[nextpage title=”Introduction”]The LanBoy Air is without a doubt one of the most unique case we’ve ever seen, being completely meshed to improve air flow and highly customizable. This is not the first time Antec is trying to improve airflow: two years ago they released a completely open case, the Skeleton. On the Skeleton, however, as you computer components are completely exposed, you may damage your components by accident. Is the LanBoy Air the solution all hard-core enthusiasts were looking for? Let’s see.
The LanBoy Air is currently available in two colors, blue or yellow. We reviewed the blue version.
As mentioned, the LanBoy Air is completely meshed, meaning that the six panels of the case are meshed to improve air flow.
In Figures 1 and 2, you have an overall look view of the LanBoy Air.
Figure 1: Antec LanBoy Air case
Figure 2: Antec LanBoy Air case
[nextpage title=”The Side Panels”]
Let’s start our analysis by talking about the side panels. Each side panel is divided in two parts. The biggest part, which covers the motherboard compartment, is attached to the structure of the case through six black thumbscrews. The smallest part, which covers the disk drive bays, has a hinge and is fastened to the case using one black thumbscrew, opening like a door. This door allows you to have access the disk drive bays, and you can remove it, if you want.
Figure 3: Left panel
Figure 4: Left panel
Figure 5: Right panel
Figure 6: Right panel
The left panel comes with two 120 mm fans attached. These fans have a two-speed controller, allowing you to choose between 900 rpm (30.1 cfm, 16.9 dBA) or 1,500 rpm (51.2 cfm, 27.9 dBA) and use standard peripheral power connectors, so you can’t monitor their speed. These controllers are available hanging from the fans, so you will need to open the case whenever you want to change the speed of these fans. However, you can install one of them on the rear panel of the case, on the place written “top fan,” or you can route them outside the case through one of the holes available on the rear panel.
Figure 7: Side fans
You can add two extra 120 mm fans on the left panel, for a total of four 120 mm fans there, and three additional 120 mm fans to each side door, making this case to support up to fifteen 120 mm fans!
[nextpage title=”The Front Panel”]
The LanBoy Air has a total of nine 5.25” bays, which can be used by external 5.25” devices, internal 3.5” devices, and two 120 mm fans, which use three bays each. The case is sold with the top three 5.25” bays configured for 5.25” devices, and the other six bays with two 120 mm fans installed. Internally, these six bays are used by internal 3.5” hard drives. You can, however, change the default configuration of the front panel, if you want, as you easily move the supports for 5.25” devices and the two fans.
Figure 8: Front panel
Each front fan has a small potentiometer for you to control its speed from 1,000 rpm (33.3 cfm, 19.5 dBA) to 2,000 rpm (66.6 cfm, 34.5 dBA). Both fans use a standard peripheral power plug, so you can’t monitor their speed.
Figure 9: Speed control
The traditional buttons and connectors are located on the top part of the front panel, as you can see in Figure 10. This case has two USB 2.0 ports, one USB 3.0 port, and the audio jacks. The USB 3.0 port uses a regular USB A connector and must be installed on any USB 3.0 port located on the rear panel of your motherboard.
Figure 10: Buttons and connectors
The reviewed case comes with a small toolbox at the bottom part of its front panel, as you can see in Figure 11.
Figure 11: Toolbox
[nextpage title=”The Top, Bottom and Rear Panels”]
The top panel of the Antec LanBoy Air can be seen in Figure 12. You can install two 120 mm fans on the top panel. One of the highlights of this product is the presence of two sturdy handles for you to carry your computer around, especially if you go to competitions and LAN parties.
Figure 12: Top panel
There is not much to talk about the bottom panel, which almost entirely meshed.
Figure 13: Bottom panel
The rear panel features a 120 mm fan identical to the ones available on the left panel, with a two-step speed controller. At least here the controller is available outside the case. There is a space for installing a second controller, which can be used to install the controller of one of the side fans. Like it happens with all other fans, the rear fan uses a standard peripheral power connector and therefore you can’t monitor its speed.
The LanBoy Air has eight expansion slots, seven of them using vented slot covers, and two holes with rubber covers for hoses of liquid cooling solutions.
Figure 14: Rear panel
The power supply is installed in a removable cage, see Figure 15. Since this case is highly modular, you can, if you want, move the power supply cage to the top of the case. For that you will need to move the motherboard tray down.
Figure 15: Power supply cage
Let’s now take a look inside the Antec LanBoy Air.[nextpage title=”Inside the Antec LanBoy Air”]
In Figure 16, you can see inside the LanBoy Air. The motherboard tray has a big hole around the area where the CPU is installed, allowing access to the backplate of the CPU cooler, so you can replace the cooler without having to remove the motherboard. The motherboard tray doesn’t go all the way to the bottom and front panels, meaning that there is a communication between the power supply compartment, the area behind the disk drive bays and the back of the motherboard tray, allowing you to easily route and hide cables. The tray has several clips for you to fasten cables using cable ties, and it comes with three cable ties already installed.
Figure 16: Overall look
Figure 17: A view behind the motherboard tray
In Figure 18, you have another overall look inside the case. Expansion cards are fastened to the case using regular screws. This is the only “flaw” we really see with this case, we think it should have come with black thumscrews here.
Figure 18: Overall look
This case supports video cards up to 16” (406 mm) long and CPU coolers up to 5.9” (150 mm) tall if the optional side fans are installed, or up to 6.3” (160 mm) if you didn’t install the side fans.
On the case’s default configuration, the power supply must be installed with its fan facing up. However, if you move the power supply cage to the top of the case, then you will have to install the power supply with its fan facing down, since you will have the power supply cage rotated 180°.
Figure 19: Power supply compartment
[nextpage title=”The Disk Drive Bays”]
The Antec LanBoy Air comes with nine 5.25” bays that can be configured in several different ways. The case comes with three supports for 5.25” devices (shown on the top three bays in Figure 20), and you can install these supports on the bays of your liking (they come installed on the top three bays). So, this case actually has three 5.25” bays. The other six bays are used by internal 3.5” devices and by the two front fans, which take three bays each.
Figure 20: Disk drive bays
Each 5.25” bays has a set of four supports for a unique suspension mechanism called “AirMount,” which is basically an elastic cord with a hook attached to each end, and a support for the hard drive in the middle. For installing 3.5” hard drives you need to install two mechanisms, one at each side of the drive, see Figure 22.
Figure 21: Suspension mechanisms
Figure 22: Hard drive with the mechanisms installed
[nextpage title=”The Disk Drive Bays (Cont’d)”]
Because each one of the four supports has two holes, you can install the hard drive following the same direction of the case (Figure 23) or perpendicular to it (Figure 24). Some cases allow you rotate the hard drive cage 90°, but on such cases all the drives will have the same orientation. In the LanBoy Air you can decide the orientation of each individual hard drive.
Figure 23: Hard disk drive installation (option one)
Figure 24: Hard disk drive installation (option two)
The LanBoy Air also has two 2.5” bays for SSDs and laptop hard drives on the bottom panel of the case, see Figure 25. The case comes with silicone rings for reducing the vibration of the 2.5” hard drives.
Figure 25: Two 2.5” bays
[nextpage title=”Main Specifications”]
The main specs fo
r the Antec LanBoy Air case include:
- Style: Mid-tower
- Application: ATX and smaller form factors derived from this one
- Power supply: Doesn’t come with the product
- Available colors: Blue or yellow
- Side panel: Meshed
- Dimensions: 20.4 x 8.7 x 19.3 inches (518 x 222 x 490 mm) (H x W x D)
- Net weight: 20 lbs (9 kg)
- Gross weight: 23.5 lbs (10.6 kg)
- Bays: Three external 5.25” bays, six internal 3.5” bays, two internal 2.5” bays
- Expansion slots: Eight
- Maximum video card length: 16” (406 mm)
- Maximum CPU cooler height: 5.9” (150 mm) if the optional side fans are installed, or up to 6.3” (160 mm) without them
- Fans: Two 120 mm fans on the front panel (analog speed control from 1,000 rpm/33.3 cfm/19.5 dBA to 2,000 rpm/66.6 cfm/34.5 dBA), two 120 mm fans on the left panel (two-speed controller, 900 rpm/30.1 cfm/16.9 dBA and 1,500 rpm/51.2 cfm/27.9 dBA), and one 120 mm fan on the rear panel (two-speed controller, 900 rpm/30.1 cfm/16.9 dBA and 1,500 rpm/51.2 cfm/27.9 dBA)
- Optional fans: Two 120 mm fans on the top panel, five 120 mm fans on the left panel, and three 120 mm fans on the right panel
- More Information: https://www.antec.com
- MSRP in the US: USD 220.00
[nextpage title=”Conclusions”]
The Antec LanBoy Air is an amazing product for the serious enthusiast, with a unique, functional design. The components will be protected inside the case and, at the same time, the user will have the highest airflow possible. The real weak spot of this case is its price: at USD 220 it is simply too expensive for most users, enthusiast or not.
Strong Points
- Innovative design
- Support for 15 fans
- All fans come with speed controllers
- Support for very long video cards (up to 16”/406 mm)
- Six internal 3.5” bays and two internal 2.5” bays will be more than enough even for the most hardcore user
- Innovative suspension mechanism for 3.5” hard drives
- Anti-vibration mechanisms for 2.5” hard drives
- Holes with rubber covers for liquid cooling solutions
- A hole in the motherboard tray for accessing the backplate of the CPU cooler
- Clips on the motherboard tray for routing and hiding cables behind the tray
- Power supply can be installed either at the top part or at the bottom of the case
- Sturdy transport handles
- Nice overall looks
Weak Points
- Too expensive
- Use regular screws instead of black thumbscrews to fasten expansion cards
- Fans don’t have a monitoring wire
- For the price it could have come with at least the two top fans
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