• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

Micro atx Gaming

X

xxmakroxx

Junior Member
I Have most of the specs for my new gaming rig worked out, but upon closer examination the case I want is not wonderful. Its got a micro atx board and I was hoping someone could help me find a well cooled and cool looking case that would take a micro atx board.
 
You lost me here,,,

xxmakroxx said:
Its got a micro atx board and I was hoping someone could help me find a well cooled and cool looking case that would take a micro atx board.
Click to expand...

You have a case that takes MATX and don't like it? or are you confusing form factors? like the case but not the airflow?
You need to be a little more specific. If you have a case you like the looks of sometimes a few mods can turn the trick to correct airflow or fitment problems such as lond vid cards.
If you simply want a new case you need to describe attributes your after such as low profile like a media center, mini tower, cube and what you want to fit into it or where to want to fit it. Is it for lan parties?
 
The Antecc Mini P180 is a nice case, you'll have to yank out one of the HDD cages and put a fan there but other than that airflow is fine.
 
Cooler Master Elite 341 is good for a plain black small tower case with great ventilation.

The "cube" style cases are pretty popular too.
 
Yeah the CM Elite 341 looks like a pretty decent case. Has tons of airflow potential (four 120mm fan mounts, one front, one back, two side), but it always looked a bit cheap to me. It's obviously a budget case, so I guess that's to be expected.

Silverstone TJ-08 might be worth checking out as well. Probably a bit higher quality than the 341, but it's also like twice as expensive. No side panel fan mounts either, only has 120mm in the front and back.

And don't feel like you have to limit yourself to mATX cases either. mATX boards will fit in standard ATX cases as well.
 
A Micro ATX motherboard should fit into just about any normal ATX case. So unless you specifically want something smaller to save space, you don't have to buy a mATX case.

If you don't mind going a bit on the bigger side, I HIGHLY recommend the NZXT Rogue. The build quality is average / above average, and the aluminum panels are very thick, making it extremely sturdy. It has spaces for five 120mm fans, two 5.25" devices, five 3.5" devices (five hard drives in a mATX case? Hell yeah!), a regular-sized ATX PSU, and it will even allow you to install a tower-style heatsink (Google NZXT Rogue + TRUE). The motherboard tray is removable, but only if you install a low profile heatsink (the stock Intel heatsink works fine). Finally, it comes with a simple carrying strap, giving you both a handle and a shoulder strap for convenience.

I do have a few gripes with the case, but the good far outweighs the bad. First, it's big for a mATX. Anyone looking to save as much space as possible shouldn't get this one. Second, it's heavy. As I said, the panels are extremely thick, making it sturdy but also much heftier than similar cases. Finally, I found several screws to be over-tightened when I started working with the case, making it very difficult to take the side panels off or remove the expansion slot brackets without stripping a few out. Now that I've replaced the problematic screws with my own, I haven't had any problems. Finally, to screw in any expansion cards (graphics card, sound, wireless adapter, etc.) you have to first remove the PSU (if installed already), then install the device, and finally slide the motherboard tray out just a little bit to put the screw in to secure the card. This is because the PSU has a small lip below it to help hold it in, but it makes it impossible to reach the expansion slot screws.

Here's Benchmark Review's take on the case: http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=124&Itemid=1.
 
Last edited:
Lian-Li v351
Silverstone TJ08
Antec NSK3480
Micro Fly / QPACK -- or some variant
Apevia X-QBOII
Cooler Master Centurion 541
Silverstone Sugo SG02
Thermaltake Lanbox Lite
Thermaltake Lanbox
Falcon Northwest Fragbox
 
I was looking into getting the x qpack-2, but after some looking around, I want something that cools better. But if the board will go in a mid tower, I might go that way. I just dont want to build this computer and then cook it. I am still noobsauce when it comes to building.
 
OK here's what I'm putting in this comp.

Phenom IIx4 965 Black Edition
1TB WD Caviar Black HD
Sapphire Vapor X Radeon HD 5770
8GB DDR3 1600 Dual Channel Memory
Gigabyte GA-785GMT-USB3 Motherboard
Corsair 750W PSU

After that just a cheap optical drive and maybe a card reader.
 
Yeah, unless you specifically want to save space, buy a mid tower. In the specs it should say that it accepts ATX / MicroATX motherboards.
 
Dude OP, Here is EXPLAIN--My CM341: its HTPC for Entertainment living room only, however, of course I do sometime play video games, too..
b_120520.jpg
 
frostedflakes said:
Yeah the CM Elite 341 looks like a pretty decent case. Has tons of airflow potential (four 120mm fan mounts, one front, one back, two side), but it always looked a bit cheap to me. It's obviously a budget case, so I guess that's to be expected.

Silverstone TJ-08 might be worth checking out as well. Probably a bit higher quality than the 341, but it's also like twice as expensive.
Click to expand...

The Silverstone TJ-08 is also a cheap case... with an expensive aluminum fascia. It is based on an Athenatech.

GAM3RIG said:
Dude OP, Here is EXPLAIN--My CM341:
Click to expand...

THREE fans in push/pull for your Corsair H50? 😱
 
Zap said:
The Silverstone TJ-08 is also a cheap case... with an expensive aluminum fascia. It is based on an Athenatech.



THREE fans in push/pull for your Corsair H50? 😱
Click to expand...
I dont know why you think that i had three fans push/pull for H50? MMmm.. I assume that you haven't experince with fans and shroud.

I took fan out of a fan housing and make a fan shroud. thats actually 2 fans, one in back and one shroud is in middle of between rad and fan in front. get it? 🙂
 
Last edited:
GAM3RIG said:
I dont know why you think that i had three fans push/pull for H50? MMmm.. I assume that you haven't experince with fans and shroud.

I took fan out of a fan housing and make a fan shroud. thats actually 2 fans, one in back and one shroud is in middle of between rad and fan in front. get it? 🙂
Click to expand...

:thumbsup: Roger that! 2.5 fans! ^_^
 
I've just bought the Silverstone TJ08, and I'm really happy with it. I combined it with the Gigabyte p55m-ud4 and thermalright 120-extreme cooler. The case has room for 4 harddrives (I've got 3 installed), and the 2x120 case fans gives a nice air flow, though not completely silent. Since it's a mATX case it's a little cramped, but everything fits very well with enough room around the large cpu cooler. I would probably also recommend a modular PSU, mine is not so there's a lot of extra wires inside the case.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top