Seamless tempered glass panels seem to be a trend with PC cases lately as more brands are coming up with their own unique versions, one of which isAntec’s CX600M Trio ARGBmini-tower PC case. The new case, as the name suggests, has three seamless tempered glass panels, as opposed to the standard two. The internal layout has also been tweaked to account for the three panels and somewhat reduced ventilation.
Antec CX600M Trio ARGB: Design and Features
This mini-tower PC case is on the compact side, fitting onlyMicro-ATX and ITXmotherboards. It is not exactly asmall form factor build, coming in at 436mm long and 290mm wide, which gives you plenty of space for large components and efficient cable management. The dual-chamber design allows for independent cooling of the CPU/GPU and the PSU/storage drives. The I/O is located at the top of the steel panel and there are three USB ports in total.
What makes this case stand out from the crowd is the three tempered glass panels, providing uninterrupted views of the components from the front, side, and the top. All three panels are4mm thickand there is no frame holding them together. Antec has instead gone with a small corner bracket that holds all three panels. Since three sides are covered with glass, the bottom, right side, and back panels are perforated and have mountingoptions for fans and radiators. The back and right panels can be taken off for a completely open build area.
The Antec CX600M Trio ARGB comes in black and white, with the corner brackets matching in color.
Antec CX600M Trio ARGB: Specifications and Compatibility
Measuring 436x290x370mm, this compact PC case supports Micro-ATX and ITX motherboards. There are five expansion slots and mounts for one 3.5-inch and two 2.5-inch storage drives. Antec includesthree 120mm fanswith the case: two on the side, and one at the back. All three are ARGB fans that can be daisy-chained for a single connection to the motherboard.
In terms of support for cooling solutions, the case can accommodatetwo AIOs, up to 280mm on the side and 360mm at the bottom. If you decide to air cool your CPU, there is 160mm of clearance, sufficient for most air coolers. The Antec CX600M Trio ARGB supports up to a 410mm GPU and, depending on how thick it is, the fans will be quite close to the bottom mounted fans. This could create some clearance issues if a 360mm radiator is installed at the bottom.
The PSU is mounted behind the motherboard in the second chamber and so are the drives. While there are perforations for the PSU to take in cool air, the position of the intake fans on the side does not bode well for airflow to the drives as they are placed on the side of the intake fans. We will have to wait for real-world tests to clarify how much airflow the drives receive.
Antec CX600M Trio ARGB: Price and Availability
With three tempered glass panels, steel construction, and dual-chamber design, you would think that this PC case would cost a premium, but Antec has kept the price quite reasonable at €109, orroughly $115. As of now, the Antec CX600M Trio ARGB is not listed with any retailer, but is expected to hit the shelves within two weeks. The black model will arrive first, though fans of all-white PC builds will only have to wait until January for the white version.
