Antec DP31 Micro-ATX Mini Tower Case Review
Peter Donnell / 3 years ago
How Much Does it Cost?
The Antec Dark Phantom Series DP31 Micro-ATX PC Case is available right now from major retailers. It’s currently on Amazon for just £53, which I think is pretty fantastic value for money. It’s not going to break the bank at this price range, and the amount of features you get for your money makes this extremely competitive. The money you save can go towards a kick-ass cooler, such as the Neptune 240.
Overview
Antec has been making some of the best affordable cases on the market for as long as I can remember. In fact, one of my first custom builds was in an Antec Three Hundred. I love that old case, and even 12 years ago, it was only around £30. Now Antec is back with what I think is one of the best low-budget micro-ATX cases on the market right now. At around £50, it’s extremely competitively priced. However, it’s clearly not lacking in features.
The build quality is a lot better than I expect. Sure, the front panel uses a lot of plastics, but it feels robust and really does look great with that claw-style ventilation and the built-in and rather funky ARGB lighting. It looks cool, and that’s pretty damn impressive for such an affordable case. Then you’ve got tempered glass on the left side, with that magnetic lock and the lift-off hinges, giving the case a premium look and feel.
The top ventilation is nice, giving passive airflow in what is really quite a small space. There’s not a lot of room for anything other than two fans though, and even then, be sure your CPU cooler or motherboard won’t conflict with them! There are no fans in the front, but the GPU sits so close to the front vents, it never seemed to be an issue. Of course, it’s easy enough to stick a fan in there should you feel the need. A set of Antec fans doesn’t cost too much, although you could use any brand you like, of course.
The aesthetics are on point, the cool front panel, the crystal clear tempered glass windows, the neat and tidy cable routing, the built-in PSU shroud, and ARGB lighting all come together well, giving you a great looking build with minimal effort. It may be affordable, but clearly, it’s got a lot to offer for any mini-ITX or Micro-ATX build!
