Verdict and Conclusion
Sorry to be over the top, but I have to say … I just love this chassis. Some of you may not like the look of it, and some of you may say it looks like a mechanical Lego set. I guess it’s a matter of taste, but the truth is … I just love it. The open-frame construction of the Antec LanBoy Air is really strong and solid, while the mesh panels throughout chassis allows for excellent air-flow in and out of the chassis. The whole chassis is totally customizable and modular, but at the same time flexible … it’s something I always wanted in a chassis. What this means is that I can configure, mount and install all my components how I want … just the way I like it.
We ran some tests to measure the overall temperature of the system during idle and load. Needless to say, the motherboard temperature readings were excellent. Idle temperatures were around 34 degrees Celsius, while CPU temperatures at full load was around 41 degrees Celsius. The mesh panels throughout the chassis really makes a difference. With no obstructions or solid panels in the way, you’ll get unrestricted air-flow in and out of the system … it’s like there’s the system is running without a chassis. All of this is further helped by 2 x front variable-speed 120 mm blue LED fans with stepless control knobs, 1 x rear 120 mm TwoCool™ blue LED fan and 2 x side 120 mm TwoCool™ blue LED fans for graphics cards cooling. The Antec LanBoy Air allows upto a total of 15 additional fans to be installed. How’s that for cooling?
One of the first things that you’ll notice about the Antec LanBoy Air, is the AirMount™ HDD suspension mount system. It’s a really cool feature … your hard drive is literally suspended in the air. What’s the benefits? Well, it’s totally free from any obstructions or restrictions, allowing superior air-flow from the front chassis fans to cool hard drives. You can mount up to 6 HDDs on the LanBoy Air.
The other thing you find quite interesting and unique is the fact that you can mount the 5.25″ rom drives and the 3.5″ hard drives in 3 different orientations …. it can be forward facing or side facing (left/right). What’s more, unlike other chassis where the location of the PSU bracket is fixed, the LanBoy Air allows to you choose the position … you can mount the PSU either at the top or at the bottom of chassis. The motherboard tray will be positioned accordingly. The only thing I miss is a “tool-free” or “screwless” system. I think it’s something Antec should consider, as this would really make the LanBoy Air complete.
For expansion, the Antec LanBoy Air supports upto 6 x internal 3.5″ HDDs, 3 x external 5.25″ HDDs and there’s also 2 x internal bottom-mounted 2.5″ SSD bays. Front panel I/O includes reset switch, power-on button, 1 x USB 3.0 SuperSpeed, 2 x USB 2.0, 1 x headphone out and 1 x microphone in. It’s more than enough for most users, but maybe an extra eSATA would make it complete.
The built-in handles are great added bonus, and allows for easy transportation making it perfect for LAN parties. Overall, I think Antec have done a great job with the LanBoy Air. Depending on your preference, there are 3 colors to choose from … blue, red and yellow. I generally prefer blue.
This unique and excellent chassis is available at most e-tailers right now. Expect the Antec LanBoy Air to cost somewhere in the region of USD $170-200 (GBP 150-180). I think it’s a touch pricey, but acceptable … especially considering what you’re actually getting. Personally, I like it … but that’s my own taste. Some of you may think it’s OTT, but the fact is … it’s so COOL, literally!
Final words. If you’re after a chassis that offers unprecedented cooling, total flexibility and excellent build quality, then the Antec LanBoy Air is for you. It’s the most customizable chassis we’ve ever come accross, with modular features that make it so flexible and easy to work with. It’s perfect for any LAN party goers, gamers and enthusiasts.
SCORE
9/10
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