Antec Twelve Hundred Case

Antec has certainly made a name for itself since its birth in 1986, and well it should, having provided quality computing solutions to enthusiasts for over 20 years. A leader in many different disciplines, Antec provides enthusiasts with a one-stop shopping experience that covers everything from power supplies to case fans. Committed to providing enthusiasts with superb products and customer service, Antec is primed to continue its legacy in being recognized as the number one supplier of computing components and accessories on the market today.
 
"Whether you're a gamer looking for that cutting-edge case or a system integrator seeking a reliable and efficient power supply, you've got a lot of factors to consider, from performance to stability to style. As the leading global provider of high performance PC components, we believe in delivering products that not only meet your expectations, but exceed them. Your computing experience should be quiet, efficient, cool and elegant; we don't believe in compromise, and neither should you."  Read more...

With the firestorm of success that was and still is the Antec Nine Hundred, how could Antec possibly expand on a design that has won countless awards and accolades? Easy! Introduce the Antec Twelve Hundred, the successor to the Nine Hundred, only in this iteration, take a proven design and make it even bigger, badder, and bolder. With this newest enclosure, Antec delivers a one-two punch that has left other chassis manufacturers reeling. Or has it? Will the Twelve Hundred live up to its hype? Is it the true heir to the Nine Hundred? HardwareLogic brings out the heavy artillery to find out!

Specifications

 Make and Model	Antec Twelve Hundred
 Color	Black
 Dimensions	8.4" x 20.2" x 22.9" (W x L x H) 31.9 pounds (net weight)
 Drive Bays	12 x External 5.25" 1 x External 3.5" (with transfer bracket) 9 x Internal 3.5"
 Motherboard Size	Up to Standard ATX
 Expansion Slots	Seven
 Front I/O	2 x USB 2.0 1 x eSATA 1 x Headphone and Microphone jack (HD)
 Cooling	1 x 200mm top fan (blue LED) 2 x 120mm rear exhaust fans (blue LED) 3 x 120mm front intake fans (blue LED) 1 x 120mm VGA side intake fan (blue LED) 1 x 120mm mid-level CPU/GPU fan (blue LED) Water cooling ready - resivoir/pump Water cooling cutouts at rear of chassis

The growing trend as of late when it comes to enthusiast level enclosures and their accessory bundles is the amount of goodies that manufacturers are including in them. This was best seen in the Thermaltake Armor+, and now we see with it with the Antec Twelve Hundred. Besides including an excellent and well written manual which features plenty of pictures and diagrams, Antec also includes thorough warranty and RMA information as well. Documentation aside, four plastic cable ties, a 3.5" external floppy bay bracket with transfer tray, and a bag filled with screws, standoffs, and fiber washers help round out the first part of this accessory bundle.

Gracing the second part of the bundle are two Tri-Cool 120mm fans which sport blue LEDs. The inclusion of these two fans were not so much intended to give the accessory bundle of the Twelve Hundred added value, rather they were intended as replacement case fans. Evidently, Antec had released a bad batch of Tri-Cool 120mm fans, and in lieu of recalling and replacing them, they began shipping the affected chassis's with extra fans in case the original 120mm fans that came with the enclosure went bad.

In any event, the extra replacement fans that are included can be used in the side window panel of the Twelve Hundred, as well as the plastic CPU/GPU/chipset cooling bracket as seen in the photo above. With a 120mm fan installed, this bracket mounts directly to the rear of one of the three available hard drive cages inside the enclosure. This bracket is used to provide additional cooling for the CPU, chipset, or the video graphics array. These fans contain their own integrated three-way switch which the speed of the fans can be adjusted to low, medium, or high.

While the use of these two 120mm replacement fans is purely optional (depending if the fans in the enclosure are good), the fact that Antec included them in the bundle in the first place speaks volumes about their dedication to both their gaming line of enclosures, as well as the enthusiasts that use them. Too many times we see enclosures come through our labs boasting superior air cooling properties. Yet, these are the same companies that force enthusiasts to pony up the cash to buy additional fans because they were not included in the accessory bundles of the chassis's they bought. We are happy to see that Antec has avoided this pitfall.