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m-ITX Cases: Cooler Master Elite 100 & SEED MA-280B
October 19, 2009 by Lawrence Lee
|
Product
|
MA-280B
mini-ITX Case |
Elite 100
mini-ITX/microATX Case
|
|
Manufacturer
|
SEED |
|
|
Market Price
|
~US$70 |
~US$70
|
In the current environment, small and thin
PCs and PC cases are increasingly popular, mirroring the growth in compact/slim netbooks
and ultra-portable laptops. We've already seen big case brands like Thermaltake
and Antec join the fray
looking to carve themselves a piece of what was once was a niche market. Today
we'll be looking at a pair of small form factor cases from Cooler Master, and
a lesser known entity known as SEED.
From an acoustic/thermal standpoint, these slim cases are really only suitable for
integrated Atom
and ION-powered systems, rather than those with "proper" desktop processors.
The limited height makes the use of conventional quiet CPU coolers impossible.
Some cases in this class also have rather small power supplies — an AMD
X2 or Intel Core 2 system's energy requirements may come close to or exceed
what is available. As such, our test board will be the Zotac
IONITX-A.
The two cases examined in this review differ somewhat in approach and size. The Cooler Master Elite 100 is designed to accommodate both mini-ITX and micro-ATX motherboards, and thus has a much larger footprint than the SEED MA-280, which is only for a low power mini-ITX board. A quick comparison of the relative size of cases and systems we've reviewed is worthwhile.
|
Case
|
Volume
|
|
Asus Eee Box 202
|
1.0 liter
|
|
SEED MA-280
|
2.8 liters
|
|
mCubed HFX Micro
|
4.1 liters
|
|
Lenovo M58p Eco USFF
|
5.2 liters
|
|
Cooler Master TC-100
|
5.5 liters
|
|
Cooler Master Elite 100
|
5.8 liters
|
|
Antec ISK 300
|
6.7 liters
|
|
Apex MI-008
|
8.5 liters
|
|
Luxa2 LM100
|
9.3 liters
|
|
Silverstone SU 05/06
|
10.8 liters
|
For reference, the popular Antec Solo mid-tower ATX case measures about 42 liters.
SEED MA-280
SEED is a brand backed by Lutec
Co., Ltd, a major Taiwanese hardware distributor. SEED stands for their
four mottos: "Saving Environment, Energy Efficiency, Eco-friendly
and Direct Client Service." Not only does the acronym shorten their verboseness,
it also evokes a green, organic sentiment. At the moment, SEED offers a small
handful of cases, power supplies and other accessories.
The MA-280B box is plain and compact.
|
The MA-280B. |
The SEED MA-280B is just 2.8 liters, and looks it, with a tiny footprint and
an elegant appearance. As the size comparison table above shows, it's about the smallest retail case available today. The panels are sturdy, composed of 0.8mm SECC steel that is nickel-plated for a nice shine. To save space and reduce noise, power
is delivered with a DC-to-DC unit with a 60W external AC power brick. The front
bezel looks modest but attractive with a glossy black panel and a silver belt
running around the middle.
The accessories also include a PCI riser adapter, rubber case feet
and a plastic stand for vertical placement. |
|
SEED MA-280B: Specifications
|
| Model
|
SEED
MA-280B |
| Chassis
Material |
0.8mm SECC + ABS |
| Dimensions |
227(W) x 215(D) x 64(H) mm = 3.1l |
| Surface
Coating |
Hair-line surface by nickle-electroplating |
| Main
board Size |
Compatible with Mini ITX motherboard (17x17cm) |
| Front
Panel Access |
USB x 2 MIC x 2 AUDIO x 1 |
| ODD
Device |
SLIM Type ODD x 1 |
| HDD
Device |
2.5" SATA HDD x 2 |
| Rear
System Fan |
40 x 40 x 10mm smart noiseless fan (13.8
dB) |
| Power
Supply |
External 60W/80W/100W Power Supply |
| Capacity |
2.8L |
| Net
Weight |
1.08 kg (w/o power supply) |
| Accessory |
AC power cord / Screw bag / Stand |
| Power
Solution |
DC to DC board + External AC Adapter |
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