Antec And In Win At Computex 2013
Antec
Antec demoed its upcoming digital power supply control software called Grid. which lets you set a target voltage on each rail, define current limits, and customize fan speeds (notice a pattern here with the latest crop of PSUs?). The representative even made it a point that logs are not kept so that writes to an SSD are minimized.
The new software is married to Antec's High Current Pro Platinum (HCPP) Grid power supply family, available in 850, 1000, and 1300 W flavors. These PSUs feature 80 PLUS Platinum ratings, modular cabling, and a new feature called OC Link that allows two power supplies to work in tandem. They're expected to start selling before the end of the year.
In support of its OC Link technology, Antec introduced a Nineteen Hundred case with space for two power supplies. It's absolutely colossal, and will be available in a couple of months for around $300. This case and the OC Link infrastructure earned Tom's Hardware's Best Of Computex 2013 award for introducing heretofore unknown power scalability to the PC market.
Next, we were introduced to the LSK600, a mini-ITX option that should be available in the second half of this year. It accommodates graphics cards up to 11 inches long.
The NSK4100 is Antec's new budget-minded ATX offering, supporting liquid cooling and two fan mounts.
The P100 is a fresh addition to the company's performance line, an entry-level version of the P182 designed to minimize noise. This ATX case has a removable drive bay and should arrive in 2 or 3 months at a reasonable $70 price point.
And now for the company's Kuhler H20 family of liquid cooling systems. To avoid Asetek's patent, Antec moved the pump behind the fan shroud and deployed diffuser fan blades to move more air through the dead spot. Three new models include the 1250 (double-wide radiator and two fans), the 950 (double-height radiator with two fans), and the 650 (single radiator and one fan). These products are expected to land in July or August for $110, $100, and $70, respectively.
Finally, we were reintroduced to Antec's wireless Bluetooth speakers, first shown at CES. The SPZero weighs only 500 grams and can be daisy chained to an unlimited number of SPZeros, which is an interesting feature for parties. The SP1+ is a step up from the SPZero, with added NFC capability and eight hours of play time on a three-hour charge. The larger SP3 can't be daisy chained, but features two internal speakers with a 20 W output for $219. Expect them all to hit the market at the end of this year.
In Win
In Win is becoming known for manufacturing limited runs of spectacular, unique (and expensive) PC enclosures. The company didn't disappoint at Computex, showing off the KingSize case. Available for $1500 in August, it features aluminum construction and real glass panels.
Next up was the Tou, built with semi-transparent aluminum tempered glass. The buttons in front are pressure sensors on the glass panel. You might find the case available in Q4 for $800.
Lastly was In Win's upcoming Serenity power supply. This 900 W model should be available in August for $180.
