Home > Consumer Reviews > Antec Solution SLK3000B ATX Super Mid-Tower without Power Supply (Black)

I just received my Antec SLK3000-B case and, while I haven't assembled my system yet, I'm quite impressed and ready to get started! Construction for the most part is outstanding. The case is one of the easiest I've owned to get into. Unscrew two thumbscrews on the back, click two buttons on the side and pull the side panel away. The inside is roomy and the floppy and hard disk bays are very easy to remove for installation of hardware. When out of the case, they give you more open space when connecting your motherboard. My only other observation on the inside concerns the 2nd shroud that directs air towards the processor. The shroud attached to the side panel is a good quality plastic - it looks and feels sturdy. However, the second shroud (with the flared end) that fits over it is flimsy plastic. I'm thinking it may need a little duct tape to ensure it stays firmly in place. Otherwise, this is one heavy steel case considering it doesn't contain a power supply yet. The lack of a PSU was the reason I purchased this case and I wish there was a larger selection of cases w/out PSUs. I am picky about the PSU I use and generally have to buy a case with PSU and then immediately replace it with the PSU of my choice. Seems a waste of money to have to pay for something you're just going to replace! Overall, I am completely happy with this case and I highly recommend it. While it may not be on the cutting edge of style, you get a sturdy case and can save a bundle of money which you can spend better parts to go into it! Ordering from Amazon.com rather than one of the large online computer parts stores saves you even more money - they charge around $15.00 for shipping while Amazon.com ships it free via FedEx Ground. I had it 3 days after it was shipped so unless you're in a big hurry, don't bother with the more expensive 2nd day or next day delivery.

An impressive, heavy-duty (but not too heavy) case.

Lots of room inside to play around, and the removable 3.5" drive bays are handy -- 2-bay external and 5-bay internal are separate, and work pretty smoothly.

The 5.25" external bays have little side pieces that are attached to the drive, then slide into the bay and click-lock into place. You take off the front cover to slide them in, by simply pressing in gently on the wierd-looking little 4-dot place on both sides of the front cover near the bottom -- the bottom pops loose, and then you lift out and up to release the hook-type thingies at the top. (Not terribly literate, but hopefully understandable.

The 3.5" internal bays all have rubber grommets and special spacer screws, that keep the drives isolated from the metalwork itself -- much less vibration that way -- nice.

Only (minor) gotchas are:

(1) Antec 120mm fan doesn't have speed sensor, but does have 3-speed switch (get a good Antec 120mm at Buy Dot Com for $8 shipped as of October '05 -- get 2 for back and front).

(2) Front door, while nicely built and solid, covers the external drives (floppy too), and covers the power and reset buttons. Solved that by carefully -- carefully -- bending the side of the door between the two hinges, so I could pop it off and put it away. Otherwise I know I'd break it someday.

Added a $40 Thermaltake 430W power supply -- also a really nice piece of hardware -- from a New Egg vendor.

Only problem now is that I've only got 2 3.5" bays left open -- but when you've got 860G of hard drive -- oh well.

Nice - nice - nice -- system up and running, and now with room and power to run cool and smooth -- try it -- good luck.

Update after months of use -- even happier -- heavy duty, runs very cool -- motherboard controls actually cut fan speeds by about 40-50% during use. Even with price increase (mine was on sale back them), it's still a good deal.

This case offers an excellent combination of features, quality and price that cannot be beat for $45.00. There is no PSU included, but most DIYers buy separate power supplies anyway, so this isn't a major worry.

Highlights:
* Easy opening side panel with tool-less screws
* Removable hard drive and floppy drive bays
* Included speed-adjustable 120mm fan
* 120mm fan mount in front (fan is not included), with washable filter, for excellent airflow to keep your hardware cool
* 80mm fan mount on side panel (fan is not included), to cool your computer even further
* Rubber-grommets on hard drive mounting points for quiet operation
* 2 front-mounted USB 2.0 ports
* Basic cabling is tie-downed
* An easy to ready, easy to use guide on the case
* All the screws and errata you need to get your system up and running quickly
* Website at Antec.com provides additional useful info if you need it

Lowlights (minor):
* Rubber feet are attached with cheap adhesive, rather than screwed in; they keep coming off
* Removing 5.25 front bay metal blockers is a pain and if you're not careful, you can cut yourself

All in all, an excellent case. I've modified mine to overlock an AMD FX-55 with air-cooling and SLI and I am very happy with the temperatures (although I have modified the side panel to cool the graphics cards better)

This is a one of the best cases you can buy, the fact that is generally less than $50 makes it a steal. The case is stout and large enough to work in. The removable Floppy and Hard Drive bays make assembling the system easy. It doesn't come with a power supply but then most cases (except for Antec cases with PSUs) come with cheap power supplies that are either loud, unstable or both. The included 120mm fan has three speeds and is silent on the lowest speed and tolerable on the highest. Add in the additional 120mm front fan mount, air filter and rubber Hard Drive mounts and you have a case that can be cool and quite. My system is nearly silent with this case unlike the old one.

This is the best case in its price range, period. Two 120mm fan mounts combined with a CPU duct make this case very cool and also very quiet.