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Simple, Solid good looking mini-itx case

robytoberts
By robytoberts
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Posted

I've currently got a system built in a evga hadron air. It was a massive pain in the a** to build in but I'm pretty happy with it now - it's tiny and looks really nice. 

 

However I'm thinking of grabbing a new graphics card, which is going to push the power consumption a little closer to the 500w power supply limit than I'm comfortable with. I can't upgrade the PSU as the hadron has a weird server power supply unit, which means I'm gonna need to find a new case. Was hoping to get some recommendations from you lovely people. 

 

 

I'd like:

  • Room for a full size graphics card (I don't mind if that means using a riser)
  • Clean, simple looks (just a neat black box, maybe a window but no weird 'gamer' features or unnecessary rgb)
  • Robustness (I move around a lot and don't want to worry about throwing it in the back of a car)
  • As small as possible

that's pretty much it. I'm very unlikely to ever go into water cooling so I don't need tons of space. I basically just want the Hadron air but without the fingerprint magnet front panel and server power supply. 

 

Thanks in advance :)

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Lian li tu150.. even has a carry handle :)

 

Its small minimalistic and easy to work in

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4 hours ago, robytoberts said:

However I'm thinking of grabbing a new graphics card, which is going to push the power consumption a little closer to the 500w power supply limit than I'm comfortable with. I can't upgrade the PSU as the hadron has a weird server power supply unit, which means I'm gonna need to find a new case. Was hoping to get some recommendations from you lovely people. 

What's your full system specs? Case Budget? Shopping Location (country)?

"Put as much effort into your question as you'd expect someone to give in an answer"- @Princess Luna

Make sure to Quote posts or tag the person with @[username] so they know you responded to them!

 RGB Build Post 2019 --- Rainbow 🦆 2020 --- Velka 5 V2.0 Build 2021

Purple Build Post ---  Blue Build Post --- Blue Build Post 2018 --- Project ITNOS

CPU i7-4790k    Motherboard Gigabyte Z97N-WIFI    RAM G.Skill Sniper DDR3 1866mhz    GPU EVGA GTX1080Ti FTW3    Case Corsair 380T   

Storage Samsung EVO 250GB, Samsung EVO 1TB, WD Black 3TB, WD Black 5TB    PSU Corsair CX750M    Cooling Cryorig H7 with NF-A12x25

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1 hour ago, TVwazhere said:

What's your full system specs? Case Budget? Shopping Location (country)?

At the moment I've got a 4th gen i5 running, graphics card is as yet unpurchased so couldn't say but I've my eye on the sapphire RX 590 special edition. Storage is currently a single ssd and a laptop HDD but I'm gonna migrate the HDD over to an ssd so will be max 2 sata ssds. Budget is probably £120 absolute max and country is UK :)

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5 hours ago, richie30 said:

Lian li tu150.. even has a carry handle :)

 

Its small minimalistic and easy to work in

That's pretty much perfect! you had any experience building in one?

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3 minutes ago, robytoberts said:

At the moment I've got a 4th gen i5 running, graphics card is as yet unpurchased so couldn't say but I've my eye on the sapphire RX 590 special edition. Storage is currently a single ssd and a laptop HDD but I'm gonna migrate the HDD over to an ssd so will be max 2 sata ssds. Budget is probably £120 absolute max and country is UK :)

The TU-150 is a good ITX case, and can hold fairly beefy hardware, but if you're going for as small as possible, you can get cases like the Fractal Design Node 202 or the Silverstone ML08 which are about 35% smaller, but can still hold full sized GPU's and a couple of 2.5" SSD/HDD's. So it really comes down to what you value in a SFF case.

"Put as much effort into your question as you'd expect someone to give in an answer"- @Princess Luna

Make sure to Quote posts or tag the person with @[username] so they know you responded to them!

 RGB Build Post 2019 --- Rainbow 🦆 2020 --- Velka 5 V2.0 Build 2021

Purple Build Post ---  Blue Build Post --- Blue Build Post 2018 --- Project ITNOS

CPU i7-4790k    Motherboard Gigabyte Z97N-WIFI    RAM G.Skill Sniper DDR3 1866mhz    GPU EVGA GTX1080Ti FTW3    Case Corsair 380T   

Storage Samsung EVO 250GB, Samsung EVO 1TB, WD Black 3TB, WD Black 5TB    PSU Corsair CX750M    Cooling Cryorig H7 with NF-A12x25

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Yea was easy as pie..

 

I have custom cables which were for another case but they fit perfectly snug.

 

The psu cables go up into the top and down the back to make things nice and can store the extras up here aswell.

 

I dont have a gpu so my h100i is in the bottom. Holds 4 fans comfortably 2 harddrives can be installed 2 2.5 or 1 2.5 1 3.5

 

Just dont handle it with greasy hands it will show but wipes of easily with a screen cleaning spray

 

 

 

 

 

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2 hours ago, robytoberts said:

At the moment I've got a 4th gen i5 running, graphics card is as yet unpurchased so couldn't say but I've my eye on the sapphire RX 590 special edition

 

7 hours ago, robytoberts said:

However I'm thinking of grabbing a new graphics card, which is going to push the power consumption a little closer to the 500w power supply limit than I'm comfortable with.

300 watts is too close to the 500 watt PSU you have? Even my rig doesn't pull 500 watts.

I WILL find your ITX build thread, and I WILL recommend the SIlverstone Sugo SG13B

 

Primary PC:

i7 8086k - EVGA Z370 Classified K - G.Skill Trident Z RGB - WD SN750 - Jedi Order Titan Xp - Hyper 212 Black (with RGB Riing flair) - EVGA G3 650W - dual booting Windows 10 and Linux - Black and green theme, Razer brainwashed me.

Draws 400 watts under max load, for reference.

 

How many watts do I need? ATX 3.0 & PCIe 5.0 spec, PSU misconceptions, protections explained, group reg is bad

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Going to make 2 proposals, one i think is too "Xbox" but maybe okay, other should look decent enough, is very cheap, but not sure about availability in UK

1. Silverstone RVZ03 without the LED plugged in looks reasonable enough, has fantastic thermals, built for full size PSU, and large graphics cards, not easy but easier to build into then Node 202 or Dr Zaber and way cheaper while having better thermals.  I really doubt its subtle enough for what your looking for, but thought i'd mention it though as size (14 liters) vs price vs thermals its one of the best cases out there.

Spoiler

with LEDs off
Image result for rvz03
 

 




2. You said "neat black box" though, not stand-up configuration, so if for some reason the TU-150 somehow isn't available, is pricier then you like, or you decide 20% size difference between 19.9 liters is a big deal compared to the 23.75 liters dimensions of TU-150, see if the Cougar QBX and Cougar QBX Kaze (mesh version) appeal to you since they are very cheap(about 50-60 USD$), and have a great layout on account of basically ripping off the Ncase M1 internally, but with more affordable materials like plastics instead of aluminum, also upsized a bit ofc

Picture of QBX Kaze (open mesh version)

Spoiler

Image result for qbx Kaze


I'm going to guess you are like me and wish the NCase M1 had better availability and a better price, for that reason, it might not be as minimalist but if i could go ITX (i wanted to, but M-ATX was just way simpler,cheaper) and was budget conscious i'd go with either of the above. 


Overall i agree with others the TU-150 is pretty good call if the price isn't too high, size too large, or availability isn't issue, but thought i should mention these two as they are both standouts for ITX imo that many people ignore. 

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I agree the qbx is a solid choice aswell. Only niggle is psu.. has to be under 140mm in length and best havin a modular one.. a sfx also allows more room to move around inside

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It's discontinued so it may be hard to find, but I have been using the Corsair 250D case for the last 3 years and I love it. It can fit a full length GPU, lot's of hard drives and multiple case fans and it's just a small little black box as you described. My current case has two 3.5 inch hard drives, two 2.5 ssd's and and nvme in it, a single 200mm front fan, two 120mm side fans and two 80mm rear fans. It's a little big for an ITX case, but I've had no problems with carrying it around when needed. 

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On 11/18/2019 at 6:41 PM, TVwazhere said:

The TU-150 is a good ITX case, and can hold fairly beefy hardware, but if you're going for as small as possible, you can get cases like the Fractal Design Node 202 or the Silverstone ML08 which are about 35% smaller, but can still hold full sized GPU's and a couple of 2.5" SSD/HDD's. So it really comes down to what you value in a SFF case.

Thanks for the heads up! I'm not 100% sure if I'm honest - doesn't seem to be anything that quite fits perfectly. I like the size of the Fractal and Silverstone as well as the console style shape but not 100% sold on the aesthetics. Do you know how good the kind of long box style ones are cooling-wise?

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On 11/18/2019 at 6:47 PM, richie30 said:

Yea was easy as pie..

 

I have custom cables which were for another case but they fit perfectly snug.

 

The psu cables go up into the top and down the back to make things nice and can store the extras up here aswell.

 

I dont have a gpu so my h100i is in the bottom. Holds 4 fans comfortably 2 harddrives can be installed 2 2.5 or 1 2.5 1 3.5

 

Just dont handle it with greasy hands it will show but wipes of easily with a screen cleaning spray

 

 

 

 

 

Awesome, thanks for the info!!

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On 11/19/2019 at 11:31 AM, Otto_iii said:

Going to make 2 proposals, one i think is too "Xbox" but maybe okay, other should look decent enough, is very cheap, but not sure about availability in UK

1. Silverstone RVZ03 without the LED plugged in looks reasonable enough, has fantastic thermals, built for full size PSU, and large graphics cards, not easy but easier to build into then Node 202 or Dr Zaber and way cheaper while having better thermals.  I really doubt its subtle enough for what your looking for, but thought i'd mention it though as size (14 liters) vs price vs thermals its one of the best cases out there.

  Reveal hidden contents

with LEDs off
Image result for rvz03
 

 




2. You said "neat black box" though, not stand-up configuration, so if for some reason the TU-150 somehow isn't available, is pricier then you like, or you decide 20% size difference between 19.9 liters is a big deal compared to the 23.75 liters dimensions of TU-150, see if the Cougar QBX and Cougar QBX Kaze (mesh version) appeal to you since they are very cheap(about 50-60 USD$), and have a great layout on account of basically ripping off the Ncase M1 internally, but with more affordable materials like plastics instead of aluminum, also upsized a bit ofc

Picture of QBX Kaze (open mesh version)

  Reveal hidden contents

Image result for qbx Kaze


I'm going to guess you are like me and wish the NCase M1 had better availability and a better price, for that reason, it might not be as minimalist but if i could go ITX (i wanted to, but M-ATX was just way simpler,cheaper) and was budget conscious i'd go with either of the above. 


Overall i agree with others the TU-150 is pretty good call if the price isn't too high, size too large, or availability isn't issue, but thought i should mention these two as they are both standouts for ITX imo that many people ignore. 

Thanks for the in depth info!! I do like the silverstone console type cases but really not a fan of the way they look even with the LED off. I might need to think about what's actually most important to me though, especially as the RVz03 isn't that expensive. 

The cougars are pretty much exaclty what I'm looking for - look really similar to the Hadron but with a 'proper' PSU. Doesn't seem to be much availability at al in the UK but I might have a dig around ebay and see what I can find

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On 11/19/2019 at 5:35 PM, 20_below said:

It's discontinued so it may be hard to find, but I have been using the Corsair 250D case for the last 3 years and I love it. It can fit a full length GPU, lot's of hard drives and multiple case fans and it's just a small little black box as you described. My current case has two 3.5 inch hard drives, two 2.5 ssd's and and nvme in it, a single 200mm front fan, two 120mm side fans and two 80mm rear fans. It's a little big for an ITX case, but I've had no problems with carrying it around when needed. 

I think I remember looking at the 250D when I was first looking for cases! You're right sadly, think it's gonna be hard to find now but might be able to find one on ebay. Thanks for the suggestion!

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On 11/18/2019 at 8:47 PM, Fasauceome said:

 

300 watts is too close to the 500 watt PSU you have? Even my rig doesn't pull 500 watts.

I am probably being a bit over-cautious, PC part picker suggested it would be closer to 400w but admittedly that's probably unlikely to ever happen in real life. Other issue is that the PSU has the world's smallest fan so am slightly worried about noise and thermals if it's towards the higher end of it's wattage. 

 

You're probably right that it would be fine but I have been thinking about semi-upgrading for a while and this seems as good an excuse as any. 

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On 11/24/2019 at 12:21 PM, robytoberts said:

Thanks for the heads up! I'm not 100% sure if I'm honest - doesn't seem to be anything that quite fits perfectly. I like the size of the Fractal and Silverstone as well as the console style shape but not 100% sold on the aesthetics. Do you know how good the kind of long box style ones are cooling-wise?

Cooling in these types of cases are great for the GPU, and pretty good for the CPU. Both the GPU and the low profile CPU tower fans are up against ventilation slots on either side of the case allowing them to draw  in fresh air without the need for additional case fans in the system, however you can still add fans for extra GPU intake depending on the thickness of the GPU. 

 

Node 202 example Build List:

https://pcpartpicker.com/builds/by_part/GsZ2FT

Picture taken at random

249702.3529fa3ff571dbd3490c9813ba439b49.1600.jpg

 

Silverstone ML08 build lists:

https://pcpartpicker.com/builds/by_part/6htWGX (ML08H, has a handle)

https://pcpartpicker.com/builds/by_part/bvfmP6 (ML08, no handle)

 

Silverstone RVZ series build lists:

https://pcpartpicker.com/builds/by_part/MqmxFT

https://pcpartpicker.com/builds/by_part/zmgPxr

https://pcpartpicker.com/builds/by_part/RgVBD3

 

They all have the same concept of having CPU and GPU isolated from one another, so you dont have to worry about them exchanging hot air. 

Edited by TVwazhere
Node 202 name typo

"Put as much effort into your question as you'd expect someone to give in an answer"- @Princess Luna

Make sure to Quote posts or tag the person with @[username] so they know you responded to them!

 RGB Build Post 2019 --- Rainbow 🦆 2020 --- Velka 5 V2.0 Build 2021

Purple Build Post ---  Blue Build Post --- Blue Build Post 2018 --- Project ITNOS

CPU i7-4790k    Motherboard Gigabyte Z97N-WIFI    RAM G.Skill Sniper DDR3 1866mhz    GPU EVGA GTX1080Ti FTW3    Case Corsair 380T   

Storage Samsung EVO 250GB, Samsung EVO 1TB, WD Black 3TB, WD Black 5TB    PSU Corsair CX750M    Cooling Cryorig H7 with NF-A12x25

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On 11/25/2019 at 1:41 PM, TVwazhere said:

Cooling in these types of cases are great for the GPU, and pretty good for the CPU. Both the GPU and the low profile CPU tower fans are up against ventilation slots on either side of the case allowing them to draw  in fresh air without the need for additional case fans in the system, however you can still add fans for extra GPU intake depending on the thickness of the GPU. 

 

Node 2020 example Build List:

https://pcpartpicker.com/builds/by_part/GsZ2FT

Picture taken at random

249702.3529fa3ff571dbd3490c9813ba439b49.1600.jpg

 

Silverstone ML08 build lists:

https://pcpartpicker.com/builds/by_part/6htWGX (ML08H, has a handle)

https://pcpartpicker.com/builds/by_part/bvfmP6 (ML08, no handle)

 

Silverstone RVZ series build lists:

https://pcpartpicker.com/builds/by_part/MqmxFT

https://pcpartpicker.com/builds/by_part/zmgPxr

https://pcpartpicker.com/builds/by_part/RgVBD3

 

They all have the same concept of having CPU and GPU isolated from one another, so you dont have to worry about them exchanging hot air. 

Super helpful man, thankyou! Will be good to take a look at some actual buiilds

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