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In English
SuomeksiIn use Experiences and the Noise
The first bootup of the newly built system was a very pleasant experience. A window next to the rig was open and the radio was on, so when I first powered on the system I didn't really notice if it even started! After closing the window and turning down the radio the system became audible, but it was still very quiet during the higher ambient noise of daytime. Besides the quiet operation, I also noticed that the P180 Mini has the first non-blue power light I've seen in quite a while! Good job Antec. Not only is the led white, it's also installed so it doesn't shine too brightly. The HDD-led is still blue, but it's hidden behind the door and is only slightly visible.
The noise-analyzing was continued in the night-time when the ambient volume is at its lowest. The case still performs well with the fans set to low, but when the speeds are cranked up, the fans get more and more obvious. I'd say the 120 mm fan makes more noise than the 200 mm fan, which makes sense. Keeping this in mind I suppose the 200 mm fan alone would be enough to keep most systems cool. In this case it would be nice if Antec bundled a blocking plate similar to the one provided with the Fusion to remove the unnecessary fan hole.
Conclusion
Altogether the new Mini follows the footsteps of the previous P180-series cases very carefully. The good ventilation that allows even the hottest running components to be used in the case, the composite side panels and the vibration dampening mountings for the HDDs do their part in making even a bit louder components quieter. Quiet components always remain the key to quiet setup, but a case like this can definitely further improve the noise characteristics of the system. If a large graphic card isn't needed in the system then the case can handle up to 5 HDDs, which also should be enough for most users. I can't see any use where three 5,25" bays wouldn't be enough either, so the storage side of things is well taken care of. The outlooks and location of power button are entirely up to personal taste, so there's not much to say about those. It's a good thing though that the front panel connectors are accessible without opening the door and that in Mini there's also an e-sata connector on the front panel. It's hard to say how large the markets for specialized mATX-cases are, but I can't see any reason why Mini shouldn't be right on top of the list if you are looking for a new mATX-case. The only real downside is that it's still pretty large and heavy for a mATX-case, but that's the price to pay for lots of drive bays and quiet operation. |
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