Smallest case for Micro ATX build?

[FRD]

I'm thinking of rebuilding my old PC inside another case. Back then I had a fullsize case with mATX motherboard (I wasn't as knowledgeable about PCs as I am now lol)

Since the motherboard is inside my closet with the CPU and heatsink still on it, instead of disassembling it, I might want to put it inside a smaller case and use it from time to time.

After all it has a great Sandy Bridge Core i7 from that era. It just has a 60GB SSD that was $60 back in the day when they were not common yet.

 

I'm looking for a case that can support a mATX motherboard, 140mm height CPU cooler and ATX PSU.

Airflow is not the main importance, as long as it fits. I prefer it to be as small as possible, so not a normal mATX case if possible. I want something like a SFF/ITX style case, preferably something vertical or square.

Please suggest some cases to me. Doesn't have to be new retail, I can also look for older secondhand cases.

[Alvin853]

170mm of CPU cooler clearance is going to be a problem, not many small cases support coolers that big. The Jonsbo U3 might be able to fit your cooler. If replacing the CPU cooler is an option, you have much more cases to choose from.

[FRD]

3 minutes ago, Alvin853 said:

170mm of CPU cooler clearance is going to be a problem, not many small cases support coolers that big. The Jonsbo U3 might be able to fit your cooler. If replacing the CPU cooler is an option, you have much more cases to choose from.

I rechecked it, it's actually 140mm. Does that give me more options?

That case looks pretty good, a bit harder to find though as it's a Chinese local brand. I see it costs like $80, I prefer something cheaper if I have choices.

[Alvin853]

2 minutes ago, FRD said:

I rechecked it, it's actually 140mm.

140mm may just be the fan, not the total height, do you know the exact model of the cooler? 

 

140mm is still too high for most vertical cases, they expect you to use a top-blowing cooler like stock coolers, not a tower cooler. But pretty much any mini-tower-case will fit a 140mm cooler. AeroCool has some very budget-friendly mini towers, but I don't know if they're available in north america, and they're low build quality. Small cases are not very popular in north america in general, so I don't know what cases you can get at what prices. The SAMA IM01 (also known as Tecware Fusion, Cube Gaming Axel or Inter-Tech IM-1 Pocket, and I think a couple more rebrandings) is another high quality case, but around the same price as the Jonsbo, maybe slightly cheaper. 

[Dogzilla07]

FSP CST 350 Plus is the best option (it's a SAMA IM01 version with a meshfilter open front panel).

[FRD]

8 hours ago, Alvin853 said:

140mm may just be the fan, not the total height, do you know the exact model of the cooler? 

 

140mm is still too high for most vertical cases, they expect you to use a top-blowing cooler like stock coolers, not a tower cooler. But pretty much any mini-tower-case will fit a 140mm cooler. AeroCool has some very budget-friendly mini towers, but I don't know if they're available in north america, and they're low build quality. Small cases are not very popular in north america in general, so I don't know what cases you can get at what prices. The SAMA IM01 (also known as Tecware Fusion, Cube Gaming Axel or Inter-Tech IM-1 Pocket, and I think a couple more rebrandings) is another high quality case, but around the same price as the Jonsbo, maybe slightly cheaper. 

It's a CoolerMaster Hyper 103, before that I always used the Intel stock cooler. I could still use that with some new thermal paste though.

I know that pretty much any Micro ATX case could fit my build easily, yet I was pretty sure that there are smaller cases or at least more to square/with less depth.

I actually do have an Aerocool case too, but I'm not too keen on quality as mine has USB issues from time to time. My brother has CiT F3, which is also a mATX case, but a cheap one (at least much better than Aerocool).

SAMA IM01 or Inter-Tech IM-1 Pocket are available and look nice, but it's around the $100 mark.

8 hours ago, Dogzilla07 said:

FSP CST 350 Plus is the best option (it's a SAMA IM01 version with a meshfilter open front panel).

Looks pretty decent too, it's available for about $90.

 

As for cases, back in 2020 I found someone local giving away their Silverstone FT03 case, I didn't take it. Only later I found out that it was the perfect mATX case for my needs, nowadays it's not found easily anymore as it's a 10 year old case.

I was also looking at square cases like the Corsair Carbide 240 or if I need to buy a "normal" case then cheap cases then CoolerMaster Q300L

Surely I thought I would have more options. Actually not looking to spend around $100 as this is an old build, I just want to rebuild it and have it as backup PC. Cheapest way is a normal case, but my goal is to save as much space as possible in the end.

[TVwazhere]

Q300L is your best cheap bet; Your most expensive option would be something like the Sliger Cerberus (but that would require a loss of the ATX psu or the 140mm tall cooler)

[FRD]

On 6/28/2022 at 3:40 AM, TVwazhere said:

Q300L is your best cheap bet; Your most expensive option would be something like the Sliger Cerberus (but that would require a loss of the ATX psu or the 140mm tall cooler)

That's right. The Q300L is a nice and cheap case, sometimes even sold used for extra cheap. I have to keep an eye out.

It's not worth buying a Sliger Cerberus, unless it's a new build. The parts that were maybe close to a $1000 back then are worth maybe a fraction of that now. I would get that case only for a new build. Random, but Cerberus reminds me of Asus' old gaming product line-up.

Recently I also found a cube-style case being offered used by someone that's a unknown product for me, but supports mATX and ATX PSU. I might gamble on it for $30 more or less.