Compact mATX case?

[Hulkbert]

I am looking for a small (can fit in a carry on bag) mATX case that won't draw attention (I think this is called a sleeper pc) with 5 expansion slots and that has decent cable management.It probably shouldn't cost more than $150 usd. Also, I will be planning the PC around the case.

[Stardar1]

3 minutes ago, Hulkbert said:

I am looking for a small (can fit in a carry on bag) mATX case that won't draw attention (I think this is called a sleeper pc) with 5 expansion slots and that has decent cable management.It probably shouldn't cost more than $150 usd. Also, I will be planning the PC around the case.

http://pcpartpicker.com/product/dgL7YJ/phanteks-case-phes414mbk

[paddy-stone]

Carry on bags are generally a lot smaller than an mATX with 5 expansion ports. IMO carry on bags you're looking at Small form factor PCs.

[Hulkbert]

1 minute ago, Stardar1 said:

http://pcpartpicker.com/product/dgL7YJ/phanteks-case-phes414mbk

I need it to look bad as to not draw attention.

[Hulkbert]

Just now, paddy-stone said:

Carry on bags are generally a lot smaller than an mATX with 5 expansion ports. IMO carry on bags you're looking at Small form factor PCs.

Do they have mobos with 2 x16 pcie slots like right next to each other with 1 slot separating them? In that case then I could go for a 4 slot mATX 

[Cereal5]

What you're looking for doesnt exist  you might be able to find an mITX small form factor case from like Lian-Li. maybe a Fractal Design Node 202. But basically you would have to spend more money to get what you're looking for. Just for the record, a computer isn't unassuming. It's a computer lol. anything with more than 2-3 expansion slots will be bigger than what you want

[paddy-stone]

1 minute ago, Hulkbert said:

Do they have mobos with 2 x16 pcie slots like right next to each other with 1 slot separating them? In that case then I could go for a 4 slot mATX 

Don't believe they do, haven't seen one personally. I think you're also forgetting the weight limit of carry on too which is usually 7kg AFAIK. SFF or mITX at best is what you will have to shoot for IMO, so single GPU for a start.

[Cla55ifi3xd]

If they don't make it you will have too. 

 

Look into nucs. 

[Hulkbert]

1 minute ago, paddy-stone said:

Don't believe they do, haven't seen one personally. I think you're also forgetting the weight limit of carry on too which is usually 7kg AFAIK. SFF or mITX at best is what you will have to shoot for IMO, so single GPU for a start.

Ok. 1 gpu and I might want to add a network card (either wifi or ethernet for more bandwidth[not sure if that is how it works...])

[aisle9]

7 minutes ago, Hulkbert said:

I need it to look bad as to not draw attention.

Dude, a computer in your carry-on is going to draw attention. You will absolutely have to take it out of the bag and put it on the x-ray separately, and be prepared to spend 10 minutes explaining to the grade-school dropouts manning airport security why anyone would ever want to take a desktop PC anywhere when laptops exist. Might as well just get a crappy DIYPC case or something and embrace the mayhem as the entire TSA tries to figure out what that big, scary black box rolling through the x-ray is.

[paddy-stone]

1 minute ago, Hulkbert said:

Ok. 1 gpu and I might want to add a network card (either wifi or ethernet for more bandwidth[not sure if that is how it works...])

Well if you're starting from scratch an m-ITX board with onboard gigabit ethernet and wireless AC is a good start.

[aisle9]

Just now, Hulkbert said:

Ok. 1 gpu and I might want to add a network card (either wifi or ethernet for more bandwidth[not sure if that is how it works...])

Grab a Cooler Master Elite 110 and a short ITX GPU, then drop in a motherboard with built-in wifi. Boom. You're set.

 

Just don't say, "Boom, you're set." Like, ever. You're going to have to explain to twelve different people that the black box with lots of cords is not a bomb, and that's before they shove some fingers where no finger has ever gone before.

 

Take it from someone who's taken desktop computers in carry-on luggage before: it's not worth the time and headache unless you really, really need a desktop on the other end.

[Hulkbert]

 

1 minute ago, paddy-stone said:

Well if you're starting from scratch an m-ITX board with onboard gigabit ethernet and wireless AC is a good start.

Ok. I've seen a motherboard with 2 ethernet ports. Is it worth it or not?

[paddy-stone]

Just now, Hulkbert said:

 

Ok. I've seen a motherboard with 2 ethernet ports. Is it worth it or not?

Not unless you have a purpose for them.

[Hulkbert]

Just now, aisle9 said:

Grab a Cooler Master Elite 110 and a short ITX GPU, then drop in a motherboard with built-in wifi. Boom. You're set.

 

Just don't say, "Boom, you're set." Like, ever. You're going to have to explain to twelve different people that the black box with lots of cords is not a bomb, and that's before they shove some fingers where no finger has ever gone before.

 

Take it from someone who's taken desktop computers in carry-on luggage before: it's not worth the time and headache unless you really, really need a desktop on the other end.

I really need a desktop on the other end. I could ship the PC with 1 day shipping if I need to, any experience with that?

[Hulkbert]

2 minutes ago, paddy-stone said:

Not unless you have a purpose for them.

I suppose by the time I need more than 1 gb of bandwidth, I will be able to get a new mobo. Any specific one you recommend?(thinking of pairing it with a 6500)

[paddy-stone]

If you give me a budget I will make a pcpartpicker list for you to look over for the hardware, not the case though unfortunately, I can't think of a case that I would consider being small enough for carry on personally. Give me ANY preferences you might need though, and I'll try to put together a cpu/mobo/gpu/ram etc to go in it, also are you going low profile air cooling or AIO water cooler?

[Hulkbert]

3 minutes ago, paddy-stone said:

If you give me a budget I will make a pcpartpicker list for you to look over for the hardware, not the case though unfortunately, I can't think of a case that I would consider being small enough for carry on personally. Give me ANY preferences you might need though, and I'll try to put together a cpu/mobo/gpu/ram etc to go in it, also are you going low profile air cooling or AIO water cooler?

No mITX (I guess that is what I am going to have to go for if I want portability) case you can think of? And, I need to know what case I'm going to use.

[aisle9]

3 minutes ago, Hulkbert said:

I really need a desktop on the other end. I could ship the PC with 1 day shipping if I need to, any experience with that?

Honestly? It's probably easier, but it'll cost more and there's an outside chance it gets damaged in transit.

 

I'd probably build something ITX in a case like the Elite 110 or Node 202. You'll have to take it out of your bag and disclose it up front, because if they find it in your bag during the x-ray, make sure you've got some lube on hand. If you just tell them what it is up front, they'll probably pull you off to the side and interrogate you while someone swabs the whole thing down to make sure it isn't going to go boom, then just put it through the x-ray and you through the scanner.

 

Honestly, the worst I ever had to deal with was when the head of security for the entire airport walked out in a suit, told me that he knew what I'd told his staff, but he wanted me to tell him what it really was. I told him again that it was a computer, and he proceeded to interrogate me about where I was going, what I was doing there, why I needed "a desktop computer" with me, who I was meeting, if I'd been to any foreign countries lately, etc. Finally, right when I thought he was satisfied, he told me to open the case. I politely reminded him that I couldn't, as I'd left my screwdriver at home because the TSA frowns upon bringing pointy objects onto planes.

 

TL;DR, it's probably going to be a minor pain in the ass. It might be a major pain in the ass. If you live and fly out of my new home airport, it won't be a pain in the ass at all, because you'll say, "Hey, I've got a desktop computer in my bag that I need with me for work/gaming tourney/whatever. What do you want me to do with it?", and they'll thank you for giving them a heads-up and tell you to take it out of the bag and put it directly on the belt.

 

If this is going to be a frequent occurrence, I'd take the computer through the first time and see what happens. If it's a minor hassle or no problem at all, I'd just carry it on. If you end up watching the Three Stooges call over the Marx Brothers because they can't figure out what the thing you told them was a desktop computer is, ship it from now on.

[paddy-stone]

No, I can't think of any mITX cases I would sconsider small enough for carry on... my preferences are for cube type cases. And you'd still have the weight part to consider, the case of an mITX system is still around 2KG by itself.

 

This isn't a comprehensive list, but a good idea of what you're looking at, and to me still look way too damn big for carry on...when I said earlier that SFF PCs, or m-ITX at best, I meant that you might find a few m-ITX cases that would fit the bill, but more likely that SFF would.

[Hulkbert]

5 minutes ago, aisle9 said:

 

So, give them a head's up on what the box labeled "computer" is and I avoid interrogation. Ok. Thanks.

[aisle9]

6 minutes ago, Hulkbert said:

So, give them a head's up on what the box labeled "computer" is and I avoid interrogation. Ok. Thanks.

Maybe avoid interrogation

[Hulkbert]

14 minutes ago, paddy-stone said:

No, I can't think of any mITX cases I would sconsider small enough for carry on... my preferences are for cube type cases. And you'd still have the weight part to consider, the case of an mITX system is still around 2KG by itself.

 

This isn't a comprehensive list, but a good idea of what you're looking at, and to me still look way too damn big for carry on...when I said earlier that SFF PCs, or m-ITX at best, I meant that you might find a few m-ITX cases that would fit the bill, but more likely that SFF would.

Well. I think I might have a budget of $1000. And as for parts I have CPU cooler and PSU. If you can suggest what my build should be.