| Antec ISK300-65 Mini-ITX HTPC Computer Case |
| Reviews - Featured Reviews: Cases | |
| Written by Olin Coles | |
| Wednesday, 01 July 2009 | |
Antec ISK300-65 Mini-ITX Computer CaseBenchmark Reviews recently called on the Antec ISK300-65 Mini-ITX HTPC computer case to complete our NVIDIA ION Home Theater PC project. The lightweight mITX case offers a 65W power supply and room for a slim optical drive and 2.5" SSD or HDD. The Antec ISK300 fits two 80mm fans along the side, which help exhaust heated air out of the enclosure. Enthusiast can stand the ISK300 case upright, allowing this HTPC enclosure to fit nicely beside other entertainment center electronics. In our review of the ZOTAC IONITX-A-U Atom N330 Wi-Fi-N motherboard kit, we searched for the smallest HTPC enclosure we could find, and the end result was the Antec ISK300-65. While smaller HTPC enclosures exist, the Antec ISK series offers desktop-level features such as front-panel eSATA, USB, and audio. The first product in Antec's ISK series dedicated to the Mini-ITX form factor, the ISK300 is a critical building block for the new NVIDIA ION and Intel Atom platforms.
Mini-ITX is the next "big" thing. And now, Antec introduces the ISK Series, an entire line of cases designed exclusively for Mini-ITX motherboards. With three drive bays, a side 80mm TriCoolTM fan, and a stable 65-watt power adapter, the ISK 300-65 can handle many of the tasks of a traditional PC, in half the space. And with a 0.8mm cold rolled steel frame, the ISK 300-65 is not only nimble but durable, making it a dream mod case. From petite desktop option to silent home theater, Antec's ISK 300-65 is an epic case of mini proportions. ISK300-65 Specifications
Power supply: About Antec IncAntec, Inc. is the leading global brand of high-performance computer components and accessories for the gaming, PC upgrade and Do-It-Yourself (DIY) markets. Founded in 1986, Antec is recognized as a pioneer in these industries and has maintained its position as a worldwide market leader and international provider of efficient, quiet, and reliable products. Antec has also achieved great success in the distribution channel, meeting the demands of quality-conscious system builders, VARs and integrators. Antec's offering of enclosures includes a large range of cases, such as its technically advanced Performance One Series, cost-effective New Solution Series and server grade cases designed for the needs of all workstation and server markets. Antec's products also include front line power supplies such as its Signature Series, TruePower Quattro series, NeoPower series, and EarthWatts, the most environmentally friendly power supply available. PC gamers are an increasingly significant consumer of performance components, and many Antec products are geared toward the gaming demographic, like the Twelve Hundred, the premier gamer enclosure. Antec also offers a computing accessories line comprised of many original products, including its patented LED Fans and Notebook Cooling solutions. Antec is headquartered in Fremont, California, with additional offices in Rotterdam, The Netherlands as well in the UK, Germany, France, Spain and Italy. The company's products are sold in more than 30 countries throughout the world. Please visit www.antec.com for more information. Closer Look: ISK300 ExteriorIf you're shopping store isles for a HTPC case, it's would be hard for the Antec ISK300-65 to catch your eye. Packaged in a plain brown corrugated box, the flagship model for Antec's ISK series is very humble in making a first appearance. While the box might not maintain the flash we've seen with the rest of Antec's product line, the upside is that the contents inside are safely packaged and free from abusive handling damage.
Once unpackaged, the Antec ISK300-65 looks the part of a HTPC enclosure, roughly twice the height of a Eee PC netbook computer.
The front of the ISK300 chassis is fairly busy, with the following interfaces occupying the landscape: eSATA port, two USB 2.0 ports, headphone and microphone jacks, Eject button, LED pin-hole, and a power button.
The Antec ISK300-65 kit includes a 65-watt AC to DC power adapter (brick), a support stand for upright positioning, a few zip-ties and SATA cables, and a set of adhesive rubber feet.
In the next section, Benchmark Reviews will reveal the detailed features included with the Antec ISK300-65 Mini-ITX computer case. Detailed Exterior FeaturesWhile the ZOTAC IONITX-A-U kit Benchmark Reviews tested came with a fan to cool the Intel Atom 330 dual-core processor integrated into the ION motherboard, Antec includes plenty of ventilation for the ISK300. A long narrow grill runs half the length of the case near to the single half-height expansion card slot. The 65W power supply plugs into the receptacle at the opposite corner, and a TriCool 3-speed fan control rests between them.
Another vent is located at the top of the enclosure, when the ISK300-65 is positioned vertically (as illustrated below). This vent is large enough for two 80mm fans, and Antec includes one of their TriCool 3-speed fans to exhaust heated air outside the HTPC computer case.
When positioned vertically upright, the ISK300 occupies a smaller footprint, but not without some compromise. Most slip optical drives utilize a clip-compression head for disc media similar to notebook computers, but some do not. If a standard tray is used on the optical drive, the disc may not be read while in the upright position.
In standard position, ventilation airflow is better-off being reversed. Heat rises, and as a result the active cooling fan along the side is better used for drawing-in cool air and allow the vent atop the ISK300 to expel the heated air. Of course, this has a negative side effect too, because lint and dust are more easily sucked into the case.
Once three thumb-screws are removed, the painted panel pulls away from the ISK300-65 enclosure. Although the ISK300 is designed for Mini-ITX motherboards, the chassis appears long enough to fit larger form factors. Once we get inside this HTPC case, we'll discover how well Antec managed the ergonomics. Closer Look: ISK300 InteriorThe Antec ISK300-65 Mini-ITX HTPC case opens to reveal a 0.8mm cold rolled steel frame, with a tray designed for holding up to two 2.5" drives and a single slim 5.25" internal optical drive. The entire enclosure is nearly 13" long, which is twice the length of an Mini-ITX motherboard.
Although it's difficult for Antec to foresee all configurations, I think that the ISK300 may have consumed more internal space that it needed. The steel tray is only half-utilized, with the other half simply acting to connect the unit and offer a minimal amount of support.
Once the case has been opened up and tray removed, the Antec ISK300-65 exposes a small working space perfect for the Mini-ITX motherboard form factor along side a component power suppy unit.
One criticism I have with the Antec ISK300-65 is how the PSU component has added more length to this Mini-ITX computer case than what's really needed. There's an extra inch on each side of the unit, and it's small enough to have been mounted in place of one of the 2.5" drives. Had this been done, the nearly five-inch extension could have been shortened, and the entire HTPC enclosure would be more square and profiled to the mITX form factor.
Since Antec decided to extend the ISK300 nearly 13", when mITX only requires half that, I suspect that a full-size optical drive could have also been utilized. The price of standard form factor optical drives is usually much lower than slim internal versions; especially in regard to the new Blu-ray Disc drives. Detailed Interior FeaturesBenchmark Reviews used the ZOTAC IONITX-A-U kit to build an HTPC inside the Antec ISK300-65 Mini-ITX case. Our hardware included only one drive (an SSD), but two could be fitted if desired. For our purposes, this HTPC was not meant to store large amounts of media, but rather play downloaded or streaming content.
Most mITX motherboards do not include a power supply (although our Zotac ION/Atom kit did), which brings the 65-watt PSU into considering. A four-pin connector runs from the AC adapter input at the rear of the case to the power supply module. From the PSU a standard ATX connection adapter (included with the ISK300-65) is used to supply connections to a universe of receptacles on the motherboard and devices. The part number for this power supply is marked Antec MD-135.
The adapter cable the connects from the Antec MD-135 PSU offers the following connections: 20+4-pin ATX, mini-SATA, 4-pin P4, 2x SATA, 2x Molex 4-pin, and a single floppy connector. From a reversed view of our completed system, you can see how there's a lot of unused room inside the enclosure. With some very small modifications to their design, I believe Antec could shorten this HTPC chassis to less than 8", and keep all of the same components in tact (although only one 2.5" HDD/SSD could be installed).
For HTPC builders not using one of the NVIDIA ION kits, and instead building with another Mini-ITX motherboard, it's possible that the extra space could be used for any number of items. For example, a MCE remote receiver or internally connected wireless adapter. The Antec ISK300 is a great start for a wide variety of building options, so it's best to make sure to have a plan. Antec HTPC Final ThoughtsUnlike tower-style computer cases, one size doesn't fit all. HTPC's are considerably refined in purpose, but the list of hardware that can be used to build such a unit can include full-size ATX motherboards with a desktop CPU all the way down to ultra-small mITX kits with mobile processor attached. Antec has builders in mind when they design their products, which is why the ISK series is focused on the Mini-ITX market segment while the Menuet and NSK series aims for other HTPC designs. The ISK300 is a great building-block for some of the new NVIDIA ION-based kits, but since several of those kits come with their own power supply, the ISK300-65 adds an unnecessary expense. A few Intel Atom kits, and the older mITX kits will work perfectly with the ISK300-65, and make full use of the integrated PSU.
Antec ISK300 ConclusionAntec's presentation of the ISK300 kit is very modest, with a plain brown box doing its best to sell this HTPC enclosure on the retail shelves on electronic boutiques. Supposing that this is an online-only product, then the ISK300 might be fine, but for shoppers comparing this kit to others inside a retail store, the lack of printed features, specifications, and contents, might put off some buyers. Performance is a subjective rating when it comes to enclosures, and although the ISK300 works well enough for most HTPC builds there's always room for improvement. The one area that I would like to see performance improved most is the optical drive tray cover on the front bezel, which is push-clip fastened and does not return into the up position automatically. Once the Antec ISK300-65 is removed from the bland cardboard box, it offers an inverse reaction. The semi-gloss black painted case is finger-print friendly, and the slightly textured plastic components also avoid showing off smudges. The overall appearance is attractive, yet basic. There are no distractions, which is exactly what HTPC users will admire, since a tiny pin-hole allows very little light to shine from the power LED. Antec has always been an industry leader in regard to product construction, and the ISK series is no different. The 0.8mm cold rolled steel chassis adds some weight, but more importantly it adds structural rigidity. The ABS plastic used on the front bezel is strong enough to withstand harsh impacts, even though they're unlikely in a home theater environment. There was one defect in the unit I received however, and the plastic retaining clip on the front bezel drive door fell out and would not hold the door closed. The ISK300-65 is a compact mITX case packed full with functionality. Front panel eSATA, USB, and audio ports, tri-level cooling fan, and room for a half-height expansion bay are all impressive features usually found on larger enclosures. The ISK series is large enough to accommodate extra internal components, such as MCE remove receiver or internally connected Wi-Fi adapter, but at the same time there could be wasted space on smaller more basic builds. As of July 2009 the Antec ISK300-65 mITX case is listed on NewEgg for $89.99 (before shipping), but a search using our Price Comparison Engine lists vendors selling as low as $67. Obviously some price shopping is going to be necessary with this new product. Considering these prices, it's also a good idea to make sure this is the model that best suites your needs. In conclusion, I can recommend the Antec ISK300-65 to Mini-ITX builders who plan to use a motherboard that requires a power supply be added to the system, This may exclude some of the NVIDIA ION platforms we've seen on the market lately, but even some of those kits would still make use of the integrated 64W PSU built into the ISK300. Overall, this is a very good HTPC case, but it's not perfect. The biggest problem I can find is the oversized dimensions for a mITX system, and the subsequent lack of standard optical drive support. Antec either needs to shorten this case and make it appropriately sized to mITX kits, or allow a normal optical drive. Otherwise, the Antec ISK300 offers several options a HTPC builder can take advantage of. Pros:
+ Includes 65-watt power supply unit Cons:
- Lacks standard 5.25" optical drive compatibility Ratings:
Final Score: 8.35 out of 10.Quality Recognition: Benchmark Reviews Silver Tachometer Award.Questions? Comments? Benchmark Reviews really wants your feedback. We invite you to leave your remarks in our Discussion Forum.
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