Small gaming build (ITX) but which case?

Enclosures and acoustic damping to help quiet them.

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Souli
Posts: 46
Joined: Wed Nov 22, 2006 8:44 am

Small gaming build (ITX) but which case?

Post by Souli » Mon Jul 13, 2015 1:05 am

Hi,
I am currently planning a build that I will start when Skylake is finally available. Atm I use an ATX mainboard but I wanna go to ITX since I have nothing more in my pc than the gpu anyway. Now I need the help of you guys since I wanna go as small as possible without sacrificing quietness. My current build is inaudible for me since the buzz of my monitor is louder and the next build should be the same.
I have read the article about the ITX gaming build using the Rosewill W1 which is a case I really like except for the ODD slot which ruins the front for me kinda.

What I want:
Clean front (no ODD)
Clean interior: all the HDD cages and stuff should be removeable (like in the W1) since I won't use them and they are just hindering air flow
Space for a full sized ATX PSU: I want to use a Super Flower 500 passive PSU so a case like the Fractal Node 304 is not working sadly
Space for an Asus GTX 980 Strix
Space for a good cpu cooler with a 120mm fan

I really like the Cooltek / Rosewill cases since they are so "clean" inside. The looks of the U3 are pretty cool but apparently there is not enough space for the GPU in there except in the W1.
Which m-ATX or ITX cases would you suggest that I should take a look?

edh
Posts: 1621
Joined: Mon Mar 17, 2008 1:49 pm
Location: UK

Re: Small gaming build (ITX) but which case?

Post by edh » Mon Jul 13, 2015 11:40 am

There is the NCASE M1 which hits all of your criteria, is about as small as you're going to get and can be very quiet but is expensive and lead times might be long.

Souli
Posts: 46
Joined: Wed Nov 22, 2006 8:44 am

Re: Small gaming build (ITX) but which case?

Post by Souli » Tue Jul 14, 2015 1:18 am

I would love to use the Ncase but you are limited to a SFX PSU which will be too loud. Are there any m-ATX cases that you guys would recommend taking a look at?

Abula
Posts: 3662
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 12:22 pm
Location: Guatemala

Re: Small gaming build (ITX) but which case?

Post by Abula » Tue Jul 14, 2015 10:17 pm

Souli wrote:I would love to use the Ncase but you are limited to a SFX PSU which will be too loud.
I think there are options still, even SPCR did a build recently with it on its mini itx guide Quiet Mini-ITX Gaming Build Guide #2: NCASE M1 Edition, there are decent SFX PSUs, check SPCR Silverstone SX600-G: SFX 80+ Gold PSU, got the silver award. If i didnt need a SLI i would have built on it. If you wish to remain on air, for the cpu cooler im going to recommend you check SPCR Noctua NH-C14 Dual Fan Top-down CPU Cooler, probably the best air cooler that fits the Ncase M1.

Also check the following video, NCASE M1 Mini-ITX PC Case - A Space Saver Without Compromises?, where you can see that in certain cases, its better to go with slot blower.

Other videos worth a look into if you are into mini itx cases,
SilverStone SG13 Computer Case - Small form factor with extreme versatility
The MOST Compact Gaming PC - Titan X & 18 Core Xeon CPU in a Shoebox
R9 Fury X vs GTX 980 Ti - Small Form Factor Gaming Showdown

There are other mini itx cases, that get close to micro atx, so the factor isnt as small as the Ncase, but worth checking since you already looking into micro atx,
Quiet Mini-ITX Gaming Build Guide #3: BitFenix Prodigy Edition
Quiet Mini-ITX Gamer Build Guide
Souli wrote:Are there any m-ATX cases that you guys would recommend taking a look at?
I would check the Silverstone TJ08-E and PS07, that are small for a micro atx factor. You should also check SPCR Journey to a Silent MicroATX Gamer

Good luck with the build,

Souli
Posts: 46
Joined: Wed Nov 22, 2006 8:44 am

Re: Small gaming build (ITX) but which case?

Post by Souli » Thu Jul 16, 2015 12:14 pm

the SFX PSU is only an option if I change the fan inside otherwise it would produce too much noise (which you can see in the article you linked).
I saw the Phantek Enthoo Evolv ITX which I kinda like since I can put almost anything in there without thinking. What do you think about the case?

edit: just read the SPCR article about the Phantek case and it is not an option anymore seeing that they messed up the GPU card position so much that you can't cool the card efficiently.

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