# Antec 300, CM 690 or what?!?!



## kyle2020 (Jan 27, 2009)

Right, im selling my Cosmos, and going back down to a midi case - I love the look of the P182's however they cost the earth, so Ive landed on a choice of 2 - the Antec 300 and the CM 690 Dominator s00per dup0rz case that everyone seems to get all fuzzy inside about.

So, what am I looking for?

1. Plenty of cooling. Need to keep everything super cool, I will be selling my H20 loop so no need for space for rads or anything. NEED TO KEEP MY GTX COOL! 

2. Midi size. 100% essential.

3. Needs to look good. Minimalism is nice, but everyone likes a few LED's now and again.

4. Good cable management, id prefer not to be cracking the dremel out, however I will if needs be. 

So, what should it be? The antec is far cheaper, and from experience, I know they are quite good for cable management - but how do they perform in terms of cooling? The CM 690 looks better for cooling, but is more expensive.

So, thoughts / recommendations for any other cases? Looking to spend a maximum of £70!


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## King Wookie (Jan 27, 2009)

I went with the CM590.
Almost identical airflow setup to the 690, but cheaper.

Been a good case to work on.


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## LittleLizard (Jan 27, 2009)

if u can go for the nine hundred two but if not, then go for the cm690


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## kyle2020 (Jan 27, 2009)

King Wookie said:


> I went with the CM590.
> Almost identical airflow setup to the 690, but cheaper.
> 
> Been a good case to work on.



Ill be looking that up later - minimalistic, looks very nice. 



LittleLizard said:


> if u can go for the nine hundred two but if not, then go for the cm690



*sigh* the 900 series is a love hate relationship for me. I got rid of my 900 because I hated it so much, even after modding. seems like the new revision has sorted out those problems, but its damn expensive.


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## InnocentCriminal (Jan 27, 2009)

I'd highly recommend the Antec 300 - I use that for all my privates builds both outside & at work. It was fantastically cheap, however the price has increased pretty quickly after all the attention the case has been getting. 

If you're not keen on a bottom located PSU then maybe this case isn't for you - but I highly recommend from my own experiences. The air flow is great, especially if you add at least one fan to the front. Looks great too if you like simplicity.


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## Thrackan (Jan 27, 2009)

The Centurion 590 rocks  Simply put it's a 690 without the unnecessities and high price.
The 690 side panel with window can be put in it as well, fits perfectly.


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## kyle2020 (Jan 27, 2009)

Right so Ive had a look at the 590, however I must say I prefer the 300 (dont hurt me lol) but ill keep looking at reviews.

For now, Im getting my old modded Jr down from the loft and using that until I decide what im doing.


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## Thrackan (Jan 27, 2009)

kyle2020 said:


> Right so Ive had a look at the 590, however I must say I prefer the 300 (dont hurt me lol) but ill keep looking at reviews.
> 
> For now, Im getting my old modded Jr down from the loft and using that until I decide what im doing.



I missed some features with the 300, it was a case I considered though.


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## kyle2020 (Jan 27, 2009)

Thrackan said:


> I missed some features with the 300, it was a case I considered though.



such as?


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## Thrackan (Jan 27, 2009)

Screwless install, "only" 1x top exhaust, no window available.
Right after that I fell in love with the 590, so it's not a fair race


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## kyle2020 (Jan 27, 2009)

Thrackan said:


> Screwless install, "only" 1x top exhaust, no window available.
> Right after that I fell in love with the 590, so it's not a fair race



can i just ask - in pictures the 590 is shown with 3 fans up front - are there mounts included to do this? Because I need max airflow and that would be wicked!


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## Thrackan (Jan 27, 2009)

No. Use either more 4-in-3 modules or the Scythe Kama Bay thingy 
In the box, one 4-in-3 module is included, which has a 120mm fan mounted on it.


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## kyle2020 (Jan 27, 2009)

Thrackan said:


> No. Use either more 4-in-3 modules or the Scythe Kama Bay thingy
> In the box, one 4-in-3 module is included, which has a 120mm fan mounted on it.



hmm, bit of a let down then. 300's are cheaper, but the two top 12cm fans would be better on the 590 . . .


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## Thrackan (Jan 27, 2009)

120 or 140, whatever you want


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## kyle2020 (Jan 27, 2009)

I just wish I could have a "try before you buy" thing going on haha.


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## Thrackan (Jan 27, 2009)

You're just a sea away from me... I could get you some decent pix of my install tonight.


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## kyle2020 (Jan 27, 2009)

please mate, would help me!


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## oli_ramsay (Jan 27, 2009)

I think you should go for the CM690, it looks awesome and sleek, has excellent airflow, has a side window and is fairly cheap.  Also has good cable management and plenty of room inside (one of the reasons I'm getting one).

http://specialtech.co.uk/spshop/customer/product.php?productid=6911&cat=0&page=1#tabs


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## kyle2020 (Jan 27, 2009)

oli_ramsay said:


> I think you should go for the CM690, it looks awesome and sleek, has excellent airflow, has a side window and is fairly cheap.  Also has good cable management and plenty of room inside (one of the reasons I'm getting one).
> 
> http://specialtech.co.uk/spshop/customer/product.php?productid=6911&cat=0&page=1#tabs



it just doesnt seem the airflow would be as good as the 300?


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## Meizuman (Jan 27, 2009)

One thing I dislike in the 300 is the old fashioned HDD installation. Metal on metal with screws is not good thing when noise is one priority. I made a holder from thick rubber bands and placed my HDD in vertical position. But after the HDD died in few months, I'm afraid to that again. 

So here is a question too. Does the orientation of HDD affect its life span? I have seen some PC's (Acer, HP) with HDD installed in different positions...


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## Thrackan (Jan 27, 2009)

Meizuman said:


> One thing I dislike in the 300 is the old fashioned HDD installation. Metal on metal with screws is not good thing when noise is one priority. I made a holder from thick rubber bands and placed my HDD in vertical position. But after the HDD died in few months, I'm afraid to that again.
> 
> So here is a question too. Does the orientation of HDD affect its life span? I have seen some PC's (Acer, HP) with HDD installed in different positions...



Basically either horizontally or vertically is fine. Try to keep a spinning wheel at an angle, some force will pull it to either a horizontal or vertical position.

Anyway

The 590 is basically the 690 but stripped down on looks. I even have the exact same window panel on it.
If the 690's looks were my taste I would have gotten that one, but I chose the 590 for its plainer looks. The 4-in-3 module is good for noise reduction and you can position it in any three bays you'd like for airflow.

Heres my post in my thread describing what I think about the 590:


Thrackan said:


> So I've built my system into this Centurion 590 and it's *nice*! Here's a little sum-up on what I've noticed about the case.
> 
> 
> No sharp edges (no cuts!)
> ...



To add to that, GPU temps have dropped immensely due to the fan in the sidepanel. Currently running GPU+CPU under 55-60 on load and OC'd.


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## King Wookie (Jan 27, 2009)

You wanted pics?

http://forums.techpowerup.com/showpost.php?p=1070035&postcount=372


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## bpgt64 (Jan 27, 2009)

You can't go wrong with the 300, I run a E8400 OCed at 4.0 ghz and it runs nice and cool thanks to the top fan(140cm) and rear Exhaust Fan.  It's a sturdy case with plenty of room.  I absolutely love mine.


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## Ramo1203 (Jan 27, 2009)

Meizuman said:


> So here is a question too. Does the orientation of HDD affect its life span? I have seen some PC's (Acer, HP) with HDD installed in different positions...



I read the position doen't matter at all. They are made to be used in any positions.

Link : http://www.silentpcreview.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=21533



By the way I'm also in the same situation.. CM690/590 VS Three Hundred

Kinda hard to choose, I mean both have excellent features, none of them beat the other in a significant way.

Really I agree with the "try before you buy" thing !


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## Thrackan (Jan 27, 2009)

I'll try and get as good pics as I can tonight, someone please do the same for a 300?


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## King Wookie (Jan 27, 2009)

At the end of the day I don't think you will regret choosing any of these.


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## Ramo1203 (Jan 27, 2009)

After a lot of searching, I found that they both have their + and - . The CM690 has bottom intake for the PSU, and better cable management, better HDD mounting system. But the 300 has easier access to the dust filter and I like simple look of the case.

I was thinking, if I get the 300, I would have to change the fans and add some (I hate Molex fans) so that would add to the price, the CM690 has fans with 3pin and a Molex adapter.

What do you guys thinks about it?


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## pepsi71ocean (Jan 27, 2009)

i have a CM 690 and i love it. It has enough room to fix an eVGA GTX 280, and those cards are long. I have another 1-2 inches past the end of the gfx card and the metal wall.

I like the fact that the case is very open. It has room for alot of fans. I have 2 120mm fans on top of the case, and there is a 120 on the from, room for a 140mm fan on the bottom, and 2 120(i think 120mm) fan slots on the side of the case that faces opposite of the mobo.

Over all i love the case and i would recommend it.


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## flyin15sec (Jan 27, 2009)

I loaded some pics for you to check out. This is nothing spectacular. What I like about the A300 is the HD are mounted with the same direction as the air flow.

In the first shot, You can see that if you mount the HD in the lower positions, air flow is maximized going to the video card.

Cable management is ok. Spend a little more time than I do and it can look better. For me, since the case has no window, and as long as the cables aren't directly in front of the air flow, it works for me.

This is my third A300 build and the first two were quite noisier. So this build I added some rubber anti vibration fan screws and HDD screws. It makes it alot quieter.

**EDIT. I added pics of the CM compartment, front fan location and dust filter


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## pepsi71ocean (Jan 27, 2009)

Here are some recent pictures of my cable management and my GTX 280.

Overview, large resolution as well. layout really well.
http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/3262/picture008vl2.jpg

Shot of the bottom with the 140mm Scynth fan on top of the bottom vent.
http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/1838/picture010yw5.jpg

Just the whole inside of the case, with gfx card and everything after cable management.
http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/9427/picture008ll4.jpg

The rubber band i added because i didn't like the torque the gfx card put on the mobo. so i added that as a safety measure, lol. The S1284 heat sink is blown from top down towards the North bridge, where i have a small fan blowing directly across the NB. If you want any more picts let me know.

EDIT
Here is another picture of the upper drive bays.
http://img220.imageshack.us/my.php?image=picture009co7.jpg

I love the open vent on the bottom by the psu case, keeps the psu cool,a nd also my system with direct venting outside oft he case.


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## farlex85 (Jan 27, 2009)

I went into the store the other day planning on buying the cm690. At the place I went to though, the nxzt tempest was $10 more (usually more like $30 in most places I've seen). And I went with that one for two main reasons. It already has 6 fans with it, the cm690 has 3, although it allows you to add 4 more, it ends up being the same as what the tempest already has. The tempest also  has a side panel, which I like and would have wanted to add the cm690. So, it turned out for me the tempest was the way to go. I have so far liked it a lot, lots of room, tons of space for hdds (which I need, the drives mount front to back but sideways, which is a surprisingly simplistic way to fit many hdds comfortably and not restrict airflow), nearly silent operation at stock, and as I said, everything you need already there. 

The only thing I would say I wish the bottom mounted psu had the same option as the cm with the vent below, also the plastic seems a bit fragile in some places, and cable management can be tough w/ a many wired psu (but I honestly couldn't care less for the most part, only a slight airflow blockage). If you can get the tempest around the same price as the 690, I would do that, if it is priced much higher, go w/ the 690.


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## Thrackan (Jan 27, 2009)

Here's my current setup. Never mind the messy SATA cables, I added those drives on a LAN party last weekend...


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## pjladyfox (Jan 27, 2009)

Voted for the Antec Three Hundred case which I've got personally and have used for several other builds since it came out. It is, by far, one of the best mid-tower cases I've ever had with the right balance between size and cooling.

The only real complaint I have with it is that it could be 2 inches longer which would allow just enough space to fully populate all six 3.5-inch drive bays even with a monster card like the 4870X2. If they ever do that it would turn this case into pure perfection.

While I know a lot of people like the CM690 I honestly do not see the appeal of it. I mean every time I look at it I see the following flaws:

1. Sideways 3.5-inch drive bays which restrict incoming airflow.
2. Single 120mm fan compared to the dual 120mm of the 300.
3. Lack of filtration for the PSU and motherboard-side intake vent.
4. Unnecessary secondary 120mm downwards fan mount.
5. Top-mounted USB/Audio ports.

Now, granted, if you are not bothered by any of this or will be going for watercooling then the CM690 makes more sense. But, for me, I worry about dust and if I have to go out and buy extra stuff to make that happen that is a major minus.


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## Thrackan (Jan 27, 2009)

pjladyfox said:


> Voted for the Antec Three Hundred case which I've got personally and have used for several other builds since it came out. It is, by far, one of the best mid-tower cases I've ever had with the right balance between size and cooling.
> 
> The only real complaint I have with it is that it could be 2 inches longer which would allow just enough space to fully populate all six 3.5-inch drive bays even with a monster card like the 4870X2. If they ever do that it would turn this case into pure perfection.
> 
> ...



I'm in danger of turning into a fanboy here, but let me slap those points you made on the 590:

1: No sideways mounting, instead a 4-in-3 module with rubber dampening.
2: True, there's only one intake (on the 4-in-3), but that's easily fixed by another 4-in-3 module or a Scythe Kama Bay fan.
3: No filters here either. Filters are dead easy to make though.
4: Downwards? Mine blows hot RAM air out of the top. Or dou you mean the one in front of the PSU that's not present on the 590? 
5: No ports on top, just two exhausts.


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## pjladyfox (Jan 27, 2009)

Ramo1203 said:


> After a lot of searching, I found that they both have their + and - . The CM690 has bottom intake for the PSU, and better cable management, better HDD mounting system. But the 300 has easier access to the dust filter and I like simple look of the case.
> 
> I was thinking, if I get the 300, I would have to change the fans and add some (I hate Molex fans) so that would add to the price, the CM690 has fans with 3pin and a Molex adapter.
> 
> What do you guys thinks about it?



Accessing the filters on the 300 is a snap and you do not even have to take the 5.25-inch drive you have mounted either. Just take off one side panel, push the clips, and it swings outwards. Even nicer it comes with some decently sized thumbscrews that work great for all of the drive mountings (except for the small ones for the optical drives).

The fans that it comes with, a single 140mm and 120mm, are both molex so you'll wind up replacing those if you do not care for them. But, considering that you can get a 4-pack of 120mm fans, like these at http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103052, for less than $20 it should not be too much of a major factor.


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## vega22 (Jan 27, 2009)

after building a setup in an a900 for a m8 i decided to give the cm690 a go and i still love mine after months of abuse. filters on the front and bottom fan mounts for fans in and a quick mod to cut the plastic off the tops to help the fans out and it was supper cool.

i can run @4ghz with no fan on my cpu heatsink and still only hit 55c under load 

i know another guy with the 590 and other than the fan in the bottom and the plastics its the same as the 690.

i think the a300 is nice tho in a "for my little sister" kinda way.


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## pjladyfox (Jan 27, 2009)

Thrackan said:


> I'm in danger of turning into a fanboy here, but let me slap those points you made on the 590:
> 
> 1: No sideways mounting, instead a 4-in-3 module with rubber dampening.
> 2: True, there's only one intake (on the 4-in-3), but that's easily fixed by another 4-in-3 module or a Scythe Kama Bay fan.
> ...



*chuckle* No worries I had a feeling you would be chirping in sooner or later. Oh, and just so that you know I was talking more about the 690 instead of the 590. 

After looking at the 590 my major nitpick would have to be the 4-in-3 adapter bay. I built up a Antec 900 which had a similar system and, Goddess, was that a major PITA to deal with. Had they gone with a more traditional layout on that, and added in a second fan, it would be pretty much perfect. 

Cases really are more dependent upon personal preference than any other part in your system. I mean, everyone has their own personal criteria as to what is perfect for a case in both looks and internal layout.

For me, I've gone thru more cases than I care to count running from the old Antec Sonata and Centurion 5 thru the Three Hundred. My husband just about shot me when I saw the Three Hundred and wished to switch from the Gigabyte 570 over to it. But after switching over to it and seeing my CPU and GPU temps drop it was worth the switch to me.


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## Thrackan (Jan 27, 2009)

pjladyfox said:


> *chuckle* No worries I had a feeling you would be chirping in sooner or later. Oh, and just so that you know I was talking more about the 690 instead of the 590.
> 
> After looking at the 590 my major nitpick would have to be the 4-in-3 adapter bay. I built up a Antec 900 which had a similar system and, Goddess, was that a major PITA to deal with. Had they gone with a more traditional layout on that, and added in a second fan, it would be pretty much perfect.
> 
> ...



Hmm, guess I didn't formulate that well enough. I meant to say: Take the points you had on the 690 and slap them on the 590.

But yeah, 90% is taste, absolutely. I'd have gone for the 300 if it wasn't for the window and the toollessness of the 590.


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## pepsi71ocean (Jan 27, 2009)

i clean the filters on my 690 in 15 mins. but then its a union job so it takes a 5 mins work break in the middle, lol. so its a 10 mins job because i don't really try. but if i had to i could do it in under 2-5 mins. I use a vacuum in the top, and take the front off the case and vacuum the front fan, and simply such the bottom one As for the top USB's i like them because i can stick a usb driver in there, and that is if your mobo doesn't supply enough USB ports. 

I didn't do any case mods yet, but i did do soem tubed venting at one point for my cpu heat sink and gfx card,


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## tastegw (Jan 29, 2009)

i have a antec 300.

my only complaint is that its a tight fit once the mobo is installed inside it.  i had to take off my sunbeam core contact once, and it was really hard to get my hands in there to do it.

other than that,  the no side window thing wasnt an issue, i bought mine just so i could take the time to have some fun making one for it. and some other easy mod jobs.

sorry about the low rez pic,  my phone is all i have for taking pics





id love to change out the front panel, but i have no idea on what i would want there.


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