If you haven't read about it or seen a news article (I hadn't) Antec has a new case out. A snide observer would say it's an "overpriced plastic version of a bench test rack." I haven't priced test rack systems, but hey, this is cool. I'll try to get some pics posted in the next couple of days of my transfer of a my old P4 2.3 single core system into the new full sized Skeleton. It was $155 here in California. No PSU. Transfer of my old system to the Skeleton took a couple of hours. It would have been shorter for a couple of points: - you have to download the install manual from antec.com for details, and the manual wasn't linked on the skeleton web page (being fixed now.) - the instructions use terms like "left" and "right" when it's not entirely clear if that means you're looking at the front or back of the case. - NOTE: you really need to use a PSU that has end to end airflow with like an 80-90mm fan. If you use a PSU that has a 120mm fan on the bottom of the unit, there's not enough clearance to get satisfactory airflow. Now that I've installed it, it's cool. Giant 250mm LED fan on top is plenty quiet. The 90mm fan for HDs is also quiet. My Antec Phantom 500 PSU worked very well in this install and IT is quiet. I'm running a Silverstone passive heat pipe solution on my CPU and a nifty blue aluminum fan shaped passive unit on my northbridge. Sadly the &((@(@&!(!!! drivers for my GeForce 7800 GPU suck so bad that I can't control the fan RPM on them manually so that's the loudest part. Yes, if you have cats, kids, or dust, this is not the case for you. But it's darned fun. Easy access for tweaking. Spiffy moving parts and removeable grills and stuff. If you don't use it for a case, you could easily mod it to be a nuke-u-lar shaped charge for amateur films Now...where can I find a circular 25mm radiator.... Oh, and they're working on a smaller one. This could be a very fun LAN party box. Just don't spill any Jolt cola on it or you will be unhappy. [edit] Oh...http://www.antec.com/usa/productDetails.php?lan=us&id=15125
Only if you get a pelican case for moving it, lol, no way I would want to put a computer that exposed, even if its all secured into my car.
I've been thinking of getting this case, since half the time (including right now) my mobo is either sitting on top of a cardboard box or in a half opened case with the HDD's sitting on top of a book any chance I could get some pics of this case with a compy in it? double edit the price is pretty ridiculous considering how bare-bones it is! http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129056
It looks like some kind of cat-trap. It probably works well as one too. It's an easy design to replicate with PVC. Anyone want to see how much their version would cost?
I finally found my USB SD card reader so I'll try to get some pics up of my install tonight. As far as the various negative comments: - price. I got mine for $155 USD which is below what NewEgg is selling it for. I was willing to pay that because that's what it took to get one. If you try to rate this vs other made-under-slave-labor (sorry..) priced metal boxes then it may or may not be cost efficient. Even though the outer frame is heavy plastic, the removable side panels and the entire mobo tray and lower internal cage is steel. - transport. I would definately not worry about transporting this after assembly. The top of the arc features two perfectly sized handles and once everything is built in it is rather secure. I'd put it on the floor of the trunk/boot. - wire routing. yes, this is a huge problem if you don't like wire being visible or sloppy. But since I did a slapdash move of my existing system I didn't worry about this. There's plenty of room on the lower level for excess wire bundles.
Finally got off my dead behind and here are pics... I'll just post a few here, and links to the rest. This is my old (i.e. current) PC transferred from a P180 (which will house my new PC) to the Antec Skeleton. Stylistically I like it. Reminds me of some strange piece of hardware from an old Star Trek show. However with the graphics card it's noisy when gaming. It's a P4 2.4 (single core) with a Nitrogon passive CPU cooler. I used my loved Antec Phantom 500 power supply in this since it lacks the connectors to be used in my new build . I've taken some pics of the rats nest of wires. I made zero effort at wire routing, although I don't think one could really do much better. I tried to get pics of the thing in the dark with the cool colors of the fan, but that would require I RTFM the camera documentation and right now I'm not up to that Full frontal nudity: Oblique side shot: Closeup of the pretty CPU cooler: Other closeups and angle views: http://www.atombum.com/Images/PC/skeleton/back.jpg http://www.atombum.com/Images/PC/skeleton/frontlower.jpg http://www.atombum.com/Images/PC/skeleton/frontupper.jpg http://www.atombum.com/Images/PC/skeleton/leftside.jpg http://www.atombum.com/Images/PC/skeleton/obliquefront.jpg http://www.atombum.com/Images/PC/skeleton/ratsnest1.jpg One note: I have transported this to and from work once. The case does indeed work as integral handles, and the setup is heavy enough that it sat in my car trunk/boot without shifting, and it still workd fine at the end of the day.
that could be done if someone had the tools and experience working with plexi. A 1/4" thick conforming hood with a cutout for the fan cylinder on the front and back, and about 1/2" thick slabs filling in the upper half moon cut outs, with downward slanting slots milled in for ventillation. The large upper fan blows down, so there needs to be air evacuation provided for. I suppose you could also do a sort of plantation-shutter theme on the sides. Doing the lower half would be a bit more challenging, although really only the front lower area where the optical drive is really needs anything: the sides already have neat removable hex metal grills, and the lower back should be left open for power supply ventilation.
The only problem I'm having with this "case".... it's too damn huge Something like this for a miniITX-board would be nice though
Antec did announce and show a prototype of the mini-skeleton for the uATX, but as far as I know it's never been released. Found a pic here of the two side by side http://www.silentpcreview.com/article840-page1.html
