INTRODUCTION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   It's no secret that we've always favored full over mid-towers to house our primary test rigs since it's not only far easier and quicker to swap hardware components but airflow levels (thus cooling efficiency) are generally much higher due to the larger number of supported fans (win win scenario for us really). Still there's no denying that Mini-ITX and Micro-ATX cases are lately being favored by gamers and consumers in general who either don't have or just don't want to sacrifice too much space for a large tower. Now the good thing about Mini-ITX and Micro-ATX cases is that since interior space is quite limited manufacturers focus a lot more on their looks in an effort to make them blend in easier in most places (including right next or beneath your TV set) and thus far more appealing to people of all ages. Antec needs no introductions and since they recently released their Cube Mini-ITX Case certified by our good friends over at EKWB we couldn't resist checking it out.

   For 30 years, Antec, Inc. has been the global leader in high-performance computer components and accessories for the gaming, PC upgrade and Do-It-Yourself markets, being the pioneer and market leader for quiet, efficient and innovative products such as the P280 and SOLO II enclosures as well as for their award-winning PSUs having the lowest returns in the industry. Antec continues to further the industry with performance-rich enclosures, efficient power supplies, reliable cooling components, the cutting-edge Antec Advance accessories line, and the Antec Mobile Products (A.M.P). Founded in 1986, Antec is headquartered in Fremont, California, with additional offices in The Netherlands, Germany, China and Taiwan.

   The Cube is currently available in two editions one in cooperation with EKWB (EK Water Blocks) which is also the one we have here today and one which Antec developed alongside Razer. Now the main differences these two versions have are aesthetic ones and to be more precise the EKWB one features RGB LED illumination (7 different colors) and the EKWB logo whereas the Razer model features just Green LEDs and of course the Razer logo (illuminated). Secondary differences include a 6-fan hub, LED light switch and an 120mm white LED fan mounted on the EKWB model (the Razer edition has a Green LED 120mm fan). Both models are based on a hexagonal design, are identical in size, feature 3 transparent acrylic windows (sides and top) and have enough interior space to support a 240mm radiator (up to 60mm thick) at the front, four 2.5" drives (or two 2.5" and one 3.5"), three single slot cards, graphics cards up to 350mm in length, CPU coolers up to 190mm in height and power supply units up to 200m long.

 

 

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A large product picture is placed at the front of the box right next to the certified by EKWB remark.

 

 

The cube specifications and features are placed on both sides of the box.

 

 

Inside the box we see that the cube is wrapped inside a cloth cover and placed between two thick foam spacers.

 

 

Contained inside the box are 5 cable ties, two fan extension cables, four plastic bags with screws and the product overview paper.

 

 

THE CUBE EKWB EXTERIOR

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The exterior panels of the cube are made out of 3mm aluminum while its interior frame is made out of 0.8mm SGCC steel. Size-wise the Cube is quite compact and measures 460mm in depth, 365mm in height and 250mm in width.

 

 

Both sides feature large darkened acrylic side panels.

 

 

The fascia is almost entirely made out of glossy plastic and features 3 RGB LEDs (left, right and the Antec logo).

 

 

Unlike the Razer version the EKWB one has a "richer" top I/O so aside the two USB 3.0 ports and the headphones and microphone ports here we also find the on/off power switch and two buttons from where you can control the speed of the attached fans and the RGB LEDs placed at the base and front of the Cube.

 

 

A third darkened acrylic panel is placed at the top of the Cube.

 

 

Unlike most Mini-ITX cases the Cube features three PCI expansion slots and a 120mm LED fan at the rear which can be replaced with a 140mm one.

 

 

At the base of the Cube we find two RGB LED strips (Antec calls them underglow lights), two long rubber feet and a removable air-filter.

 

 

THE CUBE EKWB INTERIOR

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The plastic fascia can be removed by gently pulling it outwards.

 

 

At the front Antec actually gives you four choices either mount two 120mm fans, one 140/180mm fan or a 240mm radiator.

 

 

Both side panels are kept in place with a tool-less mechanism (click system) so you just need to pull them outwards.

 

 

Normally the left side is what we always open to access the interior but this time over since the Cube features an inverted-mainboard design we ended up at the rear of the mainboard tray.

 

 

Here we see the 6 fan hub, single 3.5" tray (can also be used with two 2.5" drives) and two 2.5" trays.

 

 

These three trays are made out of aluminum and are very sturdy.

 

 

The PSU area features 4 anti-vibration pads and can be used with models up to 200mm long.

 

 

Taking the right side panel off reveals the interior which is quite spacious for a Mini-ITX case.

 

 

The EKWB logo is placed on the PSU area cover.

 

 

Unfortunately in order to remove the bottom air-filter you first need to remove the right side panel.

 

 

You can mount a 60mm thick 240mm radiator at the front (even thicker - if available - if you don't plan on using a very long graphics card).

 

 

The mainboard tray has 5 cable management holes on it (aside the very large PSU cover opening).

 

 

Antec has placed a 120mm white LED fan at the rear of the Cube but what i liked even more were its 7 silver blades.

 

 

BUILDING THE SYSTEM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As always the purpose of this section is not to build a functional system but rather to showcase what you can expect from the case at hand in terms of interior space.

You can mount power supplies up to 200mm long in the Cube and perhaps even longer ones if you don't mount fans or a radiator at the front judging from the above picture (we used a 180mm long model).

 

 

We don’t have a high-end Mini-ITX mainboard to use with such cases but we do have one and as you can see after mounting it there’s ample space around it.

 

 

Being able to mount CPU coolers up to 190mm in height means you can mount any model currently available in the market (clearance issues with the rear fan should be your main concern).

 

 

We also mounted a 240mm radiator but unfortunately we didn’t have a 60mm thick one to use (this is almost 30mm thick).

 

 

The Cube also has room for graphics cards up to 350mm in length only if you don’t mount fans or a radiator at the front (the GTX590 model which we use is 280mm long).

 

 

NOISE LEVEL TEST

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After giving it much thought we decided on performing noise tests with each PC Case we receive by placing our ExTech HD600 vertically ontop of each case to measure the noise levels emanating from the pre-installed fans at both 50% and 100% with the help of a fan controller (if the case doesn't have one we use our own).

 

 

CONCLUSION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Antec has once again released a product design by gamers for gamers and that’s quite important to remember when looking at the Cube. It has ample interior space for a Mini-ITX case (350mm long graphics cards and 190mm tall CPU coolers is not something we generally see with such cases), RGB LED lights which give it many points in terms of appearance, rear 120mm LED fan, 6 fan hub (speed can be controlled from the top I/O), tool-less side panels with darkened acrylic windows and a certification by our friends over at EKWB which although in reality may not really “offer” much or anything significant in terms of features having two companies cooperate for a product is almost never a bad thing especially since we are talking about a product aimed at gamers (as is the Razer one). For me of course a larger version of the Cube with more room for drives, radiators and graphics cards would be far more interesting and handy (so I hope Antec does consider building one in the near future) but then again I don’t look at it purely from a gamers standpoint.

   The EKWB certified version of the Antec Cube currently retails for 262Euros inside the EU (Amazon.co.uk) and you can also find the Antec Cube Razer certified version in the USA for USD219.99 (Newegg) a price tag which is somewhat over the top (especially for the EKWB version). Of course the Antec Cube certified by EKWB is far from the most expensive Mini-ITX case in the market today but it’s also far from the most affordable one so you really need to weigh things. At the end of the day if you like what you see and you also think that it covers your needs then you should really consider it. As for us well we really like its looks and available features and although we probably wouldn’t use it in our lab because of its size (Antec please make a larger one) still we think it’s a very good choice for gamers and people in general who are after a nice looking and spacious Mini-ITX case and that’s also why we give it our Golden Award.

 

PROS

- Overall Build Quality (3mm Aluminum Panels With 0.8mm SGCC Steel Interior)
- Design (RGB LEDs / 7 Colors)
- Front 240mm Radiator Mount (Up To 60mm Thick)
- Tool Less Side Panels
- Preinstalled 120mm White LED Fan
- Interior Space (190mm tall CPU Coolers, 350mm long graphics cards and 200mm long PSUs)
- 6 Fan Hub With Fan Speed And LED Controls
- Removable Bottom Air Filter
- Available With RGB (EKWB Edition) And Green LEDs (Razer Edition)

 

CONS

- Price (For Some)
- Not Available In The USA
- Fascia Quality (Average Quality Plastic)