Antec Skeleton review

Antec is responsible for some of our favourite PC cases. These include the super-quietP182 and the very affordable Three Hundred. Both of these are clever, but traditional, designs. The Skeleton, however, is like nothing we've seen before.

Its design has more in common with the test rigs in our labs than a regular PC case. Your components are exposed, with only a latticework of plastic struts to protect them. We certainly wouldn't keep this case on the floor, as an accidental knock or a dropped drink could cause serious damage. Its almost-square footprint will take up a big chunk of your desk space, though. It's also nosier than most cases, with nothing between you and any whirring fans.

The struts act as carry handles, and also support a massive 250mm fan, which pushes air down on to your components. It has a three-speed manual control, with the lowest speed producing little noise. Turning off the fan didn't cause any overheating problems, although those with overclocked components may appreciate the additional airflow. The fan also has some very pleasing LEDs, which constantly change colour.

The lower section of the case slides out of the rear, making it easy to fit your motherboard and other components. There's a plastic bar on which to screw expansion cards. However, this bar prevents you sliding the lower section in or out when you have cards installed. You have to remove the bar entirely by unscrewing two Phillips screws, then slide the lower section in, replace the bar and screw in your expansion cards. This could have been made much easier by having a bar that flipped up or clipped on and off.

Your power supply unit (PSU) sits in the bottom of the lower section, at the rear of the case. Some of our PSU's cables were too short to route neatly through the lower section, as they're supposed to, so we ended up running them across the motherboard. By the time you've connected all the various switches and ports on the front, you will have quite a mess of visible cables.

There are two hard disk and two optical drive bays on the front. Add a single screw to the front left of your drive, then slide it in, and it'll click home securely. Four hard disk caddies are supplied, but these actually hang from the sides of the Skeleton and look exposed.

If the plastic bar were better designed, it would be easy to swap components as required. As it is, the ideastill has plenty of merit for those who like to tinker, but Antec will need to refine the Skeleton to make it a better choice.