Of course, Mini-ITX systems are the most compact form factors that allow you to assemble a full-fledged gaming machine with a powerful video card (which traditionally differ in considerable size). However, the size difference of such cases in comparison with Micro-ATX is not so great (compatibility with large expansion cards requires sacrifices, and the layout usually provides for an increased width), and the expansion options are usually lower. Besides, the assortment of Mini-ITX "gaming" cases available for sale is rather meager, and the price tag for all the models being sold starts from much higher marks than for Micro-ATX cases.
Today we are going to take a look at four Micro-ATX cases suitable for creating a complete gaming system. The selection criteria were compatibility with long expansion cards, seats for 2.5 "and 3.5" drives, the presence of at least one USB 3.0 port on the front panel, and an affordable price.
With all this, despite the same selection criteria, the four buildings are quite different from each other. Models Aerocool QS-180 and In Win IW-EFS052 attract attention with the most compact dimensions, and SilverStone Precision PS08 and Zalman A1 - the most capacious bays for 3.5 "drives.
All the models under consideration cost about two thousand rubles, with the exception of the In Win case supplied with the power supply unit (however, after deducting the cost of the power supply unit, it turns out to be in the same price category).
How convenient the corpus data are in real use will be shown by a practical study, to which we now turn.
Aerocool QS-180
The body has a calm, though not overly expressive, appearance. The solid front of matte plastic does not hurt the eye with every speck of dust or accidental fingerprints on it, and the only external 5.25 "compartment allows us to hope that the space for internal compartments has significantly expanded due to savings on external ones.
The sidewall has a deep indentation, which positively affects the rigidity of the sidewall, and a position for a 120mm fan.
Features that somewhat smooth out the utilitarian-pragmatic appearance are the manufacturer's colored logo on the lower part of the front panel and an unusually large radius of rounding of the upper and lower edges of the case.
There is a similar stamping on the second side of the body. In addition to increasing rigidity, it also expands the available headroom for cable management.
The walls of the case have a typical budget fastening system with an abundance of intermediate clamps at the top and bottom, which makes it difficult to close the sidewall in the presence of cables retracted under the platform of the motherboard.
When looking at the rear of the case, you can notice the upper location of the power supply, the 80mm exhaust fan and an abundance of embossed protrusions to increase the rigidity of the case made of a very thin metal (we already saw this in the Aerocool V3X model).
Attention is drawn to the sloppy design of the knock-out plugs: they are already noticeably bent on a completely new case. A trifle, of course, but not very pleasant.
Below you can see the attachment points for the 2.5 "drive in the front of the case and a removable dust filter in the back (you just want to write" opposite the power supply fan ", but we remember that the power supply unit in this case is located on top).
The filter element is made in the form of a thin fine mesh on a plastic frame, but its location looks useless in terms of housing ventilation.
The legs are represented by typical budget plastic monoliths.
Unlike the V3X, the QS-180 has a metal shield on the front of the case. On the metal partition, you can mark a place for installing a 120-mm fan (installation is available in two positions: slightly higher or lower), but a dust filter is not provided for it.
Two knock-out plugs located above and below the ventilation grill hint that they could have been 3.5 "external bays if a different chassis layout were chosen.
The available holes allow you to lead out cables for connecting buttons and front panel connectors from both the top and bottom, depending on what is more convenient in terms of the layout of the motherboard.
The removable front end is solid, which hints at the potential difficulties of air intake with the optional front fan: fresh air can be sucked in only through a small cutout at the bottom, made to facilitate removal of the "facade".
A panel with buttons and connectors is located under the single outer compartment. From left to right are a USB 3.0 port, a pair of audio connectors, two USB 2.0 ports, reset and power buttons.
Power and disk activity indicators are located in the upper left corner of the front end. They are small in size, but the light from them is very intense (however, when viewed from an angle, there is no discomfort from an excess of brightness).
The complete set is limited by a set of fasteners (in which one can praise the presence of a cap "hexagon" for attaching racks under the motherboard with a screwdriver) and a "clamshell" instruction.
Inside there is a solution similar to the already familiar ATX-case V3X: a side wall with positions for drives. Unfortunately, two 3.5 "hard drives do not fit into it: it is possible to install either two 2.5" drives, or one 3.5 "and 2.5" drives each (while a 3.5 "drive can be installed in two positions - above or below the wall).
In addition, there is a seat for a 3.5 "drive in an unused second external compartment and the already mentioned position for a 2.5" drive at the bottom of the case.
Thus, the total capacity of the disk subsystem of the chassis is 1-2 3.5 "drives and 3-2 2.5" devices.
Unlike the V3X chassis, the side wall with drive mounts can be tilted to the side, making it easier to assemble the system. In addition, there are rubber cushioning elements on the attachment points, which the V3X body did not have.
In principle, the assembly is easy enough, but there is a nuance: installing a power supply longer than the standard 140 mm, if it is not completely modular, is unlikely to work. At least, our attempts to squeeze our standard OCZ-ZS550W 160 mm power supply into the case were unsuccessful. Instead, we had to install the Power Rebel RB-S500HQ7-0 block from the In Win IW-EFS052 case, which will be discussed below.
In general, I had to tinker with the assembly, but primarily this was due to the layout of the test Mini-ITX motherboard. SATA connectors, the main 24-pin power connector, internal USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 connectors, as well as a connector for buttons and front panel indicators are located in a narrow sector under the power supply itself. In general, the same assembly problems were present on other cases.
The hinged side wall makes it easy to install long video cards (the case can accommodate expansion cards up to 320 mm in length).
Although cable management is usually not the strong point of top-mounted PSU cases, the QS-180 can still somewhat relieve the internals from the serpentarium of intertwined cables by running some of the cables under the motherboard pad.
We also note a rather large window for dismantling the processor cooling system, which is only slightly inferior in area to a Mini-ITX motherboard (although in the case of our test motherboard it would not have worked to dismantle the cooling system without removing the motherboard from the case - the processor socket is too far down).
The cooling system of the case "out of the box" is represented only by an exhaust 80-mm fan on the rear wall. According to our measurements, the rotation speed of its impeller was about 2080 rpm (which, by the way, exceeds the 1800 rpm declared by the manufacturer with an error of 10%) - given the small diameter of the fan, the noise at this rotation speed is not uncomfortable, but still a slight hum quite palpable. Additionally, you can install two 120 mm fans: one at the front and one on the side wall.
When assembled, the system in the Aerocool QS-180 case does not look very impressive. However, it is difficult to deny its practical advantages: the non-marking texture of the front end, the very compact dimensions and the functional panel of connectors are the obvious trump cards of this case.
Advantages:
compact even by mATX standards and practical non-marking finish;
original and sufficiently functional internal structure;
good cable management capabilities;
a more functional front panel connector configuration than the competition.
Disadvantages:
weak protection against dust;
only two seats for 3.5 "drives;
incompatibility with power supplies longer than standard 14 cm.
In Win MG-EFS052
In contrast to the sleek lines of the Aerocool QS-180 hull, the In Win IW-EFS052 has a pronounced angular shape, which is complemented by a raised rectangular pattern on a lattice mesh in the lower part of the front end. Strictly, solidly - and, surprisingly, not boring. At the same time, the dimensions of the case are almost as small, but it is perceived as more massive than the Aerocool model.
By modern standards, there are a lot of external compartments in the case: two 5.25 "and one 3.5".
There is a ventilation grill on the sidewall, but there is no provision for installing a fan on it.
The second sidewall is completely smooth.
At the back you can see the ventilation grill of the complete power supply unit, space for an optional 92-mm fan and expansion slot covers (the top one is reusable, the rest are breakable), fixed by a common clamping bar.
There are also knock-out plugs for the output of connectors that are almost forgotten in our time interfaces: one LPT port and two COM.
Unlike most solutions with a common fixing bar, in this case it is really effective in terms of clamping: it is not necessary to fasten expansion cards with screws for high-quality fastening. In this case, a screwdriver is not required at all: the clamping bar is attached with a plastic latch-lock.
No tools are required to remove or fasten the sides of the case: the role of screws is played by very convenient plastic clamps that do an excellent job of their task.
The sidewalls themselves, like other cases under consideration today, have a typical budget design with an abundance of latches in the upper and lower parts of the walls.
Below there are holes for installing the drive. The manufacturer officially declared the compatibility of this position only with a 3.5 "hard drive (four holes located closer to the front of the case are used to fix it). However, if necessary, you can also fix a 2.5" drive with two screws: this will require the use of the first and third hole in one of the rows.
The legs are monolithic hard plastic elements (like the rest of the cases in today's testing).
The delivery set includes a leaflet that unsuccessfully imitates the instructions, a bag with a set of fasteners and a power cord for the complete power supply.
The front of the case can be easily removed: it is enough with an open sidewall to bend a pair of plastic clips and pull the side of the "front" freed from fasteners.
Ventilation holes are hidden behind the plastic "petals" on the inner surface of the front end. The outer mesh metal plate is to some extent capable of retaining dust (the difference in its effectiveness with a perforated plastic sheet as a filter, which is used by many case manufacturers, is not obvious in our opinion: the mesh size is quite comparable).
Front panel connectors and buttons are located between the external 5.25 "bays and the metal grill. On the side of the 3.5" external bay are the power and reset buttons.
Below there are two USB 3.0 ports and headphone and microphone jacks. The front plastic clearly has room for the second pair of USB connectors, but, unfortunately, they are not separated.
Even lower, under a narrow transparent insert, there are dim power-on (blue) and disk activity (orange) LEDs.
You can see that to implement all four USB ports, which the front panel is clearly designed for, you will need a different, longer board with connectors than is installed on this case modification.
The internal layout of the case is rather unusual. Under the outer bays there is a rack for two vertically placed drives in individual baskets, on the side of which there is a seat for a 2.5 "drive.
The funky canary-colored baskets are compatible with both 3.5 "and 2.5" drives.
The upper 5.25 "external compartment and 3.5" external compartment are equipped with "quick" fasteners, the effectiveness of which traditionally does not shine with efficiency: it is advisable to additionally fix the devices installed in them with screws. The installation of the “quick” fastening for the lower 5.25 "compartment saved money: although there are attachment points for it, the latch itself is not installed.
In principle, you can install another 3.5 "hard drive in an external 3.5" bay, but there will be problems with fixing it: the mounting holes of the bay do not match the mounting points on the HDD case. In addition, the hard drive does not pass to the attachment point with the "quick" latch, resting against the cover of the external compartment.
Also, the drive in this position cannot be secured from the second side: the screwdriver's access to the attachment points is closed by metal (not to mention that the same difference in the height of the holes is observed from that side).
As a result, it will be possible to install the drive in this position only if the housing holes are drilled. But even in this case, it will be possible to fix it only on one side, so it is hardly worth the candle (especially considering the lack of airflow and two more heating drives directly under it).
By itself, the process of assembling the system in this case is the most convenient in comparison with the rest of the test participants: a minimum of work with a screwdriver due to the abundance of "quick" clamps, sufficient internal space and easy access to all drive connectors.
However, the design of the case completely excludes even the rudimentary possibilities of cable management. Therefore, all unused power supply cables, as well as SATA cables, are doomed to dangle inside, risking falling into the plane of rotation of the impellers of any fans - both optional case fans and the fan of a processor cooler, a video card cooling system and even a power supply.
Moreover, this drawback is aggravated by the orientation of the 3.5 "HDD connectors in individual baskets towards the right side wall: if they are turned 180 °, the riot of wires would not be so pronounced.
Of course, the use of cable ties can somewhat streamline the situation, but let's be frank: the inner space of In Win IW-EFS052 is doomed to be the most cluttered with loops and cables among the four cases under consideration.
The cut-out for dismantling the cooling system (if you can call this gap stretching along the entire length of the case) is enormous.
You can also note once again the absence of any protrusions or slots that could be used to streamline the laying of wires. However, given the minimal clearance between the motherboard platform and the smooth side wall, the effect of such design changes would be homeopathic.
There are no fans included with the case. There are two seats: on the back wall and in the frame for “quick” fastening in front (both are designed exclusively for 92-mm fans). With the front fan mounting frame installed, 30.5 cm of internal space is available for expansion cards. If you dismantle it, the space reserve will increase by another three centimeters.
Note that the front fan can effectively cool only the drive installed on the bottom of the case. Individual baskets are almost completely devoid of blowing: the air flow from the fan falls only on the bottom sheet of the compartment in which they are installed, without blowing the drives themselves.
The system assembled in the In Win IW-EFS052 case looks strict, but not boring. This appearance will be quite appropriate both in the office and at home.
Advantages:
stylish and austere appearance;
thick (against the background of rivals) metal;
ease of assembly of the system.
Disadvantages:
weak protection against dust;
undiluted second pair of USB ports;
lack of fans in the delivery set;
unsuitability of the external 3.5 "bay for HDD installation without the intervention of a drill;
almost complete lack of cable management capabilities.
SilverStone Precision PS08
For several years now, this case has been considered one of the most successful Micro-ATX solutions suitable for assembling high-performance systems.
Externally, the body does not strike with grace: the protruding "belly", covered with a black metal grille, looks rather heavy. However, the situation is somewhat corrected by the embossed protrusions on the sides of the front end and the interesting shape of the plugs of the two outer 5.25 "compartments.
On the sidewall, you can mark punchings for fingers for more convenient removal of the wall, and a ventilation grill without a seat for a fan.
On the other hand, the sidewall has a similar shape, but lacks a ventilation grill.
Both sidewalls have punchings outward of a large area, but due to their minimal depth, they do not have a tangible effect either on the rigidity of the walls (very low), or on expanding the available space for laying wires under the motherboard platform.
The sidewall retention system is similar to the rest of the cases reviewed today, with multiple tabs on the top and bottom on each side.
At the back there is a seat for an 80/92-mm fan and a common clamping plate for expansion slot covers (traditionally useless).
The rear wall itself has a significant number of embossed punchings to increase rigidity (unlike the sidewalls, there are no complaints about the chassis in this part).
You can also note the knurled screws that secure the sidewalls to the case.
At the bottom, attention is drawn to the relief recesses for increasing rigidity and holes for mounting on the bottom of the 2.5 "drive case.
The legs are as stiff as those of the other cases under consideration, but at the same time they are the lowest, which, if there is no need to draw air from below, can be considered a plus.
The front grille bottom cover can be easily removed to reveal the pre-installed 120mm front fan. Underneath there is a seat for an 80mm fan.
A dust filter in the form of a perforated plastic sheet is placed under the removable cover. Not the best option in terms of efficiency: rather large cells with a small area relative to the total filter area. However, among the cases considered today, this is the first specialized filter to protect against dust being drawn in by the fan (the filter of the Aerocool QS-180 case, which protects it is not clear what and it is not clear where, does not count).
Due to their design, the external compartment covers are easily removable from the outside.
Buttons and connectors are located in the middle of the bulkhead.
Under the external bays there are two USB 3.0 ports (like the rest of the reviewed models, connected to the internal motherboard connector), separated by headphone and microphone jacks. Slightly lower, already under the lattice cover, is a pair of blue LEDs for power and disk activity. Even lower, to the right of the lid, are the power and reset buttons.
The scope of delivery includes a set of fasteners (including a separately poured four screws to secure the power supply), a single short plastic tie, and a fold-out "sheet" of instructions.
The internal structure of the case does not have any tricky delights: two external 5.25 "bays, below them there is a rack for four 3.5" hard drives, and at the very bottom, as we remember, there is a place for a 2.5 "drive. »No bindings are provided.
It can be noted that the wall, which is common to the external and internal compartments, extends to the very bottom of the case. On the one hand, this improves the rigidity of the case chassis, but on the other hand, it makes it somewhat difficult to install long video cards (expansion cards up to 35.5 cm long can fit into the case).
The assembly of the system in the case, despite the absence of elements that accelerate the fixing of the components, is very convenient: the simpler in the four in question is only the assembly in the In Win case with its abundance of “quick” fasteners.
However, compare the neatness of the interior in In Win IW-EFS052 and SilverStone Precision PS08 after assembly - it's just heaven and earth! There are practically no dangling cables, and even the atypical arrangement of SATA connectors on the motherboard did not cause any clutter inside.
The reason for this striking difference lies in two factors.
Firstly, the accuracy of the look after assembly is affected by the abundance of quite convenient slots that allow you to stretch the cables under the motherboard platform.
Second, the classic compact four-hard drive rack avoids the scattering of both signal and power SATA cables throughout the chassis. Perhaps this will not have the best effect on the cooling of hard drives (although, unlike other cases under consideration, PS08 is equipped with a fan out of the box opposite the drive bay), but in terms of accuracy of assembly, this solution is clearly more advantageous than the dispersion of hard drives throughout the internal the volume of the case.
True, the side wall with such an abundance of cables under it is closed with great difficulty: you will have to spend several minutes to simultaneously press all the latches into their intended positions, and this will only work with the case laid on its side.
However, the effort is worth it: none of the other three cases looks so neat after assembly.
The cooling system in the base consists of one 120-mm fan, the rotation speed of which, when the "Silent" mode is set in the motherboard BIOS, according to our measurements, was about 1250 rpm (at this speed of rotation of the impeller, the noise from it is already quite noticeable).
Optionally, you can place an 80mm fan on the front panel under the pre-installed front fan and an 80mm or 92mm fan on the rear of the case.
In general, the appearance of the system assembled in the SilverStone Precision PS08 case, although it does not pretend to be design revelations, does not cause rejection either (except, perhaps, a controversial decision on the placement of indicators under the grill).
Advantages:
pre-installed front 120mm fan with easy-to-maintain dust filter;
capacious compartment for 3.5 "drives;
ease of assembly of the system;
the best cable management capabilities among the models under consideration.
Disadvantages:
noisy pre-installed fan;
close arrangement of drives in a rack;
shallow depth of the compartment for laying wires;
inconvenient location of indicators under the front panel mesh;
low sidewall rigidity.
Zalman A1
Zalman has a fairly wide range of available Micro-ATX cases. For this comparison, we have taken a fairly recent model A1.
The external difference of this model from the rest of the test participants is the high glossy front end, the upper part of which rises above the roof of the body. It is also the only model with hidden optical drives in two 5.25 "outer bays under hinged covers.
On the side wall there is a volumetric stamping with a large-area ventilation grill (fans cannot be installed on it), and the name of the model is printed in light gray near the front.
The sidewall on the other side has the same shape, but lacks a ventilation grill and lettering.
Like the rest of the cases under consideration, the sidewalls have rows of locking tabs at the top and bottom.
An 80mm exhaust fan is located at the back (although 92mm is supported), and there are only two attachment points for it.
Expansion slot covers are squeezed by a traditionally useless common bar (to effectively fix an expansion card, you still need to fix it with separate screws).
Below there are slots for 2.5 "or 3.5" drives, as well as two ventilation grilles not covered by filters: one under the drive space and one in the back of the case, where the power supply would have been located if it had been installed from the bottom.
The possibility of lower installation of the power supply unit is also indicated by the internal structure of the bottom of the case with stamped stops for the power supply unit. But, of course, to implement such a possibility, you need a completely different configuration of the back wall with the transfer of expansion slots up, and the mounting holes for the power supply down.
Like the rest of the test participants, the body supports are monolithic plastic parts.
Like the case of the Aerocool QS-180, the front panel is made of deaf plastic. Zalman has taken better care of ventilation, however, with ventilation slots on the sides of the front end around the optional 120mm front fan.
You can also see the spring-loaded covers for the optical drive trays in the outer bays (note that in the top compartment, the lid often got stuck).
When looking at the front of the chassis, you can see the presence of a 3.5 "external compartment, which does not have a plug on the removable front end.
But, unlike the case In Win discussed above, this compartment is suitable for installing a hard disk in it without modifications: there are extensions in the slots for fixing screws of an external 3.5 "device that allow you to fix a 3.5" drive.
The panel with connectors, buttons and indicators is located on the roof of the front of the case.
Closest to the front are the reset button, a USB 3.0 port, headphone and microphone jacks, a USB 2.0 port, and an orange disk activity LED. A little further from the front panel there is a power button with a blue illumination around the perimeter during operation.
The scope of delivery includes a plastic slide for a pair of 3.5 "drives, one removable plug for an expansion slot (the rest are disposable breakable ones), a set of fasteners (supplemented with a pair of cable ties), a clamshell instruction sheet and a leaflet with marks of passing the factory quality control ...
The internal structure of the case includes two external 5.25 "bays, an external compartment suitable for installing a 3.5" drive under them, and even lower there is a basket for two 3.5 "drives, installed horizontally using a plastic slide.
Under this cage there are guides for installing a 2.5 "drive. Below is the free space for expansion cards (fit video cards up to 350 mm in length), and on the bottom you can install a 2.5" or 3.5 "drive.
In general, the internal layout is very close to the case of In Win IW-EFS052, only with the ability to use an external 3.5 "bay (which cannot be used for its intended purpose due to the design of the front panel) for installing a hard drive and without the possibility of installing a 2.5" devices in the dual-drive bay.
However, unlike In Win IW-EFS052, the Zalman A1 case is not devoid of cable management capabilities: a significant part of the bundle of cables can be placed under the motherboard platform. Moreover, a sufficiently deep punching on the sidewall makes the process of closing the case from the side of the motherboard much easier than in the SilverStone Precision PS08 case - this task can be easily dealt with even with a vertically standing case.
In addition, a very long window for dismantling the processor cooling system can be noted. Perhaps, only in this case it would be possible to remove the cooler with a base plate under the motherboard without removing our motherboard, which is distinguished by a noticeably shifted down position of the processor socket.
As a result, after assembly, the internal space of the case looks, albeit not as neat as in the SilverStone case, but much more organized than in the In Win case.
In general, the assembly does not cause serious complications (except for the features already mentioned by us, due to the layout of the used motherboard).
We can only note a nuance with the fixing of the optical drive: the lower individual mounting holes are not suitable for fixing the optical drive under a plug with a hinged window for the tray.
The cooling system of the case includes only one 80-mm fan on the rear wall in the base (its rotation speed was only about 1200 rpm - it is practically inaudible during operation). An optional 120mm fan can be installed under the front panel. Also, if you wish, you can replace the pre-installed 80 mm fan with a 92 mm one - the mounting holes allow it.
When assembled, the system in the Zalman A1 case looks quite presentable - albeit again without any special frills, to which the price level does not have. Also, do not forget that maintaining the "presentation" of this case with a glossy facade will require more effort than for other reviewed models.
Advantages:
capacious storage compartment;
quiet pre-installed fan;
good cable management capabilities.
Disadvantages:
lack of protection against dust;
not too good mutual arrangement of cooling system fans and positions for drives;
location of HDD with connectors to the left wall complicates cable management;
glossy facade that collects dust and fingerprints.
Cooling Test Procedure
Testing is carried out in a closed and fully assembled enclosure at a constant ambient temperature of 23 ° C, which the air conditioner is responsible for maintaining. Since we adhere to the version that most users prefer low-noise system units, the fan speed control on the processor and system fans (if, of course, they are connected via a three-pin connector to the motherboard) is set to “Silent” mode in the motherboard BIOS. If the case has its own controller, all fans connected to it are also set to the lowest possible speed. We will indicate any other cases separately. No changes to the air flow configuration not provided by the hull designers are made.The following configuration was used as a test bench:
Intel Core i5 3330 processor (3 GHz, 3.2 GHz in Boost mode);
Cooler for Socket115x Intel processor (copper core);
Gigabyte GA-B75N motherboard (Intel B75, LGA 1155);
SSD Kingston SH100S3 / 240G (240 GB, SATA III);
Two Western Digital Raptor WD740ADFD hard drives (3.5 ”, 10,000 rpm, SATA);
One hard drive 74GB Western Digital Raptor WD740GD (3.5 ”, 10000 rpm, SATA);
Kingston HyperX KHX1600C9D3K2 / 8G memory module kit (2x4 GB, 1600 MHz, CL9);
Video card PCI-E 512MB HIS HD 3870 IceQ3 Turbo H387Q512NP (ATI Radeon HD 3870);
OCZ power supply OCZ-ZS550W (550 W);
Operating system Microsoft Windows 8 64-bit
In cases where the case is supplied with a power supply included in the kit, testing is carried out with the power supply that comes with the case.
Hard drives are listed in the order of their location from top to bottom from the top seat in the main HDD bay, without gaps between drives, unless otherwise indicated.
The Core Temp 0.99.8 program is used to take readings of the processor temperatures. The temperatures of hard drives, video chip and motherboard are measured using the CPUID Hardware Monitor program. A Velleman DTO2234 optical tachometer was used to measure the fan speed.
Testing is carried out in the following modes:
Idle - computer idle mode;
IOMeter - all hard disks are simultaneously running the "Access time" test from the IOMeter program, which provides the maximum load on the disks;
Linpack - the IntelBurnTest 2.5 utility based on the Linpack package has been launched in the most severe stress testing mode, which ensures full load of all processor cores, the maximum temperature value of the hottest core recorded during the program operation is indicated;
MSI Kombustor - launched in full screen mode, DX9 rendering, resolution 1280x1024, with MSAA 8x anti-aliasing activated, Xtreme burn-in option activated, the maximum temperature value of the hottest core recorded during the program operation is indicated.
All temperature readings are taken at least after half an hour of operation in the appropriate mode, after their values have stabilized.
As a general starting point for comparing the results, we usually use the data obtained on the same configuration, but collected outside the case, on the so-called open stand:
The assessment of the noise level is carried out only by a subjective method during the testing of the described configuration.
Test results
Traditionally, we will first discuss the differences from the basic test methodology (or simply non-obvious nuances) that are associated with the configuration of the disk subsystem. Our test motherboard has only four SATA connectors, one of which connects to the system SSD. Accordingly, there are only three ports left for hard drives (if you do not connect an optical drive) - therefore, in cases that allow the installation of a larger number of drives, we limit ourselves to only three 3.5 "devices.An exception to this rule was made only for the SilverStone Precision PS08 case, in order to partially compensate for the presence of a preinstalled front fan, which the other cases were not equipped with. The lowest of the four hard drives was installed and powered up, and thus created additional cooling challenges for the drive above it.
In the Zalman A1 case, we did not use the topmost hard drive seat. Obviously, a drive located in the external compartment of the chassis, devoid of airflow and heated from below by drives in the rack, will not differ in a comfortable temperature regime during operation, but looking at the results of a drive separately standing at the bottom of the case is much more interesting.
Additional fans were not installed in the cases.
Now let's move on to the measurement results.
The Aerocool QS-180 case is the only one in the four that cannot accommodate at least three 3.5 "hard drives. Taking into account the fact that due to the internal layout of the case, all drives (including the system SSD) were spaced far from one another, even with In the absence of a front fan, their temperature only slightly exceeded the conventionally comfortable temperature of 40 ° C. When using modern economical hard drives, even without a front fan, the temperature conditions of the drives promise to be quite comfortable.
The other components are also cooled quite well: this result is due to the rather "revolving" exhaust fan.
Temperature conditions in the case In Win IW-EFS052 turned out to be the worst, as expected, since the case lacks fans in the package. Even a hard drive placed separately on the bottom of the case warmed up to more than 50 ° C under load, and the temperature of the hottest drive when working in random access mode approached 60 ° C.
The temperature of other components is also slightly higher, from which the heated air is not removed by the exhaust fan.
It should be noted that even when installing fans, one can hardly count on a significant improvement in the temperature conditions of drives in the rack: the air flow blows only the lower part of the compartment, and not the drives themselves.
The SilverStone Precision PS08 case performs the best in cooling drives, but it is in it that the CPU has the hottest.
No surprise: this is the only case in the four with a front fan blowing over the drive bay. At the same time, the air heated by the hard disks gets just to the processor cooler, and there is no exhaust fan.
Although the internal layout of the Zalman A1 is very close to the In Win IW-EFS052, the temperature inside it is more comfortable. The two hottest drives standing next to each other only slightly pass the conventionally dangerous 50 ° C under load (but, like in the In Win case, their cooling with the front fan is unlikely to dramatically improve).
Cooling of other components is slightly worse than in the Aerocool QS-180 case, which is easily explained by the noticeably slower (but almost silent) exhaust fan.
Below are the comparative diagrams of the temperature indicators of the tested cases in comparison with an open stand:
Summarizing
The Aerocool QS-180 case, with its very modest dimensions, even without an additional front fan, provides a decent level of cooling for all components (including drives), and also has a practical appearance and a functional panel of connectors with three USB ports (including one version 3.0). If you are not embarrassed by the incompatibility with extended power supplies and the inability to accommodate more than two 3.5 "hard drives, this model promises to be an excellent choice for building a system.The SilverStone Precision PS08 has proven its long-standing reputation as the perfect choice for a high-performance system in a compact footprint, with excellent Micro-ATX cable management capabilities, a generous 3.5 "drive bay, pre-installed front fan protected by a quick-release dust filter. maybe only the inability to install more than one 2.5 "drive - but are there so many users who already have or plan to use more than one SSD of this format in their system later (especially considering the possibility of using an M.2 format drive available on many modern motherboards) ?
In Win IW-EFS052 and Zalman A1 cases are difficult to consider separately - their internal layout is painfully similar. The common and most serious drawback of both models is the problems with the cooling of the upper 3.5 "drives: the air flow from the front fan does not blow over the hard drives themselves. On the side of the In Win case there is a more practical and at the same time more interesting appearance, the presence of two USB 3.0 ports ( against one USB 3.0 port and one USB 2.0 for the Zalman case), maximum ease of assembly, as well as somewhat smaller dimensions.But the Zalman A1 also has a lot of trump cards up its sleeve: it is cheaper (even after deducting the cost of the pre-installed power supply unit from the cost of the IW-EFS052) , has a pre-installed exhaust fan (again saving), and its design is much better adapted to neat cable management.And the flexibility of the disk subsystem configuration in the Zalman case is generally better (it is possible to install a 3.5 "drive in the external chassis bay and fully fix on the bottom there are both 3.5 "and 2.5" drives).
Of course, it is up to the potential buyer to decide which of the reviewed cases is best suited for his needs, but personally I would give preference to the Aerocool and SilverStone cases in this four (depending on the requirements for the number of drives). In Win and Zalman cases, in my opinion, did not show any striking advantages that the other two cases do not have (except for the capacity of the disk subsystem in comparison with the Aerocool QS-180 model). However, at the same time, they have problems that their rivals in testing are deprived of (the quality of cooling of the drives, and the In Win case also has a complete inability to cable management and a higher price).
Computer technology is evolving. The shape of the devices, their dimensions and technical characteristics are changing. Today we will consider such a concept as a form factor, and its ATX version is the most popular and demanded.
Form Factor
To get to the topic of the article, you need to understand the basic concept. Form factor is standardization in relation to IT equipment. Using it, you can determine the size of the device, the main technical indicators, the presence of additional parts, their location.
Now, when talking about the form factor, people remember the motherboard. Previously, the term was applied to phone cases, communication equipment and other PC components.
Given that the form factor is a standardized concept, it is referred to as a recommendation parameter. That is, thanks to the index, which denote a certain form factor, it is possible to indicate the required and additional parameters. Developers try to take the standard for granted and be guided by it when creating the appropriate component.
Variety
The ATX form factor is not the only standard for components. But it was this option that became in demand for the mass production of PCs. The world saw it for the first time in 1995, and Intel became the manufacturer of this architecture. The XT, AT and Baby-AT standards already existed and were implemented by IBM since 1983.
The ATX form factor influenced the emergence of modified standards. Abbreviated formats began to appear, with fewer slots and compact dimensions. By 2005, a processor-optimized mobile standard had been developed.
Office computers also began to be equipped with various components of certain standards. Boards began to appear that were used in complex industries. Such modifications of the standard have become known since 2004. The ATX form factor evolved into SSI CEB, DTX, BTX, etc.
ATX
This form factor became popular in 1995, but has been most widespread since 2001. The standard has become dominant in PC manufacturing. It affects not only the size of the board or other component. ATX dictates the PSU standard, PC cases, the placement of slots and connectors, the shape and location of the slots, the PSU mount and parameters.
Intel has been pondering for a long time about how the continuation of the AT form factor should be. By 1995, the developers introduced the brand new ATX standard. In addition to this company, other manufacturers who supplied OEM equipment were thinking about changing the outdated standard. After that, the new standard was picked up by those who supplied motherboards and power supplies.
Over the entire period of its existence, 12 specifications have been released. The ATX form factor has standard dimensions: in millimeters - 305 x 244, in inches - 12 x 9.6. Mods that were released under different names were developed on the basis of ATX, but had differences in port placement, overall dimensions, etc.
So, in 2003, Intel wanted to implement BTX. This new standard cooled the PC system unit more efficiently. The developers wanted to slowly remove from the markets ATX, which maintained high heat inside the system unit. But even such a danger as overheating of the entire system did not contribute to successfully changing the format to BTX.
Most manufacturers refused to distribute it, since reducing the power dissipation showed positive results, and in the future it was still possible to achieve good results when cooling the case and without changing the standard. As a result, by 2011 it became clear that there was no need to replace the ATX form factor.
Major changes
Such a successful invention in this area was not worth waiting for. The user received drastic changes regarding the previous version of AT. The motherboard began to power the processor. Standby power is supplied to it even when it is turned off. The motherboard provides the functioning of the control unit and some peripheral devices.
It became possible to replace the fan with a larger one and place it on the bottom of the power supply unit. The air flow became more powerful and covered more elements in the system unit. The number of revolutions changed, and, accordingly, the noise. Over time, there has been a trend towards placing the PSU at the bottom of the case.
Nutrition
The change in form factor brought a change in the format of the power connector. This was caused by the fact that in the previous format, two similar connectors were connected to unsupported slots, which caused the system to crash. In the process of increasing power consumption, it was necessary to increase the number of power contacts. The developers started with 20, later there were more of them, and also additional connectors appeared.
Interface panel
The interface panel has become freer. Previously, there was a slot for a keyboard, and expansion cards were installed in special holes. The ATX form factor added space for a communicator to the keyboard slot. The free area was occupied by a rectangular "slot" of a standardized size, where the developers placed the necessary slots.
Initial power supply
In addition to the fact that there is an ATX form factor motherboard, you can also find the standard. Since the development of the format lasted nine years, during this time the developers tried not only to change the connector, but also to make it compatible with the previous forms.
So, initially, a connector with 20 power contacts was used. This option was popular before the advent of motherboards with a PCI-Express bus. Then a 24-pin connector appeared. For this option to be supported by previous versions, the "bonus" 4 contacts could be removed, and the board would work with twenty.
Processor changes
When the new Pentium 4 and Athlon 64 processors began to appear, the standard had to be revised to version 2.0. So, motherboards began to require 12V for the main bus. The power supply, the ATX form factor of which was also updated to the second version, was supposed to receive an additional connector. So an additional connector for 4 more pins appeared.
After that, options with complex contacts began to appear. For example, a 24 + 4 + 6-pin connector has become in demand for motherboards that have received several PCI-E 16x ports. And the 24 + 4 + 4-pin actually had an additional 8-pin connector, which consisted of two 4-pin slots. Thus, it began to be used for motherboards that had high energy consumption.
This decision with the combination of two 4-pin connectors was due to the fact that the user does not deprive the user of connecting the model to older motherboards. So, one connector was detached from the other, and we got a 24 + 4-pin wire.
Frame
In addition to the motherboard and power supply, the case also has a certain standardization. The ATX form factor in this case is the most modern and is suitable for motherboards of the same format. Such a housing allows for easier access to the entire inner periphery. Has excellent ventilation inside. Allows you to install more than one full-size board.
Despite the same names, it is possible to fit a micro-ATX motherboard. We will briefly discuss this standard further.
Compact version
The micro-ATX form factor appeared a little later than the main standard - in 1997. The motherboard of this format is 244 x 244 mm. The variant was developed for processors with the already outdated x86 architecture.
During the development process, it was decided to maintain electrical and mechanical compatibility with the previous standard. As a result, the main differences remain the dimensions of the boards, the number of slots and integrated peripherals. Micro-ATX is marketed with an integrated graphics card, thereby indicating the intended purpose of this standard. PCs with this form factor are suitable for office work and are not designed for gaming projects, since the integrated video card is mediocre.
Other options
In addition to ATX and micro-ATX, there was a mini-ATX form factor, which is nowhere to be found anywhere else. Its dimensions are 284 x 208 mm. FlexATX also appeared, which measured 244 x 190 mm. This modification is flexible and allows the manufacturer to independently solve many problems.
So, he can choose the size and location of the PSU. Participate in changes related to new processor technologies. But even this variant could not “fight” with ATX and remains in the background.
The form factor of computer cases and motherboards is one of their significant characteristics. Often they are faced with a misunderstanding of the difference between ATX and mATX, either when assembling a new system, or when upgrading an old one. Most are only familiar with these abbreviations, although there are others in the context. Both standards are similar to each other, and they impose identical requirements for a number of characteristics of a number of components, so ATX and mATX should be considered in relation to motherboards - the form factor will be decisive here.
Definition
ATX- the form factor of full-size motherboards for desktop computers, which determines the dimensions, the number of ports and connectors, and other characteristics. It is also a form factor for personal desktop computers, which determines the size of the case, the location of the mounts, the placement, size and electrical characteristics of the power supply.
mATX- form factor of motherboards with reduced dimensions and with a cut back on the number of ports and interfaces. Also - the form factor of the case of the system units.
Comparison
The difference between ATX and mATX is primarily in size. Full-size motherboards are installed in full-tower and midi-tower cases, mATX motherboards are also installed in mini-towers. The standard dimensions of ATX boards are 305x244 mm, although they can be slightly smaller - up to 170 mm. The standard dimensions of mATX boards (often called micro-ATX) are 244x244 mm, but they can be cut down to 170 mm. The standards are not very strict, and the difference of a few mm from this or that manufacturer is a common thing and does not affect anything. But the places for the mounts are rigidly standardized by the form factor, and absolutely always coincide with the case holes for installing motherboards. It is visually defined as follows: the first vertical row of holes from the plug is universal, the second is for mATX, the third is for ATX boards. You won't be able to install an ATX board in small mATX cases, on the contrary, in the vast majority of cases, installation will not cause any difficulties.
Another difference is in the number of ports and interfaces. This is not subject to standardization and remains at the discretion of the manufacturer, however, the minimum gentleman's set is predominantly soldered on mATX boards: two, not four, as in ATX, slots for RAM, fewer SATA and USB interfaces, one video output is displayed on the rear panel (if yes), I / O ports, often combined, at least USB, most often there are no excesses like eSATA or HDMI. All motherboards today are equipped with an ethernet port. The number of PCI slots on mATX boards is minimal, so installing a video card plus a couple more expansion cards is the ultimate dream. Also, due to the reduction in area on small boards, integration is always relevant, plus the number of soldered parts is less.
In practice, a computer user will hardly find differences between the form factors of motherboards. Due to the small size of the enclosures and the "accuracy" of the mATX electronics, it can get hotter, and the installation of new components can be inconvenient due to the saved space.
Conclusions site
- ATX is more of both a motherboard form factor and a case form factor.
- mATX has reduced functionality due to the reduction in the number of ports and connectors.
- MATX cards can be installed in ATX chassis, not vice versa.
- In some cases, mATX is inconvenient when installing accessories.
Until recently, Micro ATX motherboards were the domain of entry-level systems. With the corresponding requirements for performance and functionality. The vast majority of them carried integrated video on board, and some, in principle, did not allow adding discrete video. What overclocking possibilities can we talk about in such a situation? It was with them that everything was bad. Although it is clear that some computer enthusiasts would gladly give up their huge "coffin" on the table (or under it) in favor of a smaller and more accurate system unit. Albeit in exchange for slightly worse performance.
advertising
Demand, as we know, gives birth to supply, and Micro ATX motherboards for discerning users began to appear. Including well adapted to overclocking. But the manufacturers did not dare to release a "small" motherboard without integrated video. But what to do if there is only one chipset for the processor socket, and that one is discrete? And in addition, just this platform is the most productive and "advanced" in the household segment. There is no denying the army of users who certainly want all the best, but in a small building.We are talking, of course, about the Intel LGA 1366 socket and the X58 chipset from the same manufacturer. At the moment, motherboards on it in Micro ATX format are produced by at least four manufacturers. Asus was one of the first to do this. Moreover, the Taiwanese did not waste time on trifles and "rolled out" the Micro ATX motherboard immediately in the flagship series Republic of Gamers (ROG). It was this "monster" that became the hero of today's review.
Meet the Asus Rampage II Gene.
Packaging and delivery set
advertising
The motherboard comes in a very small square box made of thick matte cardboard. The color scheme tends to be red. On the front side there is only the name of the motherboard, and a list of logos of the "interested" brands. There is also nothing interesting on the sides, although a standard sticker with a serial number is present.
A short list of technical specifications, closely intertwined with marketing statements, is located on the back of the box.
Things are better on the inside. Under the hinged lid, instead of the expected window, detailed descriptions are found: an integrated sound subsystem, in the development of which the well-known company Creative participated; as well as a piece of software supplied with the board. And if 3DMark 06 is already outdated (however, the latest Vantage released at the moment is also not the first freshness, and even does not work on "pre-service" Windows OS), then the presence of a popular antivirus developed by a Russian company in the package is good news.
Inside, the first thing to do is find the motherboard. She comfortably sits in a separate compartment, covered with a plastic cover. The delivery set, divided into two parts, is hidden under it. And at the very bottom is a branded sticker with an abstract image repeating the "main theme" of the box. It is quite large (if glued to a computer case, then perhaps on the side wall) and will certainly attract surprised looks.
But back to the complete accessories. Asus Rampage II Gene comes with:
- Quick Start Guide brochure in 12 languages (Russian is present).
- Full instructions, but only in English.
- CD with software. In addition to drivers for 32- and 64-bit MS Windows 2000 / XP and Vista, as well as Linux; and the mentioned 3DMark with Kaspersky Antivirus on it, the user will find:
- Motherboard I / O port blank. It is original here, with an isolating "sandwich" from the inside.
- A set of connectors Asus Q-Connector Kit, which allows you to connect case connectors outside a cramped case, and then insert them into the motherboard in one fell swoop. A very handy feature. It's a pity that, besides Asus, few people use it (do patents get in the way?)
- Panel LCD Poster, which is essentially a screen designed to display the parameters of the system.
- One PATA loop. Black, but regular, flat, not "assembled". However, in modern computers, there are fewer and fewer corresponding devices, so this is not critical.
- Four SATA signal cables. These are red, packed in two, in each set one straight, the second angular.
- Several disposable plastic cable ties.
- Flex cable for combining two video cards in SLI.
The motherboard, as I mentioned, is located in a separate compartment. Not bad at protecting it even after the "motherboard" is taken out of the box. And most importantly, perfectly suitable as a basis for an open stand :).
Motherboard form factor- the standard that determines the dimensions of a motherboard for a PC, where it is attached to the case; location on it of bus interfaces, I / O ports, CPU socket and slots for RAM, as well as the type of connector for connecting the power supply. In the latest versions of the form factor, both the requirements for the computer cooling system are determined. When choosing components for a PC, you must remember that the computer case must support the form factor of the motherboard.
ATX form factor(Advanced Technology eXtended) is a form factor that was proposed back in 1995 by Intel and has remained immensely popular since then. ATX form factor motherboards are 30.5 x 24.4 cm. Most Intel and AMD processor-based motherboards, chassis, and power supplies are currently available in ATX format.
Features of the ATX specification include the following:
- placement of I / O ports on the system board;
- built-in PS / 2 connector for keyboard and mouse;
- location of IDE and FDD connectors closer to the devices themselves;
- placement of processor sockets in the back of the board, next to the power supply;
- use of a single 20-pin and 24-pin power connectors.
mATX (micro ATX)- reduced ATX standard. It is used mainly in office machines where many slots are not required for expansion configuration. The mATX standard measures 24.4 x 24.4 cm and supports 4 expansion slots. The motherboard of the mATX standard has a main connector for connecting a power supply, containing 20 or 24 pins. Almost all new models from 2003 have a 24-pin connector.
EATX (Extended ATX)- the main difference from ATX is the size (30.5 x 33.0 cm). The main area of their application is servers.
BTX (Balanced Technology Extended)- a new standard designed to effectively cool the internal components of the system unit. BTX is relatively small and suitable for building miniature computers. BTX cards measure 26.7 x 32.5 cm and have 7 expansion slots.
mBTX (micro BTX)- a smaller version of BTX, supporting 4 expansion slots. mBTX - measures 26.7 x 26.4 cm.
mini-ITX- The standard is electrically and mechanically compatible with the ATX form factor. The mini-ITX form factor was developed by VIA Technologies and has a small size (17 x 17 cm).
SSI EEB (Server Standards Infrastructure Entry Electronics Bay)- this form factor of the motherboard is mainly used for building servers and has dimensions of 30.5 x 33.0 cm. The main connector for connecting the power supply has 24 + 8 pins.
SSI CEB (SSI Compact Electronics Bay)- this form factor is also used for building servers and has a 24 + 8 pins main connector. The dimensions of such boards are 30.5 x 25.9 cm.
Outdated standards: Baby-AT; Mini-ATX; full-size AT board; LPX.
Modern standards: ATX; microATX; Flex-ATX; NLX; WTX, CEB.
Implemented standards: Mini-ITX and Nano-ITX; Pico-ITX; BTX, MicroBTX and PicoBTX
