Good aesthetics and value, limited functionality.
by ADI took a chance on the C3, despite there being no reviews online, on account of some of Antecs recent cases being well received by reviewers (C8 and Performance F1). If you are looking for a "true" mid tower with the fish tank, seamless glass style, this is a solid option. Pros: -Solid build quality and nails the aesthetic. -Spacious enough to fit even a large 3 slot rx 7900 xt. -Side panels are held in by thumb screws/hooks and do not require "popping in" the panel. It feels better to not have to apply force to glass. -4 argb fans with an included pwm/argb hub. The side intakes are even front facing with reverse blades, an excellent addition to the look of the case. Note that there is only 1 available argb header on the hub since the psu shroud rgb element takes up a 5th connection, in addition to the 4 fans. -I get good temps at low fan speeds, even under load. Cons: -Only one front panel usb 3 port (connector supports 2). -Side panel thumb-screws are not captive. Particularly strange omission since the SSD mounts do have captive thumb screws. -Only 1 HDD mount, and it is secured with screws underneath the chassis. There is a weak locking mechanism you slide the tray into, but it is not well secured without a screw underneath. -Very little rear cable management space and no velcro straps, only cable tie points. I luckily bought the new 2024 variant of the RMX850 with thin cables; the older 2021 variant I used in a prior build would struggle due to it's thick cables with in-cable capacitors. -The case does support a 360mm radiator in the top, but I just barely fit an Arctic Liquid Freezer III 360. It was colliding with my motherboard heatsink; I was eventually able to get it in. I would recommend a more standard, thinner 360mm or going with a 240mm if you want an easy install. A 280mm absolutely must be thin or else it will collide with either the motherboard or the side intake fans. This is a thin case, I would not recommend trying it. Also, make sure to route the CPU power cables before installing a 360mm, since you will likely not be able to without taking it out. However, I was still able to access some fan headers towards the top of the motherboard still. Despite the list of cons, I would still recommend the case. It ends up visually looking quite high end despite it's budget price. However, if you are more inclined towards functionality you may want to look elsewhere.
