ASPIRE X-QPACK, SFF case only w/PSU.

Bluefront · Post by **Bluefront** » Thu Jun 16, 2005 4:10 am

I've bought stuff there before...two cases and a few misc items. No problems. They do have a fast turn-over of inventory. So make buying decisions quickly. It's likely that heatsink will be OOS soon, and they may never get anymore.

sundevil_1997 · Post by **sundevil_1997** » Fri Jun 24, 2005 10:47 am

The thread on microATX cases has revived my interest in this. Plus, I got the WAF high enough to start looking.

Can anyone tell me if the handle on this case is actually connected to the frame somehow? Or is it just a part of the front bezel? I"m concerned about it being strong enough.

Also, the temp readings on the front....are those from sensors included in the case? So, just add them wherever? I like that feature...I think trying to make something quiet is really just a battle against heat buildup, so it'd be really nice being able to monitor temps WHILE playing games without having to exit out.

Thanks for answers.

EDIT: Never mind. A couple searches answered all those questions for me.

I'm really liking this case...what I'm really NOT liking is the lack of microATX boards to put into it. I guess the waiting begins.....

GamingGod · Post by **GamingGod** » Wed Aug 10, 2005 9:07 am

So has anyone actually bought the q-xpack case yet? I wanted to put a 3000+ venice and 6600GT With a zalman 7000 on the cpu and vf700 on the gpu. Are there any issues with this case? Or any reasons that you would suggest another case ect.

stromgald · Post by **stromgald** » Thu Aug 11, 2005 7:44 am

I have a chenming matx-118, which is basically the same case. Unfortunately, I bought a GeForce 6600gt passively cooled graphics card, but the heatpipe from the passive heatsink interferes with the bar holding up the PSU and CD drive cage.

I'm going to get a VF700-Cu (hopefully today) to replace the passive cooler. I'm a little worried about the VF700 fitting under the PSU, but it should work as long as you're using a PCIe 6600gt (not AGP). whether the zalman 7000 will fit really depends on your motherboard placement of the CPU, but it is short enough to clear the horizontal bars in the case. I'll let you know how it turns out.

joemadeus · Post by **joemadeus** » Fri Aug 19, 2005 5:16 am

I bought one of these (green!) and my experience is mixed, at best. First of all, I agree with the comments re: the case fan that comes with it: it's too bright and it's loud (soon to be replaced by a Nexus). The other problem I've had is a lot more troubling: any time you screw the motherboard tray into the case, a shower of tiny metal shavings falls onto the motherboard (why does nobody use good ol' fashioned nuts, goddam it!?). It's constructed so flimsily that, with the motherboard tray pulled out, the power supply makes the back of the case 'sag' a little (I have a phantom 350 in there). One more thing: the power switch was broken (intermittent) when I got mine. And there's no instructions in the box.

The temp probes are useful (I have on in the fins on the Phantom and another on the northbridge heatsink, since I have temp reporting software) and it's great that an atx PSU fits (barely, and with my short Sony DVD drive).

One more note re: the case fan. I, too, found that I got much better temps when I set the fan to intake instead of exhaust. On top of that, I have a 6600GT (actively cooled) video card in there, and was worried that there was dead air right above it. I removed the back plate to the right of the video card, and it seems to have even better airflow. Your milage may vary.

-j

rpsgc · Post by **rpsgc** » Fri Aug 19, 2005 6:15 am

stromgald wrote:I have a chenming matx-118, which is basically the same case. Unfortunately, I bought a GeForce 6600gt passively cooled graphics card, but the heatpipe from the passive heatsink interferes with the bar holding up the PSU and CD drive cage.

Any thoughts on the PSU?

sundevil_1997 · Post by **sundevil_1997** » Fri Aug 19, 2005 7:53 am

joemadeus wrote:fashioned nuts, goddam it!?). It's constructed so flimsily that, with the motherboard tray pulled out, the power supply makes the back of the case 'sag' a little (I have a phantom 350 in there). One more thing: the power switch was broken (intermittent) when I got mine. And there's no instructions in the box.

Grrrrr...man, I keep hearing how poorly made this case is. It's such a bummer, because there's just no other case like it that fits so many of my wants: carry-able, show-offable, acceptable for above the table-top display, built-in temp sensors. I have a feeling I'm going to be posting my own mixed feelings in the next few months.

joemadeus · Post by **joemadeus** » Fri Aug 19, 2005 9:03 am

sundevil_1997 wrote:...It's such a bummer, because there's just no other case like it that fits so many of my wants: carry-able, show-offable, acceptable for above the table-top display, built-in temp sensors.

Yeah, those were some of the reasons I went with it, too, plus the fact that you could fit a full ATX power supply in there.

One more thing bears mentioning: A lot of ATX power supplies come with a lot of long cables, which means you have to put them somewhere inside the case. I have the ones I'm not using curled up in the empty drive bay at the top of the case (which looks a mess, viewing from the plexi window at the top.) If you wanted to use both bays and a full ATX supply you'd be in trouble -- they're already difficult to deal with even with the 'extra' space. (I've been thinking about cutting them, actually, and putting molex connectors on them, but I don't feel like voiding the warranty

)

-j

sundevil_1997 · Post by **sundevil_1997** » Fri Aug 19, 2005 9:13 am

What has been your experience so far in trying to get it quiet? Obviously the phantom probably helps, but you mentioned the actively cooled video card.

I'm planning on eventually getting two of these things to replace mine and my wife's computers. So, however loud one of these are, it'll be times 2 in our den. I'm just wondering how suited it is to quieting.

joemadeus · Post by **joemadeus** » Fri Aug 19, 2005 9:48 am

sundevil_1997 wrote:What has been your experience so far in trying to get it quiet? Obviously the phantom probably helps, but you mentioned the actively cooled video card.

It's pretty loud, but I still have the stock fan (NOISY) and a non-sensord, medium speed 80mm panaflo with an 80mm-60mm adapter on the CPU; both fans run at full speed constantly, so I should expect the noise. I just ordered a Nexus 120mm for the rear and a sensored 80mm Panaflo (couldn't find the low-RPM version with the sensor, which bugs me.) And I bought foam pads and rubber mounting screws for the fans. It should be a lot quiter after that.

I can definately hear the fan on the video card fan start up when I'm doing something that requires some GPU activity, even over the rear fan. This case is not made for a quiet room, in my opinion, but until I ordered the parts earlier today I haven't tried to shut it up.

My drives are a pair of Hitachi/IBM 7.2k RPM SATA-II drives, with speedstep enabled. I can't really hear them, except for some parking noise (and even then it's not so obvious.)

I don't hear anything rattling, so I guess all the parts are attached well, but the fan noise goes right through the case walls. What CPU are you putting in there?

-j

sundevil_1997 · Post by **sundevil_1997** » Fri Aug 19, 2005 10:07 am

joemadeus wrote:I don't hear anything rattling, so I guess all the parts are attached well, but the fan noise goes right through the case walls. What CPU are you putting in there?
-j

Heh...well, at best, my system could be called "theorhetical". It's what I WOULD put together if we had the $$$ for an upgrade. I was planning on using a motherboard similar to the Foxxconn NF4K8MC-EKRS, which would mean an Athlon 64, and perhaps in the future even an X2.

I don't have any dreams of a silent system...but something less than annoying by SPCR standards would be nice to achieve.

Mankey · Post by **Mankey** » Mon Aug 22, 2005 9:25 pm

I just got one of the CHenming variety of this case. I was prepared for a case of poor quality, but I was even surprised at just how POOR the quality of the case is. It really feels like it is made out of tin foil. It really feels like it is going to collapse like a deck of cards. The case cover is made out of the thinnest aluminum i've seen. I'm scared to see just how badly it will resonate.

I'm gonna be building it with
- nexus 120 blowing inwards in the back.
- Zalman 7000, with a nexus fan swap.
- Samsung MP0402H 2.5 incher suspended with stretch magic
- 9800 xt with zalman heatpipe thingie. Possibly rig a 80mm Nexus to blow across the vid card.

I'm also blocking the holes under the face plate, as the face plate will act like another chamber and only cause turbulence. I'm also thinking of ducting/ramping the (now) intake 120 mm fan in the rear to blow down towards the CPU. I dont' forsee the Samsung HDD to need much ventilation.

I eventually want to put in a Phantom 350. Hopefully the case will run cool enough to enable me to do that.

Anyone see any problems in my plans? Any sugguestions/questions? Please let me know, I'm bored at work and would love to post more

joemadeus · Post by **joemadeus** » Tue Aug 23, 2005 5:00 am

Mankey wrote:Please let me know, I'm bored at work and would love to post more

Whoa! I'm bored at work, too!

The only problem I might see is with the Phantom and the heatpipe on the video card. If it goes over the top of the card, it might interfere with the psu; I also wonder if the pipes would work as well, since the fins on the bottom of the phantom should radiate heat and this might interefere with the heat/cool cycle in the pipe (just a guess on this, though.) Don't forget that if the vapor in the pipe can't condense, there's no cooling and you wind up with a runaway heating situation

{edit} I just took a look at the Zalman site and found that the heatpipe GPU cooler should work, except that the text on the Zalman says it'll only work when the GPU faces downward (prob'ly because of the limitations with the heatpipe -- a lot of them rely on gravity to get the working fluid back to the heatsource after it condenses in the cold part of the pipe). With this case, the video card is horizontal and the GPU is vertical... but wait - there's a diagram there (here, actually: http://www.zalmanusa.com/usa/product/vi ... 8&code=013 that says this should work. The text and diagrams don't jibe. Damn. {/edit}

Which cpu/mb are you using?

I'm still waiting on my Nexus 120; should be here today. I'll write back here with the results (but give me a day or so to install it).

-j

pangloss · Post by **pangloss** » Wed Aug 24, 2005 9:15 am

Did you get the windowed or windowless version of the case?

I'm wondering if the windowless version is less flimsy feeling.

Mankey wrote:I just got one of the CHenming variety of this case. I was prepared for a case of poor quality, but I was even surprised at just how POOR the quality of the case is. It really feels like it is made out of tin foil. It really feels like it is going to collapse like a deck of cards. The case cover is made out of the thinnest aluminum i've seen. I'm scared to see just how badly it will resonate.

sundevil_1997 · Post by **sundevil_1997** » Wed Aug 24, 2005 9:25 am

Mankey wrote:I just got one of the CHenming variety of this case. I was prepared for a case of poor quality, but I was even surprised at just how POOR the quality of the case is. It really feels like it is made out of tin foil. It really feels like it is going to collapse like a deck of cards. The case cover is made out of the thinnest aluminum i've seen. I'm scared to see just how badly it will resonate.

You know, the only plus I can think from this is that, given the case has a carrying handle, maybe this was a design consideration to make the case as light as possible.

Don't worry, I'm not normally a blind optimist. However, the handle and portability of the case is one of the biggest draws to me....my desire is to make a system I can easily carry around.

joemadeus · Post by **joemadeus** » Wed Aug 24, 2005 10:14 am

sundevil_1997 wrote:You know, the only plus I can think from this is that, given the case has a carrying handle, maybe this was a design consideration to make the case as light as possible.

Nah, this case is just crap.

I opened it up last night to install some new fans and a new northbridge heatsink and discovered a gentle snow of glittery shavings, ALL OVER the motherboard. I'm pretty sure that the screws holding the drive mounting frame in place produced some shavings when I installed it.

By the way, the fan that comes with the case is a lot louder than it has to be. I installed a Nexus 120 last night (with a rubber gasket to absorb whatever vibration it might produce) and the difference is dramatic: the system is a LOT quieter now. The dominant noise is now the pair of drives I have in there.

-j

mshan · Post by **mshan** » Sat Oct 15, 2005 6:00 am

Deleted and reposted in psu thread (psu fan swap question).