Mini ITX LAN Party PC Cases

[Probably Alex]

Looking to buy a case for a new mini ITX build, and could use some recommendations.

 

Portability is the name of the game here, so the smaller the better. 

I have an old 240mm AIO I'd like to re-purpose for this build, but fitting a 240mm rad isn't a hard requirement.

 

I'd like to stay around the $100 price range.

I was originally looking at these.
NZXT H210
BitFenix Prodigy

Phanteks Enthoo Evolv ITX

 

Any feedback on the above cases, or any other options I should consider would be appreciated!

[Velcade]

How about the FD Core 500?  It has room for your 240mm rad.  If this is a portable case I'd stay away from tempered glass. 

[Probably Alex]

37 minutes ago, Velcade said:

How about the FD Core 500?  It has room for your 240mm rad.  If this is a portable case I'd stay away from tempered glass. 

I like this option, very cheap too. And yeah, I don't WANT a tempered glass side, but they stick them on damn near everything these days - finding decent options without one can be challenging.

[SPARTAN VI]

2 hours ago, Probably Alex said:

Looking to buy a case for a new mini ITX build, and could use some recommendations.

 

Portability is the name of the game here, so the smaller the better. 

I have an old 240mm AIO I'd like to re-purpose for this build, but fitting a 240mm rad isn't a hard requirement.

 

I'd like to stay around the $100 price range.

I was originally looking at these.
NZXT H210
BitFenix Prodigy

Phanteks Enthoo Evolv ITX

 

Any feedback on the above cases, or any other options I should consider would be appreciated!

Of those three cases, I'm leaning toward the BitFenix case, especially if those handles on the front can actually bear the weight of a completed build. I have two of the Phanteks Enthoo EVOLV ITX cases: one is the original steel case and the other is the tempered glass "TG" version (i.e. the one linked above). I wouldn't get either of these (Steel or TG) for portability, especially the one with a glass side panel. The Enthoo EVOLV ITX is about versatility and flexibility, not portability:

• The case is relatively big for an ITX case, but it affords a lot of flexibility (e.g. custom loop) because of its size.
• The EVOLV TG case does not include a 200mm front intake fan, that's another $15 USD.
• The EVOLV TG case has a tempered glass side panel, which would attract a lot of finger prints when handling but also be concerning to transport.

Here's my Enthoo EVOLV TG with a Kraken G12 on a RTX 2070S, one of the many luxuries this larger case affords. But don't let the size fool you, it's still relatively heavy:

 

In my experience building nothing but ITX cases over the last year, two cases come to mind for ease of portability:

 

1. Cougar QBX
2. Silverstone Raven RVZ03 (or RVZ02)

The QBX is probably my favorite case of all time. It's so small, yet can accept a 2.5 slot video card up to 350mm in length, has a mounting tray for a 120mm or 240mm AIO, and a number of 2.5" and 3.5" slots (depending on AIO choice). They go in and out of stock, but they're a steal at $60-70 USD. Here's my QBX build demonstrating the AIO and 2.5/3.5" mounting tray with a thicc Asus Cerberus GTX 1070 Ti:

 

 

 

 

The RVZ03 or RVZ02 are a decent slim tower option, but lacks the flexibility of the QBX while clinching that sleek profile aesthetic. My only issue with the RVZ02 is that it cannot accept an AIO, but that's been alleviated with the RVZ03. Here's the internals of my RVZ02 build from 3 years ago.

 

 

 

 

[Probably Alex]

30 minutes ago, SPARTAN VI said:

1. Cougar QBX
2. Silverstone Raven RVZ03 (or RVZ02)

The QBX is probably my favorite case of all time. It's so small, yet can accept a 2.5 slot video card up to 350mm in length, has a mounting tray for a 120mm or 240mm AIO, and a number of 2.5" and 3.5" slots (depending on AIO choice). They go in and out of stock, but they're a steal at $60-70 USD. Here's my QBX build demonstrating the AIO and 2.5/3.5" mounting tray with a thicc Asus Cerberus GTX 1070 Ti:

That Cougar QBX looks really compelling, especially because it's $55 on NewEgg right now. How important do you think having an SFX PSU would be for that case?

[SPARTAN VI]

26 minutes ago, Probably Alex said:

That Cougar QBX looks really compelling, especially because it's $55 on NewEgg right now. How important do you think having an SFX PSU would be for that case?

Modular or semi-modular for sure if you go full-sized ATX. It does depend on how much stuff you plan to cram into there, so a SFX PSU will make a tight situation quite a bit more manageable, but if you're not using a 240mm AIO, 2+ storage drives, etc. you can get by with a full-sized ATX PSU. It actually does have cable management channels in the back, unlike the RVZ02. If you can swing a SFX power supply (like the Silverstone 600W SFX series), then I'd absolutely recommend that route.

 

Do note that the QBX has more urgent compatibility considerations for the PSU. The QBX uses an integrated pass through power cable, so if the PSU's AC socket orientation is angled as pictured below, then the pass through cable wont be able to bend into place:

 

 

(Edit) Most importantly, if you get the Cougar QBX, remove the Cougar sticker on the front. 

[Probably Alex]

7 minutes ago, SPARTAN VI said:

Modular or semi-modular for sure if you go full-sized ATX. It does depend on how much stuff you plan to cram into there, so a SFX PSU will make a tight situation quite a bit more manageable, but if you're not using an AIO, 2+ storage drives, etc. you can get by with a full-sized ATX PSU. It actually does have cable management channels in the back, unlike the RVZ02. If you can swing a SFX power supply (like the Silverstone 600W SFX series), then I'd absolutely recommend that route.

 

Do note that the QBX has more urgent compatibility considerations for the PSU. The QBX uses an integrated pass through power cable, so if the PSU's AC socket orientation is angled as pictured below, then the pass through cable wont be able to bend into place:

I'm only using a single m.2 for storage, maybe a SATA SSD in the future, but def no HDDs. The current PSU I have left over from an older build is a semi-modular full ATX 750W. It has the correct orientation according to their diagram, so I'm good there... but it's about 5 years old at this point, so upgrading it is probably a good idea regardless of fitment.

[SPARTAN VI]

3 minutes ago, Probably Alex said:

I'm only using a single m.2 for storage, maybe a SATA SSD in the future, but def no HDDs. The current PSU I have left over from an older build is a semi-modular full ATX 750W. It has the correct orientation according to their diagram, so I'm good there... but it's about 5 years old at this point, so upgrading it is probably a good idea regardless of fitment.

Sounds like you're in good shape then if you decide on the QBX. No 2.5/3.5" drives allows you to use the entire tray for a 240mm AIO (with a single 120mm fan), which is UNREAL in a case this size. Can you tell that I love the QBX? 

[Vejnemojnen]

@Fasauceome

 

It's hightime . 

[Probably Alex]

20 minutes ago, SPARTAN VI said:

Sounds like you're in good shape then if you decide on the QBX. No 2.5/3.5" drives allows you to use the entire tray for a 240mm AIO (with a single 120mm fan), which is UNREAL in a case this size. Can you tell that I love the QBX? 

Really looking forward to building in this thing!

 

[Fasauceome]

Just now, Probably Alex said:

Really looking forward to building in this thing!

 

Shux, looks like I'm too late

[Vejnemojnen]

3 hours ago, Probably Alex said:

Looking to buy a case for a new mini ITX build, and could use some recommendations.

 

Portability is the name of the game here, so the smaller the better. 

I have an old 240mm AIO I'd like to re-purpose for this build, but fitting a 240mm rad isn't a hard requirement.

 

I'd like to stay around the $100 price range.

I was originally looking at these.
NZXT H210
BitFenix Prodigy

Phanteks Enthoo Evolv ITX

 

Any feedback on the above cases, or any other options I should consider would be appreciated!

Have You considered small mATX cases?  SILVERSTONE PS15 PRECISION is about as compact, as a h210 or phanteks enthoo. But offers far superior airflow and greater room. Lacks psu shroud, but still a quality case 

 

Edit : it's irirreleváns now, I've run out of time 

[Probably Alex]

5 minutes ago, Vejnemojnen said:

Edit : it's irirreleváns now, I've run out of time 

 

I looked at a few options in the mATX form factor, but I really wanted to get as small form factor as possible with the mini ITX mobo.

 

7 minutes ago, Fasauceome said:

Shux, looks like I'm too late

 

Sorry I moved pretty quickly, I wanted to jump on it to make sure it'd get shipped here by this Friday so I could try to get it put together this weekend.

[GreenGoose]

I built in an NZXT H200. Very portable. 240mm AIO Rad.

I picked up a used 1080TI SeaHawk *Liquid cooled" for $500

https://pcpartpicker.com/b/kPNQzy

 

 

[Tonberry]

5 hours ago, Probably Alex said:

Really looking forward to building in this thing!

 

I think there are some QBX build log threads in this forum for your reference.