Nice job, Antec (rant warning!!!!)

[c_hegge]

As you can see in my signature, The case on my main PC is an Antec 1200. I got it for only $100 because the top doesn't stay on. It only had two very small screws to hold it on the lugs they scre into snapped when my boss picked it up by the top. It's good looking and has been serving me well for the two years I've had it, but i fired my PC up yesterday and I got that 'growl' from the top rear fan. So I replaced it with a cheap no-name fan which I scavenged from a dead PSU and added a few LEDs to and the growl is gone now, but after removing the sticker and rubber seal from the old fan it's a sleeve bearing with NO oil. Nice job antec. You sell a $300 case with 6 cheap and nasty fans, don't put any oil in the bearings AND use two tiny screws to hold the top on, even when the case by itself weighs 15KG!!!! antec

It's excusable for a cheap $30 case, but when the case usually costs $300, I think it's only fair to expect half decent fans and a case that doesn't fall apart when you pick it up. Again, antec

PS. I'm nearly ready to change my avatar to this

EDIT: It it's any consolation, at least my new fan does look a bit better (it's the top one in the second attachment)

[lti]

Re: Nice job, Antec (rant warning!!!!)

I heard that sleeve bearing fans are not supposed to be run horizontally. All cases come with cheap sleeve bearing fans.

[c_hegge]

Re: Nice job, Antec (rant warning!!!!)

They're not being run horizontally here. I know they usually do come with cheap fans, but when it's an expensive case, one would expect better.

[kaboom]

Re: Nice job, Antec (rant warning!!!!)

it's a sleeve bearing with NO oil. Nice job antec.

Wow. No oil at all... Good ol' "stoopid power" antec.

Usually, they'll have that 'sludge' that passes for oil, as typically used in Chinese shit.

I've been using Supco turbine oil for years in those little fans. Before that, the 'needle-oilers' that could be found at RipMeOff Shack. GC Electronics makes (made?) one too- MCM sold those.

-Paul

[weirdlookinguy]

Re: Nice job, Antec (rant warning!!!!)

Putting a drop of ATF on the bearing is my signature move for fans. It has yet to fail me.

I have a 120mm Cooler Master sleeve-bearing fan in my PC and about a year ago it started growling at me. I cleaned that China sludge off the bearing and lubed it up with ATF and I haven't heard anything from that fan again.

Fans are moving parts, I can't call them crappy for needing a drop of lube every few years. Flimsy build quality, crappy noise-to-power ratio, or complete failure of the bearing are what qualify a fan as "crappy" for me.

[Topcat]

Re: Nice job, Antec (rant warning!!!!)

Antec has generously contributed thing to this site, such as server cases and other various IT hardware....hence the banner I give them in the header. However, that does not make them immune from a legitimate gripe. I highly doubt Antec could be blamed for the fans. Who actually MAKES the fans in question? Two screws holding a case top together? As in two in the back and it latches with hooks in the front? Did the screw holes strip?

The Antec Solo line of cases are bulletproof, as are their rackmount server cases....I have no complaints, and theres an Antec case & PSU running this site's server (I better knock on some wood I guess)!

[c_hegge]

Re: Nice job, Antec (rant warning!!!!)

@WLG, I recently pulled an NMB Ball bearing fan from a Pentium 2 machine. It was very dusty from heavy use but it worked perfectly with no strange noises. I think it goes to show that fans can last for years withoput needing lubrication given a good ball bearing design.

@Topcat, I know Antec probably didn't make the fan, but when you're paying $300 for a case, I think they could bundle some ball bearing fans with it, as well as use more screws so you can actually pick it up by the top without breaking it off.

EDIT: As for who makes the fan, my guess is Dynatron Top Motor. They can make cheap sleeve bearings (which is what Antec used in my case), but I have also seen them as good ball bearing fans.

[Topcat]

Re: Nice job, Antec (rant warning!!!!)

@Topcat, I know Antec probably didn't make the fan, but when you're paying $300 for a case, I think they could bundle some ball bearing fans with it, as well as use more screws so you can actually pick it up by the top without breaking it off.

Is there a handle on the top, IE, was it designed to support that much weight? Some cases designed around gamers did have such a feature, and of course those tops had thicker gauge steel and more screws and/or rivets holding them on. Normally, the top of a computer case isn't designed for that kind of load at all.

I agree 100% on the fans. If that's the case, Antec should cease using that brand, like they did the fukkyou caps in their earlier trupower PSU's.

[kc8adu]

Re: Nice job, Antec (rant warning!!!!)

not sure who the oem was but the fans in a friends 1200 died off from lack of oil.
it had dried up.had to wash out the bearings and re oil.

[c_hegge]

Re: Nice job, Antec (rant warning!!!!)

Is there a handle on the top, IE, was it designed to support that much weight?

It doesn't have one of those stick out handles, but it does have what appears to be a perfect place to stick your fingers when your picking it up (as well as a similarly sized indent at the back. Whether or not it was originally intended to be handle or not, I don't know, but antec should have seen that it sure looks like a good way to pick it up, besides, how expensive are screws nowadays? Using a few more would have only cost like 20c.

[c_hegge]

Re: Nice job, Antec (rant warning!!!!)

I should perhaps add that the two screws they used were like these two. As if they were ever going to hold 15kg.

[dumpystig]

Re: Nice job, Antec (rant warning!!!!)

Bad news with your fan, I would also expect more from a 'quality' brand.
I'm curious though - with your replacement, why go to the bother of fitting LEDs to a rear fan? I imagine nothing can be seen when the case is sited in its usual place.

[brethin]

Re: Nice job, Antec (rant warning!!!!)

That case is not ment to be lifted from that lip, that is why it only had 2 screws. The CD Rom also looks like a good cup holder but isn't so dont use it as one and blame someone else.

[shovenose]

Re: Nice job, Antec (rant warning!!!!)

You've got a floopy?

[c_hegge]

Re: Nice job, Antec (rant warning!!!!)

Don't worry. It ain't plugged in to the motherboard. It's there because it looks better than a hole. Ive been considering replacing it with a card reader.

[lti]

Re: Nice job, Antec (rant warning!!!!)

What is wrong with having a floppy (or floopy) drive?

[c_hegge]

Re: Nice job, Antec (rant warning!!!!)

It makes the PC look old.

[antec_jessie]

Re: Nice job, Antec (rant warning!!!!)

As you can see in my signature, The case on my main PC is an Antec 1200. I got it for only $100 because the top doesn't stay on. It only had two very small screws to hold it on the lugs they scre into snapped when my boss picked it up by the top. It's good looking and has been serving me well for the two years I've had it, but i fired my PC up yesterday and I got that 'growl' from the top rear fan. So I replaced it with a cheap no-name fan which I scavenged from a dead PSU and added a few LEDs to and the growl is gone now, but after removing the sticker and rubber seal from the old fan it's a sleeve bearing with NO oil. Nice job antec. You sell a $300 case with 6 cheap and nasty fans, don't put any oil in the bearings AND use two tiny screws to hold the top on, even when the case by itself weighs 15KG!!!! antec

It's excusable for a cheap $30 case, but when the case usually costs $300, I think it's only fair to expect half decent fans and a case that doesn't fall apart when you pick it up. Again, antec

PS. I'm nearly ready to change my avatar to this

EDIT: It it's any consolation, at least my new fan does look a bit better (it's the top one in the second attachment)

OP: Send me your contact info to VIP@antec.com and I'll get a new fan to you straight away.

Jessie Lawrence
NA Communications Manager
Antec Inc.

[seanc]

Re: Nice job, Antec (rant warning!!!!)

Antec had an issue with some of their 120mm fans for a while a couple of years ago, where they wouldn't start on speed '1', so they started throwing in extras in the box so you could swap them out. No big deal, I have lots of spare fans now.

I've had one fan come off its spindle by the sound of it and one where the speed controller stopped functioning so it runs at '3'.

Only gripe I have with Antec is that I they won't advance RMA PSUs. Had to wait a week or so to get a replacement RP-600 PSU, missed my customers' deadline, now I have a 3U rackmount PC I don't want.

[c_hegge]

Re: Nice job, Antec (rant warning!!!!)

Sorry to dig up this thread, but I should perhaps add that the top rear fan is actually the second fan that failed. I've already oiled the front bottom one and it's dead again now. If nothing else, it's a good excuse to get some Enermax Apollish Vegas fans in there.

OP: Send me your contact info to VIP@antec.com and I'll get a new fan to you straight away.

I'm not gonna bother, unless you're thinking of sending me some Enermax Apollish fans as replacments.