Generally, there are two types of users who opt for mini ITX cases for their PC: those looking for a modest piece of equipment that they can have, for example, in the living room, and those looking for maximum performance in mini format simply because they like it. And it is the latter who tend to have larger budgets, of course, and for whom Antec just announced his new mini ITX case top of the range: the Antec Performance 1M Aluminum ITX.
Just by its name you will know that we are dealing with a box made of aluminum, and not the usual SPCC steel. This in itself means that the quality of materials is superior, but so is its price, since aluminum is much, much more expensive, and it is something that we have been seeing in the PC case industry for a long time.
What does the Antec Performance 1 M Aluminum ITX offer?
This is the typical product in which a manufacturer decides to put everything on the table and see what comes out. The result is a fairly elegant and modest box on the outside, with a large front ventilation grille that, however, reduces connectivity to a minimum because it only offers a solitary USB-C port in addition to the power button, which acts as an LED. status indicator.
However, the treasures are hidden inside, starting with the ease of assembly it offers. To begin with, as you can see in the image above, this Antec mini ITX case allows you to remove all its panels, not only the front and sides as is usual but also the floor and ceiling, something very appreciated in a box of this format to be able to manipulate the wiring and internal components without problems.
But that of course is not all, since the Antec Performance 1 M Aluminum ITX hides some extra secrets inside:
- Dual chamber design with modular central part, which makes it compatible with more CPU coolers and graphics cards of various sizes. In this regard, the case supports processor heatsinks up to 78 mm high and graphics cards up to 85 mm wide.
- It incorporates a pre-installed PCIe 4.0 riser, to be able to place the graphics card in another position if desired.
- Supports both 120 and 140 mm fans at the base.
- Finished in metallic red aluminum, giving a touch of color and quality to the equipment. Anyway, Antec offers this box in two colors: the black that you can see in the photos, and also an “adventure green”, which is a dark green almost gray.
An almost prohibitive price
At the beginning we already warned you that manufacturing a case in aluminum instead of steel raises its price a lot, although in our opinion in this case Antec has gone a little overboard… the recommended retail price of the Antec Performance 1 M Aluminum ITX is 299 eurosso you could practically buy an Xbox Series S just with what this box costs. They say that you pay for quality and it is true, but we believe that being a mini ITX case, Antec has gone too far.
Regarding availability, the manufacturer has reported that it will be available in stores from the end of January.