When we reviewed Antec's Sonata IV recently, we found it left a lot to be desired. Antec had updated their Sonata design, but barely, and the enclosure as a whole felt grossly behind the times. Apparently some of Antec's engineers agreed, because we have the brand new Solo II in house now and there's clearly been some serious retooling. But is the Solo II enough of a step forward, or does it still have some growing up to do?
]]> Read more...Reviewing the Antec Sonata IV presented an interesting opportunity for me: while the other cases we've reviewed thus far have been experiences with new hardware, the Sonata IV is the next in a line of cases I'm particularly familiar with. I've built machines in every model from Antec's main Sonata range; my dad's computer is in an old Sonata, my ex-girlfriend's computer is in my old Sonata II, and a close friend's machine is purring along in a Sonata III. As a result, it's a chance to see how Antec's design has evolved over time. But it's more than that: the Sonata line has for a long time been a go-to for quiet computing with reasonable thermals. Has that changed with the Sonata IV?
]]> Read more...At this year's CES Seagate announced its intentions to open the GoFlex connector standard, enabling devices and other drivemakers to build products around its GoFlex removable drive standard. We've seen limited public uptake thus far, but at Computex Antec announced its intentions to include a GoFlex drive bay in some of its future cases:
The bay can accept either GoFlex compatible drives or, with the swap of an insert, standard 2.5" SATA drives. With a standard 2.5" drive in place, the bay can also accept another 2.5" drive internally.
The GoFlex or standard SATA drive plug into a PCB backplane which connects to your SATA controller via a standard SATA cable. No word whether or not Antec's solution will support 6Gbps SATA at this point or how well tested it is with SSDs.
Antec expects GoFlex to debut in cases by the end of the year, perhaps on the new Solo II.
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]]> Read more...We interrupt the Computex 2011 coverage for a full review....
In early April, we tested one of Antec's larger HCG power supplies. Today we're looking at a smaller version with 520W unit. There are some differences between the 750W model besides the rated power output, so while we like the overall value the HCG-750 provides the HCG-520 needs its own review.
Previously, Antec has had other mainstream series before creating the HCG line, but this is the first time they've tried to jump on the "Gamer" bandwagon. Mostly, the name appears to be in reference to the aesthetics of the PSUs, as the other features are common in competing products. Highlights include the 80Plus Bronze certification, non-modular connection system, and Japanese capacitors. But let's not get bogged down in the details just yet; is the HCG-520 a good product or could it use some improvements?
]]> Read more...Antec was eager to share with us its upcoming P280 chassis. The case we were shown is still a prototype but it's going to be Antec's flagship when it comes out later this year. The P280 will be priced at around $169, similar in price to the P180 it will replace. Power and reset buttons are behind the front cover, while the rest of the front panel IO was relocated further up the case.
The front of the chassis has two USB 2.0 ports and two USB 3.0 ports, all of which are driven off of motherboard headers. The P280 has three tool-less 5.25" drive bays, just depress the release lever and slide the drive out:
There are two 2.5" and six 3.5" bays inside the chassis. The 3.5" trays don't accept 2.5" drives by default unfortunately. All fans in the case can be driven by a collection of 3-pin fan headers at the very back of the case. A single molex connector feeds power to the fan header PCB.
Antec improves cable management by offering even more room behind the motherboard tray to route thicker cables:
Check out more pictures of the upcoming P280 in the gallery below. {gallery 1111}]]>
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Antec today announced the formation of soundscience, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Antec, and introduces the all new soundscience rockus 3D | 2.1 speaker system. The soundscience rockus 3D |2.1 speaker system is designed to create a personal theater experience, bringing the power and realism of 3D sound together with the clarity and accuracy of high-fidelity audio, making it an ideal solution for experiencing game and movie sound in 3D. The soundscience rockus 3D |2.1 speaker system is backed by Antec’s Quality 2-Year (AQ2) Limited Warranty on parts and labor, and is available now for an estimated price of $249.99.
Read more...Key Features:
- Anodized aluminum satellites that reduce vibration and minimize distortion, resulting in clear mid and sparkling high-range sound
- Active subwoofer with passive radiator technology, delivering an expansive range of bass comparable to larger footprint subwoofers
- 3D-tuned drivers to deliver audio optimized for soundscience’s 3Dsst technology
- Dual-mode operation: 3D mode for enveloping games and movies, and music mode for faithful stereo music playback
- Optical input for playback of digital audio from game consoles (Xbox 360, PS3,) and other, similarly equipped devices
- Remote control pod for volume adjustment, 3D/music mode selection, muting and digital/analog input selection
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