looking for cheap ATX horizontal case

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Freeco
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looking for cheap ATX horizontal case

Post by Freeco » Mon Apr 30, 2012 9:51 am

Hey guys, in a couple of weeks I intend to upgrade my current desktop to Ivy Bridge.
The past years I've always been able to reuse my old hardware for something else, until it finally breaks or is simply too slow to be useful.

To start with, my wife always inherits most of my current HW. That way we're both happy with a faster PC :wink: She'll be getting an Intel i5 750 with 16GB RAM and an SSD. Think she'll be happy? :wink:
One step down the road I have her HW to give a new purpose. This time it will become a bedroom PC: we've recently placed a crosstrainer in the bedroom, and added an old CRT TV. It keeps the mind busy while exercising... I intend to replace the CRT by a flatscreen and also hookup the old PC. That way we have a full blown media streamer when there's nothing interesting on the TV.
I like to tell stories, don't I? :lol: But that way you understand what my intentions are...

So now, why this post? Her current desktop was the last ATX mobo that I've bought. Finding a reasonably priced HTPC case that supports an ATX board isn't that easy. Mind you that I don't want to spend too much money for that old HW... €100 is kinda the limit.
Just mounting it in a tower case would of course be much easier/cheaper, but I don't think my wife will be pleased with the looks of the thing. And we currently have much in the bedroom where a tower case could be hidden under/behind/in.

The only thing I've been able to digg up is this one:
http://www.ms-tech.de/eng/index.php/pro ... 6/pdid/168
It's available for about €65-70
It'll do I guess, but I'd never heard about that brand before, so maybe there's better around?

My requirements:
* must fit an ATX motherboard
* horizontal case (for aesthetic reasons in a bedroom)
* under €100
* decent build quality
* as compact as possible (for an ATX case, not that easy, I know...)
* after replacing the stock fan(s) the whole should be fairly quite
Optionally:
* sufficiently high to mount a Scyth Ninja Plus rev B (if not, I'll need to buy another silent heatsink)
* if possible there should be room for a DVD-ROM
* simple fan controller
What I absolutely don't need:
windows, doors, lot's of 3.5" and 5.25" bays, remote control, display, etc

HW specs to be mounted inside:
Asus P5B-E ATX board
Intel Core2Duo E6600 2.4GHz dualcore
Scyth Ninja Plus rev B CPU cooler
4x 1GB RAM DDR3
WD Caviar Blue 500GB
Sapphire HD5450 512MB DDR2
Antec NeoHE 380W PSU

Anyone? :)

MikeC
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Re: looking for cheap ATX horizontal case

Post by MikeC » Mon Apr 30, 2012 11:09 am

The case you point to is all-aluminum, lianli look-alike, no wonder it's that pricey.

Try searching for nMEDIAPC or Apevia. They make cheaper ATX HTPC cases. $80 or less at newegg.

Freeco
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Re: looking for cheap ATX horizontal case

Post by Freeco » Mon Apr 30, 2012 11:27 am

Pricey? I wouldn't call that MS-Tech case pricey at all. It's just the fact that I'd never heard about that brand before, that makes me doubt its build quality.
In the meantime I've stumbled upon this Silverstone LC10-E
It's more expensive than that first one, but it should just fit the €100 budget if I buy it online. And I do have more confidence in Silverstone (already own a GD04) then in MS-Tech.

Of those other brands you refered to these are the cases that caught my eye:
http://www.apevia.com/ProductsInfo.asp? ... ter-BK/500
http://www.nmediapc.com/htpc2000.htm
I'm not sure if I'll be able to find a shop that can deliver either one of these. I'm Belgian you know, so these might not be on the European market. And shipping costs from Newegg will be too high (if they even ship to Europe).

ces
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Re: looking for cheap ATX horizontal case

Post by ces » Mon Apr 30, 2012 11:34 am

Not exactly what you are looking for, but here are two small ATX cases

Broadway Com R-310:
W 7.90; H 13.80; D 18.50;

ANTEC NSK 4400:
W 7.80; H 16.50; D 16.60;

Freeco
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Re: looking for cheap ATX horizontal case

Post by Freeco » Tue May 01, 2012 12:54 am

ces wrote:Not exactly what you are looking for, but here are two small ATX cases
indeed, both are tower cases. If I'd go for a tower, I wouldn't need to buy a new one, cause my wife's desktop is now housed in an Antec Solo, and I have plenty of older tower cases collecting dust in the attic :)

ces
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Re: looking for cheap ATX horizontal case

Post by ces » Tue May 01, 2012 5:12 am

Freeco wrote:
ces wrote:Not exactly what you are looking for, but here are two small ATX cases
indeed, both are tower cases. If I'd go for a tower, I wouldn't need to buy a new one, cause my wife's desktop is now housed in an Antec Solo, and I have plenty of older tower cases collecting dust in the attic :)
None as small as the Broadway Com R-310.

aurania
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Re: looking for cheap ATX horizontal case

Post by aurania » Wed May 09, 2012 2:05 am

Cooler Master's Elite 361 is one of the smallest horizontal cases that can support ATX sized motherboards. It's very cheap (looking at eBay.be, you can have one delivered at around €55) but you'll have to budget a new heatsink as the tallest the case can fit is 122mm. Another disadvantage is the way that the power supply is mounted in the front. There is a vent directly underneath used as an intake. A power supply with a rear mounted fan will block this vent off.

ces
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Re: looking for cheap ATX horizontal case

Post by ces » Wed May 09, 2012 6:35 am

aurania wrote:Cooler Master's Elite 361 is one of the smallest horizontal cases that can support ATX sized motherboards. ...
It is a vertical case... though I guess you can stick any vertical case on its side. And if that is the case, the Broadway Com R-310 is even smaller.

Freeco
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Re: looking for cheap ATX horizontal case

Post by Freeco » Wed May 09, 2012 10:46 am

hmm, yeah, it's kinda a hybrid horizontal/vertical case. It'll look kinda weird with those feet at the side. And the exhaust for the PSU at the front? And worse, the airstream is then blocked by the bezel??
Weird case :)

But I've more or less made up my mind to get the Silverstone case. It's just within my budget and the current heatsink should fit.

aurania
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Re: looking for cheap ATX horizontal case

Post by aurania » Wed May 09, 2012 11:30 pm

ces wrote:It is a vertical case... though I guess you can stick any vertical case on its side.
It's most definitely a horizontal case. You can tell because Cooler Master gives you the option to rotate the case logo. :lol:
And if that is the case, the Broadway Com R-310 is even smaller.
Seriously though, the Cooler Master is a bit smaller due to the difference in how the power supply is mounted, allowing it to have a thinner profile. Going by volume, the Broadway Com R-310 is 2017 in³ (7.9" x 13.8" x 18.5") and the Cooler Master is 1546 in³ (5.9" x 14.4" x 18.2").
Freeco wrote:It'll look kinda weird with those feet at the side.
Yeah, i'm not sure why Cooler Master decided to use indented stands for that part of the case. Even if you were to remove the stands, the remaining indentations would be unsightly. The user manual shows that additional stands are bundled with the case for horizontal use.

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