Thermal performance
Thermally the P182 wasn't exceptional, but our tests are carried out using some of the hottest hardware available in recent years.
However, extreme cooling isn't really what this case is all about - the P182 holds out the promise of ultra-quiet operation.
Some might say that this is a bad thing and that temperatures are what really count. However, we'd disagree. Components are more tolerant than they used to be, so there is no need any more to be totally obsessed with achieving the lowest-possible temperatures.
Our subjective impression is that Antec has achieved its main goal - the P182 is the quietest air-cooled chassis we've had through the labs in quite a while.
And, by using the P182 with an Intel Core2Duo CPU and a passively-cooled graphics card, the sound levels would be reduced further still - a tempting proposition.
The P182 was fitted with the following hardware:
| HEXUS chassis - test-equipment specification | |
|---|---|
| Motherboard | Intel D975XBX |
| Processor | Intel Pentium Extreme Edition 840 (3.2GHz, Smithfield core) |
| CPU cooler | Intel stock cooler |
| Memory | 2GiB (2 x 1GiB) OCZ DDR2 PC4200 Value Pro Dual-Channel |
| Graphic card | ASUSTeK GeForce 6800 256MiB Ultra PCIe |
| Power supply | Corsair HX620W |
| Hard drive | Seagate Barracuda 160GB SATA2 |
| Optical drive | Pioneer 110 DVD re-writer |
The figures above show that the CPU and motherboard got a little hotter than we'd have liked. But, like we said, the hardware used was HOT.
Our view is that the Antec P182 delivers better cooling capability than most current-generation Intel CPUs demand and should also be okay with AMD's newest, coolest-running CPUs.
Furthermore, as our recent CPU-coolers Mega Test showed, there are plenty of effective and well-priced alternatives to stock coolers for those who demand lower thermals or ultra-quiet running or both.
