Micro-ATX case suggestions

[abeck_23]

I'm thinking of building a micro-ATX system, I'm not really a fan of Aspire, but they're the only company that has made a decent m-ATX case. Anyone have any other case suggestions??

 

[doolittle]

Cooler Master makes a decent mATX unit:
COOLER MASTER Centurion 541 RC-541-SKN1
newegg's shipping is going to kill your wallet get it for $50 shipped at clubIT

 

[scorch]

I am currently using an In-win V 564T and it is cooling hasn't been a problem. CPU stays around 37C @ 70F room temp. I don't have a "real" graphics card yet still using onboard one. It came with a 300w power supply.

 

[chuckshissle]

A shoe box works good as well.

 

[pengwin]

Aspire Q-Pack

 

[yourmothersanastronaut]

Check sffclub.com. They have reviews on micro-atx cases and motherboards. Their current favorite case is the Ultra MicroFly. It's based on the Aspire X-QPack, but it's about an inch/inch and a half longer and has supposedly fixed a lot of the QPack's shortcomings. I'm eyeing it for my build in a few weeks, and after I buy it it shall be modded to within an inch of it's life. Hehe.

 

[jaguarskx]

I'm thinking of building a micro-ATX system, I'm not really a fan of Aspire, but they're the only company that has made a decent m-ATX case. Anyone have any other case suggestions??

????Budget????

 

[pharoah]

q-pack shortcomings hmm what would these be i have a q-pack with an antec true power 2 480 watt psu, a micro-atx sli mobo 2x7600's in an sli
an opty 144 2 hard drives in a raid with a little time and effort believe me a q-pack can rock

here take a look at my blog on yahoo 360 i got some pics of my q-pack

http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-q3mdkqY4RKoktLVsn9_e4UWmS8Bkxk1ydnOSonrOBWURBA--?cq=1

 

[abeck_23]

meh budget is anything under $160US, definately want something cheaper, but if its worth the money then yah.

 

[pharoah]

q-packs are in that price range

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.asp?Submit=ENE&N=2010090007+50001998+1054808292&Subcategory=7&description=&srchInDesc=&minPrice=&maxPrice=

 

[pengwin]

grab a Q-pack and a good PSU, prolly a modular one, SmartPower 500w. and you will be good to go.

 

[yarricc]

Silverstone makes some nice microATX cases'. They have a wide selection of them on newegg. You didn't mention if you wanted a desktop or a tower type case so its a hard decision to make. I would recommend a shuttle xpc but thats just me.

 

[jaguarskx]

meh budget is anything under $160US, definately want something cheaper, but if its worth the money then yah.

You can check out the Antec Aria. This is the case I am using for my HTPC to basically record TV programs and watch movies and limited gameplay on this PC; my primary rig is for gaming. It is a pretty small case but large enough to fit any m-ATX mobo. It's a bit cramp but can fit 3 hard drives and 1 DVD drive. There is no 3.5" floppy drive bay so you'll need a usb floppy drive if you need to use floppies. Personally, I haven't had the need to use a floppy disk in over 4 years. But it come with a proprietary 300w PSU which may be too weak for you if you want to build a gaming rig.

Another case (newer) is the Antec NSK2400. It has a 380w PSU, but it can be replaced by a standard ATX PSU if you need more power. The case is quiet large for an m-ATX case though. The good thing about this case is that there are 2 120mm fans on the side to exhaust hot air.

A new stylish that has been recently released is the Aopen G325. The unusual thing about this case is that the PSU is placed in the back outside of the case. The only fan to exhaust hot air is the PSU fan so it's not wise to have a hot running CPU or GPU inside the case. Here's a review in case you are interested.

If you are okay with a micro tower then consider the Cooler Master RC-541. Go to Newegg.com for more images. The front is a mesh design to allow plenty of airflow and there are removable and washable dust filters. It comes with a 380 PSU, but unless it's a case and PSU combo made by Antec or Silverstone, I wouldn't trust it.

 

[jaguarskx]

Silverstone makes some nice microATX cases'. They have a wide selection of them on newegg. You didn't mention if you wanted a desktop or a tower type case so its a hard decision to make. I would recommend a shuttle xpc but thats just me.

Newegg does have a nice selection and also gives user opinions, but Newegg doesn't ship to Canada where the OP is from.

 

[pengwin]

i still think the Qpack is a better deal.