Case dilemma

[aisle9]

I'm torn between two cases, and I like each a lot but would love to hear some real-world experiences. I have a MicroATX board and will be running an i7-8086K with a GTX 1070 FE. I've already seen and read reviews, just wondering if any of you guys have a basis for comparison for my final decision:

 

Corsair Crystal 280X

Pros:

• Dead sexy
• Tons of cable management room
• Compact height
• Cube case
• Very easy to build in

Cons:

• Thermals. Terrible thermals, especially for a cube case, and terrible airflow that causes them
• Pricier, will end up costing me around $100
• Wider stature by virtue of its being a cube

Inwin 301

Pros:

• Dead sexy
• Slim, very compact case
• Looks and feels premium, but costs about $70
• Hinged TG panel instead of thumbscrews--you have no idea how important this is

Cons:

• Horrific thermals and the most bonkers airflow design I've ever seen, forcing you to give up your bottom PCIe slot if you want inflow air
• Cable management involves tying all your stuff together and shoving it into the main airflow channel on the entire case
• Proper cable management requires you to literally break the case

Has anyone out there used both of these? I'm not 100% sure that either of these is the best case for me--that's probably the O11 Dynamic Mini, but the only SFX PSU I have is 450W, and that's cutting it very close on the CPU/GPU combination I have. I'm not buying a $100 PowerSpec 650W SFX PSU from Micro Center just so I can spend another $100 on a case. I do know that I'm not a huge fan of my Thermaltake H18 Versa TG, and I figure with a new motherboard arriving today so I can press my 8086K back into action, now's as good a time as any to replace it.

[Radium_Angel]

3 minutes ago, aisle9 said:

Thermals. Terrible thermals, especially for a cube case, and terrible airflow that causes them

That would be a deal breaker for me right there.

I sort of inherited a CoolerMaster ITX case that has got to have the worst thermals in any case I've ever run across, and it really limited what I could do with the system.

If you are constantly fighting heat-related issues, you will not enjoy your system as much.

[Narasjc]

I don't have either of these cases but If you think both look nice, then my advice is to go with the one with better thermals. Are you going air or water? 

 

Also, maybe consider the nzxt 510. Pretty close in size, retains the same styling, and is les than half the price of the corsair. 

[aisle9]

9 minutes ago, Radium_Angel said:

That would be a deal breaker for me right there.

I sort of inherited a CoolerMaster ITX case that has got to have the worst thermals in any case I've ever run across, and it really limited what I could do with the system.

If you are constantly fighting heat-related issues, you will not enjoy your system as much.

This is something I keep coming back to. They both look amazing, but what good is looking amazing if my CPU and GPU are always running hot and loud at stock because there’s virtually no airflow?

 

What really kills me is that the 280X is the successor to the legendary Air 240, even using the same chassis. And somehow airflow is terrible.

7 minutes ago, Narasjc said:

I don't have either of these cases but If you think both look nice, then my advice is to go with the one with better thermals. Are you going air or water? 

 

Air. Thermals appear to suck on both either way.

[Analog]

I got the InWin 101C, which is the bigger variant of the 301, for my wife's rig. She loves the design, thermals are pretty good. Fyi, her rig also has an mATX board. Because of how the case internals are it doesn't look weird, especially if you put in a vertical GPU mount. Might be worth checking out the 101C as well. 

[Radium_Angel]

7 minutes ago, aisle9 said:

but what good is looking amazing if my CPU and GPU are always running hot

Which will also shorten their life potentially. I'd go good thermals over pretty case any day (I also have a Phantekx Evolv Shift, IMO the most beautiful cases ever made, but getting the thermals under control required a LOT of tinkering. I mean a TON of work)

There are tons of great cases out there, I'd keep looking if it were me. Never again will I go with looks over thermals.

[aisle9]

3 minutes ago, Radium_Angel said:

Which will also shorten their life potentially. I'd go good thermals over pretty case any day (I also have a Phantekx Evolv Shift, IMO the most beautiful cases ever made, but getting the thermals under control required a LOT of tinkering. I mean a TON of work)

There are tons of great cases out there, I'd keep looking if it were me. Never again will I go with looks over thermals.

Despite looking like ass, my current case has amazing thermals.

 

... There’s always the Core V21. I loved that damn case, even if it is freaking gigantic by ATX standards.

[Radium_Angel]

1 minute ago, aisle9 said:

Despite looking like ass, my current case has amazing thermals.

 

... There’s always the Core V21. I loved that damn case, even if it is freaking gigantic by ATX standards.

So, aside from Thermals, what's next most important on your shopping list? 

[aisle9]

Just now, Radium_Angel said:

So, aside from Thermals, what's next most important on your shopping list? 

Compact size. I stayed mATX because I don’t want a massive tower these days.

[Radium_Angel]

2 minutes ago, aisle9 said:

Compact size. I stayed mATX because I don’t want a massive tower these days.

I understand.

 

Can I interest you in my Phanteks Evolv Shift? 

On a more serious note, the thermals are so bad on this system, that they re-designed it and called it the "Shift Air" by removing the tempered glasss panels, and replacing them with mesh screens, and there exists a 3rd party company that will CNC the front panel to provide better airflow...

 

...but oh those looks....

 

Anyway, let me bounce around some places and see if I can't find some solid options for you

[Radium_Angel]

24 minutes ago, aisle9 said:

Compact size. I stayed mATX because I don’t want a massive tower these days.

Have you considered an "open air" design? Some real lookers out there

https://www.xtia.com.cn/

and the Shift Air (not an open air design, but interesting all the same)

https://www.phanteks.com/Enthoo-Evolv-Shift-Air.html

 

[Mick Naughty]

I’d get the cube. Always. Prefer the older series before they blocked everything with glass. I’d take the hit on thermals as I would be making a custom loop in it anyway. 

[aisle9]

4 hours ago, Radium_Angel said:

Have you considered an "open air" design? Some real lookers out there

https://www.xtia.com.cn/

and the Shift Air (not an open air design, but interesting all the same)

https://www.phanteks.com/Enthoo-Evolv-Shift-Air.html

 

Open air’s not so much my thing. I really like cubes out compact cases, and I really did love my old Core V21, but those cases are just too damn expensive for what they are right now.

4 hours ago, Mick Naughty said:

I’d get the cube. Always. Prefer the older series before they blocked everything with glass. I’d take the hit on thermals as I would be making a custom loop in it anyway. 

I do love cubes. But that airflow though. That’s the only thing stopping me right now.

[Radium_Angel]

54 minutes ago, aisle9 said:

Open air’s not so much my thing. I really like cubes out compact cases, and I really did love my old Core V21, but those cases are just too damn expensive for what they are right now.

Absolutely valid! All good, I was just throwing some basic ideas out for ya.no worries. I'll keep poking about

[Middcore]

If you want a well-designed, not overly expensive mATX case with good airflow, I suggest the Meshify C Mini.

[thrasher_565]

the o11 ticks all the boxes thow its not quiet an cube case.

[aisle9]

1 hour ago, Middcore said:

If you want a well-designed, not overly expensive mATX case with good airflow, I suggest the Meshify C Mini.

Except that the Meshify C Mini is basically a mid tower. Fractal painted themselves into a weird corner, with the Meshify C being small for a mid tower as is. As far as ATX mid towers go, I have never loved one as much as I loved my old Meshify C

[Middcore]

47 minutes ago, aisle9 said:

Except that the Meshify C Mini is basically a mid tower. Fractal painted themselves into a weird corner, with the Meshify C being small for a mid tower as is. As far as ATX mid towers go, I have never loved one as much as I loved my old Meshify C

 

It's a couple inches shorter than the Meshify C. Your argument is one of the main arguments against mATX in general: that it isn't so much smaller than full ATX to offer a meaningful space savings so you may as well either get the benefits of full ATX or go "all the way" on compactness with ITX.

 

Nevertheless, he already said he wanted mATX, and of the two cases he already mentioned, the Meshify C Mini is approximately the same size as the 301 while being taller yet with a smaller footprint than the 280X, and offering superior airflow potential to either. 

 

Options for truly dinky mATX cases are few, and the most readily available ones like the Q300L certainly won't be a good choice for a person worried about airflow. 

[thrasher_565]

41 minutes ago, Middcore said:

 

It's a couple inches shorter than the Meshify C. Your argument is one of the main arguments against mATX in general: that it isn't so much smaller than full ATX to offer a meaningful space savings so you may as well either get the benefits of full ATX or go "all the way" on compactness with ITX.

 

Nevertheless, he already said he wanted mATX, and of the two cases he already mentioned, the Meshify C Mini is approximately the same size as the 301 while being taller yet with a smaller footprint than the 280X, and offering superior airflow potential to either. 

 

Options for truly dinky mATX cases are few, and the most readily available ones like the Q300L certainly won't be a good choice for a person worried about airflow. 

shorter cases dont offany space saving once so ever... its not like you pay a air tax above you case when it gets too tall...man i love  the tiny case people...

[Middcore]

1 minute ago, thrasher_565 said:

shorter cases dont offany space saving once so ever... its not like you pay a air tax above you case when it gets too tall...man i love  the tiny case people...

Depending on a person's desk setup, a shorter case might actually be beneficial or even necessary. Or perhaps he just finds large cases unsightly.

 

I love how multiple people have now chosen to argue with me about mATX cases though when I'm merely following what the OP said he wants. Usually people in PC enthusiast communities at least have the good grace to tell the OP himself or herself "No, what you want is wrong, and here's why because I know more than you."

[thrasher_565]

2 minutes ago, Middcore said:

Depending on a person's desk setup, a shorter case might actually be beneficial or even necessary. Or perhaps he just finds large cases unsightly.

 

I love how multiple people have now chosen to argue with me about mATX cases though when I'm merely following what the OP said he wants. Usually people in PC enthusiast communities at least have the good grace to tell the OP himself or herself "No, what you want is wrong, and here's why because I know more than you."

the op said nothing about there desk or how much space they have. besides the fatter cube case would take up more room then stander case even if there taller. ya if you need to fit your case in a shelf or under the desk height might be a problem but just have it sit on top i disagree. ya some people dont like big case that fine. same with people not liking small case too.

[aisle9]

1 hour ago, Middcore said:

 

It's a couple inches shorter than the Meshify C. Your argument is one of the main arguments against mATX in general: that it isn't so much smaller than full ATX to offer a meaningful space savings so you may as well either get the benefits of full ATX or go "all the way" on compactness with ITX.

 

Nevertheless, he already said he wanted mATX, and of the two cases he already mentioned, the Meshify C Mini is approximately the same size as the 301 while being taller yet with a smaller footprint than the 280X, and offering superior airflow potential to either. 

 

Options for truly dinky mATX cases are few, and the most readily available ones like the Q300L certainly won't be a good choice for a person worried about airflow. 

Well, I mean, for one, I am the OP you’re referring to, so I have a pretty good idea of what I’m looking for.

 

I hate having big, tall towers on my desk when there are smaller boxes that look better and don’t dwarf everything else in the room. I also just really like cube cases, always have. My current case is a Thermaltake Versa H18 TG, and while I’m not thrilled with its looks, its airflow is outstanding for a “small” case.

38 minutes ago, thrasher_565 said:

shorter cases dont offany space saving once so ever... its not like you pay a air tax above you case when it gets too tall...man i love  the tiny case people...

I hate towers that are twice as tall as anything else on my desk. I like smaller packages that hold all the hardware I need. That’s 75% of it right there.

[thrasher_565]

7 minutes ago, aisle9 said:

Well, I mean, for one, I am the OP you’re referring to, so I have a pretty good idea of what I’m looking for.

 

I hate having big, tall towers on my desk when there are smaller boxes that look better and don’t dwarf everything else in the room. I also just really like cube cases, always have. My current case is a Thermaltake Versa H18 TG, and while I’m not thrilled with its looks, its airflow is outstanding for a “small” case.

I hate towers that are twice as tall as anything else on my desk. That’s 75% of it right there.

sounds good to me.

 

i mean your looking for something that is cheap. small and a cube with good air flow...sounds too good to be true im not an expert at small case so i want commit anymore.

[chimimoryo]

https://www.silverstonetek.com/product_case.php?bno=34&tb=2&area=en

 

I'd recommend checking out mATX line up from silverstone. The ps15pro might be exactly what you're looking for.