Hello again, I'm Rodney Reynolds and welcome to another video review. Today I'm looking at the Antec’s Sonata designer 500 case.
This case is mostly steel. Comes with a white paint finish and has a brush aluminum front. The front bezel is unique because it can be removed and replaced. There are five different color choices, blue, orange, green, pink, and white. This is a fantastic idea because it gives the user freedom to match the color theme to their home or office space.
At the front are four five and a quarter inch external drive bays. The bottom one is occupied with a five and a quarter inch to three and a half inch adaptor. The top two five and a quarter inch drive bays have drive bay inserts that preserve the look on the front of the case when a five and a quarter inch drive is installed. Here is the power button, reset button, the power LED is around the power button, and the hard drive activity LED. Conveniently located at the front is a microphone jack, headphone jack, two USB ports and a FireWire port. The front bezel can be easily removed for easy access to the drive bays and dust filter. The dust filter can be easily removed for cleaning and two optional 92 millimeter fans can be installed.
The left and right side panels don’t have any windows, vents, or fans. But they come with sound dampening material. The top panel also has the same material which helps decrease noise generated by computer components and fans.
At the back of the case, at the very top is an included Antec Earth watt 5 condored watt power supply. Its 80 plus certified, so it’s extremely efficient. Has active PFC and is quiet. The power supply is more than adequate for most computer builds. I should note that this power supply is the updated model. Also note that there's an I/O shield plate included as well as a 120 millimeter TriCool exhaust fan. Here are the seven expansion slots, ventilation holes and there are two affix spring loaded thumb screws on the left side panel. The left side panel can also be secured with an optional lock.
This case fits micro ATX and standard ATX form factor motherboards. Since it is a mid tower case, there isn’t a lot of room to work on the inside and the motherboard tray is not removable. There are four removable hard drive bays. And this case also includes a hard drive suspension system for up to three hard drives. There is also a small cable management system on the right side of the case. Thankfully, this case doesn’t have any sharp edges so you won't cut yourself or the cables.
At the bottom are four soft silicon feet. These feet have fantastic anti vibration properties and won't scratch the surface.
Finally, have a listen to the stock cooling. First at the low position. Medium. And high.
Being all white and having the ability to swap the front bezel really puts this case in a different category. I don’t think you’ll find any hard core gamers purchasing this case, but that’s fine, because Antec did not design this case to fit that particular category. The case itself does look really nice and clean. Also it does have some fantastic features, but I really wish they would’ve included at least one 92 millimeter fan. If you do purchase this case, remember to install one, I recommend two 92 millimeter fans at the front to intake cool air so you can get some positive air flow through the case. But overall, it’s a great product.
Again, my name is Rodney Reynolds and this has been another video review. Be sure to check back very soon. I will have a brand new one for you then. Also pop into my website at www.3Dgameman.com. And while you're there, you can go into the forums and register. And remember, registration is completely free. Also keep in mind, you can find a lot more on this product in the forums. And as a final note, if you love watching my video reviews, please remember to help support 3Dgameman.com. If you wish to support, please visit support3gm.com. Until the next time, take care.
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