a more powerful one.

 

[Trypt]

...

I don't know why Antec put a less poweful fan in the bottom chamber then the other two. But I suppose I'll just run it on high setting, I think it moves 60cfm at that setting (the other two move over 80cfm at high setting).

You're right about the bottom front, there is no need for a fan there since the PSU also has a fan, to draw the air from the middle fan.

Everything will be fine, but i am getting really peeved with all the Opty problems. I just ordered from a third company, the other two were on backorder, even though they never mentioned anything about not having them in stock.

Friday I am going to buy the OCZ Powerstream and start putting it all together, but I still won't have the freakin cpu. I may just bite the bullet and try Ebay.

I'll have to shop for a 80mm vid-card fan and the 120mm front fan. Antec recommends the Tricool fans just like the ones that are in the case, but I'd almost prefer two fans that can be plugged into the mobo using the 3pin connector.

Do you know of a 80mm and 120mm fan that would fit into the case, and also move a fair amount of air with a 3pin connector?

Man, I really wish the cpu was here already, I am losing patience, and the 24" Dell monitor is almost here, I want to use it!

 

[steveeb]

Again, you are VERY LIMITED on the 80mm graphics card fan. You MUST USE an 80mm x 15mm fan in that slot. Look at my previous posts for a link to a Delta fan (which comes complete with a three pin mobo connector). Panaflo also makes an 80x15 but it's a little more expensive. I personally like the delta.

As for the 120mm fan, there are so many fans out there. If you don't like the ThermalTake I suggested, there are Antec's, Panaflo's, Delta's all available with the mobo connector. Try taking a trip to your local CompUSA or Fry's. Personally I do not like the Antec three speed fans with that stupid switch hanging off it.

 

[Trypt]

I haven't put power to the case yet, I don't know how I like the Tricool fans, but they look ok, and they should move a bunch of air, while being very quiet. I am waiting for the OCZ Powerstream to come to my store on Friday, most guys on here talked me into this one over the TruPower550, for various reasons (and it looks awesome too).

A 80x15mm fan shouldn't be hard to find, I'll look at your suggestions and get one of those. I just wish the 3 fans that already come with the case would come with 3pin connectors so I could use my fan controller with them. As it is, I have this 4 channel controller which I won't be able to use. On the other hand, its silver, so it wouldn't go with the case anyway.. argh, the decisions.

 

[orion25]

I just wish the 3 fans that already come with the case would come with 3pin connectors so I could use my fan controller with them. As it is, I have this 4 channel controller which I won't be able to use.

You could get some 3 to 4 pin adapters for the fans that came with the case. Just make sure the 3 pin is a Male plug. The 4 pin part should have both on it.

 

[Xoligy]

For those with the P-180 case:

1. Whats a good 120mm fan that would fit into the front fan mount right in front of the top HDD cage?

2. Can there be a fan added in front of the bottom HDD cage? If so, same q as above.

4. If running only one optical drive, where should it go? Into one of the top 3 locations, or in the extra 4th location which seems to be seperated from the rest (why is that anyway?)

1. I hear that the panaflow ones are really good and quiet im getting some for my water soon as i have the cash!

2. Yes one should fit panaflow

4. I always use the top most one always have done always will why? looks better

Do i love my antec p180? Yep! tho i broke it within a week lol! snapped the door off and the front chasses needs to be bonded down with something as i broke the holders on it! Grrr...

Oh as for the video card chamber... i removed mine no need for it as i probably get a maze 4 when i can afford it but if you do want to cool the card down get a silencer for it for something custom made

 

[Trypt]

Xoligy, what PSU do you use? I am worried that the cables are not long enough on the Powerstream 520 for me to put the optical drive in the top slot, although I would like to put it there. I am picking up the PSU today, so I guess I'll see how it all fits.

This is a slow process. I asked the following question on another thread but got no response, maybe someone in this thread can help me:

SATA - is SATA now the same as IDE was before? As in, no drivers needed? if I connect a HDD to SATA, will it automatically boot from it, is there an option in BIOS to boot from SATA? Or do I need external drivers just to activate SATA? Please let me know asap because this is going to determine if I am even going to buy a SATA drive. If I need external drivers, I'll just stick my IDE in there instead.

 

[Xoligy]

im just using a Enermax Noisetaker 370W thats why i didnt mention it as ive had the same problem tho it just reached round the heatsink and fan now i have watercooling its easier to get it there so i dont need to worry about it and besides im gonna buy a new psu soon tho i dont know which one!

 

[Trypt]

Xoligy, I've done a lot of research and asked a lot of questions here before I decided on my PSU, and basically everyone is singing the same tune. If you're looking for the best PSU for around $100 then the OCZ Powerstream 520 is the way to go. All the reviews also rave about it, besides it being the PSU of choice within the enthusiast circles. I wanted the Antec TruePower 550, but everyone here stirred me away from that one, even though it is considered one of the best companies. That tells you a lot.

I have the TruPower 480 right now, and the 12V rail on that one is 22amps, the PSU was considered the best of the best just over a year ago. Compare that to the 33amps of the Powerstream and you know right away why it is the PSU of choice.