If you’ve been hunting for a computer case, you probably know that there are a lot of computer enclosures on the market. Though it’s very easy to find a simple, budget case with a common interior design, even a flashy exterior, some people have specific needs like extra cooling, low noise levels, or expansion for the future. Now, the hunt for a case is even more daunting than the system installation itself.
Antec is an icon in the computer industry. They’ve impressed countless numbers of consumers and professionals with their innovative enclosure designs and power supply technology. You can find something Antec in almost any enthusiast’s home, office, and at literally every major LAN party. Perhaps the Antec P183 Enclosure and CP-850 Power Supply will fit the bill. It’s even better when Puget Systems puts their spin on it.
Features and Specifications – Antec P183 and CP-850 PSU Combo
Shown here with Puget System’s own little tweaks, the Antec P183 enclosure takes legendary P180 series to the next level. It continues to offer the split level design to help manage air flow and patented removable hard drive bays designed for limiting drive noise while triple layer housing assists with an exceptional “Quiet Computing” experience. Controllable Tri-Cool 120mm fans are included at the upper back and top of the P183 and moves up to 70 CFM at the highest setting. Each drive bay now has the option for a 120mm fan in the front to improve air flow.
Back from the P180 days are the excellent 5.25” drive glides which make removing and managing ROM drives easy. Some zip ties and other small items are included to help control and organize wiring. Also in the box are special screws to help combat drive vibrations when mounted in the removable drive bays.
One new feature to the P183 is that the chassis now supports both standard ATX and Antec’s new larger power supply format which the CP-850 Power Supply is a part of.
This latest performance level power supply in Antec’s line up offers a few new features and improvements over previous designs. First, and probably most important, is the dual PCB design with an upper and lower board that makes up the heart of the PSU. Rather than pack all the circuits on to one thick PCB, engineers found it easier and more efficient to separate the power hungry circuits. The end result is an 80 Plus Certified Power Supply.
An external 120mm PWM cooling fan keeps the internal circuits cool and offers up four 12V Rails. Rails 12V1/2 provides a healthy 22 Amps, while rails 12V3/4 offer 25 Amps. This means the bulk of the Amperage is going to your computer’s most sensitive circuits rather than wasting it on the 3.3V and 5V Rails. The CP-850 also offers modular cable connectivity, with the bulk of the peripherals powered by clearly color coded modular cabling while the main 24-pin and 12V Auxiliary remain hard wired for optimal power transfer.
Life Before the Puget Systems Treatment
The P183 is as close to gun metal black as you can get. Unfortunately, it doesn’t come in any other color like the fancy Special Edition Chrome with a windowed side panel that Puget Systems offers up to its customers. However, you might be able to wrangle one of those panels away from them if you come up with the right amount of coin. Nonetheless, the P183 is super sharp and almost appears black depending on the angle of the lighting.