Antec Minuet 300 Slimline Case Review

     This spring Antec has revisited their successful Lifestyles line with the slimline Minuet 300.  This update to the Minuet series is designed to integrate into your daily life with its custom finish and unobtrusive size.  The 300 in the name indicates a more powerful 300 Watt power supply that tops the list of features nicely.  Can this tiny black box find a place in your life?  Lets take a closer look!

     Antec has developed the Minuet series to maximize its versatility.  The flexibility to setup the Minuet 300 horizontally as a desktop or in a vertical slimline style is a major selling point in many micro form factor cases. The size and weight lend them selves to portability and limited space availability.

     Antec's philosophy for the Minuet 300 is clear from the packaging as well; "Fits right in."  Every aspect of the case is listed right on the box with the emphasis on ease of use and size.

     "Slim. Sleek. Stylish. And sized to fit your life.  This elegant mini-desktop packs impressive performance intoits remarkably svelte profile.  Its slender footprint and included bracket allow it to fit vertically or horizontally into the tightest spaces, while its light weight makes it an ideal traveling companion.  And considering the wide range of full-performance microATX components available today, you'll find that the Minuet delivers an ideal blend of performance and convenience.  So try Minuet 300.  Its truly fitting."  -Minuet 300 box

     As with all of Antec's custom finishes, the sleek piano black finish and chrome accents are devilishly hard to photograph.  This picture from the Antec site shows off the color and shine we have grown to expect from their high end cases.  The Minuet II, featuring a 220 Watt PSU is also available in a silver and chrome finish.

     The Minuet case has a shiny matching chrome power switch and both red and greed LED lights.  A closer look at the front ports shows the Minuet also sports the typical 2x USB, 1 IEEE1394 and audio input/output ports on the front bezel.  Interestingly, Antec has chosen to not include a reset button.

     Although the design allows for horizontal installations, the 80 mm case fan is located on the top only in vertical installations.  An optional 40 mm mounting location is found on the back of the case.  Antec has even included the mounting hardware for the extra fan, but not the fan its self.  Additional cooling duties are handled by the ample venting found on the side and back of the case.  Clearly the cooling is not designed to handle a high end performance PC, but that's not the target audience.

     The back of the Minuet helps put the size in perspective.  The 300 Watt power supply is so small it doesn't even have a power switch.  The four half height slots and the back plate don't leave much room to spare.  Every effort has been made to keep things tiny and efficient.

     The Minuet 300 ships with a power cord, two plastic  padded brackets and an accessory bag containing your needed screws, rubber pads and an optional locking bracket. A simple users manual and a copy of Antec's impressive AQ3- Antec Quality 3-year warranty round out the package.