The core parts of my computer remain pretty old, including the CPU, Motherboard, and RAM. I'm running an AMD 6K-2/cxt at 475Mhz on an ASUS P5A-B with 128Mb PC100 SDRAM. The rest of it has been updated over the years, and with my constant tweaking I believe I've gotten the most performance I can get out of it. One thing bothered me though. The case itself was fugly. Two years ago I had tried to paint my case and screwed up, not to mention I ran out of paint halfway through. So believe me when I say it was a fugly, giant, green, monster. It was like a classic car that ran in great condition, except for its bad paint job and a few dings. I couldn't take it anymore, I had to do something about this. So I went searching for a new case and found the Antec LANBoy Mini Tower. The new case is sweetness˛, and maybe even more.

In The Case
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The case came with a power cable, case carrying strap, a manual, tons of extra screws, and a lot of empty space...

The power cable is your basic PC power cable. I have accumulated 5 cables already, so there's not much to say about that. The strap was a good idea, and follows the whole marketing idea behind the LANBoy case. You can strap it up and take it anywhere you want to go, especially if you're inclined to going to LAN parties. The manual is nice. Its easy to read and features multiple languages. I felt it helped me out because I had never seen a case with single side IDE mounts before. It tells you how to set up the entire case, and is divided into sections such as Motherboard, Power/LED Connections, 5.25'' Installation, Case Fan Installation... And if you're the type of person that loses a bunch of screws, this case includes a bag full of extras. There's a compartment on the back of the case that pops off and holds all your screws. This way you can take your screws anywhere, anytime without losing them. Besides the extra screws, I noticed there is a lot of extra space, enough to accommodate any number of devices and components in your case. The more room may also improve air flow allowing your rig to run a bit cooler.

Case Dimensions & Weight
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17.25"(Height)
8.1"(Width)
18.6"(Depth)
10.8 lbs.(Weight)

Features
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350watt Antec Smart Blue Power Supply
Power Cables for Motherboard and Peripheral Devices
2 Case Fan Points(1 Front, 1 Rear, Fans NOT Included)
7 Expansion Card Slots
4 x 5.25'' Drive Bays
4 x 3.5'' Drive Bays(Removable)
Hidden Drives/Switches
2 Front Side USB 2.0 Ports
Power/IDE/USB LED's
Clear Windowed Side Panel/Thumb Screws
ATX Form Factor Back Connector Panel

350watt Antec Smart Blue Power Supply and Power Cables
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The power supply in an ATX 12V form factor which features 2 fans, 1 rear and 1 bottom to increase air flow out of your PC. I counted 4 or more Blue LED lights inside the power supply itself which illuminate it with a bright electric blue light. This is great for those of you out there that like to do case mods(Modifications). Coming out of the PSU(Power Supply Unit) are a 20-pin ATX main power connector, a 6-pin auxiliary power connector, and a 4-pin +12V power connector. My motherboard is a Baby AT, so it has an old AT power connector, but luckily also has an ATX power connector. So I guess its more of an AT/ATX hybrid. I bring this up because I only need the 20-pin ATX main power connector to run my PC. The 6-pin auxiliary and 4-pin +12V power connectors aren't necessarily needed for every motherboard. Along with the motherboard's power cables, there are also five to seven 4-pin peripheral power connectors and two to four 4-pin floppy drive power connectors for many fans, drives, lights, drive bay coolers, expansion slot coolers, and whatever else you can find useful. I've found this PSU to be much more stable voltage wise than my old 250watt, and with 2 fans it moves hot air out much quicker.

Case Fan Points
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There are two points in the case where you can mount 80mm case fans. One is in the lower front and the other is in the upper rear. The front fan can be mounted by sticking it in a small, plastic, clear, neon, green rack. No screws are required, and the air should flow in through some slots in the front case panel. The rear case fan must be mounted with special screws, and air should flow out a honeycomb mesh grill built in the back of the case. I bought two 80mm Antec Blue LED Case Fans for these areas as no fans are included with the Antec LANBoy Mini Tower. The front fan was pretty easy to mount, but the back fan required a little more effort. The screws supplied with the Antec fan fit the case perfectly, but needed to be screwed in with force to fit the fan. Antec shipped the fans with no screw groves in the screw holes, so you're literally creating groves in the holes the first time you mount them. I guess this gives the fans a really tight fit on the case and insures a more silent and steady fan. But when I first tried to put a screw in one of the fan holes it made a crazy noise. I thought I was going to crack it wide open. I'd recommend screwing and unscrewing each of the four holes in the fan before actually mounting it, so as not to damage the case's mesh grill or case itself.

Expansion Slots
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The Antec LANBoy Mini Tower features 7 slots for all your various needs or upgrades. My motherboard has 1 AGP, 3 PCI, and 2 ISA slots. I don't use my ISA slots, but I will put these expansion slots to better use when I get a new motherboard.

5.25'' Drive Bays
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With this case you get four 5.25" drive bays which you can fill up with IDE drives or use them with drive bay coolers. My personal setup includes a CDRW, DVDROM, and two empty spaces where loose wires go.

Setting up a drive was simple, yet strange. Its much like many other cases. You just slide in the drive with or without drive rails and then screw it in. With the Antec LANBoy Mini Tower however, there is only one drive rail needed for the left side. I'd never seen a case that needed only one drive rail. Anyway, each bay has its own rail located on that annoying metal case panel that is almost impossible to remove. You push, pull, twist, poke at it with a screw driver, wish you could beat it with a hammer but can't because you know it will inevitably screw up your case. I hate those things. Other than that, this case's bays are pretty solid.

3.5'' Drive Bays(Removable)
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The Antec LANBoy Mini Tower also features four 3.5" bays. They were easier to install because the metal panels were easier to get at and remove. This was due to the fact that the bays themselves are removable by means of a latch.

Installation is a snap. Just unlatch the bay, kill the metal panel, screw in the drive/drives, reattach the bay and you're there. Not only does the removable drive bay help with installation, but it can also be removed permanently for extra space.

Hidden Drives/Switches
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The front of the case has a door that hides your IDE/floppy drives as well as reset and power switches. So you can keep it closed to hide drives which may or may not be different colors than your case. You can also hide drive bay fans and temperature readout panels. However, if you have a drive bay fan or temperature panel, it would be wise to leave the door open for air flow and convenience.

2 Front Side USB 2.0 Ports
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I haven't had much use for the front side USB ports. I am currently using an ADS Turbo Quad 4 Port USB PCI Card. I tried using the onboard USB my motherboard offers, and it didn't work all that well. So I won't use the front USB until I upgrade my CPU/Mobo/RAM. The wires are currently tied up neatly in my case. Nonetheless, it looks very nice from the front of the case and would prove very useful for hooking up a digital camera/mp3 player.

Power/IDE/USB LED's
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Unlike the drives and switches, these lights are not hidden. They can be seen both when the door is open and closed by way of tiny clear plastic holes in the door. There is one power LED, one IDE/HDD LED, and two USB LED's for your viewing pleasure.

Clear Windowed Side Panel/Thumb Screws
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This is a great feature for computer enthusiasts and case modders. With my blue LED fans and blue power supply, everything lights up in bright color through the panel at night. Being able to see into my computer also lets me know when its time to clean dust out of my PC. I can also tell if all my fans are working properly. You may want to spray the outside with windex or something from time to time. The panel itself is very easy to put on and take off. Just slide it back or fourth. And the thumb screws make it really easy with their huge gripping roundness. No more drills/screwdrivers. The windowed panel/thumb screw combo is the absolute best I've ever seen. Looks very sleek and shiny.

ATX Form Factor Back Connector Panel
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I took the default panel off because my motherboard is not ATX form factor despite the ATX power connectors. So I now have a huge rectangular hole in my case. I'm coming up with a way to plug it up. I guess I'll have to clean out more dust. As long as you have an ATX form factor motherboard you hve no need to worry. Most companies ship panels with their boards. You just pop it in the back of the case. If you have an AT/ATX board with no panel and the default won't fit...Just take it off, and don't stress.

Price/Timing
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I bought this case for $99.99 on "No Tax Day" at Circuit City. It may not be the cheapest price, but I think it was worth it. And I saved $6 from taxes, so I'm happy. =P

Conclusion
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The Antec LANBoy Mini Tower is a rock solid case, yet is light enough to strap up and carry about. There are plenty of features and a lot of space to keep any computer enthusiast content. The sleek silver finish, clear panel window, and bright blue power supply will have you're friends asking where they can get one of these. Add a few case fans with your own custom parts, and you'll have the sweetest rig this side of anywhere. In my opinion Antec has proven they are nothing but high quality.

Recommended: Yes