We have been reviewing Antec cases for quite some time here at ThinkComputers. While most Antec cases are revolutionary and have many features you just don’t find on other cases they really are plain cases in the sense that they are not that flashy or stylish at all. Well Antec has a case that is anything but ordinary. This case looks nothing like any other case out there and it seems weird coming from a company like Antec, but remember most of their cases really are revolutionary and this one sure is. So without further ado I present the Skeleton Case from Antec!
Special thanks to Antec for providing us with the Skeleton Case for review
Specifications
4 Drive Bays
• External 2 x 5.25¨
• Internal 2 x 3.5¨
• Optional 4 x 3.5¨ side panel mounted drive trays
Layered tray design for greater system integration flexibility
8 Expansion Slots with room for 11 graphics cards and multiple graphic card solutions, including NVIDIA 3-way SLI®
Cooling System:
• 1 top 250mm TriCool 3-speed multi color customizable LED Fan
• 1 front 92mm HD cooling fan
Compatible Motherboards: Mini-ITX, microATX, Standard ATX
Front ports: 2 x USB 2.0, 1 x FireWire (IEEE1394), 1 x eSATA, Audio (AC97′ and HDA compatible) In and Out
Rack mount quality side rails for greater durability
0.8mm cold rolled steel component tray and high density ABS frame reinforced with 0.8mm cold rolled steel for durability
No Power Supply included: To optimize performance of your Skeleton, your choice of power supply is crucial. Antec strongly recommends choosing from Signature or TruePower series.
Unit Dimensions:
• 13″(H) x 14.8″(W) x 16.5″(D)
• 33 cm(H) x 37.6 cm(W) x 41.9 cm(D)
Packaging Dimensions:
• 15.74″(H) x 18.11″(W) x 18.89″(D)
• 40 cm(H) x 46 cm(W) x 48 cm(D)
Net Weight: 15.5 lb / 7.02 kg
Gross Weight: 21.4 lb / 9.7 kg
Packing
The Skeleton comes in Antec’s simplistic retail packaging that has a sketch of the Skeleton on the front and a slogan that says, “Think Beyond the Box”. One of the side sides there is a little bit of information, but not much.
Opening up the box we can see that everything is nicely packed inside and protected with large pieces of Styrofoam. Getting everything out of the box we have the Skeleton case, hard drive mounts, the front fan, mounting screw, cable ties, and a getting started guide.
That case looks sweet, but isn't it sort of scary having no walls around valuable parts? What if you splash something… 😐
Indeed. Dust and such could be a problem. If there was a model with grating or maybe even transparent something covering those holes, it would be much better able to accomplish its goal of protecting in insides.
Antec offers a full mesh kit for this case on their website: http://www.antec.com/Detail.bok?no=654
Ah I didn't know they offered that, very cool!
Antec outdid themselves with the Skeleton. I own one that I have assembled as a workstation.
A pair of Quadro 4500's with an I,7 Intel Proc, OEM cooler on a P6T Deluxe board and 12 ghz of DDR3. I do Parametric Modeling and this configuration is a monster. It stays cool (by I7 standards) and is simple a immeadiate to add a HDD since all is in the open. I have had no problems with dust or any other foreign matter jamming up the works. Have formatted this machine twice and it is a kick in the pants to work on.
I plan on purchasing the mini version and putting together an I5 board to use for presentations and entertainment.