Can I mod a miniITX case to fit a microATX motherboard?

Nov 29, 2018
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I am looking to purchase a new home for my components as I plan to get water cooling sometime in the future. I've come across the Core P3 by Thermaltake; 3 in 1, nice design, open airflow, etc... but it is much too big, I don't want to have to carry around a heavy ass full tower for mid-range components.
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The Core P1 is a more compact design of the case shown above, however it only supports miniITX motherboards as stated in the specification. So besides a few standoff holes, what do I need to be looking at to know if I am able to mod this case to fit my 8.9"x8.5" motherboard before I purchase it?
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TL;DR: Can I mod the Core P1 by Thermaltake to support a 8.9"x8.5" microATX motherboard?

[EDIT]
I also found this post surfing around google (It is your friend after all) that says "Core P1 TG is a shrinked P3 to fit mini ITX motherboard. However, if you have small micro-ATX board that will work as well."

https://redstapler.co/diy-thermaltake-core-p1-tg/

Roughly 3 paragraphs down. I'm fascinated by what this person means by "small micro-ATX"... The A78M-E35 is smaller than any regular microATX motherboard, but small enough? Has me thinking.
[END EDIT]

MSI A78M-E35 Motherboard (FM2+)
AMD A8-6600k @ 3.9 GHz (4.2 Turbo) CPU
Thermaltake Toughpower 750w PSU
Coolermaster Elite 310 Case
1TB HDD, 120GB SSD
2 x 8GB RAM (16GB)

With the correct tools, a tight fit behind the vertical gpu rack and a bit of luck it can't be too difficult... right? Or am I better off spending upwards of $300 AUD (210 USD) for a fresh (decent) miniITX motherboard?
 

COLGeek

Cybernaut
Moderator
Just eyeballing the images here (https://www.thermaltake.com/Chassis/Mini_Case_/Core/C_00003030/Core_P1_TG_Mini_ITX/design.htm), there does not appear to be enough space to cram a mATX mobo into the area that the mobo gets mounted. If there was sufficient space, it would like interfere with the slots where GPUs and other devices get mounted.

It also looks like you may have clearance issues with the slots the PSU cables would come through.
 
Nov 29, 2018
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Thanks for the quick response, I can see what you mean, having those slots blocked would be a pain. But I've been having a good look at this build someone did and it seems almost possible.
1wPraO6.png


I also found this post surfing around google (It is your friend after all) that says "Core P1 TG is a shrinked P3 to fit mini ITX motherboard. However, if you have small micro-ATX board that will work as well."

https://redstapler.co/diy-thermaltake-core-p1-tg/

Roughly 3 paragraphs down. I'm fascinated by what this person means by "small micro-ATX"... The A78M-E35 is smaller than any regular microATX motherboard, but small enough? Has me thinking. :/

None the less, I will wait for a couple more answers, but it's not looking good. >.<