Antec Three Hundred ATX Mid Tower Case $47 at Newegg

Check history...
The priced moved up again?
While no it doesn't in include an LED fan and just two a 140mm mounted top and a 120mm at the rear.

Not the best price, but a good, solid case nonetheless.

I'm wondering if we're going to see continual price rises on cases... as of May 2011, the price of steel had gone up about 40% compared to Jan 2010, year over year it has risen.

Aluminum on the other hand, was really cheap in 2009 but otherwise averaged out to about what it still costs today.

^ - Well considering the competition has some much more excellent cases for less, I'd say Antec is gouging folks for this antiquated and lack-luster design.

^ Perhaps, and I do think the Antec name causes a price rise, but if Antec sells higher volume then they are possibly selling newer stock which could sooner reflect rises in commodity pricing.

I don't really care about antiquated or lackluster design though, I care mainly about 7 things within the context of the case being made in the last 8 years and not being a quirky/OEM design.

1) Does it have enough air intake but not too much and not in the wrong places. I do not want intake anywhere except bottom front of bezel in front of a HDD rack. Filter panel there is a plus if it is large, not just fan hole sized.

2) Does it not look like an 8 yo's toy, not look extremely cheap generic, and have a nice subtle and modern color scheme.

3) Is the metal nice and thick. I could care less about a couple sharp edges, and rolled corners and folds do help with rigidity but I'd rather have metal thick enough it does not need rolls and folds to reinforce it, THEN add the rolls and folds as a final yet unnecessary touch.

4) Is it deep enough I can get drives in and out of bays w/o taking anything but a video card out. Is it tall enough I can install or uninstall the heatsink and/or the power supply without taking the other component out too. Granted, heatpipe tower CPU 'sinks make taking PSU out less likely except if the case is really huge, but even so in many cases long enough, it can still be done if there are no optical drives in the top two bays.

5) Does it have a reset switch and at least two USB ports on the front or top edge (if it'll sit on the floor). Granted, it would be trivial for me to drill a hole and put in a little reset switch, or even cut a rectangular hole for a USB dongle w/bracket but the time and parts costs start to go up... same with fan grills stamped out of the case walls, I can easily cut them out but there's the time and cleanup hassle.

6) Are the mounting tabs on the front bezel robust eno

Might as well get a couple extra case fans "for a few dollars more":

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129066&nm_mc=EMC-IGNEFL072811&cm_mmc=EMC-IGNEFL072811-_-EMC-072811-Index-_-ComputerCases-_-11129066-L0B

^ - Antiquated or Lackluster might be a little harsh for a box that is sturdy straight-forward: more or less the bravado of a server case design from 2006.

Let me start with some of the merits; the front fan cage(s) and access to HDD from the front, exterior accessible doors make fan cleaning and replacement is a snap. The front bezel comes off simply with no wires tethering it. On this model the two included Tri-speed fans; a rear 120mm and 140mm top. Interesting enough the Antec site now shows it come with a cut-out on the mobo panel for removing the backing plate, while it also says "washable air filters reduces dust build up in your system" some early reviews of 2008 dinged it for the lack them. The width of 8.1” should provide room for taller coolers (+160mm). Antec looks to have punch fan grills with some of the best (non restrictive) open area honeycomb I've seen.

Drawbacks: The front access to install/remove a HDD, once you pull both side covers and un-screw them you pop the bezel and remove the fan, not simple. The bezel has plastic clips (six) should be actuated from inside at least on one side cover first to keep them from breaking. The bottom mount PSU sounds good... but has no exterior intake grill so you need to install 120mm units fan up! Don't drop a screw while it's running... Honestly I'd rather it be a top mount under the circumstances. Another issue is when positioned that way most PSU more often have the bundle of looms come out of the PSU right out in the front/top so everyone see's that mess. The front 5.25 bay inserts are plastic, and even with the perforation pattern it look a little funky. It could use some holes in the tray to route looms through, and a few more cable tie punch-ups especially since they added the back plate hole in that stamping they could of included those. The Tri-speed fans are nice, but getting Molex connectors while hiding the wire(s) will be problematic. Most would…

^ It used to be that Antec used 1.0mm steel and mentioned that, often omitting when they used the thinner 0.8mm.

Now I don't know if they're using 1.0mm on anything, maybe their top of the line or full towers, or aluminum, or gamer cases with so many open areas they need the 1.0mm just so it won't collapse. Cases like 1200, Performance One, DF-85. Not sure about their Lanboy(s), the design is so different...

Hmm, they do mention on the Performance One, "0.8 mm cold rolled steel for chassis durability; 1.0 mm cold rolled steel around 4 x HDD area". Kinda crazy you can't even pay $180 and get an all 1.0mm steel case from them. For $180 I'd want minimum 1.2mm steel if not aluminum, locking wheels on the bottom, and a genie in the box that assembles the system for me.

Think I paid $20 for a used 1.2mm steel full tower from the mom-n-pop computer shop. It was ancient, but ATX, and without all the crazy partitions they have now there was plenty of room to work in it even without removable tray or bays, and room for two full ATX PSU once I enlarged the PSU hole, where it had a 2U size PSU hole previously.

Comparing some others, their Sonata has slightly smaller dimensions but the fancier drive cages and weights a little under a pound more being spec'd for 0.8mm. VSK-2000 is also about the same size but weighs close to 4 lbs less.

From that I assume VSK-2000 is 0.6mm and the Three Hundred is 0.8mm steel.

Now you're talk'n... old Gateway G7 chassis! Those were the days, when Dremel Fiber discs' would just disappear and the air nibbler might revolt.