Micro ATX suggestions

[ScarFaceL4]

I am looking for an inexpensive case that will support an Abit NV7M & a 1.2 T-Bird.

 

[Neuroanatomist]

YY A102 microATX case $49 @ directron.

It comes with a 150W powersupply, and it's a really small mATX case.

Initially ran a little hot, but cut an 80mm blowhole and temps dropped 10'C.

Posted pics of my minor mods to YY A102 case Text

 

[MCS]

I second the YY A102, great little mATX case!

 

[bluemax]

I've had my eye on this baby for a while....
Don't forget there's another version of thesame case but has a bigger power supply.... $10 more on the same page.

 

[Zap]

Newegg has this: ENLIGHT MICRO ATX CASE MODEL # 76020B1 for $45. Though it is micro ATX, it comes with a 300W standard ATX power supply. Not the smallest for micro ATX but I take comfort in a power supply with more juice than the typical micro ATX unit, plus which has the P4 12V connector. Also, this case comes with a secondary fan and front USB ports.

Possibly better choices are these: INWIN BLACK MICRO ATX TOWER CASE MODEL # IW-V523P.180B or INWIN TWO-TONE ATX MICRO MINI TOWER WITH 180W, model# IW-V506P180 for $39 and $40 respectively. The $39 black unit is really sharp looking. These are kinda similar to the Enlight case, but seem to be a stiffer construction due to the part that extends from the 5¼" drive bays to the power supply. The power supply is a "short" ATX design sporting 180W and a P4 12V connector, and can be replaced with a regular sized ATX power supply (leaving you between 1½"-3" of space between the power supply and CDROM drives, depending on the depth of your CDROM drives).

 

[bluemax]

I've loved the look of that Enlight 7180 desktop ever since I first saw it. Much moreso than the CasperII.
But it takes those darned low-profile expansion slots.

 

[clumsum]

ScarFaceL4,

I recommend the Fong Kai 611L mATX case w/300W ATX psu for about $46. plus shipping ...........
Probably the best cooling design of any mATX case suggested so far ......... 90mm rear fan option!
The only problem is Directron is temporarly Sold Out.
If your not in a hurry, it's worth the wait for this case ......... IMO!

Fong Kai 611L@Directron

Update:
Looks like the Fong-Kai 611L is back in stock at Directron ........... !

 

[bluemax]

while I'm not that fond of towers (gimme' a desktop ANY day!) that Fong-Kai one you just suggested was quite nice. Big, slow, quiet fan in the rear would provide good cooling too.... Hmmm.... Not bad. You'd think this is my threa or something. I just want to find that PERFECT case... and I prefer small to large. I'd consider the Enlight 7180 desktop (above) perfect were it not for Q@#$^@#$^ low profile slots. :|

I suppose I can live with a tower unless I can find that perfect desktop unit.

 

[daveee12000]

If you can find it I am using a Lian-Li PC-42

Lian-Li PC-42

I bought mine on Fleabay for $100.00 and I love it.

 

[Biggs]

Bluemax,

What d'you mean by, "...were it not for Q@#$^@#$^ low profile slots."?

Cheers!

 

[bluemax]

Low profile is just annoying. Want to put in your favorite video or sound card? They won't fit. Regular sized cards won't. LOW PROFILE is just that, only 2" high instead of ~4". (Kinda' guessing on height.)
If you can't find your sound/video cards in low-profile format it simply won't fit. Period. :|

I like the idea though.... I'd love to see more LP cards!!!!

 

[Zap]

The Enlight 76020 case that I linked comes with a 92mm fan already installed in the rear. Though it is micro ATX it takes standard size parts including the power supply (which it comes with a P4 ready 300W Enlight unit). I just got one in today and it looks good. It is a hair bigger than the Inwin case (I got in two of the black ones) but the Inwin case comes with only a 180W shorty power supply, and turned out to be more difficult to work with because of less room behind the drive bays.

 

[Plantsman]

About that Elinght MATX case- when you say it accepts standard parts, does that include standard ATX motherboards? At 7.6" x 14.9" x 17.8", I would think it would.

 

[Palvaran]

Hi All. I'm glad to see a thread talking about microATX technology.

I have enjoyed everyone's thoughts so far. ScarFace, after owning 4 mATX cases so far (Inwin V500, Inwin V523, Elan Vital MX-1, and Yeong Yang A101), I would suggest the Inwin V500 type series. The Inwin line is just too easy to work with. Although the YY-A101 is a very sexy case, the CDROM being over the CPU makes cooling it more difficult than in the Inwin V500 line of cases. Also, the YY-A101/102 use an SFX Power Supply. This means that you will not be able to use a full size ATX power supply unlike the Inwin which can take a standard size one. Additionally, the fan in the YY-A101/102 PSU is an 80mm x 80mm x 15mm fan instead of a traditional 80mm x 80mm x 25mm fan. This means you will not be able to run down to Fry's and swap it with a quieter one (Fan is ungodly loud in my opinion).

Do I regret owning the YY-A101? Not at all. It's a really fun case and damn sexy to boot. It just means you have to put more work into it to make it on an even playing field with another case. Good Luck.

 

[Jhhnn]

Yeh, I'm with Zap and Palvaran- The cases with conventional layout are a lot easier to use and have more flexibility. The 523 and 506 Inwins have decent cooling in stock form, dunno about the Enlight or the Fong Kai. Another box seemingly worthy of consideration is item 36600 from casedepot, actually a LiteOn ST050.

The mini YY's are well made and excellent for relatively simple business boxes using fairly low heat processors like Tualatins or C3's. No argument there. High heat/power processors get problematical in a hurry. Adding anything beyond the basics has to be done externally, pretty much defeating the original purpose.

Just one old guy's POV.....

 

[mechBgon]

Plantsman, the Enlight case appears to have just four card slots in back (photo) so it wouldn't handle a full ATX motherboard, which would need seven.

 

[hans007]

Originally posted by: Palvaran
Hi All. I'm glad to see a thread talking about microATX technology.

I have enjoyed everyone's thoughts so far. ScarFace, after owning 4 mATX cases so far (Inwin V500, Inwin V523, Elan Vital MX-1, and Yeong Yang A101), I would suggest the Inwin V500 type series. The Inwin line is just too easy to work with. Although the YY-A101 is a very sexy case, the CDROM being over the CPU makes cooling it more difficult than in the Inwin V500 line of cases. Also, the YY-A101/102 use an SFX Power Supply. This means that you will not be able to use a full size ATX power supply unlike the Inwin which can take a standard size one. Additionally, the fan in the YY-A101/102 PSU is an 80mm x 80mm x 15mm fan instead of a traditional 80mm x 80mm x 25mm fan. This means you will not be able to run down to Fry's and swap it with a quieter one (Fan is ungodly loud in my opinion).

Do I regret owning the YY-A101? Not at all. It's a really fun case and damn sexy to boot. It just means you have to put more work into it to make it on an even playing field with another case. Good Luck.

woohooo , other micro atx enthusiasts!!



i've had a inwin v500, a inwin l545 , and currently a yeong yang a102. the l545 is like a poor mans yeong yang. i like the yeong yang since its uses an sfx power supply while the l545 is purely proprietary. the yeong yang can be bought with a 200watt p4 compatible supply. yes the cdrom over the cpu sucks for cooling, but i still have a 1.6A at 2.13 1.45 volts, rock solid in mine.


the v500 is a nice case, though a lot bigger. there is a new version with an 80 mm exhaust which is also nice. the yeong yang a102 and inwin l545 have only 60mm exhausts and the old v500 had no exhaust before. i used to run a athon 1ghz in my v500, and it works well. very solid case, and it can take any standard atx power supply though its a bit tights with the cdrom cables.