Page 4 - Installation and Conclusion
As per usual, I started with installing a power supply into the Antec P6. Since it was a larger case and my regular small form factor power supply, the SilverStone SFX SX650-G did not have long enough cables, I decided to use the GAMDIAS ASTRAPE P1-750G 750W instead. Unfortunately, I could not actually see the beautifully lit power supply with the P6, but this is more of the fault of GAMDIAS. Otherwise, I also routed the cables I needed at this point, just because it becomes harder to do so when other components are mounted. Antec suggests not using a power supply greater than 160mm, which is kind of short. This is because the back has a lower lip area to accommodate a power supply sliding through, but the front does not. By comparison, the Fractal Design Meshify C Mini can fit a power supply of 175mm in length. Thankfully, this was not an issue with my power supply.
Taking the rest of my parts, I grabbed the Gigabyte GA-Z170N-Gaming 5 mini ITX motherboard with an Intel Core i5-6600K mounted under a CRYORIG C7. The CRYORIG C7 is a pretty low profile cooler overall, but Antec says CPU coolers up to 160mm in height should be fine. I once again wish they would allow for top mounted liquid cooling options here, as it really feels odd to see this omission. Two sticks of Patriot Viper Elite 2x8GB DDR4 memory was also installed on the board. All of the standoffs were already installed, though it was installed assuming a mATX board would be placed here. Thus, you can probably see some extra standoffs peeking out. I also plugged in most of the power and I/O cables at this point.
From the backside, you can see the ample cable routing space. Despite not having any rubber grommets or Velcro straps to keep everything tidy and clean, I think the Antec P6 was quite easy to work in. There are several cable tie points to help with cable management. I will say my cabling job here was pretty poor, especially as I had more space with a smaller motherboard in a larger case, but this is definitely my fault more than anything Antec has done or omitted. I finally put my Patriot Ignite 480GB SSD in one of the 2.5" drive trays while removing the other one. I also removed the drive cage at the front just to allow for more cable space in the basement. Finally, I slid the back panel on, plugged in the rest of the cables, and powered the machine to life.
As the fans spun, I quickly looked to the two sources of light. As for the white LED fan at the back, it is pretty faint and it barely lights up the fan let alone the back. As for the front projection light, this is the same story. It is a bit disappointing Antec did not use some more powerful LEDs in these two areas, especially when the front projection light looks so much brighter on their website. Even so, the finished build looks clean and sleek. Since Antec only provides one stock fan out of the box, it is not surprising to say this case was extremely quiet. On an APH Networks scale of 0 to 10, where 0 is complete silence and 10 is a jet plane taking off, I would rate this case at 2.5/10. Once again, the single fan really helps in this department, but I would probably look at installing some more fans, especially if you have more components inside.
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In the end, I was quite happy we were able to get our iPhone back. I was not able to hear about the outcome of the other stolen goods as I have moved on to a new job. As for the question we posed in the introduction, Antec definitely brings some current trends into the P6, though there are some outdated items to fix as well. Starting with the good, the Antec P6 is an average looking case with some nice styling overall. It is nothing flashy, but it looks clean. The case feels solid with its steel frame. The inclusion of tempered glass here is also great to see for a sleek finish. Otherwise, the inside shows off a lot of storage options, specifically for smaller 2.5" drives, plus a good amount of clearance overall for major components. The back features ample spacing for cables and smoothed edges to prevent any damage to cables or fingers when working in the P6. However, there is also a number of items that make this case fall behind. From the exterior, we are missing any sort of new connector like USB Type-C ports, though this is forgivable considering the price. Both the front-facing and bottom filters feature questionable design choices. In the case of the bottom one, I would have liked to see a sturdier design, while I would have wanted to see a finer mesh in both areas. On the interior, we lack any support for all-in-one liquid cooling radiators at the top, while the front is limited to a smaller 240mm radiator. Furthermore, lacking items like captive thumbscrews, rubber grommets, or Velcro straps, the compromises add up. Overall, I like the direction Antec is heading with the P6, but quite a few trade-offs were made to keep the price down while keeping a tempered glass side panel. At a price tag of $60 USD, it is still noticeably cheaper than other cases like the Meshify C Mini by Fractal Design. If you are just starting out and want a tempered glass mATX case at a low price, then then Antec P6 is a case you can consider, but I would take a look at some other options before sticking with this one.
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 6.5/10
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 P6 is a budget case with a nice tempered glass panel, but too many compromises have been made to keep up with the trends and keep the price low.
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Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Outside
3. Physical Look - Inside
4. Installation and Conclusion
