Inwin 301 or Define mini C TG for my new build?

[FakeAnsatz]

Hi all,

 

I am at the last part of my new pc build shopping list -- the case. I am currently torn between two cases: the inwin 301 and define mini c (the tempered glass version). I initially wanted to go for a mini itx build (and in fact... my mobo is mITX form factor) but the worry of thermal throttling makes me want to take a step back and look for larger case. Could people with either case share their thoughts? I have seen some reviews but none of them has mentioned the cooling performance. In addition, how do their noise levels compare?

 

My specs are given below. I plan to buy a noctua U9s for CPU cooling. The best prices for both cases are as such: Inwin 301 for $70 and define mini c for $100. If I am going for the inwin 301, I probably will buy one or two Noctua fans since it does not come with any.

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 5 2600 3.4 GHz 6-Core Processor  ($159.99 @ Amazon) 
Motherboard: ASRock - B450 GAMING-ITX/AC Mini ITX AM4 Motherboard 
Memory: G.Skill - Sniper X 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory  ($234.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Samsung - 970 Evo 1 TB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive  ($227.99 @ B&H) 
Video Card: Gigabyte - GeForce RTX 2070 8 GB GAMING 8G Video Card  ($529.99 @ Newegg) 
Power Supply: Cooler Master - 550 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($55.00) 
Total: $1207.96
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-11-26 11:08 EST-0500

 

[Mira Yurizaki]

I recommend the Mini C TG. I'm looking at the 301 and I can't for the life of me figure out how it breathes (well) from the front.

[FakeAnsatz]

3 hours ago, M.Yurizaki said:

I recommend the Mini C TG. I'm looking at the 301 and I can't for the life of me figure out how it breathes (well) from the front.

I think the only place for air intake is from the bottom, so I am kind of worried. 

[Mira Yurizaki]

35 minutes ago, FakeAnsatz said:

I think the only place for air intake is from the bottom, so I am kind of worried. 

I figured it was from the side, but even then it's not really ideal.

[orbitalbuzzsaw]

4 hours ago, M.Yurizaki said:

I recommend the Mini C TG. I'm looking at the 301 and I can't for the life of me figure out how it breathes (well) from the front.

It doesn't, more or less. Then again the Mini C isn't the best thing air flow wise either. I'd recommend the Meshify C Mini

[FakeAnsatz]

6 hours ago, OrbitalBuzzsaw said:

It doesn't, more or less. Then again the Mini C isn't the best thing air flow wise either. I'd recommend the Meshify C Mini

I wish the meshify C mini has a flat front XD that's my only complaint against it. Is there a comparison of meshify c mini vs define c mini somewhere? I would like to know the cooling performance difference

[TVwazhere]

10 hours ago, FakeAnsatz said:

I wish the meshify C mini has a flat front XD that's my only complaint against it. Is there a comparison of meshify c mini vs define c mini somewhere? I would like to know the cooling performance difference

It's not that bad tbh. CPU temps suffer a bit but there's little difference for the GPU.

https://www.gamersnexus.net/hwreviews/3061-fractal-meshify-c-review-vs-define-c

 

Note that this is the ATX versions of both cases, but I've worked with both the Define C TG and Define C Mini TG and the only difference is the slight height difference. In the Define C version I used the R5 1600 with the stock cooler with no additional fans and temps were under 70ºC when gaming when OC'd to 3.8ghz@1.25V. GPU (GTX1060) was also around 70ºC