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Instantly promoted to flagship status in Antec‘s gaming series, the Eleven Hundred offers support for large components, has an abundance of cooling options and utilises effective cable management methods.
As the king of its gaming series, Antec built the Eleven Hundred with a gamer-oriented style. Occupying more than half of the left side panel, an acrylic window is perfect poised to flaunt a gaming system's hardware.
Blue light seeping from the 200mm roof fan can help to illuminate the internal components when combined with cold cathodes or LED strips. Sleek exterior materials and a black interior complete what is a very attractive chassis.
As with all gaming cases, likeability of the aesthetic design is very much down to personal preference.
Only a pair of exhaust fans, one of which is 200mm in size, the other 120mm, is included with the Eleven Hundred. This is less than one would expect given that the chassis sits at the summit of an enthusiast-grade product line.
On the other hand, effective component cooling was achieved by just the two fans. Enough is as good as a feast? Perhaps. Nevertheless, at least a single intake fan to cool the drive bays would have been preferable. I would recommend purchasing a 120mm intake fan to offer a more balanced cooling solution.
Some disappointing features to the Eleven Hundred's cooling system are present. The fan speed control hub only works with TriCool fans. Disappointingly, the included fans aren't supported by the speed controller. Additionally, the 2x 120mm fan mounts which reside behind the front panel are treated to a dust filter. Dirt will quickly enter the system through the roof fan and side panel fans, if used.
Support for XL-ATX motherboards, long graphics cards and multi-GPU configurations make the Eleven Hundred a very flexible case.
Water-cooling options are very limited. This could be a deliberate ploy by Antec, pushing you towards a purchase of their Kuhler H2O unit. 6x 3.5″, 3x 5.25″ and 2x 2.5″ bays will offer plenty of installation freedom for all but the most storage-loving of users.
Excellent cable management routes and a huge amount of clearance make it easy to build a clean system in Antec's gaming series flagship. The only disappointment is provided by the lack of a clear route and grommet for the short front panel cables.
Available for £89.99, Antec's Eleven Hundred is able to fight its corner in a competitive price range. It most certainly isn't a bargain, but it does offer substantial value for money. XL-ATX motherboard support, nine expansion slots, nine fan mounts, good component clearance and effective cable management make this chassis worth its price tag.
Built to become the flagship of one of the most successful case series ever to exist, Antec has designed another good case in the Eleven Hundred. The new head of the gaming series has its fair share of shortfalls, but it also offers flexibility and attractiveness at a price point that enthusiast-level gamers demand.
Pros:
- Attractive.
- Large side panel window.
- Excellent component clearance.
- Good cable management.
- XL-ATX motherboard support.
- Nine expansion slots.
- Excellent cooling potential.
- Powered fan hub.
Cons:
- Included fans aren't speed-adjustable.
- Fan speed control hub only works with TriCool models.
- Only 2 dust-filtered fan mounts.
- No clear cable management hole for USB and audio cables.
- Poor manual – doesn't provide any installation assistance.
KitGuru says: A worthy addition to Antec's gaming series which offers the flexibility and style that gamers desire.
