Choices: Enclosure for Zotac ION-A mini-itx

Enclosures and acoustic damping to help quiet them.

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iti_na
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Choices: Enclosure for Zotac ION-A mini-itx

Post by iti_na » Wed Aug 12, 2009 2:10 am

Hello !!

I'm pleased to meet you all here at SPCR.

I may have the 1 million dollars question:

Which are my(your) choices, if I want a case for a mini-itx quiet/silent system?

I'm planning to mount this:

Zotac ION A + 4 GB RAM
1 or 2 3.5" HDD (I have 2 HDD); at least, the Western Digital WD10EVDS (1TB) is going to be mounted. The other hard disk doesnn't matter if it's not mounted.


The problem is this 3.5" HDD, as there are a lot of cases for mini-itx designed only for 2.5" HDD.


Which cases do you recommend me?

I've seen the M350, but it only accepts 1 2.5" HDD.
May be M300?

Other choices I've been interested in are: Antec ISK 300-65, CoolerMaster TC100 or TC100A or Cube...

Are they good optinos? Which case would be your Chosen One? :D

Thank you very much in advanced.

Regards,

MigL
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jadas
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Location: Europe

Post by jadas » Wed Aug 12, 2009 3:51 am

Antec P180
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iti_na
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Location: Spain

Post by iti_na » Wed Aug 12, 2009 4:25 am

Thank you very much, jadas.

But Antec P180 has:

4 x 5,25" ext. bays
1 x 3,5" ext bay
6 x 3,5" int. bay

I think there are too many bays for what I'm looking for (the mini-itx is quite small...), and I don't want such an amount of expandable possibilities, 'cause I don't need them.

Thanks anyway. :D

Any other opinion, please ??? ;)

Bye,

MigL
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lodestar
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Post by lodestar » Wed Aug 12, 2009 5:29 am

This one might be suitable http://www.itx-warehouse.co.uk/Product. ... uctID=1062 or this http://www.itx-warehouse.co.uk/Product. ... ductID=990 or this http://www.itx-warehouse.co.uk/Product. ... ductID=991.
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replay0
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Post by replay0 » Wed Aug 12, 2009 6:28 am

I would look into this case:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6811119195

I have a 2.5" HDD (main) and 3.5" HDD (data) installed in it. I have an external USB DVD writer for the rare CD/DVD use. I have a 3.5" HDD removeable tray rack in an external 5.25" bay for additional backup purposes.

The case is hollow though and a bit flimsy, so you will hear more noise than a heavier metal case. I would buy Thermaltake noise dampening pads along with this case to help silence it.

I liked this HTPC case compared to others for two primary reasons: enough space inside for multiple Hard Drives and ample room for ventilation; no gaping hole in the rear for a external power supply, which your Zotac ION has no use for since it uses an AC Adapter.
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swivelguy2
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Post by swivelguy2 » Wed Aug 12, 2009 6:56 am

If I were going to build a mini-itx system, I'd be using one of these two cases:

InWin BP655
Apex MI-008 -- http://www.silentpcreview.com/apex-mi008

Both take full-size optical drives and have room for a full-size HDD as well (although soft-mounting may be tricky due to tight spaces). These choices sort of prioritize small size and sexiness over silence, but they could still be made quiet, especially if you pull the PSU out of either and replace with a Pico PSU.
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replay0
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Post by replay0 » Wed Aug 12, 2009 2:40 pm

Most of the cases listed here either come with an included external power supply, which your Zotac ION-A does not use due to the packaged AC Adapter. The rest of the cases listed have big gaping holes in the rear FOR an external power supply, which you will either leave there.
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iti_na
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Location: Spain

Post by iti_na » Wed Aug 12, 2009 11:55 pm

Thank you very much.

You are right, replay0.

The zotac ION-A uses an AC adapter for power supply, so I want a case without power supply and without that "rear hole"...

I'm looking at your case, although I think it is a bit big for my purposes too.

I'm still looking, so new options are welcomed.
Requirements: for Zotac ION-A motherboard (mini-itx), and room for a 3.5" HDD, and without PSU (if it comes with PSU, I should bypass it).
Mini-itx wrote: Suitable cases: The following enclosures come without an internal PSU and are fully compatible with the ION-ITX-A: M200, M300, M200-LCD, M300-LCD, M350, VoomPC, VoomPC 2.


This room could be accomplished by a 3.5" HDD "hole", or 5.25" bay (in this last case, I hope it gets no more "free-room").

And I want something small for a small and quiet system...


Thanks again in advanced.

MigL
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mbf
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Joined: Sun Dec 10, 2006 2:01 pm

Post by mbf » Sat Aug 15, 2009 3:09 pm

Now, I know that this case doesn't really comply with any of your requirements, but it has to be one of, if not the, most sexy ITX case(s) out there. :)
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Spare Tire
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Post by Spare Tire » Sat Aug 15, 2009 3:23 pm

Apex MD-100. You can fit two 3.5" HDD in it. Or if you put a small video card on the top slot, you can still fit 1x 3.5" and 1x2.5". And if you want to mod it, you could have a top-down silent 120mm fan too. Here's what i did:
viewtopic.php?t=54345
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MikeC
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Post by MikeC » Sun Aug 16, 2009 8:54 am

mbf wrote:Now, I know that this case doesn't really comply with any of your requirements, but it has to be one of, if not the, most sexy ITX case(s) out there. :)
Very cool indeed, and dual fans could be used in push/pull mode as well. Too bad about the choice of 60mm fans; looks like there was enough room for 80mm ones.
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mbf
Posts: 36
Joined: Sun Dec 10, 2006 2:01 pm

Post by mbf » Sun Aug 16, 2009 12:18 pm

MikeC wrote:
mbf wrote:Now, I know that this case doesn't really comply with any of your requirements, but it has to be one of, if not the, most sexy ITX case(s) out there. :)
Very cool indeed, and dual fans could be used in push/pull mode as well. Too bad about the choice of 60mm fans; looks like there was enough room for 80mm ones.
Perhaps it could be modded? But of course, it'd be better if it was done right from the get-go.
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hans007
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Re: Choices: Enclosure for Zotac ION-A mini-itx

Post by hans007 » Sun Aug 16, 2009 7:06 pm

iti_na wrote:Hello !!

I'm pleased to meet you all here at SPCR.

I may have the 1 million dollars question:

Which are my(your) choices, if I want a case for a mini-itx quiet/silent system?

I'm planning to mount this:

Zotac ION A + 4 GB RAM
1 or 2 3.5" HDD (I have 2 HDD); at least, the Western Digital WD10EVDS (1TB) is going to be mounted. The other hard disk doesnn't matter if it's not mounted.


The problem is this 3.5" HDD, as there are a lot of cases for mini-itx designed only for 2.5" HDD.


Which cases do you recommend me?

I've seen the M350, but it only accepts 1 2.5" HDD.
May be M300?

Other choices I've been interested in are: Antec ISK 300-65, CoolerMaster TC100 or TC100A or Cube...

Are they good optinos? Which case would be your Chosen One? :D

Thank you very much in advanced.

Regards,

MigL
I have an in-win bm648. has a 2.5/3.5" bay, and a 5.25 inch bay/slim optical and 3.5" bay.

So if you use 2 3.5" drives and a laptop cdrom it works. it also has 1 vid card slot. has 80mm fan also. the power supply is internal so if you take it out, there will be a small hole for the jack for it... the main thing is the power supply is not silent, but if you get an ion zotac you'll have onboard power.

its not a bad case if you are willing to live with a hole for a power jack in the back (so the size of a power cord hole)
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