Antec Lanboy - Overview
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Overview
Under the door are a couple of those handy front USB ports which are out in the open as they should be with no silly doors or flaps to get in the way. I know a lot of people like everything covered up on their cases but I'd rather have everything easily accessible. I was disappointed at the absence of any other ports on the front. In my opinion a case intended for LAN parties should have at least a front headphone port and preferably a microphone and gameport too.
Turning the case around we come to the back panel. In many ways this is where the rot really starts to set in. The metal of the chassis may be pleasantly shiny but its terribly thin. a light push will easily deform the chassis. Not what you want in a case that's going to get moved around a lot. I can understand the desire to cut down on the weight but doing it at the expense of structural stability in a case that's going to see a lot of abuse is a recipe for disaster.
One of the first things that catches your eye is an odd plastic protuberance by the card slots.
Further investigation reveals a small door wherein you will find the bag of hardware. Neat idea. Spare screws and the like are always useful to have and the fewer extra items you have to carry to a LAN party the better.
While we're talking about accessories it should be mentioned that the case comes with a rather spiffy carrying strap. Very simple, effective and comfortable to hold by the rubber padded handle this is a welcome inclusion in a LAN case. Despite the emphasis Antec have placed on this as a feature, at the end of the day its just a nylon strap with an Antec logo on it. While nice to have it isn't really a feature I'm going to get excited about. They also include a nice molded plastic case badge for those so inclined.
OK so enough of the extras, back to the erm... back. Thumbscrews always make a good impression on me. Especially on a case I may have to work on away from home. Antec on the other hand seem singularly unimpressed by them since they didn't see fit to include any. You heard me right. A case, ostensibly intended for use at LAN parties came without thumbscrews. It's a terrible, inexplicable omission. It suggests that this isn't a LAN case, just a small case that they stuck a strap on (Stop snickering at the back) and called a LAN box. A quick dig around in the "Old motherboard box o' PC parts" soon turned up some thumbscrews and the problem was rectified quickly. Its also worth noting that because of the plastic hardware compartment on the back you won't be able to secure your Video and PCI cards with thumbscrews.
Turning to the side panels the first thing you notice is that the motherboard side panel is non-removable. Its a part of the case. Not a terrible choice really. I mean how often do you take the right side off the case? so we'll skip straight to the left side panel. This panel sports the now almost obligatory window and a very handsome one it is too. Both sides come protected by plastic sheets, which is as it should be. The acrylic is formed in such a way that it sits flush with the panel. Great stuff and a touch of real quality. It is held in place by black plastic fasteners which do the job just fine although I would have liked to have seen grey ones to match the rest of the case.
Inside, the LANBOY continues to disappoint. The drive cage is simply awful. In my old (huge) Antec case I could have cheerfully stood on the drive cages. This one would probably blow away in a stiff breeze. Flimsy isn't the word. Were I so inclined I could crush it with one hand. Perhaps a drive cage doesn't really need all that much strength but this just feels cheap.
The motherboard mounting is a different story. On the back of the case sits an open frame with the usual holes for ATX motherboards. Brass standoffs are provided which is great. Too often lately I've seen those cheap and nasty plastic clip-in standoffs in cases and I hate those things with a passion (SPeeD on the other hand loves them but then again, he drives a plastic car too so what does he know?) I've often thought that motherboards should be mounted on open frames since it gives you easy access to the heatsink mounts but in a case without a removable right-side panel its a moot point to be sure.
Right, since we have the case open, time to put a PC in it.
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