Page 4 - Installation and Conclusion
As usual, building with the Antec Performance 1 FT 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 DeepCool PX1000G 1000W, which is 16cm in length. Antec recommends a maximum 24.5cm length for power supplies and their cables with the hard drive cage installed or 44.0cm without it. I ended up just leaving the cage in place, and it did not interfere with my cables or my power supply unit. I routed the PCIe power cables through the side channel along with the motherboard power cable. I appreciated and used the back Velcro straps to lead the CPU cable up to the top of the Performance 1 FT while keeping it in place. 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, and all the other cables were stealthy with their black wrap.
Above the power supply basement, I installed my two drives, the Patriot P200 512GB and OCZ ARC 100 240GB. Using the included trays, I mounted the two SSDs in place and connected the SATA power and data cables, routing them through the necessary holes. The spacing between the tray and the back of the case is quite small, so you should not use a 90-degree angle SATA cable here.
My next step involved installing my motherboard, which is an ASUS Prime X470-Pro with an AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 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 175mm, which is enough space for larger coolers like the AK620. I did have to remove the two fans first, as they interfere with the middle mounting hole on the motherboard. From here, you can see the vast amount of space that is at the top, which is more than sufficient to mount thick radiators. Due to the offset rail location, any cooling options here should not interfere with your motherboard.
Finally, I installed my video card, which is an 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 400mm. Afterwards, I plugged all the cables into the motherboard and my graphics card. This is where I missed having a video card support bracket, as you can see a slight downward sag near the end of the card. Otherwise, the rest of the build looks quite neat.
With everything wrapped up, I cleaned up my cables and tied down the three Velcro straps at the front. I ended up using the Noctua NA-FH1 fan hub to connect the intake fans. From the first photo, I could have still tidied up some cables, although I am quite happy with this result as it stands. Thankfully, the second photo shows how the back looks with only my fan hub and two SSDs exposed. I could have hidden these three items too by using the basement area. Even so, I still appreciate these metal coverings for the cables. Overall, I really enjoyed building in the Performance 1 FT. Antec has done an excellent job in recent times with their cases and this one is no different. It does have the advantage of being larger and therefore easier to work in, but everything felt seamless. The many cabling routes and concealment plates made the final product easy to keep clean. With everything plugged in here, I closed all the side panels and placed the case near my table.
Afterwards, I plugged all my peripherals into the back. Antec has thoughtfully included cable tiedown points at the back of the case. Users can bunch their peripherals together with the included Velcro straps, making for neat cable management outside the Performance 1 FT. With the power button pushed, the internal fans spun up and my system started. Unfortunately, these four included Storm T3 fans whirred to life and stayed loud. Even after resetting my BIOS and the fan curves, these fans are noisier than I would like. According to our standard APH Networks sound scale, where 0 is silence and 10 is loud, I would rate the Antec Performance 1 FT around a 3.5/10 in regular operation, and up to a 6.0/10 at full blast. It is clear this is an airflow, performance-focused case, as there are no dedicated materials used to dampen noise in the Performance 1 FT. Even so, this can be quite distracting, even for those who are not looking for a quiet computer.
To get the temperature to display on the front of the case, you need to install Antec's iUnity software, which is found on the product page on their website. Once you download the 12.8MB MSI file, you can install it and the temperature will appear on the front display. Antec's iUnity gives a basic overview of the current system status, including CPU and GPU model, load, temperature, and operating frequency, as well as the motherboard model, storage, and memory usage. If you click on the cogwheel, you will get the general settings page, which allows you to change the language, and start-up behavior. You can also check for software updates here.
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As a flagship-tier, full-tower case, the Antec Performance 1 FT has a lot of positives going for it, especially in its features. Its appearance is conservative with no garish elements and a lack of RGB LED lighting. Instead, its front grille design stands out in a unique but stylish way. The entire enclosure is solidly built with good material choices and two tempered glass panes. Mesh filters are provided and can be removed for cleaning, if necessary. Internally, component compatibility is no issue with its generous size, including two places to mount larger radiators. Building in the Antec Performance 1 FT again shows Antec's mindfulness to organization with its many routing holes, rubber grommets, and a spacious cable valley. Combined with the included metal shields, everything can look neat regardless of which side you look at. The cable tiedown points on the outside are a simple but effective solution in managing your peripheral cables. With the system powered on, I appreciate the temperature readout provided for your CPU and GPU. On the other hand, there are some interesting omissions with the Performance 1 FT. For one, we do not have a fan hub to control the fans. The number of storage options is sufficient, but those with more than two 3.5" drives will feel left out. Missing a video card support bracket is also a pity. However, my primary gripe comes in the form of their loud and proud Storm T3 fans, which moves air at the cost of noise output. At the time of the review, the Antec Performance 1 FT is available for $150, which makes it competitive in pricing for a case of this form factor. All in all, the Antec Performance 1 FT is a satisfying case to work in and hold your system, even if it is one or two refinements away from being an ultimate contender.
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 7.5/10
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 Performance 1 FT is a clean full-tower computer case with superb cable management capabilities inside and out.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Outside
3. Physical Look - Inside
4. Installation and Conclusion
