Mini ITX Chassis

[Valeriant]

I've been looking for a mini ITX case for future build. Any suggestions, tips, pointers? My preference would be one having a space for dedicated graphics and as compact as possible. I know some have a bit more spaces, which would be good for air but I want to go all the way compact. You guys know any other than these below? (just searched and took the images from google for easy comparing) Appreciate the advise. TIA.

Update 2016-05-27 (thanks for the recommendations guys):

NCASE M1: https://www.ncases.com/
Cerberus: www.kimeraindustries.com/cerberus/
Cougar QBX: http://cougargaming.com/products/cases/qbx/
DAN A4-SFX: https://www.dan-cases.com/dana4.php
EVGA Hadron Air: http://www.evga.com/Products/Product.aspx?pn=110-MA-1001-K1
Fractal Design Node 304: http://www.fractal-design.com/home/product/cases/node-series/node-304-black
Jonsbo U2: http://www.jonsbo.com/en/products_17.html
Jonsbo UMX1 PLUS: http://www.jonsbo.com/en/products_27.html
Lian Li PC-Q11: http://www.lian-li.com/en/dt_portfolio/pc-q11/
Lian Li PC-Q33: http://www.lian-li.com/en/dt_portfolio/pc-q33/
Raijintek Metis: http://www.raijintek.com/en/products_detail.php?ProductID=17
Silverstone SUGO SG05: http://www.silverstonetek.com/product.php?pid=210
Silverstone SUGO SG08: http://silverstonetek.com/product.php?pid=317
Silverstone SUGO SG13: http://www.silverstonetek.com/product.php?pid=536
Silverstone Raven RVZ02: http://www.silverstonetek.com/raven/products/index.php?model=RVZ02
Thermaltake Core V1: http://www.thermaltakeusa.com/products-model.aspx?id=C_00002373
Xigmatek Nebula: http://www.xigmatek.com/product.php?productid=219

 

[Frank Bates]

Fractal Design Define S nano, if you prefer the classic style, otherwise Thermaltake Core V1 / Cooler Master Elite 110 for "cubic" style.

 

[tabascosauz]

SG08 or SG05 or M1 or go home. Nothing else really fits the bill of "compact" yet air-capable as well as these guys.

The SG13 sacrifices a lot of internal space for that ATX PSU. If you value air, it's not a good choice.

 

[silentbogo]

I'd go Bitfenix prodigy. It's small, but accommodates all components well.
Fractal Design Node 202 also looks awesome, though I've never touched one with my own hands.

I've recently purchased LianLi Q11B, and it looks nice, but the insides are so-o-ooo tightly packed that I had to strap all cabling to the front side and replace the front 140mm fan with a smaller 120mm.

But those are good options for a build with dedicated graphics. If you want to go even smaller and without a GPU, then you can try Chieftec IX-01B or Antec ISK 300-150. The only thing you should consider is heat - I'd not go any higher than i3-6320 in those cases (probably settle on i3-6100T).

 

[qbngringo]

I have had several of these cases so I can definitely help narrow your list down. The Ncase M1 I had to order from Taiwan and even with express shipping it took a few months with production and ship time. The Xigmatek I haven't owned but would love to however it commands a premium price and ships from France. The EVGA Hadron Air version is a great case with a PSU and far cheaper than the previous two, you can easily get them in the USA also. The PSU is a little loud though due to its small fan size and the case does not have the best airflow if you want to overclock. The Lian Li and Jonsbros itx cases are great looking cases for the price but don't have the best airflow from my experience. The Dan A4 looks amazing but isn't in production yet and will be fairly expensive with a long lead time since it is being developed like the Ncase m1.

I don't personally like the shoebox shape computers like the Sugo so I can't comment on those. I had a Fractal Design Node 804 which was great though so I am sure there other products are also.

If I was building a new ITX case I would probably go with a Cougar QBX or if you have the budget and patience than either a Dan A4, Xigmatek, or NCase M1. The Ncase and Cougar support smaller AIO water coolers so keep that in mind. I really like ITX cases so let me know a little more what you want to do with your build and I can give more feedback. The Fractal Design Nano mentioned above is a wonderful case but it is large for an ITX build so make sure that you get it if you want room for lots of hard drives or a custom water loop.

Since you want the smallest you will need to wait for the Dan A4 or import the Xigmatek (however you have to use an ITX gpu with it like the Nano or 970 itx).

 

[qbngringo]

This only has two of your cases but it gives you a little baseline

 

[Shou Miko]

I will sub here, bcs I been looking to replace my Fractal Design Core 500 but I can't figure out what i want, I want smth the same size that I can have optical drive, full size atx and gpu but it's not easy to find in almost the same size as this case I got.

 

[qbngringo]

That is requesting a lot out of a small ITX case. The Cougar QBX can almost provide all of that however if you use an ATX PSU it limits your GPU length and you can't use a long ATX PSU (although you shouldn't need it).

 

[Shou Miko]

That is requesting a lot out of a small ITX case. The Cougar QBX can almost provide all of that however if you use an ATX PSU it limits your GPU length and you can't use a long ATX PSU (although you shouldn't need it).

if u looked at my specs u could see the psu I got

 

[qbngringo]

I just did my system specs, you would like that would have gotten me to think about checking yours.... I am going to use that it is time for me to leave work as my excuse till I can think of something better.

Your Seasonic is 160mm long and the QBX only supports up to 140mm. They have a lot of good SFX PSU's now and you sig mentioned that you need a smaller PSU now anyways so maybe its time to switch?

I tried pretty much everything to get a no compromise ITX system but I just couldn't manage to make it work perfectly in the small form factor. You will need to compromise somewhere if you want the smallest. Either you have full size components and a larger ITX case or you go small with everything is what I found to be best. That is why I went with the Corsair 400c, it is a smaller ATX case and just a little larger than some of the itx cases that support full size components.

 

[Hillbilly]

I say DAN A4-SFX. I've not seen it before. Looks like CPU cooler choice is your biggest limitation. If not the DAN then I suggest Silverstone's SG or RVZ series I currently have a build based on each.

 

[tabascosauz]

Not sure why people are implying that going compact mini-ITX necessitates "compromises".

Forgoing AIO cooling may cost you the ability to run X99 platforms, but the 4790K and 6700K can easily be tamed with advanced 92mm tower coolers if you don't overclock heavily. And no, we are not going to get into a debate about how OCing supposedly increases all-round performance by a drastic amount; it doesn't. It's been so long since the Nano and GTX 970 Mini variants hit the market, and now that the 600W Corsair SFX hit the market, " it's not possible" is no excuse.

There are so many compact cases that have the exact same layout as the SG08, which retains the ability to house reasonably powerful graphics cards and compact ATX PSUs as well as a decent 92mm tower.

SG08 is a hair under 15L in volume. When SFF is commonly limited to 20L maximum, I don't see how SG08-like cases are not "compact" enough. If anyone is expecting full performance out of an ISK310/ISK110 or a FC5, it can't be done because that isn't reasonable and has never been fathomable.

 

[Valeriant]

If I was building a new ITX case I would probably go with a Cougar QBX or if you have the budget and patience than either a Dan A4, Xigmatek, or NCase M1. The Ncase and Cougar support smaller AIO water coolers so keep that in mind. I really like ITX cases so let me know a little more what you want to do with your build and I can give more feedback.

I think you have the closest thinking/ preferences of what I have in mind. AIO for CPU is my aim, spaces are expensive with this kind of build for big heatsink. Close to that is like in the Cerberus chassis, probably not pushing air to the left though, prefer to push up or back.

It's been so long since the Nano and GTX 970 Mini variants hit the market, and now that the 600W Corsair SFX hit the market, " it's not possible" is no excuse.

That's good to hear, the only SFX PSU above 400W currently available to me is Silverstone and I read the 600W has issues. Also now that GPUs finally went 20nm and 16nm, I hope more small variants are in near future releases.

I say DAN A4-SFX. I've not seen it before. Looks like CPU cooler choice is your biggest limitation. If not the DAN then I suggest Silverstone's SG or RVZ series I currently have a build based on each.

It looks indeed very compact, and with desktop hardware at that. You're right, I also worried about the CPU temp without proper cooling. On air, it can only accommodates low profile heatsink and fan. That top and bottom placements might be possible for 140mm AIO radiator though.

 

[Hillbilly]

That top and bottom placements might be possible for 140mm AIO radiator though.

That's what I would shoot for.

 

[Absolution]

The Sugo SG 13 is good for its price( 30-40USD). Can have decent hardware in it and also has a massive thread on overclock.net for different configurations.

Good ventilation options. With a Fractal T12 expandable AIO cooler, you can use a waterblock on your GPU as well.

 

[Grings]

Of the ones pictured i like the jonsbo u2 for radeon nano sized cards, or the ncase m1 for bigger cards

Lian li do some nice ones too, i like the q33 and q11, i think i've seen one like the q11 but without the 5.25 bay, but cant find it now

 

[silentbogo]

Lian li do some nice ones too, i like the q33 and q11, i think i've seen one like the q11 but without the 5.25 bay, but cant find it now

NO-O-O-O!!!

Q11 and Q33 are nice looking cases, but they suck from my perspective.

Last month I bought a Q11B for my Skylake rig and so far I can outline at least few reasons why people should consider other options for ITX gaming rig:
- The PSU right above your CPU HSF, so it blocks most of the airflow. Cannot use tower coolers because of that.
- No wire management options due to crappy PSU placement (sucks even more if you don't have a modular PSU)
- PSU hole is sometimes smaller by 1-2mm than it should be, so instead of pushing the PSU from the outside (as shown in manual) you have to maneuver it from the inside, while holding the screwdriver in your other hand
- ODD rack has to be mounted, even if you don't have an ODD (to hold the ODD cover in place)
- Does not work with >240mm GPUs. My GTX 750Ti Gaming did not fit (it's 250mm), so I had to dig out my older single-fan MSI GTX 660 OC. My dream of GTX 1070 is dead until an ITX-friendly version goes on the market.
- AIO is only mountable instead of the intake fan. Cannot use both
- It has so many moving parts that even with an Engineering degree I have hard time putting it all together. Now I understand why the previous owner sold me his new case for less than half of its price...
- Outrageous desk footprint: overall needs as much space as my old Chieftec Dragon ATX mid-tower (so much for going ITX).

The only 3 things I like about my Q11 is the following:
- Nice looks
- Fits an ATX PSU
- Bought it cheap (less than $50 with some extras)

My current build is:
- i3-6100
- MSI B150I Gaming Pro AC
- 2x8GB DDR4-2133 CL14 [HyperX]
- MSI GTX660 OC
- Deepcool HTPC-200 for cooling
- EVGA 500B PSU

Can probably go as high as i5-6500 + GTX970 (ITX) without turning it into a mini-toaster.

PC-Q33 is a little easier to put together and it has a better layout, but it is just as big as Q11 and has really bad airflow. So if you want to save space - this case is definitely not it.

 

[subtec]

It looks indeed very compact, and with desktop hardware at that. You're right, I also worried about the CPU temp without proper cooling. On air, it can only accommodates low profile heatsink and fan. That top and bottom placements might be possible for 140mm AIO radiator though.

That pic on the right is a very early prototype that used a Pico PSU and DC power board, and those are slim 92mm fans on the top and bottom. The final production version doesn't support any case fans at all, and the entire chassis is only 112mm wide. There's zero room to mount an AIO inside.

 

[Absolution]

Fractal Core 500

Supports 240mm rads

Although the front is solid, which imo restricts airflow.

Also the SG13 with watercooling (GPU + CPU) (GPU is 970, CPU is G3258 @ 4.2Ghz)

 

[Valeriant]

That pic on the right is a very early prototype that used a Pico PSU and DC power board, and those are slim 92mm fans on the top and bottom. The final production version doesn't support any case fans at all, and the entire chassis is only 112mm wide. There's zero room to mount an AIO inside.

You're right, I checked the manual and it really has no space for additional fan. With that design, I think the back of the GPU could possibly heat the motherboard.

NO-O-O-O!!!

Q11 and Q33 are nice looking cases, but they suck from my perspective.

Thanks for sharing, your detailed descriptions are appreciated. I also like the look, and with a window side mod would be really cool. Too bad for the many cons.

- Does not work with >240mm GPUs. My GTX 750Ti Gaming did not fit (it's 250mm), so I had to dig out my older single-fan MSI GTX 660 OC. My dream of GTX 1070 is dead until an ITX-friendly version goes on the market.

That's right, small form-factor GPUs! Looking for those above 970 at least.

AMD Radeon R9 Nano: ASUS, Gigabyte, MSI has it.
ASUS R9 Nano 4GB White: https://www.asus.com/Graphics-Cards/R9NANO-4G-WHITE/
ASUS GTX 970 2GB: https://www.asus.com/Graphics-Cards/GTX970DCMOC4GD5/
Gigabyte GTX 970 2/4GB: http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=5252#ov
Galax GTX 970 4GB: http://www.galax.com/en/graphics-card/900-series/galax-geforce-gtx-970-gamer-oc.html
Zotac GTX 970 4GB: https://www.zotac.com/us/product/graphics_card/gtx-970

 

[Valeriant]

Fractal Core 500

Supports 240mm rads

Although the front is solid, which imo restricts airflow.

Also the SG13 with watercooling (GPU + CPU) (GPU is 970, CPU is G3258 @ 4.2Ghz)

Core 500 is 19.5L almost the same as Core 304. Thanks.

Your watercooling SG13 led me to search and find this very tight custom loop:

Which is very cool, but hard to do.

 

[Absolution]

Core 500 is 19.5L almost the same as Core 304. Thanks.

Your watercooling SG13 led me to search and find this very tight custom loop:

Which is very cool, but hard to do.

Here is the post for the GTX 970 watercooled (posted earlier): http://www.overclock.net/t/1494564/silverstone-sugo-sg13-mini-itx-owners-club/1600_50#post_25161401

I plan to do something similar in the near future (depending on the Polaris release)

A couple of things, dont go for the thicker tubing > then you have to pull shenanigans like place the PSU elsewhere and case modding. Use the 1/4 tubings from Alpha cool

The T12 default tubings seem to snap out from the pump, so make sure to tighten em. People have reported the many boxes with the liquid leaking in it already.

The pump itself is powerful enough to keep the flow in a GPU + CPU.

Then there is more radical watercooling solutions like this (Fury X + 5820k build):

More info here: http://www.overclock.net/t/1494564/silverstone-sugo-sg13-mini-itx-owners-club/1550_50#post_25023894


It also fits nicely in a medium sized gym duffel bag:

As for GPUs, the SG13 can fit upto 10.5" cards (GTX 1080 / 1070 easily).

Try to get blower style (reference/founder) or Nano (hybrid - cross between standard and blower style).

 

[Shou Miko]

I am still thinking about getting a Corsair SF600 if I can't find another modular ATX psu that's small in length and price, so I can use a normal GFX in my Core 500 ITX case but I dunno which one to pick, anyone got any idea's?

Link: http://www.corsair.com/en-gb/sf-ser...-plus-gold-certified-high-performance-sfx-psu

Price $133 / £91 / €120

Thinking about a GTX 1070 later this yr properly.

 

[Caring1]

I am still thinking about getting a Corsair SF600 if I can't find another modular ATX psu that's small in length and price, so I can use a normal GFX in my Core 500 ITX case but I dunno which one to pick, anyone got any idea's?

Link: http://www.corsair.com/en-gb/sf-ser...-plus-gold-certified-high-performance-sfx-psu

Price $133 / £91 / €120

Thinking about a GTX 1070 later this yr properly.

FSP is releasing the Dagger range of SFX PSU's after CES.
I can't find pricing on that range yet.

 

[Valeriant]

I am still thinking about getting a Corsair SF600 if I can't find another modular ATX psu that's small in length and price, so I can use a normal GFX in my Core 500 ITX case but I dunno which one to pick, anyone got any idea's?

Link: http://www.corsair.com/en-gb/sf-ser...-plus-gold-certified-high-performance-sfx-psu

Price $133 / £91 / €120

Thinking about a GTX 1070 later this yr properly.

I would prefer Corsair myself. I read Silverstone's SFX 600W have issues. Nice, 600W would be plenty for ITX and a Pascal GPU... it's something like 150W TDP I think.

Finally, thin quality fans from Noctua!
http://www.techpowerup.com/222979/noctua-unveils-a-prototype-120-mm-slim-fan
http://www.techpowerup.com/222980/noctua-also-announced-15-mm-thick-80-mm-70-mm-and-50-mm-fans
Would help in ITX build or even feasibility in adding a fan into one. Waiting for the release and reviews.

There aren't many ITX PSUs out there...

Be Quiet SFX Power 2 400W: http://www.bequiet.com/en/powersupply/493
Corsair SF600 600W: http://www.corsair.com/en/sf-series-sf600-600-watt-80-plus-gold-certified-high-performance-sfx-psu
Corsari SF450 450W: http://www.corsair.com/en-ca/sf-ser...-plus-gold-certified-high-performance-sfx-psu
FSP Group FSP450-60GHS(85)-R: http://www2.fsplifestyle.com/home/product.php?AreaLang=34&PSN=1008
Silverstone ST45SF-G 450W: http://www.silverstonetek.com/product.php?pid=342
Silverstone SST-SX500-LG: http://www.silverstonetek.com/product.php?pid=527
Silverstone SX600-G 600W: http://www.silverstonetek.com/product.php?pid=524