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MicroATX case help

B

BF04

Member
Im planning my build as follows.

ASUS P5B-VM LGA 775 G965 MicroATX
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813131043

Intel Core Duo E6400

EVGA 8800GTS
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814130071

OCZ EvoStream 600w - seperate connectors
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817341004

Corsair XMS 2GB (2x1GB) DDR2 - 800

Seagate Barracuda 7200 - 320GB SATA
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822148140

Sony 16x DVD/+RW IDE

Creative sound blaster X-FI PCI
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16829102006


I want to go MicroATX due to my desk and limited space. However I know I need a good PSU to run the 8800. I do not OC, I will not SLI. I mainly play EQ2, CoH type games.
This system is for Windows Vista when it releases in January. I just cannt find a decent looking mATX case that will house a full PSU and the other items.

thoughts and suggestions welcome 🙂
 
Two thoughts.

#1 You need a PSU that would be a better match for a cramped case. One possibility would be the Silverstone ST50EF-Plus-SC. That "SC" stands for Short Cable which helps in a small case, plus this PSU is about as short as a standard ATX PSU can be at 140mm in length while the EvoStream is 150mm in length. That 10mm may not sound like much until you find that you can't plug in your optical drive cables.

#2 Look into getting an Ultra MicroFly instead of the X-Qpack. It isn't available in as many bright colors, but underneath the paint the MicroFly is a near identical chassis as the X-Qpack. "Identical" means it is made in the same factory in China. "Near" means there is one huge difference... the chassis has been stretched in length somewhere around 1-1½" deeper. This means more room between the PSU and optical drives.
 
That Silverstone is pretty nice. Dual 120mm fans and a pretty aluminum face. Can probably run fans on low and have a near silent wind tunnel in there. Also uses a standard size PSU. One issue is that the metal used is a bit thin so it'll feel flimsy as you're working on it, but after the sides are screwed on it shouldn't feel too flimsy anymore.

Right now it is discounted $10, plus through today only (12/15) if you use the coupon code PAYPALFREE and use Paypal to pay for it, you can save the $13.98 shipping, meaning you are at basically $90 out the door versus $114 previously. Taxes still apply.

If you want a black version of the case, here it is for $44. Okay, it isn't the same, but has the same exact chassis. The Silverstone is a bit better in that the punch out fan grills have been removed and finger guards are in place. If you're handy with a rotary tool or nibbler, that problem can be taken care of, except you'd be spending a few bucks on the fans and finger guards. Includes a PSU of dubious quality.
 
The Evercase 3505 is much better than the TJ08 in ways that matter to me. Look at the removable HDD cage with rubber isolators (vs the absurd dangling ears on the TJ08), look at the indirect air paths for the front fan to help keep noise out of your face. The TJ08 looks nice, and may be made of "better" materials (the only way Al is better than Fe is lightness, but even that advantage goes away on these fancy cases) but that's as far as the design dollars went. Silverstone should be ashamed charging $60. more than the 3505 w/o PSU for it - same with the TJ07 - sturdy and fairly good looking but where the rubber meets the road, fageddaboudit... I can do better designs in my sleep. Silverstone finally closed in (among the recent designs) on the properly performing case with the TJ09 - but the price of that is absurd when I can get an original Stacker that can do anything that that can for under $100. shipped right now. Even the Coolview that's on the way could give it a run for the money...

.bh.
 
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