A Rant, If You Please.

Tute

Tute

Tute

Soldato
Joined
24 Jul 2004
Posts
22,593
Location
Devon, UK
Okay, i've got to get this off my chest.

WHY OH WHY are microATX cases getting BIGGER? I mean seriously, it's becoming tiresome now, almost like the standard is trying to replace ATX.

I would seriously have to say that cases like the V354 should be moved in the cases section. They're NOT small form factor! The damn thing is 33 litres in volume! You may as well just get a small ATX case and be done with it. And don't get me started on the Antec Mini-P180.

Only the Sugo range can really call themselves Small Form Factor, and the tradeoff is that you can't fit any good air coolers in there. In fact, I think only one mATX case gives you decent options and remains SFF - and that's the Langear Da Box one. The rest are just too big.

Of course, it might just well be that miniITX is replacing microATX in the "SFF" space. But I don't get how companies can excuse making microATX cases bigger all the time - why bother developing them if you're going to make them as massive as their ATX breathren?

So i've decided - from now on, for me, TWENTY FIVE litres is the limit. Above that, it's not Small Form Factor.

Anyhow, apologies for the rant, as you were. :)
 
Agreed with OP.

What I think though is that more M-DTX boards should be made - most MITX cases are designed for them (to have space for dual-slot GPUs), but there's little choice of mobo. With something like an HTPC it'd be nice to have a sound card and a TV card, or for a gaming rig, a single slot GPU (5770 or similar) and a decent sound card...

But yeah, I do think LL have gone the wrong way with their cases - look at the Q07 - which is miniscule, then look at the Q08 - it's nearly twice the volume of the Q07!
 
I suppose they're getting bigger because of all those idiots trying to cram ATX type performance in to SFF rigs, and missing the point about what SFF is all about... Oh hang on, that'd be me. :o

In all seriousness, this is a pet hate of mine too, and other SFF fans from what I've read elsewhere.
 
Agreed. It's quite hard to believe that the Sugo line of cases still haven't got any real competition in the SFF market. Antec and Lian Li seem like the obvious companies to compete in the HTPC market but the new Antec cases look like a Transformer threw up over them!
 
Marvin said:
Agreed with OP.

What I think though is that more M-DTX boards should be made - most MITX cases are designed for them (to have space for dual-slot GPUs), but there's little choice of mobo. With something like an HTPC it'd be nice to have a sound card and a TV card, or for a gaming rig, a single slot GPU (5770 or similar) and a decent sound card...

But yeah, I do think LL have gone the wrong way with their cases - look at the Q07 - which is miniscule, then look at the Q08 - it's nearly twice the volume of the Q07!
Click to expand...

The Q11 is slightly larger than a Q07 and can take dual slot graphics cards.
 
Thats why I got Da Box because there wasn't really any other good choices. I keep meaning to write a small review on it but never get round to it. I will say that if there were other choices then I wouldn't advise it!

Actually I might do it now.
 
Well I guess my point is that if mATX cases get much bigger, there's going to be no point to them. Thank god for mini ITX is all I can say, it keeps driving case sizes down.

The Da Box is undoubtedly a fantastic case though.
 
i just bought a cooler master 360 elite atx case for my pfsense box.

I was going to go mini itx but i already have an old atx mb and cpu and ram lying around so i thought it would be cheaper to get a full atx and in the future if i want to upgrade i can get an old atx second for next to nothing these days.

but i would prefer a mini itx.
 
groen said:
i just bought a cooler master 360 elite atx case for my pfsense box.

I was going to go mini itx but i already have an old atx mb and cpu and ram lying around so i thought it would be cheaper to get a full atx and in the future if i want to upgrade i can get an old atx second for next to nothing these days.

but i would prefer a mini itx.
Click to expand...

If you want something cheap, do a search for thin clients on ebay. pick up one with a VIA C3/C7 in it, get a new DOM and USB NIC, can be sorted out for less then £40. I was lucky I sniped up a industry quality itx, complete with dual NIC and CF port for £30.
 
yea i was going to get one of these ex corporate dell or hp boxes and just put another nic in, cost about £60. the case and new psu cost me £50 and it is a better looking case and i can upgrade it in the future or use it as a htpc case or similar if need be.
 
It's probably due to the need to fit ATX power supplies into them. Not a lot of decent mATX power supplies around these days. OCUK (and many other retailers) don't even sell any non ATX power supplies.
 
Is it just a problem for Western countries? As we're limited to the defacto brands like Antec, Li-Lian, Silverstone, etc.

And places like Japan fair better with their own manufacturers in addition to having access to the above brands. As I've seen Abee and Soldam cases that looked great (not checked what their current line up offers).

Anyway, I wouldn't want a case larger than my SG03. So I plan to re-use it whenever I upgrade instead of dropping down to mini-ITX (plans could change though).

Edit: Antec's mini P180 most be a joke. I'm sure it's easy to work on though

Mini P180: 17.1"(H) x 17.2"(D) x 8.3"(W)
Old P180: 21.3"(H) x 19.9"(D) x 8.1"(W)
 
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