If you've been a computer enthusiast for any length of time you probably already know the difference between a good quality product and one that is junk just by looking at it. After a few years of experience building systems, going to trade shows, LAN parties, and so on, you begin to really understand the fine line between a good product and a great product. Of course there are several different categories in there based on price, but quality is what makes a product stand out. Over the years Antec has been a company that has a long history of providing the consumer with quality products that cover the entire pricing spectrum. From budget to spare no expense PCs, Antec has it covered.

     Today we take a look at one of Antec's new gaming enclosures called the Twelve Hundred. I classify the Twelve Hundred as a mid to high end computer cases due to it's street price of about $215 depending on where you live and shop. The Antec Twelve Hundred is an all new case in the "Gamer Case" family at Antec and extends the series preceded by the popular Three Hundred and Nine Hundred cases. However, the Twelve Hundred is a radical change over the previous models and only slightly resembles the Nine Hundred. Antec took bold steps in a completely new direction with the Gamer Case series, so my first question when I saw the Twelve Hundred was will I like this design as much as I've come to cherish other Antec cases such as the P180 in the Performance One series? The only way to find out is to tear into the Twelve Hundred to see what this big dog has to offer!

Specifications

Out of the box experience

     As for the Twelve Hundred box, the dark image of the case jumps right out at you. Normally I could care less about packaging, but if I saw this box on the shelf at my favorite computer store, I would be excited to see the case close up. The first thing I noticed when I pulled the Twelve Hundred out of the box was the case contains a high level of plastic. In fact the entire top portion of the case, not to include the 200mm fan grill, was plastic. Of course the radical design of the Gamer Case series prevents the 100% use of metals, but it is a big change from some of my favorite Antec cases. 

     If you're looking for a case & power supply combo, I hate to disappoint you because the Twelve Hundred does not include a power supply. As a "gamer's case" this is a good thing because a case targeted towards gamers should not include a PSU. Most competitive gamers will purchase an aftermarket power supply equal to or exceeding the cost of this case alone just to power their high end graphics cards.