Antec TX640B Mini-Tower Case Review

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Antec TX640B Mini-Tower Case Review

NGO Review: Antec TX640B Mini-Tower Case
Introduction:
Today we are going to take a closer look at the new Antec Mini tower case from their new 2005 line up. As most of you know Antec is very well known for their excellent cases and Power Supply units. Antec launched its original Performance Series back in 1998, now 6 years later Antec introduces its third generation, the Performance TX series. All of the TX-series models are designed to meet Intel's design guide and they all come with ATX 12V v 2.0 power supplies.

Specifications:
Model: TX640B
Case Type: Mini Tower
Color: Black
Case Dimensions: 17.25" (H) x 8.1" (W) x 18.6" (D) 440 x 206 x 472 mm
Drive Bays: 8
* Front Accessible 3 x 5.25", 2 x 3.5"
* Internal 3 x 3.5"
Expansion Slots: 7
Cooling System: Up to 4
Rear:
* 1 x 120mm TriCool
Front:
* 1 x 80mm (Optional)
* 1 x 92mm (Optional) CPU duct
* 1 x 80mm (Optional) VGA

TriCool Fan	CFM	DB
Low	39	25
Medium	56	28
High	79	30

Power Supply: 400W
* SmartPower 2.0
* ATX12V V2.0
* SP-400
Material: 1.0mm SECC
Net Weight: 25 lbs.
Gross Weight: 27 lbs.
Motherboards: Fits micro ATX and standard ATX
Up to 12" (W) x 9.6" (L)/305 (W) x 300 (L) mm

Special Features:
* 2 Front USB port, 1 Front IEEE 1394 (Firewire) port,
* audio in/out
* Swing-out side panel with handle
* Washable air filter
* Quick-release drive bays with release lever
* Snap-in fan mounts
* Large front panel vent

Features:
* TAC compliant
* Advanced cooling system that includes:
- 1 rear 120mm Tricool fan with 3-speed switch
- 2 front (optional) 80mm fans
- Chassis Air Guide with optional 92 mm intake fan to provide maximum CPU cooling
- Side Panel vent with optional 80mm fan to provide maximum cooling to the VGA card
* Antecs latest ATX12V v.2.0 power supply designs for full forward and backward compatibility with ATX form factors
* Front ports: 2x USB 2.0, 1x IEEE 1394 (FireWire®, i.Link®), Audio In and Out
* Built-in washable air filter
* 1.0mm cold rolled steel for durability

The Package
After opening the package and removing the protective plastic bag and foam I discovered the case. It certainly does look good, a bit smaller compared to the cases that I'm used to but it is a mini-tower case after all. The TX640B also comes included with their own 400 Watt Smart Power 2.0 power supply unit which should be sufficient for most users out there. You can get more info about the PSU on the following pages.

Package Includes:
* Tower Case
* 400 Watt Smart Power 2.0 SP400 installed
* Power cord
* one case fan
* set of screws and motherboard standoffs
* complete set of drive rails ( 6 rails )
* Installation manual

Opened and ready for inspection.

A Closer Look

The TX640B has no front door and the drive bays are exposed, to me that could be a problem as my son likes to push all those little buttons that blink. The back of the case houses a 120 mm fan with the option of 3 different speed settings. The fan is very efficient exhausting the hot air from the inside of the case. With the fan set to medium it was barely audible. According to the specs of the fan, it is able to move 56 CFM of air at this setting.

The case rests on these rubber feet, providing a very stable stand.

My first impressions of the TX640B were that it looks good and appears to be a solid build case. I like the cases Antec produces. I had an AMG 1080 for quite some time and the quality is just what you might expect of Antec, solid and good. I strongly believe that the TX640B case is no exception. Personally I prefer the look of the TX640B; its black colour should have no problem fitting into most environments.

On the side of the TX640B you may have noticed the 2 fan holes. The upper one is a CPU duct that allows you to attach a 92 mm fan to help cool your CPU .The second hole is right where your graphics card is. On that hole you can simply attach an 80 mm fan to help you cool your graphics card. It's a nice addiction if you're planning on overclocking.

CPU Temperature	Idle	Load
No Fan	48-51c	60-63c
92mm Fan	43-45c	54-57

As you can see the CPU fan duct can certainly help cool down your CPU by a few degrees. Antec has done a very good job in the cooling department and you certainly don't need to worry about high temps with this case.

The front of the case offers three 5.35 bays for your CD/DVD or fan controller. The TX640B also comes with 2 USB 2.0, 1 Firewire IEEE-1394 and Audio In and Out.

Installation:
Installation was easy and convenient, I experienced no problem what so ever. The following hardware was used:
* Motherboard – ABIT IC7
* CPU – Pentium 4, 3,2E with stock cooler
* Graphics Card – ASUS N6600GT
* Hard-Drive – Maxtor Diamond 120Gb
* Memory – 2 x 512 Kingmax DDR 466
* Antec V-Cool

Here is the inside of the case all empty awaiting components.

Here are the usual connectors (power switch, reset switch, hdd indication lamp etc) that connects to your motherboard, these are well marked out.

Here is the motherboard installed, there wasn't any problem what so ever, it went very smooth installing the motherboard in the case.

Looks a bit empty without the drives

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