Page 4 - Installation and Conclusion
For the most part, the installation went quite well. The lighter colored components form a nice contrast with the black case. From the above picture, it is easy enough to see the room left along the top for any fans you wish to install along there. There are quite a few cooling options to choose from. I went the 240mm radiator route. If you want an air cooler, the maximum height is 165mm, which should really be any air cooler. As always, I think case manufacturers can improve extensively on their manuals. They are always limited in their explanation of which screws to install for which component. Antec's manual is no different. Any newcomer will be completely lost as to which screw to use.
As you can see in this picture, there are very few cable loops to tie down loose cables. This is especially evident for the CPU power cable, which cannot be tied down at all. There is one cable tie loop right next to the lowest cutout. However, Antec leaves a reasonable amount of room for cables, so even without tying them down it is easy to close the panel.
This is the completed view of the Antec DF500 with everything installed. I did not have any LED fans to make the front of the case look good, but I did install a all-in-one liquid cooler for the front intake in a push configuration. I also installed a single 120mm fan in the back for exhaust. I found some white LEDs and installed them along the top. They by far looked the best along the top of the case than along the bottom. The large plastic panel is definitely the best looking part of this case, and I am sure if the front panel would be illuminated, it would be even better.
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As spring is continuing and the warmer weather is increasing, it is quite nice to have a very different style of chassis for my computer. The LEDs look great, and overall it is a good looking case. The plastic panel at the front and the side is excellent to show off all the internal components as well as any RGB LEDs or fans that you have installed. The plastic panel is also designed in a way that mimics a tempered glass panel, which looks good for a budget chassis. The interior is nice and open, making it easy to install all the components. There is a few negatives to this case though. The cable management is not that great. The holes to the right side of the motherboard tray are just big enough for the 24-pin cable, but luckily the corners are rounded and so do not cut the cable. Similarly, there is very little room for cables inside the power supply shroud, and there are barely any cable tie loops behind the motherboard. The dust filters are also not that great as they will probably allow in quite a bit of dust, but they are made from good materials and are magnetic. The instruction manual is also lacking and it could provide way more information. Furthermore, the mismatched expansion slot covers should probably not happen in a case of this price range. The Antec DF500's greatest strengths are the excellent aesthetics and the budget price. It comes in at $60 USD. Many of the negatives can be overlooked and the price definitely encourages it. The Antec DF500 is an excellent entrance into better looking cases for newcomers, but can make some smaller improvements to appeal to a larger market.
Antec provided this product to APH Networks for the purpose of evaluation.
APH Review Focus Summary:
7/10 means Great product with many advantages and certain insignificant drawbacks; but should be considered before purchasing.
6/10 means A product with its advantages, but drawbacks should not be ignored before purchasing.
-- Final APH Numeric Rating is 6.8/10
Please note that the APH Numeric Rating system is based off our proprietary guidelines in the Review Focus, and should not be compared to other sites.
The Antec DF500 is one good looking case, but it needs some cleaning up around the edges to corner the budget market.
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Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Outside
3. Physical Look - Inside
4. Installation and Conclusion
