A Closer Look - Outside

Out of the box, the Antec P8 offers up a simple, slightly asymmetrical design consisting of straight lines and 45-degree elements to soften up a case design otherwise consisting of 90-degree edges.


Taking a look at the front, you can see that the solid cover has been placed flush towards the top-right corner, with I/O and vents wrapping around it in an L-shape. In the rear, the chassis looks pretty straightforward with the PSU bay on the bottom.


With everyone utilizing glass instead of acrylic, Antec has also opted for the higher quality material for its main side panel. It is held in place by four large thumb screws. The opposing side is completely flat and solid, made out of more traditional steel.


You will find the basic set of I/O in front of the Antec P8. It consists of the usual pair of audio plugs, two USB 3.0 connectors, and the traditional power and reset buttons alongside the power and hard-drive activity LEDs. Antec has also placed a fairly large company logo on the front panel, which will light up as soon as the system has been turned on.


In the rear, at the very bottom, is a pretty standard PSU bay with a single set of mounting holes to make sure you always install the power supply the right way. Above that are the seven expansion slots, each protected by a simple breakout cover with the exception of the very top slot. It would have been nice to have nothing but reusable covers here to give users the utmost flexibility in changing components around over time. They are held in place by a bent piece of metal that is in turn secured with two normal screws. In the very top is a white-bladed, LED-equipped 120 mm fan set to push hot air out the back of the chassis.


The top features a large metal mesh dust filter held in place by magnetic strips. Underneath it, you will find an elaborate setup of holes onto which two 140 mm or three 120 mm fans or up to a 240 mm radiator can be fastened to the ceiling of the P8.


On the underside of the chassis is another opening covered by a similar metal-mesh filter for the PSU fan. You can also see where the HDD cage is mounted; it can move to the left or right, allowing you to accommodate various cooling setups in the front of the chassis without sacrificing the HDD cage.