Computer Reviews

Antec is known for making good cases, and the SX-635 is an excellent example of the quality of their products. With eight drive-bays (3 external 5.25" bays, 2 external 3.5" bays, and 3 internal 3.5" bays), it should have plenty of space for what most people would ever need. This case comes with a 350 watt power supply, which is the only thing that separates it from the SX-630 (which has a 300 watt power supply). I think getting the extra 50 watts is worth is for just a little more money, but if you don't think you need that much power, then you should take a look at the SX-630.

Other than the major case components and power supply, the SX-635 also comes with: an instruction book with basic component installation instructions, a bag full of several kinds of screws, brass standoffs, drive rails for 5.25" drives, a case fan, two keys for the latch, and most importantly, a sticker for the front.

The SX-635 has three fan brackets for case fans: one in the back of the case, and two in the front (one of which is in front of the hard drives. The installed fan (an "Antec OEM Small Dc Fan Dc Brushless Case Cooling Fan") is mounted in the back, and you might want to get one or two more to put in front. They install very easily: you just snap them into the brackets and plug them in.

This case was designed to give you lots of accessibility. The left side panel has a latch that lets you open and close the case easily, and the upper bezel of the front of the case comes off to let you get to the external bays. The external 3.5" bays can also come out the front just by unscrewing two thumb screws. On my case, one of the thumb screws doesn't come lose very easily so I have to use a screw driver, but that's only a minor inconvenience.

There are also a couple very minor bad points about this case. For one thing, there isn't a removable tray for the motherboard, although that wasn't a priority for me, as it's not really necessary. If can be hard to get your motherboard in the first time, but it's not hard enough that you should avoid this case. Also, depending on your motherboard and video card, you might not be able to get your hard drive out of one or two of the slots without taking the video card out, but that can't really be avoided. The case is made out of steel, so if you prefer aluminum you might want to look for a different case, although I personally think steel is better.

That said, this case is one of the best you can get if you don't want a case that takes up a lot of space. It gives you plenty of power, and lets you access your hardware easily. It seems to do a good job with cooling, as I haven't had any trouble with overheating with my AMD computer using two case fans. I highly recommend this case to anyone building a computer, as it's the best I've ever used.

I only use Antec power supples because I have never had a problem with one. Am using the one I just purchased to replace a non Antec non functioning power supply.

I'm not electronically-minded/gifted... but the fact is that I 'did' upgrade my power supply (4 months ago) from a 250 watt to this particular Antec Power Supply. The whole operation went smoothly and the power supply has worked flawlessy from the beginning.

This case is identical to its cousin, the Sx830, in every way except that this one comes with a 400W power supply which supports the ATX12V standard for Pentium 4 compatibility.

Everything in this case slips right off at the pull of a lever, making it incredibly easy to go about your installation. It's also relatively heavy for a case its size, but when you look closely at it you can see the weight is all from its very high build quality. This case just feels like it could take a beating and not mind.

I'm not one of those people that goes crazy into case modifications or cooling systems. However, this case comes standard with two fans on the back panel, which should be sufficient for most applications. If your set up is running a little hot, though, the case comes preconfigured to accept two more fans up front under the grille. Just drop them in and they're ready to go.

I highly recommend this case for anyone looking for a very expandable setup with lots of room inside, as well as a hefty power supply for all your future demands. If you're willing to sacrifice a little bit of Wattage, then check out the Sx830.

If you are looking into using your TV as your computer monitor than ANTEC TVator is what you want. It instantly turns your computer into a DVD player and video game console. And it does all of this in the most economical manner. You can't find a less expensive scan convertor anywhere.

I purchased the BK350 after looking for an inexpensive UPS. This UPS was the least expensive UPS I found that didn't look like a mutated power strip. It will filter line voltages, intercept transient spikes, and kick in when power drops below a certain level.

Works well, and has already saved me from a few unexpected crashes. At power loss, it will keep my workstation running for about three (3) minutes, just enough to cleanly shutdown.

Note, that the APC UPSes tend to be pricier, but I've never had a problem with any of their UPS products. Battery replacement is painless and easy.

Recommend.

When I first bought this product a couple of years ago, the driving reason was APC's reputation and the price of the unit. I had worked with some APC UPSs in my job and was impressed with the quality of the product.

Well, last week this product earned it's keep. Lightning struck a tree not more than 30 feet from our house. It fried one TV, 2 VCRs, and other items (not protected by APC products, but by other generic power strip surge suppresors).

However my computer was hooked up to one of these units, and it came through without a scratch. Our phone lines took a hit and had to be replaced from the street. Fortunately I had my modem line run through the Surge Arrest, so the modem was fine. The Surge Arrest does appear to have lost it's telephone line protection capability (dial tone at the wall, no dial tone after the Surge Arrest), but it's a small price to pay.

APC does have a product replacement policy for lightning strikes. I probably could get my unit replaced, but you know, I'm just going to buy a new one. The power outlets still work and I'll just use the old unit for other electronics.

One final note, the lightning strike apparently also entered our cable TV system. Our area is getting cable modem service soon and I am concerned about protecting that path into my computer. APC does make two products tha protect cable lines, but not many places sell them yet. I'm looking for them now as I want to protect my new TV/VCRs.

I consistantly get flawless burns from theses discs. I have never made a coaster out of one of these discs.

I've tried many brands but the Apple brand never fails!

This is a must for anyone who uses iTunes and has a wireless network set up in their home. Not only can you stream your iTunes music to your home stereo but it also acts as a wireless print server. As if that wasn't enough, you can take the unit on the road and create an instant wireless access point with any ethernet based connection...

I am using the AirPort card in an iBook, with an AirPort Base station in my home. This allows me to use my laptop inside and outside my home, up to about a 120-150 foot radius, for printing to my networked printer, connecting to other wired or wireless Macs, or connect to the internet (The AirPort Base Station, sold separately, acts as a Cable/DSL router, sharing the connection with up to 50 other networked Macs or PCs).

PROs: Easily user-installed in PowerMac G4, PowerBook G4, iBooks, and newer iMacs, works without installing extra software or complicated configuration (hey--it's a Mac), 128-bit security, compatible with AOL.

CONs; Range may slightly less than comparable 802.11b WiFi PC cards, especially in a Ti PowerBook.