Antec Eleven Hundred: The P280's Gloves Come Off
by Dustin Sklavos on April 9, 2012 12:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
- Antec
- mid-tower
Conclusion: Solid Midrange, Solid Beginner
If you'll let me beat this dead horse one last time, I'm keen to point out what the Antec Eleven Hundred isn't: a cheaper P280. Just because it shares the same internal framework, that doesn't mean it's the same case. That was the mistake I made when I began the review before testing proved me wrong. What I wanted was something similar to the P280 to use as a comparison point to the 550D, and what I got was something entirely different.
So now that we've established what the Eleven Hundred isn't, we can talk about what it is: a very compelling midrange option for users who prioritize thermal performance over acoustics. The Eleven Hundred has virtually no allowances made for keeping quiet; it's all about moving cool air over hot components, and at that it does very well. With so few data points currently available it's tough to gauge just how strong a performer it is compared to the rest of the market, but speculatively I think it's going to continue putting in a strong showing as we add more results to the new testbed.
Even without those results in hand, it's clear the Eleven Hundred has thermal headroom well beyond what we tested it at. Remember that this is with the stock fan configuration; there's still plenty of room for the more enterprising user to expand and improve the Eleven Hundred's cooling potential. That's what makes it easy to recommend on the performance front: we've seen it perform well with enthusiast-grade thermals and we know it has room to grow.
At the same time, assembly is very easy, making the Eleven Hundred an excellent option for neophytes and veterans alike. If you've never built a computer before, this case is a good one to start building and playing in. If you've built ten or a hundred computers, you'll appreciate how easy it is to work inside the Eleven Hundred. And in either instance and all points in between, you're getting a case that keeps components cool. In a more basic, stock build as opposed to an enthusiast-geared one, you're also getting a case that's able to run fairly quietly due almost entirely to the solid thermal performance.
I'm hesitant to sing the Eleven Hundred's praises from the rooftops yet, but as it stands, Antec has produced another quality case that I would happily recommend to users who are less concerned with quiet than they are with flexibility.
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Stahn Aileron - Monday, April 9, 2012 - link
Would it be too much to ask that you actually place the ambient tempurature during testing somewhere on the graphs themselves so we have a readily accessible reference point right there on the graphs? It would also work as a reminder to readers what the conditions are.Dustin Sklavos - Monday, April 9, 2012 - link
The ambient temperature is going to vary from test system to test system, that's why I switched to listing the delta.Rick83 - Monday, April 9, 2012 - link
You did check, that the delta is a constant over ambient temperature though, did you? It may not be for every case. Also, of course, fan speeds will be impacted by ambient/internal temperature.If you can, you should probably run two series of tests, one in the morning and one in the evening, and then either average that or use one measurement, but at least comment the other. At least for noise, we need ambient temperature, as otherwise that value is completely without base for comparisons.
kandrtech - Monday, April 9, 2012 - link
Those familiar with thermodynamics, and the equations utilized, would agree that the delta approach is the best. Variances of a few (or 10) degrees on ambient will not appreciably change the delta results. By appreciably, I mean you'll see differences out to one or more decimal places . . . .niva - Monday, April 9, 2012 - link
Are you talking 10 deg C or F?Ideally your ambient temperature should be somewhere in the +/- 5 deg of 70 deg F. These are the normal temperatures most households are kept at. There may be a significant difference between the noise produced by components at 65 deg F, and someone's house which may be normally kept at 85 deg during the summer daytime because of lack of AC?
And I'm talking about idle situation here...
The point was valid, just include the temperature in your test data.
bobbozzo - Monday, April 9, 2012 - link
The article describing their new methodology for case testing seems to indicate that ambient temps are maintained between 71-74F.http://www.anandtech.com/show/5709/introducing-our...
ShieTar - Tuesday, April 10, 2012 - link
But those familiar with modern PC design are aware that fan-control systems generally try to achieve a constant CPU/GPU-temperature. Thus when you raise the ambient temperature to somewhat higher levels, CPU/GPU fans tend to speed up, giving you lower Delta-T values at increased noise.Thus it is important to still run these tests at comparable ambient temperatures, and if this is indeed checked at each test, it should be no problem to change the title of the temperature graph to read "Delta over ambient at 20+/-2°C". Or whichever is the range that is controlled and accepted by the tester.
O8h7w - Saturday, April 14, 2012 - link
I feel perfectly good about showing the temperature as delta above ambient instead of absolute temperature. But it seems many readers would like to see the ambient temperature at the time of testing reported as well, and I have to agree.The way of doing this that would make perfect sense in the graphs is to modify the labels to look like this:
Antec 1100
@ 23°C ambient
Lucian2244 - Monday, April 9, 2012 - link
Good review, i was wondering how it would look with a mATX in there.Is it just me or their cases get uglier and uglier ?
Iketh - Monday, April 9, 2012 - link
It's not you... this case is ugly... AND stupid...Enough with filterless side vents already! Why even have side vents? That's a damn 80's design, speaking figuratively...