Antec, the renowned American PC cases and power supplies brand has expanded its NX Series of mid-tower cases with three new models: Antec NX500, NX600, and NX1000. Now, what does each of the three cases bring onboard? That’s what we want to find in this comparison review.
The dimensions of the three cases slightly differ. The NX500 measures 440mm × 220mm × 490mm while the NX600 is 420mm × 220mm × 490mm. Lastly, the NX1000 is 480mm × 245mm × 490mm. While the NX600 and NX1000 support ATX, Micro-ATX and ITX mainboards, the NX500 offers more with support for E-ATX, ATX, Micro-ATX and ITX.
The trio has been crafted using high-grade SPCC and plastic as is the tradition with Antec. However, there is a difference in the use of tempered glass. The NX500 has tempered glass on the sides only and part mesh and plastic on the front panel. As for the NX600 and NX1000, there is tempered glass on the two sides and front panel as well making them the best for showcasing your build.
The radiator support for the Antec NX500, NX600 and NX1000 is almost similar with support of ≤360mm and ≤120mm radiators for the front and rear. The difference sets in on the top configuration with the NX500 and NX600 supporting ≤240mm radiators while the NX1000 supports ≤280mm radiators. Another area the three cases differ is the fan and radiator support.
The NX500 supports up to 6 fans. On the front, it can support three 120mm or three 140mm fans, at the top, two 120mm or two 140mm fans and in the rear, one 120mm fan. The unit comes with one 120mm ARGB fan. The NX600, on the other hand, can support up to six fans as well. Three 120mm or three 140mm fans can be mounted at the front, two 120mm or two 140mm fans at the top and one 120mm fan at the rear. Included in the package are four 120mm ARGB fans (3 rear and 1 front). Last is the NX1000 which also supports up to six fans in the following configuration; three 120mm or two 140mm fans on the front, two 120mm or two 140mm fans at the top and one 120mm on the rear. Included in the NX1000 package is a single 120mm ARGB fan.
In terms of clearance, the NX1000 is a better choice as it can support a ≤370mm GPU, ≤180mm CPU, and a ≤210 power supply. The NX500 and NX600 can both support a ≤350mm graphics card and a ≤165mm processors. But when it comes to the power supply, the NX500 has an edge as it supports ≤200mm PSUs, a slight advantage over the N600’s ≤190mm.
As for the interface and ports, there are similarities and differences as well. The three Antec cases have a power button, LED control, and Audio/Mic port. But only the NX500 and NX600 have the reset button and USB 2.0 (both with two apiece). On the other hand, the NX1000 lacks USB 2.0 but comes with two USB 3.0 ports while the Antec NX500 and NX600 have only one.
