Antec Sonata Elite Black ATX Mid Tower Computer Case Reviews

Antec's thoughtfully-designed case brings you library-quiet performance and unique style with its striking, contemporary exterior. The interior comes standard with a rear 120 mm TriCool fan with 3-speed control. Two built-in, washable air filters helps to keep your system free of dust. The Sonata Elite also features convenient front mounted USB ports, eSATA connector, and High definition audio jacks.

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Antec Sonata Elite Mid Tower Case

You'll have all the room you need to build your dream system in this case, with bays for three external 5.25" drives and four internal 3.5" drives in individual trays, and insulated from the vibrations of your hard drive by silicon grommets. There’s space for an ATX motherboard up to 12"(W) x 9.6"(L), seven expansion slots, and rubber-grommeted mounts on the rear of the case for an optional external liquid-cooling system.

This stylish case has everything you need to build your ideal system!

Great Quiet Case

By Danny on 3/22/2010

Pros: Sleek Design. Rubber grommets for hard drive mounting. Great airflow with optional slot cooler. QUIET. Heavy duty. Easy access to internals.

This case is fantastic. It suits all my needs and is quiet at the same time.

The air flow is really good for something that you would think didn't have good air flow, but with the side intake over the hard drives, and with the optional side fan over the expansion slots, really keeps airflow at a maximum.

The case feels very sturdy and has a nice shiny black finish to it. The LED's in the front aren't blindingly bright like other cases.

Does fit the GTX 260 with literally 1/2" to spare.

The 5.25" drive bays have the rails that hold them in place in a cool bundle inside the covers for the bay itself.

Cons: Have to mount PSU first! If you're like me and have a massive cooler on your CPU, your going to have to mount the PSU first. Otherwise you can't fit it in no matter what.

Too little room between the video card and hard drive bays. Had to downgrade my video card to a GTX 260 from an ATI 4870x2 with Accelero Extreme cooler on it (just 3/4" too big). :'(

Only 4 hard drive bays. If you want more, have to go external or bigger hard drive capacities.

Other Thoughts: The paint flaked off around the screws holding the side on (but which ones don't) :/

MOUNT YOUR PSU FIRST! There is plenty of room out the back side of the case to keep your cables out of the way while you put it together.

The case comes with all the necessary screws to hold anything that you'd want to put in the case there.

Temperatures are exactly the same as my older case which was the HAF 932. This case just makes it a bit quieter and cuts the dust down a bit. Just make sure you get a silent PSU and you will have a silent computer. I used the Antec Earthwatts 650w and its running like a champ.

I can't hear my computer running anymore! Still freaks me out a bit.

Antec makes the best products

By Jim F. on 3/19/2010

Pros: I've built many PC and Antec's cases are always the best looking and this one is no exception. The case has sound deadening material attached to the inside panels and the included case fans are very quiet when set on their low setting (they still move plenty of air.) I used an Antec Earth Watts 750 PSU and this combination makes for a very quiet PC. The design brings air past your hard disks keeping them cool.

Cons: Clearance between PCIe video card. I'm running a Radeon HD 5850 and I was able to attach the external power cables with a little bit of difficulty, but if one were to choose the 5870, the card will fit, but I have no clue how they would attach the external power cables to the card without modifying the case.

Other Thoughts: Very sturdy and beautiful looking case. Arrived in perfect condition, very happy with this purchase.