Looking for tiny case (very samll micro-itx?) sub 7x12x12

[you2]

I'm building a new computer for the parents and I'd like something fairly small (smaller than dell ultra slim which is something like 7x12x12).
-
The build will be b75 or z77 (probably b75); G2020; gskill 4gb, dvd (or slim dvd) drive (dvd is required for them and a bit of a killer in my search); sdd or 350GB drive (undecided); and psu (maybe silverstone sfx but i'd prefer something cheaper but reliable if possible - they leave the computer on al the time and I don't want to fly home to fix it)
-
Anyways the closest case I've found so far is:
Silverstone SG05BB
-
Which is still marginally large @ ( 8.74" x 6.93" x 10.8 newegg dimension) (I only need one drive bay and one external drive bay and no gpu as the g2020 has hd3000)
-
Hum maybe that is the smallest I will get the links:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811163208
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...=ATVPDKIKX0DER
-
(maybe this post is silly and that might be the smallest I will find - I think amazon dimensions are wrong or perhaps the outside box)

My two complaints with the above is psu and case (to be honest I'm not sure if this is the right forum since the question covers more than case).
-
Anyways any suggestions for alternative case/psu ?
(some other options I've looked at - shuttle pre-built system, intel nuc prebuilt system -
most of the prebuilt system use h61 which is so so - the intel nuc seems interesting but it is rather pricey - the above should cost between $250 and $350 - the intel nuc alone (without processor) is $300 and (more imporrtant it doesn't have a vga option and no slot for dvdi)

 

[piasabird]

NUC

 

[piasabird]

In many of these small cases you cant use a full-size power supply. If you do then the optical drive will not fit. Plus there is nowhere for wires to go. Antec has a small case with a little 150 power supply board that will fit a optical drive but only has enough room for either 1 or 2 2.5 hard drives or maybe a SSD.

As you go smaller there is an issue of overheating and really small fans that make more noise.

http://www.directron.com/isk310150.html
http://www.directron.com/pt13b.html
http://www.mini-box.com/M350-universal-mini-itx-enclosure

You could just add a USB2/3 optical drive??

Or just buy something larger and save money.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119261
Cheaper DVD
Cheaper Faster Hard Drive

 

[aigomorla]

EDIT..

sorry the things i listed are not priced at 300 dollars. :\

infact its a bit higher...

 

[Zap]

Antec ISK 300-150 or ISK 310-150 might work. They are the same chassis, with a different front. The case and included PSU has a 3 year warranty. The PSU is 150W which is more than sufficient for your proposed rig. It takes a slim optical drive and fits two 2.5" notebook HDDs/SSDs. It comes with one case fan and a spot for a second 80mm case fan. I would suggest populating it from the start, and using something no higher than 1500RPM. Should be fairly quiet. I would also recommend super low profile RAM.

Take a look at those cases and let us know what you think. If it passes muster, then we can talk in more detail about the actual parts going in.

I've used somewhat of a gaming rig built in an ISK 300-150 for around a half year, so I'm pretty familiar with it. If not a gaming system, it is capable of being reasonably quiet while still being a fast system.

 

[scannall]

Wesena makes excellent ITX cases, and are reasonably priced.

http://www.shop.perfecthometheater.com/Wesena-ITX-chassis_c55.htm

 

[T_Yamamoto]

Antec ISK 300-150 or ISK 310-150 might work. They are the same chassis, with a different front. The case and included PSU has a 3 year warranty. The PSU is 150W which is more than sufficient for your proposed rig. It takes a slim optical drive and fits two 2.5" notebook HDDs/SSDs. It comes with one case fan and a spot for a second 80mm case fan. I would suggest populating it from the start, and using something no higher than 1500RPM. Should be fairly quiet. I would also recommend super low profile RAM.

Take a look at those cases and let us know what you think. If it passes muster, then we can talk in more detail about the actual parts going in.

I've used somewhat of a gaming rig built in an ISK 300-150 for around a half year, so I'm pretty familiar with it. If not a gaming system, it is capable of being reasonably quiet while still being a fast system.

This is what I was thinking.

 

[you2]

Thanks for the suggestions. Here are some comments on the ones I've already checked:
I'm a little worried about the antec ISK 300-150 ; multiple sites show complaints about the psu (early failure, fan failure and similar) as well as being next to impossible to replace. So I would want to understand better if this will be an issue before considering the antec.
-
The mini-box looks interesting as do the Wesena.
-
I see no advantage of the coolermaster (piasabird link) over the silverstone I linked.
-
So I have three questions I think: How is the antec psu and is it difficult to replace (are there alternatives); how are the psu for the wessena and would i want an internal or external.
-
Last question is would i be better off going with a wesna or antec or mini-box (I think all three are similar form factors with slight differences in layout) or with the silverstone with regards to heat and reliability ? I'm not sure there is a cost different of more than $30 between these options.
-
With regards to parts I'm open to suggestion on the actual motherboard - i'm thinking the cpu should be the g2020. I'm very concern that the system be reliable since I have to fly in to fix it otherwise. The other option I have is to go with a dell 3010 which is $510 but a larger case (12x12x4)
-
I think I'm willing to drop the requirement for an internal dvd drive; though the requirement for vga remains.

 

[snoturtle]

What about something like this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16883103785
Can use a dvi to vga adapter and mount it to the back of the screen if you want too
Add a external dvd drive and you are still under 300

 

[you2]

I think it is too slow; It is about 4 times faster than their current system but it has to run windows 7 (I would love it if they ran linux but alas it won' happen). Silvermont might be fast enough (hard to tell) but it won't be available or a while.
-
I think the g2020 is probably the best compromise (speed vs cost). The g2020 is approx 2x the celeron 887 and 3/4 an i3.
-

What about something like this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16883103785
Can use a dvi to vga adapter and mount it to the back of the screen if you want too
Add a external dvd drive and you are still under 300

 

[snoturtle]

It will run Windows 7 just fine
The one that I have is running it perfectly

I think it is too slow; It is about 4 times faster than their current system but it has to run windows 7 (I would love it if they ran linux but alas it won' happen). Silvermont might be fast enough (hard to tell) but it won't be available or a while.
-
I think the g2020 is probably the best compromise (speed vs cost). The g2020 is approx 2x the celeron 887 and 3/4 an i3.
-

 

[_Rick_]

Why not get an all-in-one PC?
Between 500 and 700 dollars there should be capable systems.
Downside is you can't do much fixing, upside is, they'll be able to deal with sending the thing in themselves, should it crap out.

Otherwise there's this:
http://www.linkworld.com.tw/ugC_ShowroomItem_Detail.asp?hidShowID=105

That's much smaller than the Dell, from the specs, it's dirt cheap, and you can bring your own (external) PSU (everything else in the weight-class has either a custom PSU or external bricks)

 

[snoturtle]

This might not be a bad idea
Dell is running 25% off of some of there Al in ones and they come with a windows license

There is a 2330 in the outlet right now with an i3-2130 for 529-25% would put you just under 400 before tax and shipping

Why not get an all-in-one PC?
Between 500 and 700 dollars there should be capable systems.
Downside is you can't do much fixing, upside is, they'll be able to deal with sending the thing in themselves, should it crap out.

 

[Zap]

So I have three questions I think: How is the antec psu and is it difficult to replace (are there alternatives); how are the psu for the wessena and would i want an internal or external.

IDK about the Wesena, but looks similar to the Habey cases. Those use an internal DC-DC PSU with an external power brick (similar to notebook bricks). They also have horrible airflow.

The Antec PSU has a 3 year warranty. It has been reliable for me. IDK where all these reports of dying PSUs are coming from, but they aren't from me. I suppose it could be problematic for those trying to build an AMD rig in these, as the higher end AMD CPUs are very power hungry. Also, the PSU runs kind of hot so it isn't suitable for warm ambient temps (say in a garage or shop during summer). Otherwise it should be fine, IMO.

With regards to parts I'm open to suggestion on the actual motherboard - i'm thinking the cpu should be the g2020. I'm very concern that the system be reliable since I have to fly in to fix it otherwise.

Cheapest B75 chipset board. Don't go H61 because older gen. No need for more expensive board because expensive does not automatically mean reliable. It just means more features and overclocking (with appropriate CPU).

I don't think you would be able to build any computer to be 100% guaranteed to NEVER fail. You can minimize failures with smart component choices. Also, get something like TeamViewer set up, because a lot of issues which aren't hardware related can be fixed remotely, and even some hardware issues can be diagnosed remotely. Small computers are cheap to ship back/forth and no flight needed.

I think I'm willing to drop the requirement for an internal dvd drive; though the requirement for vga remains.

Dropping the internal DVD requirement means more case options available. I would not recommend the Mini Box M350 because it is too slim for the normal stock coolers. How about an Antec ISK 110 VESA?

 

[you2]

I already found a nice dell i3 system with windows 7 for $450; I fail to see why I would go higher. My parents have a monitor. They like their monitor and they don't want a new monitor. There are a lot of advantages to buying the dell. Hey it's not my fault; call dell. I actually found a pretty nice Leveno for $320 however it has windows 8. I would have to install windows xp; hunt down the drivers for the major perhipals (chipset, inet, ...) then upgrade to windows 7.

Why not get an all-in-one PC?
Between 500 and 700 dollars there should be capable systems.
Downside is you can't do much fixing, upside is, they'll be able to deal with sending the thing in themselves, should it crap out.

Otherwise there's this:
http://www.linkworld.com.tw/ugC_ShowroomItem_Detail.asp?hidShowID=105

That's much smaller than the Dell, from the specs, it's dirt cheap, and you can bring your own (external) PSU (everything else in the weight-class has either a custom PSU or external bricks)

 

[you2]

Yea this is a problem wtih user reviews. No clue if it was bad hardware or bad utilization (driving a 150watt psu @ 200watt for example). Ok I'll stick with B75; only real complaint with b75 is that the only option i've seen so far that looks good is asrock and you have that guy in the thread above telling the word that the new asrock boards have horrible mosfet and crappy vrm.

Is there any advantage of the Antec ISK 110 VESA over the Antec ISK 300-150 ?
-
The 300-150 has a 150 psu compared to the 110 90 watt psu.
-
flushing out the other parts I only see one option for low profile ram:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820233187
for ssd i'm not sure if the new crucial 4m finally are fixed (maybe they are) or i was thinking
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820147192
(on sale it should be around $99 - 840pro128gb)
-
for motherboards I think this is the only option below $100

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813157310 (asrock b75m)
-
for processor
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819116886
(g2020 or micro center has the g2030 for $64)
-
then some random slim dvd drive or usb external drive depending on case - either

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827136261 (lg external)

or samsung internal ($27)
-
Anyways I thinki I should either go with one of the antec cases or the original silverstone I mentioned and call it a day. Oddly the silverstone with fsp 300 watt psu is the same price as the antec solutions you've pointed out with the big win being the smaller size (for antec).

IDK about the Wesena, but looks similar to the Habey cases. Those use an internal DC-DC PSU with an external power brick (similar to notebook bricks). They also have horrible airflow.

The Antec PSU has a 3 year warranty. It has been reliable for me. IDK where all these reports of dying PSUs are coming from, but they aren't from me. I suppose it could be problematic for those trying to build an AMD rig in these, as the higher end AMD CPUs are very power hungry. Also, the PSU runs kind of hot so it isn't suitable for warm ambient temps (say in a garage or shop during summer). Otherwise it should be fine, IMO.



Cheapest B75 chipset board. Don't go H61 because older gen. No need for more expensive board because expensive does not automatically mean reliable. It just means more features and overclocking (with appropriate CPU).

I don't think you would be able to build any computer to be 100% guaranteed to NEVER fail. You can minimize failures with smart component choices. Also, get something like TeamViewer set up, because a lot of issues which aren't hardware related can be fixed remotely, and even some hardware issues can be diagnosed remotely. Small computers are cheap to ship back/forth and no flight needed.



Dropping the internal DVD requirement means more case options available. I would not recommend the Mini Box M350 because it is too slim for the normal stock coolers. How about an Antec ISK 110 VESA?

 

[VirtualLarry]

Cheapest B75 chipset board. with all solid caps

Fixed that one for you, Zap.

Btw, Biostar makes a decent microATX B75 board with all solid caps. I don't know what the market looks like in terms of ITX boards with solid caps. Hopefully there are a few.

Edit: Btw, Newegg now carries an MSI ITX board with Celeron 847 (1.1Ghz SB dual-core) with all solid caps, for $60 + shipping right now. Was looking at it myself, thinking about an ISK-110 build.

Edit: Asrock B85 with solid caps. Note, this is an 1150 board.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813157390

Edit: Asrock B75 ITX with "duracaps"
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157310

 

[Zap]

Is there any advantage of the Antec ISK 110 VESA over the Antec ISK 300-150 ?
-
The 300-150 has a 150 psu compared to the 110 90 watt psu.

300-150 features:
- 150W PSU
- optical drive bay
- PSU is internal, so uses a "normal" power cord like most computers
- uses several 80mm fans for ventilation
- has single low profile slot

110 VESA features:
- smallest size Antec makes
- external power brick
- VESA mountable (behind monitor)
- fanless design (except for CPU fan)
- no expansion slot
- no optical drive bay

You choose the features you need/want.

flushing out the other parts I only see one option for low profile ram:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820233187

That is "normal" sized RAM. They inappropriately call it "low profile" because their other RAM is so HUGE with unnecessary ginormous heatsinks.

This is an example of true low profile RAM.

Fixed that one for you, Zap.

Btw, Biostar makes a decent microATX B75 board with all solid caps. I don't know what the market looks like in terms of ITX boards with solid caps.

Are capacitors even a problem these days? You need to stop reliving the past, dude.

I looked at all seventeen B85 chipset motherboards available today on Newegg. This covers all form factors. There is only ONE SINGLE MOTHERBOARD that does not have all solid caps, and that is this Intel motherboard, and only people that buy those are system integrators.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Are capacitors even a problem these days? You need to stop reliving the past, dude.

I looked at all seventeen B85 chipset motherboards available today on Newegg. This covers all form factors. There is only ONE SINGLE MOTHERBOARD that does not have all solid caps, and that is this Intel motherboard, and only people that buy those are system integrators.

Well, I'm glad that quality mobo makers like Biostar and ASrock got the memo about the importance of solid caps, even if Intel didn't.

Seriously, though, my experience is that ordinary caps start to dry out and fail after 5 years. Solid caps should last for 10. That's ordinary electrolytics. Capacitor-plague caps tended to fail as soon as 2-3 years.

I've seen a few OEM branded boxes, whose mobos were flaky, and I attributed that to failing caps. They don't have to bulge to fail.

 

[you2]

I don't think micro-atx board will fit in any of the three cases I'm considering - please correct if I am mistaken.
-
I don't think g2020 will fit in a 1150 board; please correct if I am mistaken. Intel has a G2020 equivalent for 1150 board but it hasn't been released yet - the only chips I can find for 1150 are the more expensive i3/i5/i7 ($120 vs $60). While I don't mind paying a few extra bucks if there is a need (ala the ssd or B75 over H61 ) I'm not seeing an advantage here.
-
I actually kind of favor msi or gigabyte over asrock (from recent reviews - historically I've used asus, msi, and my last board was asrock z68) but in this case I think there is only one option unless I'm willing to go with h61 or h77 or the more expensive z77).

Fixed that one for you, Zap.

Btw, Biostar makes a decent microATX B75 board with all solid caps. I don't know what the market looks like in terms of ITX boards with solid caps. Hopefully there are a few.

Edit: Btw, Newegg now carries an MSI ITX board with Celeron 847 (1.1Ghz SB dual-core) with all solid caps, for $60 + shipping right now. Was looking at it myself, thinking about an ISK-110 build.

Edit: Asrock B85 with solid caps. Note, this is an 1150 board.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813157390

Edit: Asrock B75 ITX with "duracaps"
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813157310

 

[you2]

two more questions (sorry). Is 95 watt enough for g2020 (65 watt) plus ssd/memory/.../external dvd and is it any better (as a psu) than the one with the 320
-
Any thoughts on this case:
http://www.sidewindercomputers.com/akeufacaform.html

(this is an aksa euler - but it requires a 'thin' mini-itx - would raise the price of the system a bit since it requires a thin-itx and a 35watt cpu (probably i3)
--
Here is a review of the akasa case:
http://www.silentpcreview.com/Akasa_Euler_Fanless_Thin_ITX_Case

 

[DavidT99]

Akasa also do the Crypto case. This comes with either a 60 or 80 watt PSU.

David

 

[Zap]

two more questions (sorry). Is 95 watt enough for g2020 (65 watt) plus ssd/memory/.../external dvd

Yes, 95W (if the PSU quality is good) is sufficient.

 

[you2]

Well I'm getting closer; could I go with the antec case and then replace the psu with someting like this:
(pico-psu) and would that be a good move ?

http://www.amazon.com/Mini-Box-picoP...s=picopsu+200w

 

[Zap]

Talking about the Antec ISK 110 VESA? Yes, you can replace the stock PSU with the Pico PSU. However, unless you actually needed the power, you will merely be wasting money. Will you need the power? For what is available in an ITX form factor that physically fits inside the ISK 110 case, only if you went with an AMD CPU/APU that was over 100W TDP would you need a higher wattage PSU. The stock Antec PSU has been known to successfully run Intel quads (Sandy Bridge, etc.).