I've had it with Antec

[RKS]

Sorry about the mini-rant but as far as I'm concerned Antec makes okay items but certainly not as good as I thought they were.

The PSU got flaky right after the warranty period and it was replaced with a Sparkle that cost less and has much better performance even with more hardware.

As far as the P180 the plastic hooks on the side doors are history, the front door is warped again, and now the entire front assembly is broke off from a small child's knee. The case weighs a ton yet is sooooo fragile. It is getting returned and I'm saving up for the Silverstone TJ-07.

Thanks for listening. I'm sure other have better results but for me I done with Antec.

Edit: As far as noise and heat; I have an old server-size case with more HDDs and a hotter GPU that runs cooler and with less noise.


Update: Antec products may have failed me but their customer support seems excellent. They are taking care of my issues in a prompt and professional manner.

 

[skooma]

Thanks for sharing.

I dunno, I love my antec slk3000b and I'm looking at the P150 but I wish it came in a color other than white.

The original True line had a history of bad caps so you're lucky it made it through warranty :laugh:

Hey, you can always PM antecCSR here at AT and b!tch to him/her. You may get more than a for your rant.

 

[Zap]

I've had three TruePower PSUs and none died. Two were 330 and the most used one was 430, used near continuously for 3+ years.

 

[Pens1566]

Try putting in an RMA request on the door. Worked for me and many others. You'll get the new, re-inforced door along with the whole front assembly.

 

[GalvanizedYankee]

OP....BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA

The TJ-07 is nice but highly over rated if your willing to invest in a high end case,
look to the latest offerings from Lian Li. Lian Li makes cases and rebrands for NO ONE. Antec is just a rebranded brand, they market, they only design a logo & face plate

For a PSU, look to FSP Group, Enermax, Enhance, Seasonic or Sparkle on a budget.

I bet Zap thinks the 360W Enhance units he bought are better built than the 330W Antec he has

Do contact the antecCSR for hand holding. Why would they need to send out reps to forums anywho??? MMmmmmm. Because they sell crap, that's why. Does Lian Li have a rep running around making sure the flack dies down...Don't think so.

This is getting funnyer by the month.


...Galvanized

 

[skooma]

Originally posted by: GalvanizedYankee
Do contact the antecCSR for hand holding. Why would they need to send out reps to forums anywho??? MMmmmmm. Because they sell crap, that's why. Does Lian Li have a rep running around making sure the flack dies down...Don't think so.

Oh please. While I generally enjoy your posts, thats a ridiculous statement.

So newegg, ocz, mushkin, monarch, tankguys, soltek etc shoudn't have reps around? Most forum members appreciate reps hanging around forums.

I guess you think companies shouldn't have their own forums either :roll:

 

[GalvanizedYankee]

Originally posted by: skooma

Originally posted by: GalvanizedYankee
Do contact the antecCSR for hand holding. Why would they need to send out reps to forums anywho??? MMmmmmm. Because they sell crap, that's why. Does Lian Li have a rep running around making sure the flack dies down...Don't think so.

Oh please. While I generally enjoy your posts, thats a ridiculous statement.

So newegg, ocz, mushkin, monarch, tankguys, soltek etc shoudn't have reps around? Most forum members appreciate reps hanging around forums.

I guess you think companies shouldn't have their own forums either :roll:

What companies do on thier sites is thier business. An end user going to a company sponsered forum is a good thing. Ppl hired by AEG to promote products on non-company sites is evil. Reps from companies that market rebranded goods, like Antec, coming onto boards to put out brush fires is wrong IMHO. It indicates a real problem with thier products that they have to do so. Antec has squeezed the last bit of profit out of thier OEMs and now the chickens are coming home to roost.
Search this board for Antec PSU problems. Search this forum for complaints about the P-180. There are scads of'em, doors bent, hinges broken, seperation of panels, etc, etc..

For your information & edification, read this link http://www.silentpcreview.com/article273-page5.html
Look for the complaints about the P150 having HDD suspension rubbers break or PSU problems with the unit that comes w/the P150. It's posted at SPCR.
OCZ, Soltek and now mushkin offer rebranded PSUs, as such they can/will squeeze the builder. I don't like that and favor non-rebranded PSUs.
Supply houses coming onto boards for imput is another matter. NewEgg only offers quick shipping and nothing more for me.. Most what they offer can be found cheaper elsewhere=fact.


BTW: I never came to this forum to entertain you or anyone else with my posts. Generally, when something is posted with material to back it up, the fanboies enter saying, buy what I bought w/o doing my homework
So save the eye roll for someone else plz.

There are several members that have posted in this forum for years that have PMed me with complaints about both these cases, looking for work arounds and I resent the fact that these less than products command such blind loyalty.


...Galvanized

 

[RKS]

Originally posted by: GalvanizedYankee
OP....BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA

The TJ-07 is nice but highly over rated if your willing to invest in a high end case,
look to the latest offerings from Lian Li. Lian Li makes cases and rebrands for NO ONE. Antec is just a rebranded brand, they market, they only design a logo & face plate

For a PSU, look to FSP Group, Enermax, Enhance, Seasonic or Sparkle on a budget.

I bet Zap thinks the 360W Enhance units he bought are better built than the 330W Antec he has

Do contact the antecCSR for hand holding. Why would they need to send out reps to forums anywho??? MMmmmmm. Because they sell crap, that's why. Does Lian Li have a rep running around making sure the flack dies down...Don't think so.

This is getting funnyer by the month.


...Galvanized

My PSUs are a 550W Sparkle and a 450W FSP so I feel confident there.

My issue with the P180 it that it is so heavy and the doors are so flimsy that any jarring and the weakest point has no chance. If you look at the little plastic hinges on the P180's front door you know it just a matter of time.

I guess if you just look at the case you are fine but if you use an optical drive, or heaven forbid, move and open up the case you better handle with care.

I liked the build of the TJ-07 because it looks like minimal plastic is used. If not I like the LL 2100B.

 

[GalvanizedYankee]

PSA: eWiz.com has the 550W Sparkle for $74 ATM. How's that for a VG but not real efficient PSU?? That's a sweet deal. It might take a day or two longer to recieve than if ordered from NewEgg for more $$$




RKS, search this forum for those two cases as much has been posted by end users.

I used a cheap SkyHawk w/slide out tray for my sister's build. It's OK but nothing to post
about.

I have two older Lian Li mid-towers in use. One is modded for a 120 intake w/92mm exhaust, the other has paired 92mm intakes(they just fit) and a 92mm exhaust. The latter case has a slide out tray and my next case MUST have this option.

ATM, my next case would be an Akasa Eclipse 62 for $146+shipping. Google reviews, read several. Search this forum for the Eclipse Two end users give it very high praise.

If you can do a decent fan mod and want a full tower, consider the Lian Li PC-75. It can be had pretty cheap now.

The TJ-07 has a bullet-proof frame on the outside, the Akasa Eclipse 62 has a full internal frame with all panel removable. I like that.

OH! Forgot, the new Lian Li cases are hard anodized, the older models were just decorative anodized. Google anodize, you will read the difference. Hard anodize will not scratch very easily if at all...EVER. The TJ-07 is decorative anodized as are my older Lian Li cases. I washed & waxed mine before building and they still look "as new", but I don't have children at home anymore as they are on thier own


...Galvanized

 

[skooma]

LOL

I re-read my post but I don't see where I was blindly loyal to antec. Unless you're deducing that from my consideration of the P150 despite all the HDD suspension issues. I see, what, 8 people over at SPCR had an issue with one or more of their suspension cables? BOYCOTT!!!! (not a :roll: this time, ok?)

I'm not blindly loyal to any company. All I said was that I'd rather have too many reps hang around than none, be them manufacturer's, etailers or middle-men.

 

[GalvanizedYankee]

Originally posted by: skooma
LOL

I re-read my post but I don't see where I was blindly loyal to antec. Unless you're deducing that from my consideration of the P150 despite all the HDD suspension issues. I see, what, 8 people over at SPCR had an issue with one or more of their suspension cables? BOYCOTT!!!! (not a :roll: this time, ok?)

I'm not blindly loyal to any company. All I said was that I'd rather have too many reps hang around than none, be them manufacturer's, etailers or middle-men.

PM zagood, he will talk to you honestly about the P150, OK.

The OP is up to his eyeballs w/antec and you come into this thread like an AEG for the brand...Troll
I study at hardware repair sites and most use antec PSUs for door stops or to bench test fans

...Galvanized

 

[skooma]

Meh. I wasn't trying to pump antec, I just said I was thinking of the P150. I've already PM'd GTaudiophile about it and I'll definitely ask zagood. I'm still a couple weeks away anyway.

OP- I'd also take a look at some coolermasters. I have a CM praetorian (the old one) and the build quality is very good. If not for the 80mm fans, I'd get another of them.

 

[GalvanizedYankee]

Originally posted by: skooma
Meh. I wasn't trying to pump antec, I just said I was thinking of the P150. I've already PM'd GTaudiophile about it and I'll definitely ask zagood. I'm still a couple weeks away anyway.

OP- I'd also take a look at some coolermasters. I have a CM praetorian (the old one) and the build quality is very good. If not for the 80mm fans, I'd get another of them.

You've add no substance to this thread.



RKS, feel free to PM me if you want any of my rambling as I'm outa here.


...Galvanized

 

[skooma]

Yes, there was so much substance to the thread to begin with. Jeez, lighten up already. I told him to contact the antec rep if he wanted to do more than rant.

Anyway, sorry OP if I interrupted your rant.

Take care all

 

[BlueWeasel]

Originally posted by: GalvanizedYankee

Originally posted by: skooma
Meh. I wasn't trying to pump antec, I just said I was thinking of the P150. I've already PM'd GTaudiophile about it and I'll definitely ask zagood. I'm still a couple weeks away anyway.

OP- I'd also take a look at some coolermasters. I have a CM praetorian (the old one) and the build quality is very good. If not for the 80mm fans, I'd get another of them.

You've add no substance to this thread.



RKS, feel free to PM me if you want any of my rambling as I'm outa here.


...Galvanized

What, so he's got to add something to this thread before you deem it acceptable? Sounds like that's the attitude you take with anyone who doesn't join you in your Antec-bashing ramble.

I don't see the problem with skooma's posts other than he doesn't seem to have the same opinion of Antec PSU's as you. I guess since I've had good luck with numerous of their power supplies over the past few years (using a NeoHE now), that makes me a troll too?

I'm outa here....

 

[Operandi]

The P180 is good concept case but is cursed by Antec's abundant use of cheap plastic and steel.

As for the TJ-07 I think Galvanized has it right. It defiantly has the right looks, and the outer frame is solid as rock but it has far too many flaws for its price.

Have a look at the Lian Li PC-101B and the V1100B\.

 

[Bullhonkie]

I like the P180 for its performance out of the box, but it does seem to be plagued with inconsistency and quality issues. I liked the 3700 solution series cases too. Those seemed pretty well built but needed a bit of modding to reduce noise to tolerable levels for me. I've built tons of systems for family/friends using 3700 and Sonata cases and have heard nothing but compliments about them.

My experience with Antec PSUs have been perfect although I haven't put any into service for more than two years so far. Sparkle/FSP PSUs I've had 2 of 9 die on me over the years - though those two were used almost 24/7 for over 4 years. Either way I don't have a problem recommending either to friends.

 

[Zepper]

Actually Antec (with the assistance of SPCR) did have more involvement in the design and construction of the P180/150 than usual - perhaps that's why they are so good functionally yet so poor on the technical details (warping/separating panels, disintegrating drive suspensions, etc.). The technical problems could have easily been forseen and avoided by any decent mechanical/materials engineer, but then marketers do make poor engineers...

.bh.

 

[RallyMaster]

I wouldn't expect a fully loaded P180 to be light considering the size of it. As for Antec's power supplies, I just got one of theirs and have yet to push it to the limits.

 

[AntecCSR]

Originally posted by: GalvanizedYankee

Do contact the antecCSR for hand holding. Why would they need to send out reps to forums anywho??? MMmmmmm. Because they sell crap, that's why. Does Lian Li have a rep running around making sure the flack dies down...Don't think so.

This is getting funnyer by the month.

...Galvanized

Actually I wasn't sent to any forum. I suggested to my boss at the time that it might be a good idea to get out to forums and see what people were saying and/or answer common questions. Why? Because this was back in 1999 and we had no forum on our site. Somethings that may or may not be known at that time:

There was exactly 1 customer service rep at Antec at that time. That was me. I could go through 60-100 calls plus another 50+ emails (some repeats of course). Instead of repeating answers I thought it might be faster to go out to where the customers were and get the info out faster (our website development/webmaster was exceedingly slow at that time).

I don't know of many companies at that time that had their own web forum.
Actually I'm guessing I was one of the first company reps to get on any tech site (Ars Technica and Anandtech were the first two I registered on BTW. Which is why in both places the handle is AntecCSR and later sites became AntecRep).

Almost all of my early posts have been to answer questions/clear up confusion (like what are the purple things in my SX830?).


RKS: If you haven't gotten rid of the P180, contact us we'll ship you a new door/front panel. The new door hasn't warped for anyone that I know of. Beyond that I understand your frustration. Feel free to PM with all the details and I can see what we can do for you.

P150 suspension: Something like 12 reported instances world wide (admittedly I'm not updated on this so that number may have changed). However we're changing the suspension bands on the P150.

 

[GalvanizedYankee]

Originally posted by: AntecCSR

P150 suspension: Something like 12 reported instances world wide (admittedly I'm not updated on this so that number may have changed). However we're changing the suspension bands on the P150.

Well get your PR/hand holding self over to SPCR and deall with the 12 world wide instances in this thread.
http://forums.silentpcreview.com/viewtopic.php?t=31550 This was found with a quick look. Enjoy
I'm quite sure you will find many more over there, those guys being silence freaks & all.
Found another one, at 27% broken rubbers, that's not my kind of odds for trusting rubbers. These guys are generally carefull builders.
http://forums.silentpcreview.com/viewtopic.php?t=28322

Note: The day I saw SPCR on the front of the first black P180, thier cred concerning Antec took a major hit, IMHO.


I won't go into how you folks have squeezed the pennies out of the CWT built units or how you might have Seasonic not use Japanese caps in future NeoHE units so you can pick-up another $5 per PSU
I do look forward to seeing the newer NeoHE units opened up for a full inspection. Macro photos don't lie

How many doors have you folks sent out world wide for the P180s. That should be a very interesting number.

...Galvanized

 

[Bobthelost]

I'm not a fan of the hooks on the P180 door either, i nearly had heart failure when i'd just gotten the case. Thought i'd snapped the hooks off the first time i tried to remove the door. The feet on the P180 are also pretty crap, one of them ripped straight off when i tried to move the case. I like mine, it's a nice case, not perfect but a nice try.

 

[Zap]

Originally posted by: GalvanizedYankee
I bet Zap thinks the 360W Enhance units he bought are better built than the 330W Antec he has

Damn GY, you got me! Yes, seriously I do think the 360W Enhance is better, plus it cost about half the price.

Well, IMO the Antec PSUs aren't as crappy as many others that you can buy, plus they have a nice retail presence. If your PSU just died and you needed one ASAP, what are you going to find at your local Circuit City? Enhance? Fortron? Zippy? Nope, but you'll find Antec.

 

[Fullmetal Chocobo]

Excuse my ignornace, but how much do people normally pay for a P180? With deals going on, etc, etc. (So google price check doesn't apply to all the deals, so I'm asking what ya'll pay)? Because this kinda ties into the "how much would you pay" thread. Because even with the downfalls of the P180 case / design, if the price is fairly cheap, it's still a hell of a deal. Correct? Or is it considered an expensive case?

EDIT: $120 @ Newegg. That doesn't seem very cheap to me. Wife's case was $55 (Centurion 5). Wow, didn't realize there was that much of a difference.

 

[Fallengod]

I paid $120 for mine, but that was last year.

PS: I just ordered my new door from antec!