What do you think is the best gamer Mini-ITX/Mini-DTX case?

[cbn]

To start the comparison here is the Coolermaster Elite 110:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119299

It is a 15.3L case that got the editor's silver award from HardOCP:

http://www.hardocp.com/article/2014/04/09/cooler_master_elite_110_miniitx_case_review/1#.V8fLNq1lDcs

Maximum cooler height: 76mm

Maximum video card length: 210mm

Fans: Included 120mm front fan (capable of using 140mm), two 80mm fan slots on the side.

Hard drive bays: 3.5" HDD x 3, or 3.5" HDD x 2 + SSD x 2 or 3.5" HDD x 1 + SSD x 3 or SSD x 4 (In the HardOCP review they were able to fit 3 x 3.5" and 1 x 2.5". Mounting locations for 3 x 3.5" and 1 x 2.5" described at the bottom of this page. NOTE: Using the "side - lower mounting location" for the 2.5" drive blocks the usage of two (optional) 80mm fans.

 

[cbn]

Thermaltake Core V1:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811133260

It's a 22L case that got the editor's Gold award from HardOCP:

http://www.hardocp.com/article/2014/08/15/thermaltake_core_v1_miniitx_case_review/1#.V8feHq1lDcs

Maximum cooler height: 140mm

Maximum Video card length: 255mm (Inner chassis), 285mm (outer chassis)

Fans: Included 200mm front fan, 2 x 80mm fan slots.

Hard drive bays: 2x 3.5", 2 x 2.5"

 

[dave_the_nerd]

nCase M1 is pretty droolworthy.

 

[QueBert]

Love my EVGA Hadron

 

[aigomorla]

this question can sway a LOT.

do you need a full sized gpu?
do you need an AIO placement?

I love the Core V1 because of its horizontal motherboard layout.
I also love the fractal node 304 for the same reason.

However...

I also love my Enthoo ITX because of just how easy it is to work with it.
Also they look a lot more gamerish then a Core V1 and Node 304.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Also they look a lot more gamerish then a Core V1 and Node 304.

I generally consider looking "gamer-ish" to be a negative, but yeah - subjective measurements are subjective.

 

[looper]

I'm in the process of building my new Mini-ITX rig with the Ncase M1.

Review by Dmitri at Hardware Canucks...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azFtK7TWAfo

 

[TemjinGold]

No reset button tho...

 

[aigomorla]

I generally consider looking "gamer-ish" to be a negative, but yeah - subjective measurements are subjective.

Well i do too, but i always loved two tone cases like these...
Reminds of a cheap version of a Windy...

 

[cbn]

For a relatively small system at 11.5 liters (3.8 liters smaller than Coolermaster Elite 110) the Silverstone Sugo SG13B and SG13B-Q look good:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16811163274

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16811163275

Maximum CPU height: 61mm
Support standard-length expansion cards (10.5 inches)
Drive bays: 1 x 3.5" (or 2 x 2.5"), 1 x 2.5"
Mini-DTX / Mini-ITX motherboard & ATX PSU compatible
Support 120mm or 140mm single fan All-in-One Liquid Cooler
Elevated standoff for motherboard back side components

Conclusion from Techspot review:

http://www.techspot.com/review/959-silverstone-sugo-sg13/page4.html

We'll cut right to the chase and say that Silverstone's SG13 is our favorite Sugo model yet. However, those planning to build with this case need to choose their hardware carefully.

For the power supply, we'd follow Silverstone's suggestion of using a 140mm model, and we'd also say a modular design is a must -- as is Silverstone's PP05-E short cable kit.

Given the limited headroom for a CPU cooler and the fact that just a single fan can be installed in the front of the SG13, we also recommend a 120/140mm closed loop system.

Silverstone's own Tundra TD03 is decent enough, though we have received word that this model is due to be updated shortly with the 'TD03-E', so you may want to wait on that.

Although the SG13 is said to take a 10.5" graphics card such as the GeForce GTX 980, getting it in there is no easy task. In fact, with the radiator and fan installed we weren't able to do it. This shouldn't be a dealbreaker for most buyers as there are plenty of Mini-ITX versions of the GTX 970 that are around just 7" long, so they would be a better bet.

With the concern (mentioned in above review) about the long video card interfering with the fan and radiator of the AIO I found some pictures from this review showing a long video card and 120mm front fan mounted together:

Now the case does supports cards up to 10.5″ in length, anything in this territory would appear to big…that’s because you can’t drop it down from above, you’ll need to remove the front panel and slide it in from their via the cut-out.

 

[Dahak]

nvm

 

[DTN107]

If you can shell out the cash... the Ncase M1 hands down. It was developed by two guys on hardforum then they took it Indiegogo and it took off. Last time I check they have Lian-Li manufacturing the case for them.

Hardforum
Ncase website

 

[cbn]

Love my EVGA Hadron

That one comes out to be 14.1 liters, so the only case smaller (so far in this thread) is the Silverstone Sugo SG13 (at 11.5 liters).

It also (like Silverstone Sugo SG13) supports video cards up to 10.5" long (eg, Nvidia cards with the Titan Reference cooler).

PSU is a 500W 80 plus Gold "flex atx type" unit with 40amps on the single 12v rail. It does have a small fan, but the bit-tech review reported it as being surprisingly quiet.

A big surprise came courtesy the PSU. As already mentioned, our experience of these slimline server PSUs hasn't been great but despite using one of the smallest fans known to man, it actually kept itself to itself and failed to produce the expected din during our load test. This is great news for the Hadron Air as there's little you could have done to make it quieter if this proved to be an issue.

It has two drive bays which can accommodate either 2.5" SSD/HDD or 3.5" HDD. A slim slot loading optical drive bay is present.

It also comes with two 120mm top mounted exhaust fans (single 3 pin power connector) which I have never seen in a case this small:

Very impressed with this one!

 

[lehtv]

Thermaltake Core V1:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811133260

Nowhere near the best. Cheap and functional, sure, but more expensive cases are much better quality.

 

[cbn]

this question can sway a LOT.

do you need a full sized gpu?
do you need an AIO placement?

I love the Core V1 because of its horizontal motherboard layout.
I also love the fractal node 304 for the same reason.

However...

I also love my Enthoo ITX because of just how easy it is to work with it.
Also they look a lot more gamerish then a Core V1 and Node 304.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811854015

Enthoo is (so far) the largest case in this thread at 33.6 Liters displacement.

Although with that mentioned, the cooling potential is pretty extreme with an included 200mm front fan and slots for 2 x 120mm or 2 x 140mm (in the front, replaces 200mm front fan), slots for 2 x 120mm or 2 x 140mm (top), slot for 1 x 120mm or 1 x 140mm (rear). Also, see this link for radiator support.

In addition, this case supports video cards up to 13" long and CPU coolers up to 200mm tall.

98% rating from Tweaktown and editor's must have award:

http://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/7288/phanteks-enthoo-evolv-itx-tower-chassis-review/index7.html

Final Thoughts What do we like about this chassis? It's pretty simple really - everything! From the textured black exterior that we saw opening it up, and to the beefy solid feel of the chassis once in your hands is what started it for us. Then we took in the angles and lines, the simple yet slightly aggressive looks to it, and took in the potential view through the window, our mind started going on about what to do inside. Once actually looking at the interior layout, while conventional looking at first to some, everywhere you look there are finer details to be found. Like a PSU cover that is well ventilated for video cards to be able to still breathe inside, the removable section at the front to allow the card to fit as well.

The ease of installation of everything we put in it, the fact that there is a slide out radiator mounting tray in the top of this case... I mean come on, who thinks of this stuff over there? They are one smart cookie, that is for sure. Then when finalizing the build, realizing the chassis is perfectly set up to hide any and all wiring, routed right to where they are needed most, down to the optional parts, ability to be fully water cooling friendly, and even when it's gutted like what we did to the Enthoo Evolv ITX, it never lost its solid feel. The chassis does only ship with a single 200mm fan, and we really shouldn't say only, as this fan moves a ton of air inside of this chassis, and the most we heard was through the back of the chassis where our meter showed us a 27dB reading. Beyond that, it is all up to you to pack in the fun. With 74mm of room at the top before conflicting with the motherboard for 240mm radiators, and slightly less for 280mm radiators in the top, cooling a CPU is easy. Then ponder that the front offers another 240mm radiator location, and the PSU cover plate is already cut to allow it to pass through at the front, now we have the GPU covered as well. While you can install a radiator at the rear of the chassis, if populating the front and the top, we are sure a simple fan will do just fine here. Also, when it comes to cleaning, you just have to pop off the front and that filter is accessed, slide out the PSU filter out the back of the chassis, and with that cool slide out tray for the top, you can move it to a more accessible location to remove fans and clean the fins. While we really could go on and on about what we liked about this chassis, we still have the one thing that will make or break any chassis, no matter the feature set or style, and that is the cost. Putting this all down on paper with what features you are given compared to the market, and adding in the extras and all the very user friendly ideas swimming around in this chassis, we would have fully expected a price in the $100 to $150 range. While Phanteks has definitely delivered in every aspect of this design, they also completely nailed it with the cost. With this Enthoo Evolv ITX only costing $69.99 currently, you would honestly have to be out of your mind to think that this isn't a huge deal when it comes to Mini-ITX chassis choices. Phanteks has really outdone themselves this time, and our only problem to report is now we feel like we need to buy a system and put this chassis to use full time!

The Bottom Line: Phanteks blew our minds here! The Enthoo Evolv ITX has to be the most feature packed, most modular, and most wallet friendly offering for its size out there.

Overclockerclub listed no "Cons" in their final analysis and gives it the OCC Gold award:

http://www.overclockersclub.com/reviews/phanteks_enthoo_evolv_itx/5.htm

Phanteks Enthoo Evolv ITX Case Conclusion:

My initial impressions of the Enthoo Evolv ITX were that it was a slick looking case that looked like it had a lot of upside after reading the documentation. That initial impression did not change through the course of my testing. In fact, once I opened it up the proverbial light bulb went off as I could see the liquid cooling potential in this case. Phanteks made the internal volume large enough to accommodate up to three radiators, if you count the rear fan mount. The upper bracket can hold either one 240mm or one 280mm radiator, the front bracket can handle a single 240mm rad, and the rear fan mount can handle a 140mm radiator. In a case that measures a conservative 9" x 15" x 15" that is an accomplishment. Add in the multi-function bracket and you can mount a pump/res combo to fill out the custom cooling loop.

If you are not that adventurous, you can easily get away with a high end air cooler or All-in-One liquid cooling solution like the H90 I used in my testing. The chassis is just that flexible. If you go with the full on water cooling system, Phanteks includes filters for the inbound air stream at the front of the case and on the PSU air intake. Keeping the dust bunnies out makes monthly maintenance that much easier.

Storage options on the Evolv ITX are sufficient for most of the small form factor aficionados. You can mount up to four drives by using the two SSD mounts and the two 3.5-inch tool-less drive brackets to hold a pair of spinning drives. If your motherboard supports an M.2 slot on the back side of the board, you can further expand your storage capacity.

As far as actually building a rig into the Evolv ITX, it really could not go smoother. Everything lines up quite well without any twisting or tweaking. Phanteks helps out with the wire management, using a pair of Velcro straps and included wire ties to ensure you get everything tightly in place. One suggestion would be that any end user should step up to a modular power supply to minimize the excess wiring in the case. If you do not, there is a moderate amount of space that can accommodate the excess wiring as my own install shows. It's just not as pretty. Grommets are used where the wiring comes through the motherboard tray, helping improve the looks of the build even further once you put the windowed side panel on.

Phanteks has hit all the right steps putting this chassis together. It's a great looking, smallish case available in red, black, or white that you can make your own. Priced between $69 and $74, the Phanteks Enthoo Evolv ITX is a great value and the perfect jumping off point for your Mini-ITX Build.

Pros:

• Good looks
• Cooling potential
• Interior volume
• Drive mounting options
• Water cooling ready
• Filtered inbound air

Cons:

• None