Test System

Assembly

Installing the motherboard is done by simply using traditional spacers and screws. There is plenty of space above the board, so you may route cables or install a radiator without issue. With no 3.5'' drive bays in front, not even a thick radiator will interfere with the vast majority of GPUs out there.


SSDs require the use of tools as you have to secure them to these metal trays with traditional screws. Once mounted, you can put the tray into one of four positions to then use the thumbscrew to keep it in place.


The Antec P8 comes with flexible plastic trays. They are quite sturdy even though the drive is held in place by plastic pins. Rubber rings around these act as a measure against vibrations. Once you have placed the drive into the tray, slide it back in until it snaps into place securely.


Installing the power supply is quite straightforward as well. Slide it into the chassis underneath the shroud and secure it with traditional screws. There is enough space to fit most units out there. You won't have to worry about whether you'll be able to fit a unit capable of supplying an adequate amount of power for powerful components.


Once everything is installed, the P8 makes a clean impression due to the shroud. Only the audio cable and two leads from the fan in front disturb the look a bit. All the cable mess is hidden behind the motherboard tray, but I had to get a bit creative with securing the cables properly as there is very little space and an inadequate number of hooks for zip ties, which could cause some issues if you install SSDs there.

Finished Looks

With everything put back into place, the Antec P8 looks quite nice. Thanks to the flat design, none of the plastic elements feel cheap. The power LED lights up blue, while the fairly large Antec logo is lit up by a white variant. Considering this, some may argue that there is actually no need for a power LED; however, this way, those who do not want to have the logo as a secondary light source can simply leave it disconnected.


Due to the solid nature of the front, you won't see any of the white LED lighting of the fans at this angle. In the rear, some of that shine can be seen due to the fan in the rear. A quick peek through the glass window reveals all the lighting elements of the chassis, in addition to the LEDs on the MSI motherboard and the RGB lights of the ADATA memory.


Dimming the lights in the room gives you an idea of what the lighting elements within the Antec P8 will look like. At an angle, you can see the front fans through the air vents of the front panel, and the LEDs do light up the insides a little bit, allowing onlookers to figure out what components are within the enclosure.