Antec used to be one of the world’s great PC case makers, but in 2021 they’re no longer on the forefront of the chassis industry. They’re still a presence, but rather than focusing on premium, silence-focused cases, the company seems to have somewhat lost track of what it’s trying to accomplish.
But not with the P82 Silent – this new chassis might not be a premium offering, but it is a case that focuses on acoustics, paired with a pleasantly simple design. Is it good enough for our Best PC Cases list? Read on for the full details, but if you’re after a quiet, non-flashy build and don’t want to spend more than $60, the P82 is tough to beat.
Specifications
Features
Touring around the outside of the chassis, there’s really nothing exciting going on. The case is clad in painted steel panels, with no tempered glass to be found anywhere. Nor is there RGB, or any other fancy design elements.
The most aggressive element is at the top of the chassis, where you can spot the intake grille for air, which stretches down the right side of the front panel and the bottom. Also, notice that there is no top exhaust, as this would be a noise leak. The front panel is also shut on the left, again, shielding the user from noise.
Front IO is placed on the left of the front panel, along a piano black trim piece, featuring two USB 3.0 ports and discrete headphone and mic jacks. There’s no USB Type-C here, but that’s alright, given the case sells for less than $70. Below the IO you’ll spot controls for a three-speed fan controller, though it has to be said, its action is quite sludgy – heavy, and very cheap feeling.
Internal Layout
Turn to the interior of the case and you’ll again find very little worth calling otu. There’s room for an ATX board, big graphics cards, and along the reverse side a big power supply and a handful of drives.
There’s not a ton of space for cable management, nor a lots of cutouts for cable tie points – but this is clearly a case meant for simpler systems so chances are you won’t care.
What is nice to see here is the acoustic padding on the side panels. It’s not the thickest or heaviest, but should be adequate enough to absorb some high-frequency noises if the damping performance of the P10 Flux is anything to go by. Again, the days of tank-heavy Antec ‘Performance’ series cases with triple-layer side panels are over.
Cooling
For cooling, Antec provides three 120mm fans – two in the front and one as exhaust. A magnetic air filter is also provided, though it looks restrictive so I’m curious what cooling performance will be like. especially with the closed front panel. You won’t be able to mount a radiator at the top of this case, but up to a thin 360mm unit will fit at the front.
