case recommendations (mITX)

silk186

silk186

[H]ard|Gawd
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Feb 26, 2008
Messages
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I'm looking to move from ATX to mITX with a bit of an upgrade as I will move to London next year and space will be limited. I wiill pick up a z97 board with an i5-4670/90k and reuse the following parts: MSI 280x 3GB, Corsair Vengance 2x4GB, Samsung 830 256GB, 2x Toshiba 3TB and Corsair RM650.

The case must fit my 280x, 2x 3.5" HDD and 1x 2.5" SSD (room for 3x 3.5" HDDs would be ideal) and a standard size PSU. The only other requirement is usb3.0 but that should no longer be an issue. I will not be going water unless I went for an AIO and won't be going for an extreme OC, hoping for something around 4.6ghz.

Fractal Design Node 304 looks interesting and I like that the PSU doesn't hang out the back like some of the CM designs.
I also like the look of the Antec ISK 600.

72541-393752-290.jpg

605980-580997-290.jpg
 
Corsair 380T is a fun case, and surprisingly easy to work in for an itx case, it is bigger then your standard itx, but has a handle for easy portability, and great cooling.
 
The Corsair 250D looks OK, but the 380T does not match my taste.
 
I owned the Antec ISK 600 and I have to say there are some SERIOUS design flaws. Specifically, there are no vents right next to where the GPU would intake air. Unless you've got a reference blower cooler on the 280x, stay away from the ISK 600. The GPU will get insanely hot and the case will rattle as the GPU fan is millimeters away from the edge.

I transplanted my build in the ISK 600 to the Ncase M1 and I couldn't be happier.
 
@Siba - NCase M1 is a ridiculous price, especially to get one in the UK.

@jb1 - that is a pity because the ISK 600 is a really nice looking.
 
Siba said:
...NCase M1?
Click to expand...
I think the OP's requirement for an ATX PSU + long GPU excludes the M1 from consideration. However, it looks like the specific model - the Corsair RM650 - also excludes the Node 304 and (possibly) the ISK 600. From Fractal Design's site:

Node 304 product page said:
"ATX PSUs, up to 160mm in length (To fit in combination with a long graphics card, PSUs with modular connectors on the back typically need to be shorter than 160 mm)"
Click to expand...

The RM650 is 160mm long and modular, so will conflict with the 280x. This is a typical limitation of ITX cases with a front-mounted PSU, so it wouldn't surprise me if it's also an issue in the ISK 600.
 
That is a pity, in did not expect the length of my PSU to be an issue.
 
Corsair 250D is the way I went and I can't be more satisfied. Installed an H100i with no problems!
 
silk186 said:
@Siba - NCase M1 is a ridiculous price, especially to get one in the UK.

@jb1 - that is a pity because the ISK 600 is a really nice looking.
Click to expand...

If you're willing to drill some holes in the side of the aluminum case for GPU intake I think it would be fine! One plus with this case is that it does have plenty of room for 3.5 inch hard drives and yes, it does look nice :)
 
Unfortunately due to studying in the UK for the next few years I won't have access to tools until I return to Canada.

The Corsair 250D is more than I wanted to spend. I could consider swapping my PSU but that seems like a lot of trouble.
 
How about the Thermaltake Core V1? It isn't the smallest ITX case, but hits most of your bullet points.
Supports graphics cards up to 285mm (11.2").
Supports longer PSUs.
Vent holes all along the graphics card.
Big fan in front.
Holds all your drives.

Biggest issue is 140mm CPU cooler height.
 
Don't know about Antec, but FD Node 304 will be a problem with that GPU and PSU combination.
Peripheral cables will conflict with the GPU:

psu_rear.jpg
 
the Thermaltake Core V1 looks suitable.
It just needs to be small enough to take on the plane as a carry on.
 
Hi, you may want to checkout my coolcube AIR mod; fits your needs (2x 3,5" hdd on the bottom, ssd taped to the top) and is way smaller than most cases seen here. I run an i5 3570k at 4.2Ghz, but an easily push to 4.8 on air with that setup.
EDIT: just saw the MSI Card: this one would NOT fit.
 
Last edited:
Apathy_Enthusiast said:
Mini-ITX with full length 2x slot GPU, 3x 3.5" HDD + 1x 2.5" SSD boot drive, ATX PSU, 120mm PWM fan, but doesn't take full height CPU coolers

http://www.sliger.com/includes/products/sm/sm-6100/2.png[/IM]
[IMG]http://www.sliger.com/includes/products/sm/sm-6100/7.png[/IM][/QUOTE]

So if anyone else is wondering what this case is called, it's a [URL="http://sliger.com/chassis/mini_tower/sm-6100/"]Sliger SM6100[/URL]. Unfortunately, I can only find it for sale at [URL="http://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/SM-6100-Mini-ITX-Cube-Case_50012379578.html"]Alibaba[/URL], 10 piece minimum. I can't find any reviews of this case.
Click to expand...
 
it isnt' a very attractive case and doesn't look like it will have good cooling. My ideal ITX case would fit 3x3.5" HDD + 1x2.5" SSD but I think that is asking too much.

Right now I'm down to the corsiar 250D and thermalteck core V!. I was also looking at the Silverstone Sugo SG13 but I think it only fits 1x3.5" HDD.
 
I also wanted an ITX case that fit an ATX PSU and full-size GPU, and bought an Inwin 901. It's not the most compact ITX case, but the narrower form factor vs a cube works for me. It's also drop-dead gorgeous in person. I'm waiting for Skylake and AMD's new videocards before I use it for a build, but I'm looking forward to getting rid of my Corsair 650D.
 
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