Customer Reviews

Antec Solution SLK3000B ATX Super Mid-Tower without Power Supply (Black)

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I just received my Antec SLK3000-B case and, while I haven't assembled my system yet, I'm quite impressed and ready to get started! Construction for the most part is outstanding. The case is one of the easiest I've owned to get into. Unscrew two thumbscrews on the back, click two buttons on the side and pull the side panel away. The inside is roomy and the floppy and hard disk bays are very easy to remove for installation of hardware. When out of the case, they give you more open space when connecting your motherboard. My only other observation on the inside concerns the 2nd shroud that directs air towards the processor. The shroud attached to the side panel is a good quality plastic - it looks and feels sturdy. However, the second shroud (with the flared end) that fits over it is flimsy plastic. I'm thinking it may need a little duct tape to ensure it stays firmly in place. Otherwise, this is one heavy steel case considering it doesn't contain a power supply yet. The lack of a PSU was the reason I purchased this case and I wish there was a larger selection of cases w/out PSUs. I am picky about the PSU I use and generally have to buy a case with PSU and then immediately replace it with the PSU of my choice. Seems a waste of money to have to pay for something you're just going to replace! Overall, I am completely happy with this case and I highly recommend it. While it may not be on the cutting edge of style, you get a sturdy case and can save a bundle of money which you can spend better parts to go into it! Ordering from Amazon.com rather than one of the large online computer parts stores saves you even more money - they charge around $15.00 for shipping while Amazon.com ships it free via FedEx Ground. I had it 3 days after it was shipped so unless you're in a big hurry, don't bother with the more expensive 2nd day or next day delivery.

An impressive, heavy-duty (but not too heavy) case.

Lots of room inside to play around, and the removable 3.5" drive bays are handy -- 2-bay external and 5-bay internal are separate, and work pretty smoothly.

The 5.25" external bays have little side pieces that are attached to the drive, then slide into the bay and click-lock into place. You take off the front cover to slide them in, by simply pressing in gently on the wierd-looking little 4-dot place on both sides of the front cover near the bottom -- the bottom pops loose, and then you lift out and up to release the hook-type thingies at the top. (Not terribly literate, but hopefully understandable.

The 3.5" internal bays all have rubber grommets and special spacer screws, that keep the drives isolated from the metalwork itself -- much less vibration that way -- nice.

Only (minor) gotchas are:

(1) Antec 120mm fan doesn't have speed sensor, but does have 3-speed switch (get a good Antec 120mm at Buy Dot Com for $8 shipped as of October '05 -- get 2 for back and front).

(2) Front door, while nicely built and solid, covers the external drives (floppy too), and covers the power and reset buttons. Solved that by carefully -- carefully -- bending the side of the door between the two hinges, so I could pop it off and put it away. Otherwise I know I'd break it someday.

Added a $40 Thermaltake 430W power supply -- also a really nice piece of hardware -- from a New Egg vendor.

Only problem now is that I've only got 2 3.5" bays left open -- but when you've got 860G of hard drive -- oh well.

Nice - nice - nice -- system up and running, and now with room and power to run cool and smooth -- try it -- good luck.

Update after months of use -- even happier -- heavy duty, runs very cool -- motherboard controls actually cut fan speeds by about 40-50% during use. Even with price increase (mine was on sale back them), it's still a good deal.

This case offers an excellent combination of features, quality and price that cannot be beat for $45.00. There is no PSU included, but most DIYers buy separate power supplies anyway, so this isn't a major worry.

Highlights:

* Easy opening side panel with tool-less screws

* Removable hard drive and floppy drive bays

* Included speed-adjustable 120mm fan

* 120mm fan mount in front (fan is not included), with washable filter, for excellent airflow to keep your hardware cool

* 80mm fan mount on side panel (fan is not included), to cool your computer even further

* Rubber-grommets on hard drive mounting points for quiet operation

* 2 front-mounted USB 2.0 ports

* Basic cabling is tie-downed

* An easy to ready, easy to use guide on the case

* All the screws and errata you need to get your system up and running quickly

* Website at Antec.com provides additional useful info if you need it

Lowlights (minor):

* Rubber feet are attached with cheap adhesive, rather than screwed in; they keep coming off

* Removing 5.25 front bay metal blockers is a pain and if you're not careful, you can cut yourself

All in all, an excellent case. I've modified mine to overlock an AMD FX-55 with air-cooling and SLI and I am very happy with the temperatures (although I have modified the side panel to cool the graphics cards better)

This is a one of the best cases you can buy, the fact that is generally less than $50 makes it a steal. The case is stout and large enough to work in. The removable Floppy and Hard Drive bays make assembling the system easy. It doesn't come with a power supply but then most cases (except for Antec cases with PSUs) come with cheap power supplies that are either loud, unstable or both. The included 120mm fan has three speeds and is silent on the lowest speed and tolerable on the highest. Add in the additional 120mm front fan mount, air filter and rubber Hard Drive mounts and you have a case that can be cool and quite. My system is nearly silent with this case unlike the old one.

This is the best case in its price range, period. Two 120mm fan mounts combined with a CPU duct make this case very cool and also very quiet.

As usual, Antec has constructed a very nice case. Plenty of room to work inside. All standard case hardware (screws, etc.) was included along with rubber grommets for isolating the hard drive vibrations. This is a nice touch for anyone concerned with keeping noise levels low. To that end, Antec also includes a 120mm case fan with a speed adjustment to keep fan noise low. Add a quiet power supply and cpu heatsink/fan and you have a very quiet system.

Another plus for this case was removable hard drive and floppy trays. This made installing the drives a breeze. Drive rails for the 5.25" drives made install easier but the included rails were not as easy as some of the newer Antec cases.

Bonuses:

+2 extra LED indicators (in addiiton to HDD and power on)

Drawbacks:

-no firewire ports on front of case.

-case fan was installed with wiring pinched against case causing a short. It was easily resolved but caused some initial confusion.

If you're looking for a QUALITY mid-tower case w/o a PSU - then look no further. For approx. $50 bucks U get Antec design,construction, and functionality. I didn't want a case with a front cover, but now I really like it, it's a quiet case to start with and the door makes it even better. Comes with an Antec 120mm fan in the rear with a 3 speed control switch - and has a quick mount bracket for a front 120mm fan. A quick release side panel with an adjustable CPU air duct that can also be combined with an 80mm fan really cools down even a hot chip. I call the case my "Icebox". Extremely efficient cooling design, 2 seperate quick release HD bays that hold a total of 7 drives and 4 bays for optical drives. Both side panels come off easily, as does the front bezel, so installing anything is very easy. A great black finish and enough room to work inside makes this mid-tower a solid 5 stars. Even though the MOBO tray is non-removable and there is only 2 front USB ports (no audio or firewire) This case can hold it's own against ANY other brand. It's made of STEEL, so it's a bit heavier than those aluminum "pop can" cases, but U feel secure in the fact that the case is tough as a Sherman Tank, and as classy as a Steinway piano. I'll definately buy Antec again in the future.

Very easy to setup and spacious. Ordered, shipped and delivered in the same day. If you are looking for a reliable, heavy-duty case this is a good choice for the price.

I debated between this case and the new Antec P-180 but could not convince my self to spend 2.5-3 times as much on the P-180. Good decision as I was very happy with putting together a new system using this case. It is probably the best bargain for a good quality case with 120mm fans and you are not paying for some low quality power supply that will likely be replaced during the build.

I bought this case to replace a "pre-modded" but LOUD/thin case which i now also consider cheap. The previous case was fun for my first build b/c it was my first build. BUT, this case made the job so much easier, hence more of a JOY to build. A removable mobo tray would have been nice, but the other amentities more than made up for it! The removable hard drive rack made for easy working in the lower half of the case and for easily snappin in the 120 mm fan to the mount in the front. It was also nice to find a case w/o a PSU since i already have an Antec True430. Overall, the case is much quieter, but i have sort of a loud fan on my video card (XFX 6600GT) and the vents on the side of the case allow the noise to come through. Also the CPU air duct does not line up with my mobo (ABIT AV8 - 3rd EYE), but does catch some of the air from the Zalman heatsink/fan. All minor things aside, I'm glad i made the purchase!