I am looking to mount my PC under a new standing desk, however the mount only holds a PC that is between 3.75 to 8.25 inches (9.5 to 20.9 cm) wide. Right now I have an NZXT H200 that is 8.27 inches (21 cm) wide. While I could probably make this fit by shaving a mm off the mount's padding, I am also having issues associated with my now out of warranty STRIX z370-i motherboard. Since I am likely going to have to replace my motherboard it would make for a good time to get a new case that better fits under my desk.
I am having a really hard time finding a case that is narrow enough for this mount.
What recommendations do you all have?
Here is my attempt to predict follow-up questions.
While I like the small form factor of the mITX cases, I am not married to that form factor, and since it will be out of the way I am less pressed to for a lower volume case. I am willing to move up in case size if it will fit in the desk mount:
3.75 to 8.25 inches (9.5 to 20.9 cm) wide
12 - 20.5 inches (30.48 - 52 cm) tall
50 lbs (22.67 kg)
Fitting in the PC in the mount is my biggest concern right now, but if beggars can be choosers I would also say:
My existing components:
One optical drive bay or none
I rarely use my OD, but it is an internal blu ray in an external case
I eat up storage, right now I have:
One m.2 (boot)
Two 2.5" SSDs
One internal 3.5" HDD + m.2 Optane
Two internal 3.5" HDD in external USB 3.1 gen 1 cases
I would love these to be inside the case...
My GPU is 289 mm long with an AIO 120 mm radiator
EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti FTW3 HYBRID GAMING, 11G-P4-6698-KR
11.37 x 5.06 inches (289 x 128.5 mm)
My CPU is cooled with a 240 mm AIO NZXT radiator
I might consider replacing this with a new AIO radiator, if it made sense
I prioritize lower temperatures over lower noise
It will be under the desk, so I expect an additional barrier for the noise
No acrylic windows (glass or no window is fine)
In my experience acrylic windows make noise as temps change
The sound acrylic makes annoys me and I don't want to risk it
I would really like front USB C and / or USB 3.1 Gen 2
I have a MacBook Pro, so I have been moving to USB C peripherals.
I wouldn't use front audio
Easy to access and easy to clean intake filters
I have a phantek case that requires removing both side panels to access the front filter. Drives me nuts.
We have cats...
RGB: Don't care... but...
I have iCue (Corsair) compatible keyboard, mouse, and RAM.
I am testing the Logitech wireless mouse and keyboard FLOW (PC/Mac) feature so the Corsair peripherals may be replaced.
My workflow is pushing the need for more RAM, so that too may be replaced eventually
My Asus motherboard has Aura Sync and it has trouble remembering to shut off at shutdown.
NZXT's CAM software is fine, but I wouldn't run it if I replace my CPU radiator.
Budget... I am not going to provide one
I expect a lot of discounts/sales over the next few months
There can be other factors that justifiably impact price and I don't want to rule out a case because of something like material quality or low production numbers.
Dreaming...
After a long, long time I am about to get my DVM degree, so being able to etch / sticker the Aesculapian V rod on the case would make me oh so happy.