Antec Sonata II – If Silence is Golden, This Belongs in Fort Knox
Written: Apr 26 '07 (Updated Apr 27 '07)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Quiet, reliable
Cons: None
The Bottom Line: This case will do the job for just about anyone. It is quiet, powerful and sleek looking.
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| OpalMan's Full Review: Antec Sonata II (76134515139) ATX Mini-Tower Case |
My brother-in-law recently asked me about building a new computer together to replace his recently deceased desktop. He wanted a very nice system but was worried that all of the power and components in the system would produce a lot of noise. In looking for a case that met the power needs of the system being built, with room for upgrades and taking the noise factor into consideration, we opted for the Antec Sonata II. I have personally had marvelous experience with both Antec Power supplies and they customer service in the past so had no qualms about trying this case.
The Power Supply
The primary concern with this case was adequate power. We need need not have worried. The Sonata II comes with Antec’s Smart Power 2.0 450 watt ATX 12v power supply. The smart in the name means that it is reactive. It spins up the exhaust fan based on need. For instance, it doesn’t even start the fan until it reaches a specified temperature. This drastically reduces its own power consumption and greatly reduces noise, especially at startup. Beside the usual power connections for your motherboard and standard connectors, the Sonata II comes with PCI-E graphics card power as well as four SATA drive power connectors. It also boasts “Industrial Grade Protection” that is supposed to protect the unit from “short circuits, power overloads, and low/excessive voltages.” What does all of that mean? You get an ultra quiet power supply with a little bit of internal protection from one of the premiere power supply manufacturers.
The Case Itself – Outside
With a great power supply tucked under its belt, you might wonder what other features this case might offer. The simple answer is plenty. Before you open the case you will see the stunning black finish. (Be careful, it will show fingerprints!). Another positive feature is that everything is covered by a door on the front. There is a small fold-up door to protect your front access USB and audio connections. The door covering the drive bays is also impressive. It is double hinged so it opens a full 270 degrees. This feature came into play while we were building the system as I walked into the door while it was open. Unlike other cases with a standard hinged door that would have snapped off when the door passed 180 degrees, this door swung back a bit more then snapped back into place with no damage done. Definitely a major plus in my book! One last minor feature is that all of the external case screws are thumb screws allowing you to open the case without the need of a screwdriver. The case has a sharp, polished look with a number of user-friendly features that make it a welcome addition to any desktop – home or office.
The Cooling System
Upon opening the case you will immediately notice the case’s most dominant feature, the air duct. The air duct is designed to channel the heat from the system’s two highest heat producing components straight out of the system, reducing the ambient heat inside the unit. The air duct works with the fans on the CPU and graphics card to funnel the air directly out the back of the system. The interior of the case is definitely cooler as a result of this. This in turn helps reduce the need to use additional fans (saving power and noise).
The next feature set is related to the previous one but not as easily seen. One intake fan is hidden in the front of the case. This fan is unremarkable itself, but it has a washable air filter that serves two purposes. It helps keep the interior of the case cleaner. (If you haven’t seen the inside of a computer case that has been running for a year or two in a dusty room, this may not mean as much to you.) Keeping the interior of the case clean also helps prolong fan life. In addition to keeping the case clean, it helps muffle the noise of the fan. This again leads to a reduction in the volume produced by the entire system. There is also the “Tri-cool” fan on the rear of the case. This fan runs at three different speeds based on internal temperature. Again reducing overall noise until it is actually needed.
If these fans prove inadequate, additional fans can be added to supplement the cooling. There is a spot in the air duct to add a 92 mm fan to provide additional cooling for the CPU. In addition there is a place for an 80mm fan to aid the cooling of the graphics card(s).
The cooling system overall is very impressive. It has proven to be more than adequate at cooling this machine. It has also done its job of maintaining a minimal noise level.
The Rest of the Interior
The rest of the interior is serviceable but largely unremarkable. It has 9 drive bays, 5 external and 4 internal. This should meet the needs of just about any desktop system put together. Of course, with this case, there is a noise reduction feature here as well. Each bay has its rails attached to its cover, (a handy feature to keep you from losing them). The noise reduction though is in the individual drive bays. Each bay comes with rubber grommets to absorb drive vibrations (and noise). The case is supposed to support both standard ATX and Micro ATX motherboards. The standard board I used, the Intel BoxD975XBX2KR was an extremely tight fit, but it did go in.
The Bottom Line
I would recommend this case to anyone wishing to build their own desktop system. It looks sharp, is very quiet and provides ample power for almost anyone’s needs. My brother-in-law liked it so much he opted for the same case when he was purchasing his wife’s new computer. This case definitely gets two thumbs up on all three categories.
Recommended:
Yes
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