I just installed in this case:
ZOTAC Socket 1156/Intel H55/USB3.0/WiFi/A&GbE/Mini ITX Motherboard H55ITX-C-E
Intel Core i3 Processor i3-540 3.06GHz 4MB LGA1156 CPU BX80616I3540
Corsair XMS3 8 GB (2 x 4GB) 1333 MHz PC3-10666 240-Pin DDR3 Memory Kit CMX8GX3M2A1333C9
Antec EarthWatts EA-430D Green 430 Watt 80 PLUS BRONZE Power Supply
Left Angle to Straight SATA 2.0 Data Cable with Clip, 20 Inches - 2 Pack (times 3)
Western Digital 320 GB Caviar Blue SATA 6 Gb/s 7200 RPM 16 MB Cache Bulk/OEM Desktop Hard Drive - WD3200AAKX
And 5 other various mixed and matched SATA Western Digital and Seagate HDs
Pros:
Small.
5 Hot-swappable 3.5 inch bays (It comes with Harddrive rails with thumbscrews, and they allow the drives to be installed and removed without tools, and they slide into bays that have a fixed backplane (drives slide out without cables attached)).
3 Alternate Harddrive mounts at the bottom of the case, they attach to a plate with included rubber mounts and screws, and the plate can be removed with 2 thumbscrews.
Uses a normal(ish) sized power supply, and it mounts to a plate that allows the power supply to be removed and installed from the back (the plate attaches to the PS, and the plate attaches to the case via 4 thumbscrews).
Holds an ITX sized motherboard.
Comes with everything you need including screws for the MB, PS, and HDs (no SATA cables).
Has 2 large fans, that both have molex pass-through adapters to power them (they can be removed).
Has 2 intake filters (front and bottom).
Screw-less case (except to mount the MB, HD, and PS), basically the sides snap on and off.
Seems well built and study for as small as it is.
Has 2 full length PCIe card slots in the back (my MB only has one slot).
Cons:
Must use 5 "Left-Angled" SATA 90 degree cables for the SATA backplane, you can use straight ones too, but cord control might be difficult, normal "Right-Angle" SATA cables will not work.
Power LED plug has one of the pins in the wrong spot for most motherboards (easily moved in the connector, I'm unlucky, so I had to move it twice, 2 wires and pins with 3 holes in the connector).
No reset button (not really a big deal).
The top fan is next to the motherboard and you need to make sure you do some cord control to keep your cords out of it.
Only very shallow normal power supplies will work, make sure you get the right size. (I can't fault them for this, this thing is small and can hold up to 8 harddrives, find anything close and we can compare what size PS fit into it). Make sure that your PS wires don't scrape on the harddrive cage, I zip-tied mine out of the way to the lower harddrive plate.
It's a fingerprint magnet (but what isn't when it's made from aluminum).
No case USB ports (would be nice to have some on the front).
Harddrives are installed and removed from the side, so the side of the case has to be removed to hot-swap them (would be nice if on the next redesign of this case if they can find a way to have them enter from the front).
No CD/DVD drive bay (It seems like they might be able to shoe-horn a slim drive near the top, but really I'm just trying to think up things to enter into the Cons side.)
I can't really complain about the case, it does exactly what I wanted.
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Case front fan crapped out and started clicking. “Ok no problem,” I thought. “Fans fail, I’ll just replace it.”Then I opened the case and realized this was no easy task. The design makes it almost impossible to replace without special tools.The fan is attached to a frame that is riveted on and cannot be removed, and the fan screws are inaccessible from inside the case. Even the smallest ratchet I have cannot fit into this thing. Now I have to order miniature sized ratchet to even begin.What were they thinking? Do they expect you to buy a whole new case just because a fan broke?
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Timmy
Nice, but needs a USB hub.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on July 20, 2016
