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Small/Light ATX case for school

R

rmnoon

Limp Gawd
Joined
Mar 13, 2004
Messages
137
I'm trying to move mys system from a massive antec 1080AMG into a smaller and lighter case that I can easily take with me to northwern California (to Stanford) and back for breaks (I live in Ohio). So far I've come up with these tenuous truths:

-Although a SFF would be nice, I'm kind of on a budget and I can't find a SFF that would maintain my current overclock without modding at a cool temperature. I've already got the DFI NF2 board...it's a nice board, and I'd like to keep using it...so whatever case I get would need to support its ATX form factor.

-I've got the existing 430 watt PS from 1080AMG...so the case coming with a power supply is unnecessary.

-I don't want my roommate to hate my computer...this means gaudy lights and loud noise are a no-no. It needs to be on all the time (even while sleeping).

-I'm going to be flying to and fro...I don't want to check my case because those bastards will drop and kick it. I know from experience you CAN take a case carry-on, you just need to make sure you get an overhead bin for it. So it needs to be as small/light as possible for travel... I'd like to take it with me on breaks.

-Price is a constraint...I'd say nothing more than 130.

My thoughts:

I don't care if its a desktop or tower as long as it fits into the above criteria. I've looked at the Coolermaster Cavalier desktop cases, but they're not exactly small. I've also looked at the Super Lanboy. I'd hafta disable the front lighted fan. I'm not a big fan of the front bezel, it looks silly to me, but I'd go with it if it was the best idea. If you would recommend this case to me would you also kindly recommend some replacement fans or air filter material?

I've always trusted hardforum to unconfuse and clarify my perception based on the current computer component scene and you guys have never let me down. Anything you've got I'd appreciate. I'm sure I'm not the first person to be in this situation.
 
For your roommate's sake, turn your computer off when you go to sleep. I have the Antec grey solution series which is the same size as the LANBoy but made of steel instead of aluminium. It's not particulary light but with a gear grip it isn't very cumbersome owing to its small size and it fits very nicely in the overheads whenever I take it on a plane.
 
Off-topic: Congrats on Stanford! You'll love California weather.

The Antec Sonata or one of their solution series are a nice compromise.
 
i'd really try to get a school grant to get a laptop if you're going to be traveling so much. you'll break your PC on and off planes pretty easily and it will be a big pain in the ass.

if you can't do that i'd say get a small silverstone case and try to stuff everything in it. one of their flat desktop cases would probably be easier to transport than a huge ATX box.
 
tsn | spazz said:
Off-topic: Congrats on Stanford! You'll love California weather.

The Antec Sonata or one of their solution series are a nice compromise.
Click to expand...

Ditto.

The Solution is actually smaller than the lanboy.

Here is a pdf comparing all the Antec cases:
http://www.antec.com/pdf/CaseComparison.pdf


Solution series case in black:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811129150

As for replacement fans....go with the YateLoons from Jab-tech.com:
http://www.jab-tech.com/customer/product.php?productid=3009&cat=81&page=1
 
Thanks for all of the advice.

I was thinking about the new TX640B antec case. I don't really need a new power supply seeing as I've got my old 430 from the 1080AMG. This was a major selling point of the lanboy, that and the fact that it comes with a carrying strap. Perhaps the aluminum might not be durable enough for lugging across the country, though. As long as it fits into an overhead bin I don't care how big it is, and I have a feeling one way or another I'll be buying a carrying strap so steel vs. aluminum weight isn't a huge factor either.

With the 640B I guess the critical differences are neglible from the 1650b...instead of one side duct you get two side fan mounts. The 3.5 inch bays look shadier on the 640b. I guess I just like the bezel better, so maybe that 35 dollar price difference is better spent on the carrying strap and good fans.

One other thing, right now on my AMG I have the infamously massive MCX462-v by swiftech coupled with a tornado. I'd obviously replace the tornado with something better (something from the previously added link in the other post?), but will the MCX even fit into a minitower? Anyone tried this? Will its weight pose a substantial danger in transit due to that crappy bedamned Socket A retention mechanism?

Any and all ideas are heartily welcomed.

Thanks for the congrats, I don't know how I got in, or how I'm going to pay for it. Lucky I'm poor and got good financial aid.
 
I also kinda abhore the traditional drive cage mounts in both minitowers...I have a 9800pro and in my current AMG I have to remove it if I want to add or remove a hard drive. Major bummer.
 
If the mcx fits on your motherboard, I don't see how it wouldn't fit in your case.

The only areas of trouble would be the powersupply and how close that sits to the motherboard.

what other thread are you talking about by the way?
 
the issue i would worry about is whether they would let you on a plane with a computer. they would look suspicious to a security officer at an airport.
 
my dad took his desktop on a plane once, they didn't have a problem with it. i was wondering if the mcx's heaviness would make it impossible to safely transport via carrying strap. can anyone recommend a good mostly aluminum (or somehow lighter copper) heatsink for socket A? I wasn't referring to another thread but rather a previous post with a fan link from jabtech.

cheers
 
Gratz on stanford... I also reccomend antec... also if u buy an antec case (all except for thier micro atx desktops) you wont have to downgrade to micro atx(wont have to buy new mobo ect)
 
I have a SuperLanBoy, great case. I'm not a fan of the lighted fans, so I put the lighted one in the back of the case, and the non lighted one up front(Required a little bit of rewiring). Illuminates the components, but isnt intrusive like before. As for filters, on the cheap, put a chrome grille on the front of the case, and put a used drier sheet in front of the grille, and put the blue cover back on. On the $5 extra dollar level, get one of the 120MM filters that uses a foam filter, buy some longer screws for the front, and attach that.

Also, dont worry about the heatsink, just take it off. Might also consider taking the video card out, just in case.
 
thanks a lot for the advice...any other suggestions? as it stands I think I'm gonna go with the lanboy with some modifications purchased from jabtech (panaflo 92mm for the mcx...the tornado must go). any suggestions on filters from there?
 
can that foam be taken out and cleaned? what about their aluminum colored models?
 
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