mATX Tower Recommendations

[gba]

I Would like to f/o which mATX towers people prefer. I will be doing some basic single HD office builds with an optical drive. Apart from a front USB port or two, I cannot think of anything out of the ordinary in terms of requirements. I would like to keep these machines relatively quiet. I expect to have to be creative with cable management in a small case, so I wont be complaining about breaking out the tie wraps (I have plenty). I am willing to go a few extra bucks for a box that is solid and does not look ultra cheap. I would not want to pay extra for a junk PSU (who would?) ...just starting to look at what deals are out there now.. I have seen the Antec NSK3480 -> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811129035, which seems solid and comes with the Antec EA380 PSU, which I really like.

TIA for any input you may have.

 

[aigomorla]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811129041

you cant beat the P180 series in quietness.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811163085

That little guy is also one of my favorites, but your gonna have problems with sinks.

 

[Zepper]

The Antec isn't bad - I use the Earthwatts 380 myself (was made by Seasonic and I think they didn't change that one when they went to Delta for the bigger EAs).

.bh.

 

[gba]

Thanks to you both for the input.

Zepper: I remember you saying you liked the EA380 a while back. I have used it in various builds since they came out and am yet to hear a peep about any of them. I have not had my hands on the Antec NSK3480 but am optimistic that, with a little tweaking, I should be able to keep it cool and quiet. One reviewer mentioned drilling a hole allowed him to route cables under the MB. The price is right in the ballpark.

aigomorla: I love the Silverstone SG03-B! I did a build with it a couple of years ago, and it was just a pleasure to work with. I paid $160 shipped, so the price is definitely nicer right now.

 

[aigomorla]

if u really want silence tho, a p180 is top of its class.

 

[Zap]

I have seen the Antec NSK3480 -> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811129035, which seems solid and comes with the Antec EA380 PSU, which I really like.

That would be my #1 choice for a small micro ATX tower for office use.

Features:
Can hold two HDDs using soft silicone grommets.
Extremely compact in size.
Power supply in own air chamber so it doesn't suck in heat from rest of system, thus running cooler and quieter.
Included power supply is a top notch choice for a lower powered computer.
Very good air flow, designed with indirect intake so that you don't hear front fans (if you choose to install any).
Can fit just about any tower heatpipe heatsink.

Two caveats:
If you replace the power supply, it can't be over 5.5" long or you won't be able to install drives in front of it. I tried one that was 5.9" long and it didn't fit.
The included power supply might have to be flipped over because the way cabling routes out will cause the motherboard cables to not reach in some circumstances. The fix is to flip it over, which is easy because both sets of mounting holes are present.

Cable management should be really easy because the included EarthWatts has cabling tailored for the drive bay layout in the NSK3480.

It should be really easy to build a really quiet system with this case. Basically set the included 120mm Tri Cool fan on low and enable Smart Fan in BIOS.

It is also not too difficult to make such a setup damn near silent. Just use a CPU heatsink that is designed for passive operation and a PWM case fan soft mounted and hooked up to the CPU header with Smart Fan enabled.

Example of PWM 120mm fan that comes with soft mounts (can also buy separately and under various brands)

heatsink example 1
example 2
example 3
What to look for in such a heatsink is widely spaced fins. Not any heatsink can be run passive, because the best performers use closer spaced fins with a fan attached directly to it.

The Antec isn't bad - I use the Earthwatts 380 myself (was made by Seasonic and I think they didn't change that one when they went to Delta for the bigger EAs).

Say hello to the Antec EarthWatts Green EA-380D. It likely is a Delta built unit and is the successor to the Seasonic EarthWatts. Both should be good units. The new one is actually 80+ Bronze.

if u really want SIZE tho, a p180 is top of its class.

Fixed. :awe:

Seriously though, the Mini P180 is as large as typical ATX mid-towers. IMO it is "micro" only by technicality and not by size.

 

[Zepper]

gba,

I also like the Evercase ECE3505 http://www.evercase.com/2product/e3505.htm . Not sold in many places (eWiz.com is one - the Egg used to have some under the ABS brand), but has up to 120mm fan support front/rear and standard PSU support. Might be able to buy case and psu for similar price. Newegg still has their listing in deactivated, just search on ECE3505 to find. I have bought direct from Evercase before.

.bh.

 

[taisingera]

gba,

I also like the Evercase ECE3505 http://www.evercase.com/2product/e3505.htm . Not sold in many places (eWiz.com is one - the Egg used to have some under the ABS brand), but has up to 120mm fan support front/rear and standard PSU support. Might be able to buy case and psu for similar price. Newegg still has their listing in deactivated, just search on ECE3505 to find.

.bh.

I am also looking to get a mATX case as I don't use many drives and have a mATX mobo. Which is better, the Evercase ECE3505 or the Rosewill R101? Am considering an Inwin EM013 but there are no ventillation holes in the front panel.

 

[SniperWulf]

Mini P180 all the way. There aren't many others that can hold a candle to that chassis for its cost

 

[Zepper]

I'd prefer the 3505 as it also has rubber bushings for the hard drives. Three stores (probably all the same as all the same price and shipping) on eBay selling the 3505, but over 20 bucks for UPS ground. eWiz has a good low price on the 3505 per Google shopping, but very high ground shipping.

.bh.

 

[Skott]

I'll toss in the SG03 for consideration especially if you need something transportable. For better improved cooling you can fit a Corsair H50 into it and even mod a 120mm blow hole and fan on top if you are the creative type. Obviously the P-180 performs better but its a pretty big tower even when compared to ATX midtower cases.

 

[taisingera]

I'd prefer the 3505 as it also has rubber bushings for the hard drives. Three stores (probably all the same as all the same price and shipping) on eBay selling the 3505, but over 20 bucks for UPS ground. eWiz has a good low price on the 3505 per Google shopping, but very high ground shipping.

.bh.

only concern is that the 120mm fan doesn't cool the hard drives.

 

[Zepper]

Yup, most mATX cases have limitations. Get one of the Rosewill R6A or R6X series mid-tower cases. Not much deeper or taller than mATX and has all the features.

.bh.

 

[aigomorla]

NSK 3480:
Dimensions(L x W x H) 14.00" x 7.75" x 13.75"

P180 Mini:
17.20" x 8.30" x 17.10"

Ummm... 3.4 inches taller... i would most definitely eat 3.4 inches for the P180 over the NSK 3480.

And i have a NSK3480.

OP if u have the budget, i would get the P180 because its a better built higher tier case.
If your really on a budget, the NSK3480 is a great case, its quiet and small.

 

[Zap]

NSK 3480:
Dimensions(L x W x H) 14.00" x 7.75" x 13.75"

P180 Mini:
17.20" x 8.30" x 17.10"

NSK3480
1491.875 cubic inches

Mini P180
2441.196 cubic inches

The Mini P180 is around 63% larger in volume. It isn't the mere 3.2" taller, but it is deeper thus it has to stick out farther from the wall, plus it is wider. Visually it is fairly imposing. My desk is 24" wide and with a Mini P180 with cables plugged into the back, the front would be within inches from the edge of the table. If I had to use a DVI-HDMI adapter or something, then it would pretty much be flush with the edge of the table.

I'm not saying anything about the quality of the case or the enthusiast features**. I'm just saying that it is pretty darn huge for having pretentions of being small. Non-enthusiasts don't necessarily care for ginormous tower cases. My mother LOVED that the last computer I gave her was a SFF. My sister has a 20" iMac and LOVES that there is no big computer tower (like she knows I own) taking up desk space. Last place I worked as an intern, we used slimline Dell Optiplex and people loved that they didn't take up much desk space. As long as the system was not too slow and did what they needed to do for work, the less desk space it took up, the better. When catering to this kind of computer user, we need to build them a system for them, and not a system for us in their place. That, is my belief. ^_^

**Well, speaking of the enthusiast "features" I will have to point out a peeve of mine that the power supply on the Mini P180 is on the wrong side of the motherboard. I know, I know, many enthusiasts prefer it in that location - God knows why. I just would rather not have to stretch cables across the motherboard or make sure my power supply has a long enough 4/8-pin cable to hide behind the motherboard. If you put a PSU down there, why not turn the motherboard upside down too? Then all the cables would reach just fine!

 

[frostedflakes]

I have an NSK-3300 (older revision of the NSK-3480) and have been really happy with it. Super compact, which is a mixed bag of course, makes it more difficult to work in the case. If you're not swapping components out regularly, though, it's not a big deal. My only complaint is that the plastic used for the front panel feels kind of cheap, but I've had my case for going on three years and it seems to be holding up pretty well. The case itself is solid, Antec's cases are built like tanks.

 

[jjmIII]

The NSK3480 is the way to go...can't beat the price, quality, size, looks, or PSU.

 

[gba]

Thanks again, everyone. I recently got the go ahead for these builds and have decided to go with the NSK3480. I have finished the first build and it could not have gone smoother... I really love this case! ...easy to manage cables and very quiet without even trying... Here's a look inside.

... not much to see at the top. Since I have used just one hard drive, the extra PSU cables have a hidden home underneath the optical drive where the second HDD would otherwise live.

 

[Zepper]

Looks good.

.bh.

 

[Zepper]

Sorry, dupe...

.bh.

 

[gba]

Looks good.

.bh.

Thanks Bill. Coming from you that means a whole lot to me... after this experience and the R5605 build, I think I may have become a 0.8mm snob ;-)

 

[Zap]

:thumbsup:

Looking good. You can also put the HDD in the second area just beneath the optical drive. There should be enough room to the sides of the HDD to shove all the excess power cables (which aren't too many).

About the only thing this case is really missing is a dust filter. Otherwise it is a really solid little case with a decent PSU for reasonably quiet office builds.

 

[gba]

Thanks a lot Have you tried single HDD build using the top location as opposed to the bottom? If so, had you determined that your temps were better that way?

 

[gba]

:thumbsup:

You can also put the HDD in the second area just beneath the optical drive. There should be enough room to the sides of the HDD to shove all the excess power cables (which aren't too many)..

Thanks a lot Have you tried a single HDD build using the top location as opposed to the bottom? If so, had you determined that your temps were better that way?
__________________

 

[Zap]

I have not checked temps, nor have I done a single drive build in one of those cases. I've only done a two drive build, so had to use both spots. If I had to put money on it, I'd say that the lower drive spot gets better ventilation. With that being said, I don't think there would be a problem either way.