Product Description: The third chapter in the Quiet Computing story written by Antec - it's everything you've come to expect from the prestigious Sonata line with even more upgrades and improvements. The Sonata III is whisper quiet when it comes to system noise while with the new High Definition front audio ports the sound you want your system to make will be crystal clear. And the front eSATA connector allows for simple data transfer. And all that means the Sonata III is the perfect combination of style, silence and efficiency.
Amazon.com Product Description: The Antec Sonata III 500 Super Mini Tower combines style, silence, and efficiency. The Sonata III is whisper quiet when it comes to system noise and the High Definition front audio ports ensure that music will be crystal clear. Use the convenient front eSATA connector for simple data transfer. It is all powered by the EarthWatts 500-watt power supply unit, which is equipped with universal input and Active PFC. This power supply unit is 80-plus certified, one of the most efficient available.
The Antec Sonata also features improved overall air intake for better and quieter cooling. To keep your systems running cool, it has one rear standard 120-millimeter TriCool fan with a three-speed control and one optional front 120-millimeter case fan. This case has a total of nine drive bays--three 5.25-inch external bays, two 3.5-inch external bays, and four 3.5-inch internal bays that are held in individual trays with silicone grommets to absorb hard-drive vibrations. The Antec Sonata is designed to fit motherboards up to standard ATX. It measures 16.7 by 18.2 by 8.1 inches (HxDxW) and weighs 20.2 pounds.
Other features include:
Metal double hinge door opens up to 225 degrees
Constructed from 0.8-millimeter cold rolled steel for durability
Built-in washable air filter to keep dust out of your case
Front-mounted USB, eSATA, HDA, and AC'97 audio in/out ports
Very Nice Case Bought this case looking for something quieter and shorter, but still with enough space inside to work with. Overall I'm very pleased with the case, but it's not as quiet as I'd hoped (still better than any other case I've bought).
Inside it's very roomy and was easy for me to build the system I wanted. All the cables are labeled well and not in the way when assembling. I really like the filter in the front that traps the dust. It does help quite a bit and is easy to clean and maintain.
I only wish they made the same case out of aluminum. A lighter case would be very nice, don't know how that would affect the noise factor though.
Great case! This case is great to work with. It has a clean design and good documentation. It is also very quiet as promised.
Not bad but not great My Sonata III 500 arrived with a broken door. It looks like Antec will replace it, but I'm really disappointed with the quality. I had never ordered a name-brand case before and I was expecting something better than a generic. Well, this is a little better but not worth twice the cost of your usual case. The entire front including the external drive door is plastic and quite cheap. The internal layout is good and roomy with easy access to everything, adequate cables on the PS, no real problems. Sound level is good but not astonishing.
Added: Three days now since I sent Antec my amazon receipt and they have yet to confirm that they'll replace the broken door. Meanwhile, the fan I ordered from amazon for this same case is 5 days late coming. Running a PC build through amazon won't work as a just-in-time process if everything is late or broken.
Fantastic Value , Flawless Design I have had this case a few weeks and have been super pleased with it. My third build with Antec cases this year. Two 900 cases for gaming systems and now this Sonata III for myself. Hey, I'm 58 and a nice cool and quiet case are what I want. I have never worked with a case this well thought out. All the cables can be run without crossing the motherboard. I picked up a second fan as I have three hard drives. My CPU stays at 104F or less no matter how hard I run it and the mobo is the same. Beautiful black finsish and the drive bays are the easiest I have worked with. Mounting the hard drives to be in side mounted, sound isolated trays makes them super easy to install and remove. The sound is almost imperceptable, even on drive access. Maxtor sata drives, gigabyte GA-EP35 DS3R mobo and Core Duo 6550. Best system I have had since I started building them in 1984. Buy this case and you won't be sorry.... unless you are a super overclocker and running wide open.. then go the 900.. not as nice, not as quiet but super cool.
Great case with a free power source All around great case, I didn't use the power source becuase the wattage was too low for my needs. With the 120mm interally mounted fan you will run into issues with really long video cards like the 8800ultra or GTX.
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