Antec Overture 2 ATX Desktop Case

Reviews: Cases

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Kurtis Kronk
Brian
Antec
Nov. 10, 2005

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Inside the Case

Overview

Once you've opened the case you will find (2) 5.25" bays, (2) external 3.5" bays, (2) hidden 3.5" bays, (2) blower exhaust fans, (1) 92mm exhaust fan, a couple of bundles of wires coming from the power supply and front panel, (7) PCI slots, a manual, warranty, and a small bag of miscellaneous hardware. I should also note that the power supply has a relay cable extending to the rear of the case, since it would look pretty stupid to have a power cord plugged in to the front left side of the case. I'm a little worried about how cable management is going to be, but we'll see how that works out later.

Drive Bays

All of the drive bays in this case require you to screw the respective devices into place - there are no toolless mechanisms employed here. That said, there are still some things for me to talk about since this is not your standard, remove both panels and screw things in, type of case. The instruction manual is very helpful if you have any problems figuring out how to install your hardware, so I won't re-write their words, rather I'll tell you about my experience. Please note: there is a piece of paper that came in the box titled "ADDENDUM," this has revised instructions for removing and reinstalling the 5.25" drive cage.

The 5.25" drive cage is removable, and it is pretty easy to remove it and replace it. The process is made a little more difficult when you actually have hardware in the case, but there is still enough room to maneuver. I was quite satisfied with the mechanism used to fasten the cage; it seemed much more effective and sturdy than I imagine a couple of screws would have been - certainly less of a hassle. It would have been nice if Antec had gone a step further and made the actual 5.25" device installation a toolless process as well, but with the obvious size constraints you can only ask for so much.

The external 3.5" drive cage is also removable, held in place by two screws. I don't even own a floppy drive anymore, so this cage proved worthless to me. There are holes which will allow you to install a couple of hard drives in this cage as well, but you'll be better off sticking to the hidden 3.5" cage for that, and I'll explain why next.

You may have thought that the hidden 3.5" cage would be removable like the others, but it isn't. Okay, so that's a lie. I have to keep you on your toes, right? To take out the hard drive cage you have to remove two screws. Once you have done that, you'll be able to mount the hard drives, again with screws. To help reduce vibration, and therefore noise, there are rubber grommets - not unusual for Antec's cases. Replacing the hard drive cage is a little more difficult because the cage fits in place quite snugly. Once you get one of the screws in, you have to use a little force to push the cage flush against the side of the case so you can screw the other side in - not difficult by any means, but it's always nicer when things just fit perfectly.

Motherboard Tray

As you may have guessed, the motherboard tray is just the standard, non-removable type.

PCI Slots

I was a little disappointed to see that Antec didn't appear to put any extra effort into making installation of PCI cards easier. But with that said, this case is about half as wide as a standard ATX case (when standing on its side), and there isn't much room to play with in the PCI slot area.

What really bugged me about the PCI slots, however, is that the PCI slot covers were very difficult to remove. I may not be a body builder, but I shouldn't have to struggle to take these things out. The problem is that they aren't held in by a screw, but rather there is a little hook that grabs the screw hole, apparently with some sort of kung fu death drip. In the process of removing them I even managed to cut myself, sort of. As I mentioned earlier, two of the slot covers have holes to allow air into the case, these ended up acting like razors to my hand as I tugged on them. One came out easily; the other took me 10 minutes before I gave up. A few minutes later, I came up with the brilliant idea of using a screwdriver to stick through the holes and pull it out of the case - it worked. I suggest you do the same and save your hands.

Cooling

For a case of this size, I was quite happy with the cooling. Basically there are only exhaust fans in the case (with the exception of the power supply's fan), a 92mm fan in the rear and two blower fans on the right side, but there are plenty of places for cool air to be pulled from, so it shouldn't pose a problem. Of course, we can't forget that your CPU and Video Card will be kept cool thanks to the large openings in the top panel, permitting fresh air directly to your components. Adequate airflow is provided with virtually no noise, aside from the power supply that is.

The power supply has a 120mm fan on the underside of the case, and the PSU is in an isolated chamber, letting the air exhaust from the PSU out the left side of the case. It is worth noting that there is a removable grill on the left side, but it seems that there is no reason for it being removable.

Speaking of the power supply, it must have been an oversight, but the 120mm fan is loud. If it wasn't for the PSU fan, this case would be nice and quiet, and remember, the air that goes into the PSU exhausts out the left side of the case, so it isn't like the extra airflow is helping the rest of the computer stay cool. This wouldn't be such a big deal to me if it wasn't for the fact that this case is meant to sit flat on top of your desk, presumably with your monitor sitting on top of it. This means that you'll be much closer, and the noise will be much more noticeable than if the case was on the floor.

I decided to ask Antec about the power supply fan and why it is so loud and I was told that the PSU fan speeds up depending on the load, however when I started up Windows and let the PC idle, it was still loud. Then again, I don't exactly have low-end components in there, so that might have something to do with it. Nevertheless, I have requested a replacement PSU so I can see if there is a problem with mine or if this is normal. I'll update the review later regarding this issue if I do receive a replacement.

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Page 1: Introduction
Page 2: First Impressions / Opening the Case
Page 3: Inside the Case
Page 4: Quality Check
Page 5: Conclusion / Update

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18 User Comments

1 - Posted by Rich on August 24, 2005 - 2:08 pm

Antec makes some great cases. I have been a fan of their Minuet series for basic PC builds. It has the same good styling as the overture but it is a half-height case which limits components significantly.

2 - Posted by Kurtis on August 24, 2005 - 2:32 pm

this is a half-height case... and it didn't really limit the components that much, aside from the # of HDDs you can have. i could see running an SLI system in this case with ease.

3 - Posted by Rich on August 24, 2005 - 5:18 pm

I meant you could only use half-height PCI/AGP cards in the minuet. It is very thin

Minuet
3.8"(H) x 16.8"(D) x 12.75"(W)

Overture II
5.25"(H) x 17"(W) x 19.25"(D)

The minuet only supports microATX boards while the overture supports both ATX and microATX. I think the overture is the much more functional of the two unless you have no upgrade plans.

4 - Posted by Kurtis on August 24, 2005 - 5:54 pm

hm... that is thin. lol

come to think of it i have built a system in a minuet before and it is much more cramped.

5 - Posted by mike on August 24, 2005 - 7:18 pm

i have a minuet as well. get a lot of comments on it.

6 - Posted by Rich on August 25, 2005 - 7:25 am

Antec's paint finishes are some of the nicest I have seen, especially for the price they charge.

7 - Posted by handrail on August 25, 2005 - 8:24 am

werd. antec's cases rock. i love my SLK3700AMB.

8 - Posted by Guest on September 8, 2005 - 7:12 pm

how did the replacement PSU go with the noise problem

I have requested a replacement PSU so I can see if there is a problem with mine or if this is normal. I'll update the review later regarding this issue if I do receive a replacement.

9 - Posted by Guest on September 19, 2005 - 4:27 pm

My Overture 2 came in an Overture 1 box (reference to a 380W PSU on the box art) and it's really noisy. I'm wondering if it was one of the first batch, though I only bought it about a week ago. I was thinking of replacing the fan but dismantling it all would be kind of demoralising.

10 - Posted by Solburn on October 26, 2005 - 8:54 am

I bought the case last week. I'll be using it for HTPC because its a very nice looking Desktop with full pci slots, enough room for a Zalman 7700 and its fits pretty nicely by Audio cases but does not cost a fortune.

My PSU fan doesn't sound loudly at all. I connected the PSU fan connector on my motherboard, so the speed maybe controlled by the motherboard?. But on the otherside i hear a very annoying buzz out of the PSU it self. Its not loud but for a HTPC is pretty annoying. Does anybody else have this problem? Or cant you hear it over the loud PSU Fan? ;-)

11 - Posted by Kurtis on October 26, 2005 - 12:36 pm

This from Antec:

"We have received some complaints about Overture II not being quiet. Upon investigation these usually turn out to be related to the tachometer (fan speed connector) issue the Tech Lounge is asking about. Disconnecting the tachometer reduces the power supply fan speed to its normal range and quiets the case, and yes, our Customer Support people know to tell people about this simple fix. This issue is not a problem for cases manufactured after June 2005."

You apparently received one which was manufactured after June '05. You're sure the buzz is not the sound of the fan? Try unplugging the 3-pin connector trailing from the PSU and see if the noise persists and let me know what the outcome is.

You don't need that 3-pin connection plugged in, all it does is let you monitor the RPM of the PSU's fan with your BIOS or software.

12 - Posted by Kurtis on November 11, 2005 - 1:33 am

This articles has been updated with new information about the replacement power supply sent by Antec to replace the faulty unit that shipped with the original review sample which caused excessive noise.

13 - Posted by pgotera on November 28, 2005 - 4:13 pm

I have the case Overture 2, and the fan of the power supply is noisy. I read the article, i send one message to Antec,explaining the problem. I am to the delay of the answer.

I have disconnected the cable of the fan of the motherboard but it has increased the temperature. I have had to return to connect the fan to motherboard.

14 - Posted by Kurtis on November 28, 2005 - 5:24 pm

It increase the temperature because it is no longer spinning at full speed - you can't have both low temperatures and silence with air cooling, at least not in this specific situation. If you unplug the cable, as long as the fan is still spinning, the temperatures won't be a problem.

15 - Posted by pgotera on November 29, 2005 - 12:43 am

The problem is that the fan no spin, when disconnecting the cable. All the night been has disconnected, and the temperature has raised the 60 centigrados degrees.:-(
I am scared to fuse the power supply.

16 - Posted by Kurtis on November 29, 2005 - 1:37 pm

the fan shouldn't completely stop spinning - did you actually look to verify that it stopped spinning, or are you assuming it stopped because you can't hear it?

if it actually STOPPED spinning, you need to get in touch with antec to get a replacement PSU.

17 - Posted by Dyrewolph on November 30, 2005 - 3:08 am

which cable are you unplugging?

18 - Posted by Jimbo on December 31, 2005 - 7:31 am

Searching for help on noisy Overture II.
Had already exchanged PSU, similar packaging and PSU confusion (Overture I), to the review.
Just emailed Antec Techsupport for advice, found this review, will try the solution.
Thanks for the help

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