A Closer Look - Inside

The interior of the Antec Performance 1 FT sports the same general layout we have seen in modern enclosures, but Antec has implemented some designs to make the most of the additional dimensions of the chassis over that provided by classic mid-towers. For example, the metal shroud provides three possible 120 mm fan placement options which are far enough away from the motherboard so that you won't have any issues with cable management with such cooling installed. Antec also goes the extra mile to cover the two cable routing openings here with grommets to keep it all nice and tidy.


On the rear, there are two covers to hide any cable mess. This is needed as the chassis comes with a glass panel on this side as well. The L-shaped covers are labeled, so you know that number 01 is holding number 02 in place. Antec has left the three 2.5" drive mounting plates exposed, so you may show off your SSDs. Each of these plates may be removed independently and is held in place by a captive thumb screw.


Once these inner covers are removed, you can clearly see the cable channel in the front of the case. This is made up of three plastic brackets with Antec branded Velcro strips pre-applied. Out of the box, the wiring is also neatly packaged into this area of the chassis. A second row of shorter and skinnier Velcro strips can be found at the back edge of the chassis.


Underneath the shroud, there is a hard drive cage that may hold any mix of two 2.5 or 3.5" drives. If you opt for a 3.5" drive on the top of the cage, you have to remove the 2.5" plate and secure the larger drive though an opening at the underside of the cage itself. This gives you a total storage capacity of five drives, which is well above the median these days. Above that you will find the three 140 mm intake fans, which are also 30 mm thick Storm T3 variants that should provide tons of cooling performance. Alternatively, this space may hold a massive 420 mm radiator, or a 360 mm one if you have another such unit installed in the ceiling at the same time.


In the rear, the PSU bay is of standard fare, with foam pads for the unit to sit on. There is plenty of room, so units of up to 245 mm length will fit while retaining the hard drive cage at the same time. Above that are the eight expansion slots, with the same triangular venting built right in. In the very top, you can feast your eyes on that fourth Storm T3 fan, but in the smaller, 120 mm variant. All of the cooling units utilize PWM and the wiring is sleeved nicely as well.


The ceiling is dedicated to mounting cooling exclusively, because the IO has been moved to the edge hidden behind the motherboard tray, you may use the full length of the chassis for cooling.


All the wiring within the Antec Performance 1 FT is sleeved black and of the default variety. If you look closely, you will notice a USB 2.0 lead even though the chassis does not have such an IO port in the top. This is to run the display using Antec's own iUnity Software. For good measure, the front panel connector has been unified to make your life a little easier, which is a nice touch. The one noteworthy thing is the fact that Antec has unfortunately omitted both the power as well as the HDD activity LEDs.