Mini or Micro ATX case?

[black_cat1]

Hi all,

I am planning a new build for the incoming Ryzen 3600X. What I have in mind is creating a portable desktop that can be moved around easily.

I am choosing between Mini or Micro ATX build with criterias like below:
- Small and lightweight
- Good airflow for cooling as I am living in a tropical country where the summer is very hot. This is the most importance factor. I am a fan of air cooling as it is easier to maintain.
- Must be able to buy from Amazon US, Germany or Japan.

Any suggestion is appreciated.

Thank you,

 

[Aeacus]

There are differences between mini-ITX and micro-ATX builds which are;

Pros of mini-ITX:
* small size (easier to move around)

Cons of mini-ITX:
* worse cooling (there's only so many fans that mini-ITX case can hold, usually 2-3x)
* higher price (e.g mini-ITX MoBo costs more than micro-ATX MoBo)
* clearance issues (need to make sure components fit into the case, e.g CPU cooler, GPU, PSU)
* assemble issues (since everything is extremely cramped up, installing everything will be a good headache)

Weight wise, they both are about same, while micro-ATX build may be 200-300g heavier (a bit bigger MoBo, a bit bigger case and few extra fans).

Though, for small, portable and lightweight PC, i suggest buying a laptop since laptops are designed to be small, portable and lightweight.

But if you want case suggestions then for micro-ATX, i suggest Thermaltake Core V21 since it's the most customizable cube case i know,
specs: https://www.thermaltake.com/products-model.aspx?id=C_00002559
pcpp: https://pcpartpicker.com/product/QMp323/thermaltake-case-ca1d500s1wn00

And for mini-ITX case, here's a good list of them, arranged by their size (volume),
pcpp: https://pcpartpicker.com/forums/topic/55093-list-of-cases-for-steam-machinebox

I, personally, would go with Core V21 and focus on thermals rather than portability. Core V21 can support up to 13x 120mm fans or 9x 140mm fans. Even most full-tower ATX cases doesn't support that many fans. E.g my Corsair 750D Airflow Edition full-tower ATX case supports 6x 140mm + 2x 120mm fans.

 

[ARAN_108]

Go for Node 202. I have been researching a lot in this category and node 202 is the one of very few cases which fill the gap correctly.

Practicality, availability, portability and decent air flow.

 

[black_cat1]

There are differences between mini-ITX and micro-ATX builds which are;

Pros of mini-ITX:
* small size (easier to move around)

Cons of mini-ITX:
* worse cooling (there's only so many fans that mini-ITX case can hold, usually 2-3x)
* higher price (e.g mini-ITX MoBo costs more than micro-ATX MoBo)
* clearance issues (need to make sure components fit into the case, e.g CPU cooler, GPU, PSU)
* assemble issues (since everything is extremely cramped up, installing everything will be a good headache)

Weight wise, they both are about same, while micro-ATX build may be 200-300g heavier (a bit bigger MoBo, a bit bigger case and few extra fans).

Though, for small, portable and lightweight PC, i suggest buying a laptop since laptops are designed to be small, portable and lightweight.

But if you want case suggestions then for micro-ATX, i suggest Thermaltake Core V21 since it's the most customizable cube case i know,
specs: https://www.thermaltake.com/products-model.aspx?id=C_00002559
pcpp: https://pcpartpicker.com/product/QMp323/thermaltake-case-ca1d500s1wn00

And for mini-ITX case, here's a good list of them, arranged by their size (volume),
pcpp: https://pcpartpicker.com/forums/topic/55093-list-of-cases-for-steam-machinebox

I, personally, would go with Core V21 and focus on thermals rather than portability. Core V21 can support up to 13x 120mm fans or 9x 140mm fans. Even most full-tower ATX cases doesn't support that many fans. E.g my Corsair 750D Airflow Edition full-tower ATX case supports 6x 140mm + 2x 120mm fans.

Go for Node 202. I have been researching a lot in this category and node 202 is the one of very few cases which fill the gap correctly.

Practicality, availability, portability and decent air flow.

Many thanks for you guy, I think Thermaltake Core V21 is the one I am looking for.

An extra question for Aeacus, do you have any recommendation for cooling setup with V21? I am planning to use be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 and SilentWing 3 fan series. Should I go with 120mm or 140mm fans?

 

[Aeacus]

An extra question for Aeacus, do you have any recommendation for cooling setup with V21? I am planning to use be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 and SilentWing 3 fan series. Should I go with 120mm or 140mm fans?

140mm fan will move more air and does that more quietly than it's (same spec) 120mm fan, making 140mm fan better choice.

Comparison:
BQ SW3 120mm - 50.5 CFM, 16.4 dB(A)
BQ SW3 140mm - 59.5 CFM, 15.5 dB(A)
BQ SW3 high-speed 120mm - 73.33 CFM, 28.6 dB(A)
BQ SW3 high-speed 140mm - 77.57 CFM, 28.1 dB(A)
specs: https://www.bequiet.com/en/casefans/719

As far as fan orientation goes, airflow rule of thumb is: front & bottom - intake; top & rear - exhaust. But since you're going with Core V21, which offers far more customizability than standard PC case offers, it's very hard to suggest optimal airflow setup.

E.g you can mount your MoBo in horizontal or vertical position. Vertical position would be like standard PC where airflow rule of thumb can be followed. Also, installing side fans as intake fans can help to cool GPU better.
For horizontal MoBo mounting (with very good looks in my opinion), things get difficult since there isn't any golden rule about airflow setup. Though, remember that hot air rises.