MaximumPC 2001 11

Despite its fairly standard mid-tower dimensions—8.7 inches

wide, 20.4 inches high, and 19.3 inches deep—the LanBoy Air is

like no other case on the market. It’s more like a cross between an

Ikea end table and a Lego set, if a Lego set needed a screwdriver.

Its motherboard tray is not only removable and separate from the

back panel, but it can switch places with the PSU bracket, if you

decide you want your PSU at the top of the case instead of the bot-

tom. Feel like swapping the location of the two three-speed front

fans with the three optical drive trays? Go for it—you can even

alternate them if you want. The hard drive mounts are more like

hammocks, complete with bungie cords, and can be oriented any

way you like, though we’d recommend removing them before

you move the machine for any reason. This fl exibility enables the

use of the longest graphics cards you can fi nd. And the fl oor of the

hard drive well includes mounts for two 2.5-inch drives.

The LanBoy Air’s fi ve 12cm fans all direct air inward, creating

positive air pressure that exits through the mesh wherever a fan

is not located. Default fans include two three-speed front fans,

two two-speed side-panel fans in front of the graphics cards, and

one two-speed rear fan, though you can add an additional 10

fans at your leisure.

There’s barely any room above the motherboard tray at all—

no room to route the 8-pin ATX power cable, and none to add

any fans to the inside top if you’re using a skyscraper-style cooler.

Though Antec boasts 10 additional fan mounts, rolling with the

full complement of fans is overkill, in our view.

Antec’s all-intake scheme leaves no obvious orientation for

the skyscraper-style coolers that are today’s leaders, but—much

to our surprise—the LanBoy Air in its default confi guration actu-

ally performed the best in our highly scientifi c cooling challenge.

The two side-fans blowing directly on the GPU certainly seemed

to help, and the all-in positive air-pressure approach actually

worked better than more traditional airfl ow schemes.

We’re not convinced this case won’t turn into a DustBoy

Air aft er six months, but we appreciate the modularity and the

novelty that Antec has brought to the table here. With plenty

of default fans, no end to the customization, and a great indus-

trial look,

Antec’s got

another win-

ner here.

http://www.maximumpc.com | JAN 2011 | MAXIMUMPC | 39

Antec LanBoy Air

This new modular, open-air chassis lightens our

dark little hearts

VERDICT

$200, http://www.antec.com^8

ANTEC LANBOY AIR

If you prefer your PSU on top, you can swap its position

with the motherboard’s.

Bungee cords? On my hard drives? It’s safer than it looks.

But yikes.

If you prefer your PSU on top, you can swap its position Bungee cords? On my

A toolbox beneath the front

fans holds the LanBoy Air’s

miscellaneous hardware and

tucks away when not in use.

The LanBoy Air is mesh’d up.