The Draco 10: Antec’s brand new case

Antec’s new release for their Constellation Series is the Draco 10, and we’re here to check out its features. Who says you have to compromise when you’re considering a smaller PC setup?

Draco 10 Unboxing

Like most cases, the Draco 10 has the usual styrofoam packaging and standard cardboard boxing.

Simple and Efficient Design

Antec’s Draco 10 is made out of SPCC steel for the body, a plastic front panel, and tempered glass for the side panel. Surprisingly lightweight, it comes with one 120mm exhaust fan in the rear, and provides a plethora of fan mounting options for a small case. The Draco 10 also supports M-ATX and ITX motherboards. Here are the full specs:

Dimensions	444 x 220 x 410 mm (DWH)
Form Factor	Mini Tower
Materials	Steel, Plastic, Tempered Glass
Mainboard Type	M-ATX, ITX
Front Access & Controls	Power, LED Control Button, USB3.0 x 2, MIC/AUDIO (HD)
Expansion Slots	4
Internal Drive Bays	2 x 3.5″/2.5″ 3 x 2.5″
Fans	Front: 3 x 120mm/2 x 140mm Top: 2 x 120mm/ 2 x 140mm Rear: 120mm
Pre-installed Fans	Rear: 1 x 120mm
Radiator	Front: 120/140/240/280mm Top: 120/140/240/280mm (RAM length < 134mm Rear: 120mm
Max Compatibilities	GPU Length: < 360mm (without Front Fan) CPU Cooler: < 165mm PSU: <194 (with HDD), <350 (without HDD)
Dust Filters	Front/Top/Bottom
Net Weight	5.3 Kgs
Gross Weight	6.2 Kgs

Building in the Draco 10

Something that everyone should consider when building in a small-form-factor case is: plan the build. There were several times when I had to stop and think about the approach while building in this case. Not bad things; just things that you normally wouldn’t consider when you’re used to building in fuller-sized cases. The nice thing is that the Draco 10 provides a lot of options to accommodate that, such as drive and fan mounting options.

I used a Corsair RM1000X, which is an ATX sized PSU. This conflicted with the drive bay, but that can be removed if you have no use for it. However, if you do remove the bay, you lose the option to install 3.5″ drives or additional 2.5″ drives. When it came to the motherboard and GPU installation, I had no issues with installing an MSI B450I motherboard and RX470 graphics card. The Draco 10 can support cards up to 360mm if you don’t have front fans, so you’ll be fine if you have one of the latest GPUs from Nvidia or AMD,

Because my approach to installation is based on just the necessities, I did have to consider cable management. Since I don’t have special or custom cables for the PSU or SATA connections, I had to adjust the cables a little with the available openings to the motherboard. It’s not really a problem, but it’s something I’ve noticed with most cases nowadays.

So Many Airflow Options

Since I didn’t have a spare radiator for my CPU, I installed three 120mm fans at the front. There are also two fan mounts at the bottom of the shroud if you need extra airflow. During the installation, I found that my motherboard limited some of my configuration options. For example, my motherboard only had one case fan header. So I would either have to set my fans up for direct PSU power or find a splitter to attach all my fans to my motherboard. This would be a different story had I used a radiator instead.

A Little Squeeze of RGB

The Draco 10 has an RGB element in the front of the case. The LED control button at the top of the case cycles through your usual color patterns and solid color configurations. It’s just enough to wink at you during late-night gaming.

Worry-Free Mini Builds

It was a relief to build in the Antec Draco 10. I didn’t have to worry about shoving components into tight spots, and there is plenty of airflow throughout the case so that overheating shouldn’t be a problem. In fact, I really didn’t mind the generous breathing room it offers.

At the time of this review, the Antec Draco 10 is priced at $59.99.