Smallest Mini Atx Case?

[renzakuken]

Hi everybody

I'm looking to move locations soon and want to downsize my current rig from a full atx to mini. I've found the appropriate MOBO that supports my current hardware, but would like to know what the smallest Mini ATX case is which can still fit a 12inch GPU.

Any suggestions?

 

[-HH-]

Micro ATX or Mini ITX just making sure

 

[nukemaster]

I am guessing you are looking microATX(4 expansion slots.)

You have lots of mATX case options, but we need some more information.

Do you need an optical drive?
How many hard drives?
How big is your cooler?

This is a smaller mATX case that takes longer video cards, but it does not have screws holding the sides on making it a good case to setup and leave in place.
http://www.silverstonetek.com/product.php?pid=291

Also note the case listed above needs some care with cooling because it has limited fan mounts.

This is another small case with video card room. It is tight to work in, but is rather compact. Like the FT03 it requires a slot load optical drive(a downside for some for sure.).
http://www.silverstonetek.com/product.php?pid=345&area=en

 

[renzakuken]

I'm fairly sure it's micro

Essentially the MOBO i've clocked has one x16 PCI slot on it and 2 ram slots

I've got a gtx 770 moving to a 980 or 970 relatively soon (Come on Batman!))
2 Ram modules
CD drive is entirely optional
I have a multi card reader in a 2.5 bay below that, again it's optional
As long as it can fit my 3 HDD's (x2 2.5 and x1 3.5), GPU and Corsair Cooler (closed loop with only 1 fan pushing air in) then we're good. I also have just 2 RAM modules.

 

[nukemaster]

If it has JUST the pci-e slot it is mITX

It it has 4 slots it is mATX

If you are going mITX, Make sure it has the extra slot for dual slot video cards(most are also mDTX).

 

[renzakuken]

mITX it is! (The first one)

 

[nukemaster]

I have a weakness for SilverStone cases so check out some here. You will also see some desktop type cases that lay the video card sideways(I think Valve's steam machine was based on SilverStone cases). All cases have a spec tab to show what they fit(drives/card length)
http://www.silverstonetek.com/product_case.php?tno=0&case=c_sff&area=en

Also check out user build logs around here and other forums to see some cases you may like.

 

[The Original Ralph]

one issue i'd watch out for with the SFF (small form factor) cases, i had a silverstone sugo SG02-F ( http://silverstonetek.com/product.php?pid=182&area=en ), and for whatever reason, i still don't understand why, silverstone chose to put the PSU in the cabinet at the top, sitting just above the CPU's cooler - less than 1 & 3/16" above, with it's intake fan drawing air from the same space the cpu fan was. A strong cfm fan pulling against a small cpu low cfm fan, big fan wins everytime. see picture below

i had overheating issues that i wasn't able to eliminate, even after adding side case fans, until i moved to a larger case.
Silverstone could have put a grill in that case with the psu's fan facing upward so it drew it's air from the outside and didn't compete with the cpu fan - i loved the size of the case, the two external bays, etc

try to make sure you know the psu is drawing it's air from outside the case in a SFF case, just as an FYI

 

[nukemaster]

Some of the newer cases did just that.

The SG05 has the top ventilated so the power supply can be flipped.

I worked with the power supply and flipped my cpu fan. Been working great for years. This case will NOT fit the 12 inch cards however.