A01 Aluminum Mini-ITX HTPC Desktop Computer Chassis (Sliver Aluminum)

This is a very sturdy case, small too. Outside dimensions are 7 7/8 (front to back) by 8 by 3 inches, with the glass top on. Inside dimensions are 7 5/8 by 7 ¾ by 2 ¾ making this case just under 3 liters. Here’s what I put in this case: ASUS ROG Strix Z690-I mini-ITX with Intel i5-12600K ID-COOLING IS-47-XT 47mm Height Low Profile CPU Cooler MEAN WELL EPP-200-12 AC to DC Switching Open Frame Power Supply RGEEK 24pin DC ATX PSU 12V DC Input 250W Pico PSU Mini ITX PC Power CORSAIR VENGEANCE RGB DDR5 RAM 96GB (2x48GB) 2TB + 4TB NVME’s Some fans Some LEDs I had three main objectives for the build – decent specs for software development internal power (no external brick) <= 3-liter build. Because of its size, this case is a challenge to build in, but that’s exactly what I was after. I saw other builders that had to include size as a requirement for individual parts, like memory sticks needed to be short for the cooler to fit and again memory size and the pico power supply. I ran into the same but managed to easily rectify any issues. Cooling is virtually impossible with the glass top, even if you put spacers between it and the case. I had a hard time keeping everything under 80C. To solve that I used an 8 X 8 X 1/8-inch piece of acrylic and used a 2-inch hole saw to make a cutout above the CPU fan. I put ¼ inch spacers between it and the case and temperature problem solved – CPU is running 35-45C and the NVME drives hover around 43-46C. Most times at home I do run the PC with the top off, which is pretty cool. The next issue to tackle was fitting the Mean Well EPP-200-12 into the case. Fortunately, in this case you can use spacers for the side panels so after adding 3/8-inch spacers to the left panel (bottom in the pictures) I was good to go with the 200 Watt Mean Well. My skill with cable management is debatable and the case is OK, it neither helps nor hinders. The biggest challenge was the thick USB cables. Looping them & some 4-inch cable ties does the job, plus got to hide a bunch of excess cable length in the loop too, so an added bonus. Next, I added 3 Noctua fans, 2 10MM and one 20MM. The CPU fan blows down, so the top center Noctua pulls from the bottom helping circulate the air. Right-top pulls from the pico power supply which seems to generate some heat and the bottom one blows air over the Mean Well EPP-200-12. It had better specs if fan-cooled so why not? Lastly, I added some LEDs because, why not? The observant reader will note that the ID-COOLING CPU Cooler is not LED. I replaced the stock fan with the Scythe Kaze Flex 92mm Slim RGB Fan for that last little piece of bling. Would I buy this case again? Yes. Without hesitation. It is a sturdy, well built case that is very fun and challenging to build in. Challenging in a good way, trying to fit 4 liters of parts into a 3-liter case.

Very sturdy, and small case. It looks nice as a living room HTPC. I ordered the glass version, and it works well with a 2400GE Pro (35W) APU (max temps around 70c) with the Noctua NH-L9a-AM4 cooler. However due to the size, and glass top there are airflow issues. If you are not using a ultra low powered CPU (like a embedded ITX motherboard) do not install a 2.5" SATA drive above the motherboard theres just not enough room for even the Noctua cooler to breathe. In fact I would not recommend any CPU/APU that is above a 35W TDP Variant without modding (at least for the glass version). If you want to use something like a 65W APU like the 5300G/5600G with the glass version buy some black motherboard standoffs to raise the glass up to allow additional air to come in. Also the holes for the DC Plug for the PICO PSU is for a 5.5x2.5mm DC Plug max. I have a HD Plex 200W PICO PSU that uses a 19V Dell adapter but the hole is to small so I had to widen the hole with a drill to get the plug to fit. It was a slight pain in the butt to get it in the case as well due to the heatsink on it so just a heads up for those that want to use a PICO PSU with a heatsink. If your wanting to make a small Ryzen APU ITX build the best motherboard to use with the least hassle would be the ASRock a320TM-ITX, or the X300TM-ITX due to the onboard DC input (no need for a PICO PSU) if you have either board you can also install a 2.5" SATA drive due to the positioning of the APU is not in the same place as other ITX motherboards. I gave this 4 out of 5 stars due to me needing to mod the case for the PSU.

This is a great sturdy little case. I would highly recommend it. The only negative is that the top SSD mount is pretty much useless unless you have a REALLY low profile heatsink and fan. But there is a second mount location in the back of the case.

This case is excellent quality. Best for low power setups like HTPC, as airflow is more limited compared to other cases. I used this case to build a retro 90's system with mostly new hardware.

I was looking to build the smallest form factor I could for a small, discreet and quiet build. This case checked all of the boxes. I was able to fit a low profile cooler on my CPU, and with an adapter was able to run an external power supply. the case is snug to work with, but not too bad once you wiggle the motherboard into place. It has been running 24/7 for months now with no heat concerns or any other problems.

It's purdy and very sturdy. But the design is VERY bad for thermals - no fan mounts and processor blocked by glass with no airflow from outside the case. I probably wouldn't even put an Atom or Kabini in this case without mods. But I knew this in advance and planned accordingly. If you're somewhat handy, order and cut/drill a, $8 acrylic sheet - 1/8th" works just fine. Cut it to ~7 13/16" and drill holes for the screws and in a pattern over your processor fan. I'm using a motherboard-mounted NVMe so no need for the mounting bracket. Now I've got my Ryzen CPU (with stock stealth fan) running as a headless server in a solid, tiny, beautiful case, inside which I can see my glorious glowing hardware that stays below 50°C.

So... I didn’t buy this for a mini itx board... but I did fit a GTX 1650 in there! I was working on a SFF GPU build with a LattePanda alpha and this case worked beautifully. I got a pico PSU, lattepanda Alpha, gtx 1650, and a nvme SSD adapter all in this tiny case. Awesome buy! The case is very sturdy, and has mounts for 2.5” drives which is also helpful. Good value for a case.

Pros: nice design, no real problems with cable routing. Cons: the motherboard mounts seemed to be 1-2mm too short: when I mounted my motherboard, the ports were offset downward 1-2mm from their corresponding cutouts in the I/O shield. I worked around this by gluing a couple of small fiber washers to the mounting post, which raised the mobo enough so the ports lined up with the I/O shield. Annoying enough to warrant docking two stars from my rating. A second con is the bracket holding a 2.5" HD fitting in only one direction. The HD mounts near the end of the bracket, and is close enough to the end so that it can mount in only one direction (going the other way makes it impossible to connect the SATA cables). I would have loved to have been able to have that HD mounted so the cables pointed to the back of the computer, but the bracket fitting in only one orientation made that impossible. As a couple of other reviewers have noticed, sharp edges abound on this case. The next time I open this case up, I'm hitting every exposed edge with some sandpaper. I would like this case a lot more if the build issues (especially the motherboard height wrt the I/O shield) weren't so annoying.