A Closer Look:

One of the coolest features that the Performance One series have is the excellent finish given to each case. The results of their fabrication process is always exceptional and adds an excellent sense of refinement to each enclosure. These cases are designed with such a nice appearance that it is often found in a wide range of places. Not only can it impress at the office, it also has just the right feel for gamers and home users which have shown up at many LAN parties. The P182 carries over the traditional clean and professional look. Something about it always draws the eyes of the on looker. You've probably seen its cousin, the P182 SE with the chrome panels and well polished black interior.

Front

Back

Features

More Features

The P182 comes with a gun metal black color which has a lightly brushed texture finish. The color is about as perfect as one would expect. It may not be as flashy as it's brother, the P182 SE, with it's mirror, chrome finish to the major panels and door, but it does hold its own as a more neutral and user friendly case. Just as Antec did with the P180, the P182 has another excellent physique all the way around the case from front to back. There isn't a mold out of place or a corner that isn't buffed. The bezel is dead on with the same refinements including the door. It keeps its original look with a standoff door hinge which allows a bit more door movement and better air flow through the bezel.

Right Side	Left Side	Front
Back	Bezel	Close Up

The interior has had few changes such as port holes for liquid cooling kits, integrated fan switches, and a wire friendly motherboard tray to make wire management easier. The fan switches are a very nice touch. You no longer have to enter the chassis to change the fan speeds. Now you just have to pick your speed and select it on the switch. Rather than worrying about how the wires are positioned or how they look, there is extra space behind the motherboard tray. If you happen to get a side window, you don't have to be so concerned how your system looks. It's now behind the motherboard tray which leaves more time for worrying about more important things.

Inside

Wire Plate

Fans

Control Switches

And as for the liquid cooling ports, this question was posed to me by friends who bought the P180 and wondered how would they be able integrate the kit of their choice. There is a limited amount of room inside the chassis as it is. So, what can they do to provide that kind of access? Yep, you guessed it. Time to break out the trust old drill and 3/4 inch machine drill bit. The obvious places would have been drilling through the top or through the back next to the PCI plates. Antec beat them too it by adding the ports where the vents use to be making access a bit more professional and cleaner.

Grommets & PCI

Clips, Ties, & Screws

Wires & Rings

Right Side

You still get the removable hard drive cages with the attached tooless access in the form of thumb screws. There is still the use of noise cancelling features like rubber screw grommets and spacers to keep vibration and system noise down. Nothing has been removed or cheapened in respect to the internal chassis. There is still plenty of Antec power at work here with no signs of weakening. Even the wire port between the upper and lower chamber has been improved to help with a better experience.

HDD Trays

Pulled Out

PSU & Fan

Rubber Pads

The only thing that could make the interior absolutely perfect would be the implementation of a removable motherboard tray. In certain cases, this is a feasible option while in others it is not. Making that happen in a chassis this size may be a bit impractical both economically and physically. Most cases with a removable tray tend to be larger and more costly which isn't the all around goal of the Antec P182. Something like this would be more feasible in the P190 with its extended chassis size and space.

So, that's where I left my Artic Silver 5!

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