Antec P20C

[Darksaber]

The Antec P20C uses the same bones as the DP503, clocking in at a similar price but aiming to offer a cleaner look without the use of RGB and a focus on quieter fans. While it may not offer the same bang for your buck as the ARGB capable DP503, it gives you a good option if understated is what you are looking for.

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[AnotherReader]

The temperatures are rather high especially considering the three intake fans.

 

[KrazyT]

With 3 fans included, they could have put 1 on the rear and 2 at the front ...
Nice design, reminds me the Corsair 4000

 

[enb141]

What I don't like about this case is that you can't put the video card vertically because you will disable all your horizontal PCIe ports, and I also don't like that the power button and the USBs are at the top of the case.

 

[claes]

The temperatures are rather high especially considering the three intake fans.

Given three layers of obstructions kind of unsurprising

 

[AnotherReader]

Given three layers of obstructions kind of unsurprising

They should have skipped the metal cover and gone with the mesh as the face to the world.

 

[claes]

The steel frame the fans are attached to is the kicker for me. Should've just gone with an open panel, instead they're probably blocking 60% of the intake.

 

[Chrispy_]

The default fan configuration sucks, which is why this thing suffers in "out of the box" thermal results, but there's a lot to like here; Good clearance between the top radiator and motherboard heatsinks or DIMMs, decent venting at both front and top, reinforced filter with ribs so it won't rub on fan blades like so many 3x120 front filters do....

Could it be improved? Sure.
Is it a good deal for the asking price? I think so, yes.

 

[Assimilator]

Only four 2.5" drive mounts in a case that claims "E-ATX" compatibility is a joke.

 

[Vario]

Looks over-filtered. The thermal results are quite poor relative to the amount of fan surface area.

 

[Nihillim]

Yes, let's make a filter less effective by unnecessarily reducing the surface area
I'd maybe get it, if you could see the blasted thing, but you can't(at least from the pictures), so it serves no purpose.
Take the filter from the top and replace the front with it.

 

[NC37]

Used to do builds with Antec. Were always solid cases, very sturdy and they looked like tanks. Went to do another build for someone recently and was shocked how cheap they are now. Like they decided to copy all the budget makers. Same with their PSUs. Used to be everywhere and top of the line. Now only online available and a trimmed down line. What happened to them? For their cases they could have gone tool free and kept the solid builds. Amazing how much Corsair has surpassed them. Heck, Thermaltake was always cheapo plasticky junk and now I just finished a build on one and was shocked how well made it was.

 

[Chrispy_]

Used to do builds with Antec. Were always solid cases, very sturdy and they looked like tanks. Went to do another build for someone recently and was shocked how cheap they are now. Like they decided to copy all the budget makers. Same with their PSUs. Used to be everywhere and top of the line. Now only online available and a trimmed down line. What happened to them? For their cases they could have gone tool free and kept the solid builds. Amazing how much Corsair has surpassed them. Heck, Thermaltake was always cheapo plasticky junk and now I just finished a build on one and was shocked how well made it was.

The California-owned Antec you remember from the good old days died. It faded into irrelevance after about 2006.

A Taiwanese company known then as Ming-Jong Technologies Ltd, bought Antec in its entirety for the very low value of 13M USD in 2011, giving you some idea how near-death the original brand was by 2011.

When you see Antec now, it's not Antec, it's Ming-Jong Technologies - who took the name Antec for themselves from 2011 onwards.

 

[Zareek]

Am I the only person who hates top mounted ports/buttons on a case? I'm just trying to figure out if they are mostly on the top because case designers are lazy, if it is cheaper to do, or if most people prefer them on top.

 

[Chrispy_]

Am I the only person who hates top mounted ports/buttons on a case? I'm just trying to figure out if they are mostly on the top because case designers are lazy, if it is cheaper to do, or if most people prefer them on top.

For an mITX cases, yeah - because a majority of them get put up on the desk.
For mATX, it's a split. Based on "show your rig" threads it's probably 70/30 split for floor/desk respectively.
For full ATX cases? They go on the floor, usually, so top-mounted is obviously the preferred option and that's why it's been this way for a couple of decades.

Sure, you can put a full ATX case on the desk if you have a big enough desk but they're designed for the floor and that's why standard cable lengths for desktop displays and peripherals are usually 6 feet instead of half that. The floor was always the default placement for towers, going way back to the AT form factor when everything was beige and the term desktop literally referred only to a beige horizontal box that you put your CRT monitor on top of.

 

[Vario]

Used to do builds with Antec. Were always solid cases, very sturdy and they looked like tanks. Went to do another build for someone recently and was shocked how cheap they are now. Like they decided to copy all the budget makers. Same with their PSUs. Used to be everywhere and top of the line. Now only online available and a trimmed down line. What happened to them? For their cases they could have gone tool free and kept the solid builds. Amazing how much Corsair has surpassed them. Heck, Thermaltake was always cheapo plasticky junk and now I just finished a build on one and was shocked how well made it was.

The old Antec cases were made by Chenming, similar to Chieftec. Very high quality materials. Modern Antec is essentially generic, as noted.

 

[Gmr_Chick]

For an mITX cases, yeah - because a majority of them get put up on the desk.
For mATX, it's a split. Based on "show your rig" threads it's probably 70/30 split for floor/desk respectively.
For full ATX cases? They go on the floor, usually, so top-mounted is obviously the preferred option and that's why it's been this way for a couple of decades.

Sure, you can put a full ATX case on the desk if you have a big enough desk but they're designed for the floor and that's why standard cable lengths for desktop displays and peripherals are usually 6 feet instead of half that. The floor was always the default placement for towers, going way back to the AT form factor when everything was beige and the term desktop literally referred only to a beige horizontal box that you put your CRT monitor on top of.

My new desk is a good 60" long, but my old one was about 43" long, and somehow I still managed to keep my rig on top of my desk alongside the monitor. With my old desk, I didn't really have the room to have my rig on the floor, plus the floor was carpeted. In the house I'm in now, same thing, carpet in my bedroom (and the previous owners had quite a few pets). But besides that, I just got my dream case the other day and there ain't no way in hell I'm putting the gorgeous thing on the floor or in a cart where I can't admire it

All that aside though, thanks for this post. I actually learned a lot from it, like the whole AT form factor thing.

 

[80-watt Hamster]

Am I the only person who hates top mounted ports/buttons on a case?

Nope. I also prefer my I/O and controls on the front.

I'm just trying to figure out if they are mostly on the top because case designers are lazy, if it is cheaper to do, or if most people prefer them on top.

For an mITX cases, yeah - because a majority of them get put up on the desk.
For mATX, it's a split. Based on "show your rig" threads it's probably 70/30 split for floor/desk respectively.
For full ATX cases? They go on the floor, usually, so top-mounted is obviously the preferred option and that's why it's been this way for a couple of decades.

Sure, you can put a full ATX case on the desk if you have a big enough desk but they're designed for the floor and that's why standard cable lengths for desktop displays and peripherals are usually 6 feet instead of half that. The floor was always the default placement for towers, going way back to the AT form factor when everything was beige and the term desktop literally referred only to a beige horizontal box that you put your CRT monitor on top of.

Also because it's easier/cheaper to make a pop-off front panel that doesn't have a bunch of wires and cabling running to it. Also also considering the popularity of mesh front panels, it allows more intake area (perceived or otherwise).

 

[Chrispy_]

The location of the front ports is becoming less relevant over time too, because each new generation of cases seems to be cutting back on front panel ports. My 4000D has just one USB-A, one USB-C, and one audio combo jack. I wish it wasn't that sparse but realistically I only need the USB-C port.

For someone who actually wants a tall tower on their desk with the buttons high up and out of reach when seated, there's no shortage of displays and keyboards that include USB hubs, and if you don't already have one of those then there are ton of desktop hubs covering useful form factors - I've seen weighty hubs designed to sit on the desk, ones that clamp under the front lip of a desk, ones that fit into an unused cable routing hole of a desk, and a ton of screw-in or flush-mount hubs that are a more permanent desk upgrade.

 

[Vario]

The location of the front ports is becoming less relevant over time too, because each new generation of cases seems to be cutting back on front panel ports. My 4000D has just one USB-A, one USB-C, and one audio combo jack. I wish it wasn't that sparse but realistically I only need the USB-C port.

For someone who actually wants a tall tower on their desk with the buttons high up and out of reach when seated, there's no shortage of displays and keyboards that include USB hubs, and if you don't already have one of those then there are ton of desktop hubs covering useful form factors - I've seen weighty hubs designed to sit on the desk, ones that clamp under the front lip of a desk, ones that fit into an unused cable routing hole of a desk, and a ton of screw-in or flush-mount hubs that are a more permanent desk upgrade.

On the topic of various shortcomings of modern PC Case design, I do miss having a reset button so I added one with a PCI slot device called "ATX Power Bracket" from a company called "High Speed PCs" off of eBay. Unfortunately, that moves it from the "front" of the case to the "back", even more of a nuisance. So I have a power and reset two to one splitter cables that split the motherboard panel headers, and now I have a power button on the back of the case as well as on the top of the case, and a reset on the back of the case. Cumbersome, but generally one shouldn't be spamming the reset button on a regular basis anyway.

What I like about this Antec P20C is that it has the reset button, unlike a lot of modern cases.

 

[enb141]

Am I the only person who hates top mounted ports/buttons on a case? I'm just trying to figure out if they are mostly on the top because case designers are lazy, if it is cheaper to do, or if most people prefer them on top.

I hate them too, that's why now days is hard for me to find a case for my taste, I still have an antec P180 since 2007 or so, and I haven't changed it because I hate how new cases are made of glass and top buttons/ports.

Am I the only person who hates glass doors/panels?

 

[skates]

Generic. I really don't see the difference between this and the no-name brands on amazon. I bought one no-name brand and it turned out to be excellent.

 

[Assimilator]

I hate them too, that's why now days is hard for me to find a case for my taste, I still have an antec P180 since 2007 or so, and I haven't changed it because I hate how new cases are made of glass and top buttons/ports.

Am I the only person who hates glass doors/panels?

Nope. I don't understand what was wrong with acrylic... it's light, it doesn't break if dropped, you can easily modify it, and it's inexpensive. None of this is true of tempered glass, which is why I still don't understand why it was ever even considered as a "replacement" for acrylic.

 

[80-watt Hamster]

I hate them too, that's why now days is hard for me to find a case for my taste, I still have an antec P180 since 2007 or so, and I haven't changed it because I hate how new cases are made of glass and top buttons/ports.

Am I the only person who hates glass doors/panels?

My favourite case ever was a Sonata SOLO. 2010 maybe? It's also still in use, and for my last purchase the decision between the Define Compact and a NOS Sonata on eBay for USD240 was legit tough to make. Settled for the FD.

And yeah, case windows, glass or otherwise, can die in a fire for all I care. Had that phase in my 20s; 110% over it.

 

[enb141]

Nope. I don't understand what was wrong with acrylic... it's light, it doesn't break if dropped, you can easily modify it, and it's inexpensive. None of this is true of tempered glass, which is why I still don't understand why it was ever even considered as a "replacement" for acrylic.

I mean any translucent door/panel, not specifically talking about glass, I hate all glass/acrylic/whatever door/panel cases.

My favourite case ever was a Sonata SOLO. 2010 maybe? It's also still in use, and for my last purchase the decision between the Define Compact and a NOS Sonata on eBay for USD240 was legit tough to make. Settled for the FD.

And yeah, case windows, glass or otherwise, can die in a fire for all I care. Had that phase in my 20s; 110% over it.

Good case, fortunately for you Silverstone SETA D1 and Fara 313, Fara 513 and Fara 311 are very similar to that one.