Antec SLK1600

Reviews: Cases

Antec SLK1600

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Kurtis Kronk
Brian
TheTechLounge
Apr. 23, 2003

First Impressions and Opening the Case

I picked up this steel case recently for a computer I am building for a friend of mine. I went to a local tech shop and this was literally the cheapest case there. I paid $60 USD for this case, so keep that in mind during the review when you see all the features it has. Something to note is that this case came with a 300W PSU included in the $60 USD price, not a bad price at all. When I opened the box I saw a decent looking beige mini-case. I had assumed when buying this case that it would be your typical mini-tower with very limited access to the inside (left panel only). This case features toolless entry with thumbscrews on the back as well, making it that much easier to get inside. I was pleasantly surprised when I removed the thumbscrews from the back and was able to take off both sides as well as the top of the case. With the case opened I immediately noticed that the PCI slots do not requre screws. Upon close inspection however, I realized that you need a screwdriver and screws to install a PCI card. The PCI slots are semi-toolless though because the metal brackets in the empty slots do not need screws to be secure. You only need screws for securing PCI cards.

The Front of the Case

On the front of the case you have 3 x 5.25" bays, 2 x 3.5" bays, a plastic reset button, chrome power button, 4 x LEDs, and 2 x USBs. One LED on this case is to show if the power is on/off, and the other 3 are to show HDD activity. Having 3 HDD LEDs is pretty unusual especially in smaller cases such as this one and it is a definite plus if you have more than one HDD. There is also a set of 'gills' on the front panel to allow air intake for the front fan. Antec was even nice enough to include a stylish Antec case-badge with this case, and I must say it accents the case quite well.

Diving Deeper into Case-Land

When you look inside the case you will notice that there are removable cages for the 3.5" bays. These cages are held in place not by latches like Chieftech Dragon cases, but instdead by screws. These work well but latched cages are easier to remove and replace. I just want to mentionagain, quickly, that this case + PSU only cost $60 USD. I would not expect top-of-the-line features to be included with this case, but it is my duty to show how the product could be improved nonetheless. Another thing you will notice is that there are only places for 2 80mm case fans. Of course, you could mod the case and add a blowhole and left-panel fans if you felt the need. Something else that is nice about this case is that all of the edges are rounded. It would be very difficult to cut yourself unintentionally while working inside it.

Now for a little more info about the removable faces... As I mentioned earlier, all sides except the back of the case are removable. To take off the side panels, you must first unscrew the thumbscrews in the rear top corners of the case. Once the thumbscrews have been removed, slide the top panel backwards and pull it off, it shouldn't take an extreme amount of force to do this. With the top panel taken off you can easily remove the side panels. To take off the side panels just push them upwards and then pull away from the case once they are unlatched. Removing the left panel gives you access to your motherboard and all other components. Upon removing the right panel, you will gain access to the norm, absolutely nothing. The purpose of this right panel is to store long wires that you don't want cluttering your case, and there are large holes in the right panel for you to put your extra wire through. The other removable panel is the front. The only real purpose of removing the front is if you plan on modding the front panel, removing bottom front fan clip, or if you want to replace the cases' LEDs. The front panel is also easy to remove, all you have to do is unlatch the clips and pull it off.

Using the Case

One small annoyance I ran into is that if you have a long drive in the top or 2nd from top 5.25" bays, you will have very limited space to work with between the back of the drive and the PSU. There is enough room for your hand to fit and to plug everything in without a problem, but a little more space would be nice. It would also be nice if this case had latched cases so that you do not need a screwdriver to remove the cages. I also tested this case for stability, and it was very sturdy. I had expected a flimsy case for such a low pricetag, but it is just as strong as my Chieftech Dragon if not more so. This case doesn't come equipped with a door that can be easily ripped off unlike the Dragon.

Conclusion

This mini-tower far exceeded my expectations. The price of this case very much influenced its score because of all the features included. This case could be better with latched cages and a motherboard tray, but for the price it simply can not be beat. If you are just an average computer user, I highly recommend this case. For those who like plenty of room for modding, lighting, etc. I would probably recommend a case larger case with more room for fans / watercooling / drives / rheobuses etc...

Pros

Easily removed panels
Removable cages
Very cheap
PSU included
Quality construction
Stylish
3 HDD activity LEDs
Front USBs
Small

Cons

No motherboard tray
Screwed cages (not toolless)
Too small for lots of extra goodies
Only 2 x 80mm fans

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2 User Comments

1 - Posted by Guest on September 13, 2005 - 10:47 am

This review fails to mention the LACK of decent build quality of this case - the case is anthing but quiet. The 3.5" drive cage is not secured tightly in place so after a while it starts to vibrate - causing a nasty horrid buzzing sound which is annoying to say the least.

I always buy Antec PSU's because I think they are great, and their more expensive cases are a dream in terms of build quality and feaures, but this entry level case could have been so much better with a little more attention to the little niggly things.

2 - Posted by Kurtis on September 13, 2005 - 1:00 pm

Sorry that you weren't pleased with the content of this review. I wrote it over two years ago when our site was pretty new. We go much more in-depth in all of our reviews than we did back then (cases included).

Thanks for your feedback on the SLK1600.

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