6 cases for your next small form factor system

When smaller is better

Gargantuan tower PCs are just so yesterday. Consumers these days are increasingly gravitating toward smaller form factors, and case makers have seized on the trend with design innovations that allow them to cram powerful components into compact cases – a godsend for those of us who have to deal with multiplying mounds of junk on cramped desks.

It’s easy to see the appeal of these micro-ATX and mini-ITX cases. Small, sleek, and powerful, they offer just enough support for even the most powerful components. For instance, your system could feature a mini-ITX board like the ASUS Maximus VIII Impact, together with 32GB of DDR4 RAM and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX Titan X. There would even be space to install liquid-cooling radiators if you so wished.

All in all, the current crop of compact PC cases allow you to build a system powerful enough to play even the latest games at 4K resolutions. There may not be space enough for multiple GPU configurations or elaborate liquid-cooling setups, but users who want to go down that route comprise a very small segment of the market. For the average consumer, and even most enthusiasts, they could build a system that will keep them happy for a long time to come.

And if you’re looking for an idea of which motherboards to pair with one of these cases, we’ve got an article on that right here.

Fractal Design Define Nano S

If you’re a big fan of minimalist designs like us, the Fractal Design Define Nano S is right up your alley. From its uninterrupted brushed metal front facade to the silver-rimmed case feet, the Define S Nano is a picture of understated elegance. And even though it’s a fairly compact mini-ITX case, there is still support for plenty of high-end hardware. It’s also a chassis designed for silent computing, so you get sound-dampening foam to muffle your fans.

In fact, the implementation of its sound-dampening system is quite nifty. It uses Fractal’s ModuVent technology, which essentially comprises modular panels layered with noise-dampening foam. These can be easily removed to expose vents and mounting holes for more fans, so you have the freedom to choose between improved air flow or reduced noise.

A look inside the case reveals a fairly spacious interior, which can hold CPU coolers up to 160mm in height and graphics card up to 315mm long. In addition, there’s space for a full-sized ATX power supply and up to four drives. The final feather in its cap is its decent liquid-cooling support – this means a 240mm radiator at the top and a 280mm one in the front, and further flexible mounting options for various pumps and reservoirs.

The Fractal Design Define Nano S sells for US$64.99. A windowed version is also available, but it will cost slightly more at US$69.99. Both versions are expected to begin shipping in March.

NZXT Manta

The Manta may be NZXT’s first ever mini-ITX case, but it is an extremely impressive first attempt. It also has a lot going for it in the looks department, all curves and smooth, sloping lines that give it a distinctly modern look. To top things off, it has a full-length side window that allows you an unimpeded view of your hardware.

Fortunately, NZXT has done a lot to help you build a clean system setup and keep any messy cables out of sight. For instance, the curved side panels serve a functional purpose as well, supposedly doubling the cable management space available over more conventional mini-ITX cases. Then there’s the PSU shroud, which spans the entire bottom length of the chassis and helps you hide all the cables coming out of your power supply. Similarly, metal brackets over the cable routing holes enable you to keep your 24-pin ATX power connector and SATA cables out of side, making for an even cleaner look.

But the most appealing aspect of the case would have to be its support for up to three water-cooling radiators at the same time. The Manta will take two 280mm radiators at the front and top and one 120mm radiator in the rear. It’ll also accommodate pretty much any CPU cooler (up to 160mm tall) and graphics card (up to 363mm long) on the market and has space for three 2.5-inch SSDs and two 3.5-inch HDDs.

The NZXT Manta will sell for US$139.99.

Lian-Li PC-Q10WX

This case is quintessential Lian-Li, extremely minimalistic and clean in design. Its windowed side panel is constructed entirely of glass, which gives it a premium look. On top of that, it is quite a rarity seeing glass used as most cases feature acrylic windows set into metal panels. These tend to pick up scratches quite easily, but the glass side window should look good for a far longer time.

Hardware support is a bit limited compared to the other mini-ITX cases featured, but you should still be able to build a fairly powerful system. There is space for CPU coolers up to 140mm tall and graphics cards up to 270mm in length - good thing graphics cards these days are getting more compact. It can also fit up to a 150mm ATX power supply (vertically mounted at the front of the case), so you should probably take note of your PSU’s dimensions before installation as certain higher wattage models like the Seasonic X-series units are slightly longer at 160mm. And if you want to go down the liquid-cooling route, the furthest you can go is an externally-mounted 240mm radiator at the top.

Tool-less storage drive mounts are located along the bottom of the case, with room for up to three 2.5-inch SSDs, two 3.5-inch HDDs, or one of each type. Lian-Li has gotten even more creative with the optical drive bay, and it slots between the PSU and the front panel and feeds into a cutout near the top of the case. Naturally, this means that you’ll have to opt for a slim drive of the slot-in variety, as opposed to the full-sized models.

The Lian-Li PC-Q10WX retails for US$119.

Xigmatek Nebula C

If we ever had to pick out a cute-looking chassis, we’d definitely go for the Xigmatek Nebula C. Measuring 260 x 260 x 305mm, the Nebula C is almost a perfect cube and is just a little taller than it is wide. But perhaps the most unique thing about it is that it’s available in a range of cheery pastel colors, including pink, purple, yellow, emerald, lime green and even white. In a DIY market where black and white are almost too common, these bursts of color certainly help the Nebula C stand out.

However, this is a mini-ITX case that is more suited for your living room as opposed to your go-to gaming rig. There is space for just a single dual-slot graphics card that measures up to 230mm in length. This means that most mid-range cards will fit inside, but you probably won’t be able to install a high-end card like the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980. You’re also limited to just 80mm of clearance when it comes to CPU cooler height. It does support a full-sized PSU though, and has two 3.5-inch HDD mounts that will support 2.5-inch SSDs as well.

It’s also easy to find your way around the case as three of its side panels can be removed without tools for easy access to your hardware, but you’ll want to have plenty of cable ties on hand to help with cable management.

The Nebula C is available for US$79.99.

Corsair Carbide Air 240

Those of you who follow the hardware scene closely may notice that this is the very same mATX case that’s used in pre-built systems like the Aftershock Tremor. It is a lot more spacious than it looks, and you can outfit it with dual-graphics configurations and liquid-cooling options. In addition, it’s been designed for optimal airflow, with a meshed front and top panels that allow ample cooling to the most critical components.

One interesting thing to note is that the Corsair Carbide Air 240 is really comprised of two separate compartments, separated by the motherboard tray. The chamber to the front of the tray functions as you might expect, housing the motherboard, graphics cards, and fans. The second chamber behind the tray holds the PSU, tool-free drive bays, and provides more than enough room for cable management. The idea behind this is so that the motherboard and graphics card can get direct cooling from the front intake fans. And this isn't the first time we've seen such an arrangement either, the Carbide Air 540 Cube from 2013 was probably the first Corsair case to feature such an arrangement.

However, while the two-chamber design allows you to keep things neat and tidy, it means that there isn’t as much room in the front chamber as there could have been for the tallest CPU coolers. The chassis will house up to a 120mm tall cooler, so you may be better off going for an AIO cooler with a 240mm radiator installed at the front. You can install graphics cards up to 290mm in length, so there should be few problems in that department. All things considered, this case pretty much gives you everything you could want in an mATX chassis, from support for high-performance components to the ability to keep all your cabling out of sight.

The Corsair Carbide Air 240 retails locally for S$140.

Jonsbo UMX3

Here's another case with one of those lovely glass side panels. The aluminum magnesium alloy exterior of the Jonsbo UMX3 is complemented by a steel interior for a combination of good looks and structural integrity. There is decent support for both large graphics cards and water-cooling radiators and it is able to accommodate cards up to 320mm long and CPU coolers up to 163mm tall. 

But in order to fit all that in, the interior layout is a little bit unconventional to say the least. The power supply is mounted in a top down fashion at the front of the case, or where the optical drive bays would be located in a regular ATX tower. The bottom has also been reserved for the storage drives, and it supports four 2.5-inch SSDs, or three SSDs and a single 3.5-inch HDD. In fact, it looks like you might have space for a larger 240mm radiator here if you get a little creative with your SSD mounting methods. 

On top of that, the air flow direction has been reversed. Because of the PSU mounting location, the rear exhaust vent is now a filtered 120mm front intake instead, and a 140mm fan at the top serves to exhaust the hot air. This has the advantage of putting the CPU directly in the path of the air intake, and we also like that there is a built-in fan speed control switch to easily adjust the system's air flow according to your needs. The internal layout of this chassis is truly unusual, but if you can live with it, the Jonsbo UMX3 Window offers a good amount of room for building a compact yet powerful rig.

The Jonsbo UMX3 Window sells locally for S$189.

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