Antec Three Hundred Two Gaming Chassis Review

1. Introduction2. Antec Three Hundred Two Exterior and Bundle3. Antec Three Hundred Two Interior4. Antec Three Hundred Two System Installation5. Testing Methodology and Performance6. Acoustical Performance7. Closing Thoughts8. View All Pages

The Antec Three Hundred Two hasn't altered dramatically from the original Three Hundred design. The company have added support for watercooling, with the two grommets on top. They have also upgraded the USB ports to the latest standard and have also managed to squeeze in an extra 120mm fan, an extra PCI slot, and space for two 2.5 inch drives.

In terms of thermal performance, we were very impressed with the results when both fans were set to ‘high'. The air flow is substantial, and the overclocked processor was held steady at 51c under load. With only two fans installed out of the box, this is a very impressive result.

The addition of the two fan speed switches make this case ideal for all scenarios, whether gaming or using the computer for everyday browsing. Even with the fans switched down to low, the thermal performance was still decent, thanks to the perforated front bezel and the negative pressure approach Antec have implemented.

The thermal performance could easily be improved however. The case does for instance lack any intake fans. We do wonder why Antec haven't installed at least a single 120mm fan as this would improve the performance significantly without increasing the cost by much. On top of this you can still install a further three 120mm fans. There is plenty of room for improvement, if you spend a little money and add some quality fans to the chassis.

The acoustical performance is excellent when configured to the low fan setting. It is whisper quiet and is very difficult to know that the case is actually powered on.

Noise increases significantly with the higher of the two fan settings, however you could always switch one fan to high and the other to low, giving ‘a middle ground'.

The case is built to a high standard and offers a wealth of great features. Performance is also commendable. Antec have kept the price of this case down, it is currently available at £47.94 from ARIA. For such a low asking price, it is hard to find fault.

Pros

• Great value for money.
• Good thermal performance out of the box.
• Fans have two speed settings.
• Can be whisper quiet.
• Lots of great features.
• Well designed – easy to install system.

Cons

• Can only fit 2 x 2.5″ drives.
• Fans are loud when switched to high.

KitGuru says: If you are looking for a Mid-Tower Gaming Chassis with great performance and without breaking the bank, this is it.

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