Page 4 - Installation and Conclusion
As usual, building with the Antec P20C started with my power supply. This involves plugging in the necessary cables and mounting the power supply in the basement. The power supply in question is the Thermaltake Toughpower GF1 Snow 750W, which is 16cm in length. Antec recommends a maximum 20.5cm length for power supplies with the hard drive cage installed or 41.0cm without it. During the routing process, I appreciated the top holes and rubber grommets for keeping the power cables in place. Otherwise, I routed the PCIe power cables through the hole above the drive cage. I also directed the front I/O and fan cables to the right spot at this point. The flat black USB Type-C header cable was flexible enough, while all of the other cables were black to stay in line with a stealthy look.
Continuing here, I installed my two drives, the Patriot P200 512GB and OCZ ARC 100 240GB into the slots above the power supply. The friction mounting method worked well in keeping these drives in place, even when the thicker SATA cable was plugged in. In the past, I have seen other cases with this same design not hold the drives secure enough, as the SATA cables would provide enough resistance to push them out of the mount. However, this was not the case with the P20C, which is a positive.
My next step involved installing my motherboard, which is an ASUS Prime X470-Pro with an AMD Ryzen 7 3700X installed and a set of Patriot Viper RGB DDR4-3600 2x16GB sticks onboard. On top of the processor, I installed a DeepCool AK620, which has a height of 160mm. Antec limits a maximum height of 170mm, which is a sufficient amount of space for larger coolers like the AK620. I then installed my video card, which is a EVGA GeForce RTX 3070 FTW3 ULTRA GAMING that measures 300mm long. There was more than enough space at the front for the card, as the manufacturer specifies a maximum length of 375mm. Afterwards, I plugged all of the cables into the motherboard or my graphics card. I also used the video card support bracket to prop the video card up. This was straightforward to install and made a notable difference for my heavy GPU.
Lastly, I cleaned up my cables by using the Velcro straps on the side and pushing some extra cables to the side and the basement of the Antec P20C. From this photo above, you can see I could use the cable ties a bit better to keep the cables in place, but this is manageable. I think Antec provided just enough space in this back area to allow for easy cable management. The Antec P20C may not have the benefits of a large working space as a compact case, but I think the overall build experience was a smooth one. With everything plugged in here, I closed up the side panel easily and placed it near my desk.
Afterwards, I plugged all my peripherals into the back and turned on the system. The three front fans spun up and my system started. It was definitely a bit of a surprise to not see much for RGB elements, especially as I had just come from the Thermaltake Ceres 500 TG ARGB Snow. In fact, there was one night where I went to sleep without turning off my machine because I did not realize it was powered on. However, one thing I appreciated immediately was the fact the stealthy looks of the Antec P20C were accompanied by a relatively quiet set of fans. According to our standard APH Networks sound scale ranges from 0 to 10, where 0 is silence and 10 is loud, I would rate the Antec P20C around a 2.5/10. There are no dedicated materials used to dampen noise in the P20C, so it is impressive to see these three fans maintain a low noise output.
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The Antec P20C is an intriguing option for a computer case because it bucks the trend with its stealthy all-black looks and lack of RGB LED lighting. Instead, its focus is the core of what a computer case should be, offering airflow and flexibility of components. From the top, we have a relatively compact enclosure with a clean and safe design. There are no garish elements, but instead have a solidly built case with a nice tempered glass pane on one side. Mesh filtration can be found on all of the intake areas, which is appreciated. Internally, we have compatibility for E-ATX motherboards, plus sufficient space for larger components. We also have two places to mount a larger 360mm length radiator, as well as room for taller CPU coolers and relatively long power supplies. I also appreciate the simple but effective graphics card sag bracket. Building inside the Antec P20C was a smooth process too, with enough space to route cables while hiding them from plain view. The many rubber grommets on the holes, plus sufficient cabling space at the back, made the whole installation quite easy. When we turned on the system, the three included fans were able to move air while still keeping relatively quiet. That being said, there are still areas to improve upon for the Antec P20C. For one, the tempered glass panel would have benefited from some cushioning between it and the case to prevent any potential damage. Next, I would have liked to see the inclusion of an exhaust fan and a fan hub to control the included fans. Finally, I would have liked to see a second drive sled for a tool-less solution of installing the second 3.5" hard drive. Even so, I think the Antec P20C succeeds in delivering a covert-looking case without too many functional compromises. At the time of the review, the Antec P20C is available for $115, while the solid-side panel variant is $5 less. This puts the P20C in a pretty price-competitive region, where many computer cases exist. As such, if you are looking for a stealthy but sufficient chassis, the P20C is a solid option.
Antec provided this product to APH Networks for the purpose of evaluation.
APH Networks Review Focus Summary:
8/10 means Definitely a very good product with drawbacks that are not likely going to matter to the end user.
7/10 means Great product with many advantages and certain insignificant drawbacks, but should be considered before purchasing.
-- Final APH Networks Numeric Rating is 7.4/10
Please note that the APH Networks Numeric Rating system is based off our proprietary guidelines in the Review Focus, and should not be compared to other publications.
The Antec P20C is a computer case that offers excellent functional capabilities and design combined with a clean and understated appearance.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Outside
3. Physical Look - Inside
4. Installation and Conclusion
