Antec Sonata IV Computer Case Review

Manufacturer: Antec, Inc.
Product Name: Sonata IV
Model Number: 0761345-15150-4
Price As Tested:$159.99 at Newegg

Full Disclosure: The product sample used in this article has been provided by Antec, Inc.

Antec has been making computer enclosures for as long as I can remember. When I think of popular computer chassis, one case from Antec almost always comes to mind: their Sonata line of cases. Antec has provided Benchmark Reviews the opportunity to review their latest iteration of their Sonata line, the Sonata IV. The Sonata IV is marketed as being a Quiet Mid Tower case. It aims to bring the Sonata line of cases up to date with such features as a front USB 3.0 port, a spot for a 2.5" SSD drive, and silicon grommets to reduce hard drive vibration. Also included with the Sonata IV is a 620 watt power supply. Can the Sonata IV live up to its predecessors and the Antec name? Read the full review to find out.

With Antec being such an established and well-known company in the computer enclosure market, they should know how to make a case that both looks good and performs well. The Sonata line has had great success throughout the years, and Antec hopes to continue that line of success with the Sonata IV. Along with its great looks, the Sonata IV aims for a silent chassis with its design. With only a single TriCool(TM) 120mm fan in the rear of the case, Antec is taking a gamble by sacrificing airflow for noise reduction. The inclusion of a 620 watt power supply is a very welcome bonus with this case. We will soon find out if the Sonata IV is not only good looking, but also performs well.

Cases are often considered a cosmetically oriented item for your computer, but they do still serve an important function. Cases are not only expected to look good, but they must perform well by keeping your components cool and safe. They also must allow the user to install and change components with a minimal amount of headache. Items reviewed at Benchmark Reviews are rated on the following categories: Performance, Appearance, Construction, Value, and Functionality. While some of these categories may have the tendency to be subjective to the person doing the review, Benchmark Reviews strives to provide the most professional and unbiased review as possible.

Antec presents the Sonata IV, built from the ground up for Quiet Computing to continue the legacy of its predecessors. All of the features in the Sonata IV optimize the case's quiet design, from the included 620 watt power supply with whisper-quiet 120 mm fan, to the redesigned case airflow that allows for maximum cooling with minimal fans, to the vibration-reducing silicone grommets for hard drives. Sonata IV is also the most capable Sonata to date, offering a 2.5" drive mount and front-panel USB 3.0. Created to give you a quiet, functional solution for your home, home office or corporate workspace, Sonata IV delivers.

Antec Sonata IV Features

Power supply:
- 620 watt, ATX12V v2.3 with Universal Input and Active Power Factor Correction (PFC)
- 80 PLUS certified saves you money on your power bills
- 120 mm double ball bearing low noise cooling fan
8 drive bays:
- External 3 x 5.25"
- Internal 4 x 3.5"
- Internal 1 x 2.5"
7 expansion slots
Cooling system:
- 1 rear (standard) 120 mm TriCool^TM 3-speed switch control exhaust fan
Built-in washable air filter
Front mounted I/O ports
- 1 x USB 3.0 "Super Speed" allows for data transmission 10 times faster than that of USB 2.0
- 2 x USB 2.0
- Audio In and Out (AC'97 and HDA compatible)

Sonata IV Specifications

Closer Look: Exterior

One of the biggest reasons many people purchase a case is to make their computer look better. Whether you are a LAN goer, like to show off to your friends, or just like having nice looking things, a case can be an important part of a computer setup. In the next two sections, We will look at the exterior of the Sonata IV. Antec is well known for making great looking cases, so hopefully the Sonata IV will not disappoint and live up to the Antec name.

Shown in this photo is the Sonata IV from Antec. Elegant silent is the motto that this case has been given. Using an all-black color, smooth lines, and including a very minimal amount of fans with the Sonata IV, I think Antec has done a good job of portraying that elegant silence motto.

The front of the case is black with a matte finish. It is plastic and the top half of the front is a door with a lock on it. The front is lacking from having many flashy features, which helps set the tone of the elegance of the Sonata IV. Antec has included two keys for the front lock, in case you ever lose one. On the top half of the case, there is a square indent for any case badge you wish to put in there, and Antec has included one with the Sonata IV.

This is the left side of the case. This is the side you remove to install the components. Notice how bright the flash is in the picture, and how well it reflects. The mirrored finish on the sides of the Sonata IV is jet black, and very striking. Unfortunately, as you can see in the upper right corner, it is also great for picking up fingerprints. A quick wipe with a cloth clears them right off, though. If you look on the left side of the photo, you can see a loop on the rear of the case where a lock can be put. This will lock the side panel to the rear of the case in order to keep your gear safe from thieves.

Shown here is a photo of the right side of the Sonata IV. Again, I left the flash in the photo to show just how shiny the sides are. On this side, there is a vent that allows air flow to and from the hard drive cage to allow them to cool. Because there is no fan blowing across the hard drives, this is good design choice by Antec to include this vent. The vent can be removed easy enough to clean, once it inevitably fills with dust.

Detailed Exterior Features

Everything is in the details, and with computer cases, there are no exceptions. A case can look great from afar, but once seen close-up, it can begin to fall short. Let's see how closely Antec paid attention to the details on the Sonata IV.

As previously mentioned, the top half of the front of the Sonata IV opens from right to left. This door reveals the optical drive bays, as well as the power and reset button. The door opens from the right side, and latches very well, and gives me no reason to believe that it will one day become loose and no longer latch, or that it will fall off its hinges. There is a lock on the right side of the door, and seems to serve the purpose of keeping people both away from the power/reset button, as well as from your disks. Unfortunately, there is no way to make the door open from the left side.

Shown here is the front I/O panel on the Sonata IV. Starting from the left, there are two USB 2.0 ports, a USB 3.0 port, the HDD/power LEDs. and the Mic/Headphone jack. Above those are the reset and power button, respectively. I am always glad to see front facing I/O panels versus top or side mounted panels. The LEDs are a nice blue color, and are bright enough to see in the light, but not so bright that you want to cover them up if you are a night owl.

This is the rear of the Sonata IV. Antec chose to include an motherboard I/O shield, but it did not fit the motherboard that I am installing in the case. The included power supply can mount in either orientation on the top of the case. The single 120mm fan mount is on the rear, as well as a 3-way fan speed switch. Because most motherboards do not come with a USB 3.0 header, case manufacturers are required to use an extension cable that simply plugs into the USB 3.0 port on the motherboard and extends it to the front I/O panel. You may notice a lack of water cooling hose grommets.

Closer Look: Interior

Looking good is only half the point when it comes to a computer enclosure. Being able to install your components with a minimal amount of effort, and contain those components in a safe way is just as important. If a case is not built right, parts won't fit correctly, and installation can be a big headache. Also, if it is not designed right, cooling may suffer, and your components will run the risk of overheating, and with the money you spend on them, that is not a gamble many are willing to take. The Sonata IV claims that despite it being quiet due to having only one external fan, it will run cool as well. In the next two sections, we will take a look at the Sonata IV on the inside to see how well the components fit, as well as how well a quiet case can keep your components cool.

This is the bare case as it comes from the factory. There is space for four 3.5" hard drives, one 2.5" drive, and three 5.25" drives. At first glance, the hard drive cage looks a bit unconventional. The Sonata IV will hold Mini, Micro, and Standard ATX size motherboards. Shown in this photo is the included 120mm Tri-Cool fan, which unfortunately in order to allow for the 3 speed switch, has a 4 pin molex plug. If you are curious what the cord is from under the hard drive cage that goes to the PCI slots, that is the USB 3.0 cord. Taking a measurement from the motherboard tray to the side panel, it is just a bit shy of 7.25 inches, so keep that in mind when considering a CPU cooler.

This is the back side of the motherboard tray in the Sonata IV. You can see the openings for the top and bottom hard drive cages that will lead to the side vent. You can also see a few spots for zip ties to manage your cables, as well as a couple small holes where the cables will run through. Measuring the distance between the motherboard tray and the side panel, it is about .75 inches, which is not very much room for hiding your cables on this side.

I have never seen a hard drive cage like the one found in the Sonata IV. The four hard drives will install vertically in the cages, and the idea is that the air will flow across them and be vented out the side. One of the problems is that there is no fan near the hard drives, and the only airflow the drives will experience will likely come from outside the case.

This is the 5.25in to 3.5in cage. If you are unaware, this will allow devices such as a card reader, or other external 3.5in device to go in the 5.25in optical bay. One of these is included with the Sonata IV.

The slide rails for the optical drive mount are pretty standard. Normally, you put the rear screw in loose so it can slide, pick a hole in the front that will allow your drive to fit flush, and then tighten the rear screw once you are happy with the fit. Notice the hole to the left of the front screw (on the right side of the photo). The metal and plastic holes do not line up, so it does not allow me to put the slide rail in the right spot, so my optical drive won't mount flush. I don't know if this is simply a defect, or a design flaw.

This is how my optical drive sits. It is not the end of the world, nor does it prevent the door from closing, or the drive from working. I rarely use my optical drive as it is, so I typically take it out after the OS installation. To remove the drive, there are small grooves on either side where you can pinch the rail clips and pull the drive out. If you wish to install additional drives in the 5.25" slots, you must take the front bezel off and then break away one of the metal covers.

Included with the Antec Sonata IV is the Antec Neo ECO 620c 620W power supply. This is an eco-friendly power supply that is 80-Plus certified. The 620c uses a dual ball-bearing 120mm fan to help keep the Sonata IV quiet. The power supply has one 20+4 pin, one 6+2 pin PCI-E, one 6 pin PCI-E, six SATA, six Molex, one floppy, and one 4x4 Pin ATX/EPS connector(s) on it. The current price of just the power supply alone is $70 on Newegg.com, so this being included with the Sonata IV adds a lot of value to the enclosure.

Detailed Interior Features

Just like with the exterior features, the interior of the case can look good at first, but once you start inspecting it closer, the good and bad features can begin to show. During the install, small problems can become large headaches later on, but there can be nice touches the manufacturer can add to the case that make the installation and upgrade of components a breeze. In the next section, components will be installed, and we will find out just how well thought out the Sonata IV is. The components I will be installing are:

• Motherboard: ASUS M4A87TD EVO AM3
• CPU: AMD Phenom II 1090T with retail cooler
• Power Supply: Antec Neo ECO 620c
• Graphics: EVGA GTX260 c216
• Hard drive(s): WD Raptor 10k & Seagate 250GB
• Optical: Standard DVD/CD-RW

The first components I installed were the hard drives. I have to admit that it took me a couple seconds to figure out how the drive cage worked. THere are two brackets for each drive, one on top, and one on bottom. The top bracket is held by a front facing thumb screw, and the bottom bracket is secured with a top facing thumbscrew. Removing these thumb screws allows the brackets to slide out independently. Once the brackets are removed, you need to secure each one to the sides of the hard drives. Each bracket has silicon-grommet screws that fit into the pre-drilled holes on the drives. These grommets reduce noise and vibration from the hard drives. I first tried to attach the brackets to allow the drive connections to face the motherboard side of the case to aide in wire management, but the way the brackets are designed, this does not work. Once the brackets are on, you simply slide the drives into their spots and secure them with the thumb screws. The drives can only be installed in two orientations; both are shown in the above photo. If you are interested in where the 2.5" drive goes, they can be attached to the left side of the top hard drive cage. There is a set of 4 holes for the screws to go through, and the drive actually sits on the motherboard side of the cage with the screws facing into the cage itself. One last thing I wanted to point out was the lack of sanded edges on the metal. During the hard drive install, I scratched my hands several times on the rough edges.

Shown in this photo is the included Antec Neo ECO 620c power supply installed in the Sonata IV. With having so many connectors, there is a lot of cables attached to the power supply, so that is a lot of cabling that will need to be managed and hidden. The power supply can be installed in either orientation, as there are sets of mounting holes for both. The bar underneath the power supply provides valuable structure to Sonata IV, but it also prevents the power supply from being put in after the motherboard, as it will only go through underneath the bar, not through the side. Luckily, the Neo ECO 620c has a bottom facing fan that pulls air into the power supply, and then pushes it out the back, adding a bit of exhaust airflow to the case, and drawing a bit of air away from the CPU.

Shown above is the motherboard installed in the Sonata IV. Lucky for me, the risers were already screwed into the motherboard tray. After snapping in the motherboard's I/O plate, I then proceeded to route the USB and HD audio header cables used for the front I/O panel under the motherboard. This task proved to be rather difficult, as there is not much room between the bottom of the case and the motherboard itself. After a bit of patience and pinched fingers, everything else fit fine. You may also notice that I rerouted the USB 3.0 cord to the bottom of the case. Having it strung directly across the motherboard did not seem like a good idea to me.

Once the motherboard was installed, I moved on to the EVGA GTX 260. The distance between the hard drive cage and the rear where the PCI slots are is just over 11 inches, so there was plenty of room to fit my video card in there. I did not have to twist or angle it like I have had to for other cases in the past. I had no issues installing the GPU at all, but I did notice that because I moved the USB 3.0 cord to the bottom of the case, it leaves me with two blank PCI slots above the GPU, so one is wasted, and I lose one at the bottom as well. I think that is a fair trade, because I currently have no plans to add more expansion cards, but it is something to look out for.

Once all the components are installed in the Sonata IV, I began to run the power cords and connect everything to the components and then to the motherboard. The GPU was easy enough, as there is plenty of room to run the cord through the two small holes in the motherboard tray. The 24pin motherboard power however was a real struggle. I managed to barely squeeze it through the top hole, but not without a lot of effort. The holes for the cables to run through truly could be a bit bigger, and possibly the addition of another opening would be a big help also. Hooking the SATA and power cables up to the hard drives was easy enough, and the power cords were plenty long, but being that the drive connections can only face one way, the cables can get a bit messy. Having right angle plugs is a big help in this case. One of the power supply plugs is a straight plug, but it managed to fit in there well enough. One last thing I wanted to mention about this photo is the optical drive. It is shown installed in the photo, but there was a small problem with installing it. Take a look at the next couple photos to see what I mean.

After everything is installed, the wires can be a big mess. Because the included power supply is not modular, you cannot simply disconnect the cables you aren't using, and they have to go somewhere. The photo shown above is what it looks like behind the motherboard tray of the Sonata IV. It is a mess.

Antec Sonata IV Final Thoughts

The Antec Sonata IV is, as the name says, the fourth case in the Sonata line, so Antec has been able to hone their market and offerings for four generations. I think that this is a great looking case, and it really shows well for the Antec design team. The motto Elegantly Silent fits this case very well. The sleek black color paired with the muted features allow for an eye catching case without being garish or gaudy. Antec chose to include a mount for only one fan, which drastically keeps the noise level of the Sonata IV down.

As with many things in life, there are a few flaws. I think leaving out the ability to install more fans may keep the case silent, but also may prevent adequate air flow, and might allow your components to run hot. I feel that cable management was not necessarily a priority for this case. This may be because there are no windows on the case, but it is still an important part of a chassis, and could be improved. I also was not fond of the hard drive cage. I like when manufacturers try new things, but I think that in this case, the mounting mechanism is more complicated and cumbersome than it needs to be.

Antec Sonata IV Conclusion

The performance of this case was good. I did not notice a huge increase in temperatures between idle and load on my CPU. My idle/load temps for my Phenom II 1080T were 24/36 degrees Celsius. Over time, and after a long gaming session, however, I still have cause for concern that air is not being circulated correctly throughout the Sonata IV.

The Appearance of the Sonata IV is stunning. The flat black of the front is simple and elegant, and the glossy sides of the case look great. As I mentioned before, it is eye catching without being gaudy.

The construction of the Sonata IV is sturdy both inside and out. There is plenty of support inside the case, and the 0.8 SECC allows for strength without a lot of weight. I really was not pleased with all the sharp edges, though.

Functionality of the Sonata IV was pretty solid. The front I/O panel works great and everything installs easy enough inside the case. I think the hard drive cage was a bit too complex, but it still worked as designed. I would have liked to see the option for at least one more fan, as well as some better cable management options.

As far as Value goes, I think the Sonata IV is a bit overpriced. The included 620 watt power supply adds a lot of value to the case, $70 to be exact. The asking price is currently $159.99 at Newegg, and taking the power supply out of the equation, leaves it to be a $90 case, which is just a bit high in my opinion for what it offers.

If you are a fan of Antec, specifically a fan of the Sonata line, you may be a bit on the fence about the Sonata IV. While it is a great looking case, some of the internal parts of the case leave a bit to be desired. I think that maybe after the price comes down a bit, the Sonata IV will be a much more appealing case, but at the current price point, I think it should offer a bit more.

Pros:

+ Great Looking
+ USB 3.0 Support
+ Very Quiet
+ Included 620 watt PSU
+ Case can be locked for security
+ Included 120mm Tri-Cool fan

Cons:

- Only mounts for one cooling fan
- Hard drive cage cumbersome
- Break-away 5.25" covers
- Rough edges all over inside
- A bit expensive for its offerings

Ratings:

• Performance: 9.00
• Appearance: 9.5
• Construction: 8.00
• Functionality: 8.00
• Value: 7.50

Final Score: 8.4 out of 10

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