I'm looking for a small ATX case

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Cryo

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I would like to build a small machine to bring to LAN parties, etc. so that I don't have to be hauling my full tower around everywhere. I'm trying to find a small tower (2x5.25 and 3x3.5 bays) that will take a full atx board (NOT mini-atx). If anyone knows of a site online that sells them let me know. It doesn't need to have a powersupply, I already have stuff like that.
 
What about price? Are you looking for a high quality case with good cooling or just a cheap one? I'd suggest a Coolermaster if you want high quality.
What you're looking for is a Midtower, not full or mini.
And may i suggest you get a carrying harness for those LAN parties.
 
Yoda! You seek Yoda!

Looking for something that you can easily carry??

http://www4.tomshardware.com/howto/02q1/020111/index.html

Time to junk those obsolete, elephant-like desktops! From the five-and-dime around the corner to Circuit City all the way to K-Mart, almost every merchant has been pushing the latest PC systems still cloaked in the passé fashions of the 90's. Meanwhile, it appears that a new trend is slowly captivating the PC market - ultra compact PC cases from Southeast Asia offer a taste of what the immediate future might have in store. Their message is clear, and by no means new - get rid of that boring, enormous, hospital gray box, and get yourself a chic, lightweight compact case. And by the way, a system built on one of these cases most certainly fulfills all the functions required by the average user.

One small prob there is no AGP slot so your graphics abilities might be a little small.

Only really other option is the smallest mini-ATX tower that you can find, or a slimline desktop case as far as I know.
 
Oh man...

That has to be scorchingly hot after awhile. :eek:

While I'd probably never enjoy having an extremely small computer (It will be difficult to service).

Perhaps when technology evolves to where I'll never need to upgrade my system and social acceptance evolves to where microscropic PCs are fashionable.. Then maybe. :)

Until then though, I'd probably keep lugging around my 300 kiloton pewter PC for my mobiles kicks.
 
Prepare my Star Destroyer...

Originally posted by Rick

While I'd probably never enjoy having an extremely small computer (It will be difficult to service).

One of the reasons that I like a big tower case is that it is VERY easy to work with.

A lot of the upgrades I do to my PC, I don't have to disconnect the cables, or take the machine down off of the desk and put it on its side: I just slide the side panel off, and away we go. Hard drives especially are just so easy to install with a big tower case.

However, when I moved house last time, I had to just about use one car journey just to move the main computer. I mean, the trunk was full, the back seats, I am in the passanger seat as well with things on my lap.

That little machine featured in Tom's hardware could be place in a carryall or rug sack or something, and you could team it with a small 15" flat screen monitor.

Personally, I like BIG (sounds a bit rude) but there's something to be said for a small machine if you are planning on being on the road, or want a 2nd machine for travel.

Obviously, though, at least for the moment you suffer a loss of fuctionality when you get a smaller case. I have like 4 hard drives and 3 cd-rom type devices and stuff.... You get used to that kind of power and don't want to give it up.
 
I agree with the whole, BIG idea. I have a full tower and love it. Pretty easy to work with... although I do have a TON of cables in there. ;-)

The machine that I'm working on will be for my travel needs though. The Game Development Club at my college likes to put on LAN parties (see my thread under the Gamers forum) which I am almost always staff at. It's just too much of a pain to have to move a 75lbs. full tower when I could just as easily rebuild my secondary server into a nice light 25-20lbs. LAN-mobile ;-)

After doing some research it looks like the real limiting factor on ATX cases is where to put the power supply. Due to the standard design of cases with the PS horazontal above the motherboard, you're amost stuck with a mini tower. I've only really seen one good looking case which had a rather snappy "wide" design so the PS was actually kinda above and behind the mobo (hard to explain).

However if anyone sees a mini-ATX case that will fit a full ATX mobo, PLEASE drop me a line! :)
 
I was recently looking for small full size ATX cases so that I could fit a PC into my entertainment center. Below are some cases w/dimensions that I was eyeing. Note that some of the smaller cases w/13-14 inch height only work with some full size mobos. (Sorry if you use the metric system)

Antec KS388 - 16.2 (H) x 7.9 (W) x 16.8 (D)
AOpen KF45A - 16.77(H) x 7.64(W) x 17.32(D)
AOpen HQ45 - 16.77(H) x 7.64(W) x 17.32(D)
Enlight 7653 - 16.1 (H) x 7.6 (W) x 16.9 (D)
Enlight 7230 - 16.7 (H) x 7.7 (W) x 18.9 (D)
Enlight 7237 - 16.7 (H) x 7.7 (W) x 18.9 (D)
Enlight 7520 - 16.1 (H) x 7.6 (W) x 16.9 (D)
Evercase ECE4184S - 17.5 (H) x 7.3 (W) x 16.7 (D)
Evercase ECE4204S - 17.5 (H) x 7.3 (W) x 16.7 (D)
Evercase ECE4252 - 16.4 (H) x 7.5 (W) x 18.9 (D)
Evercase ECE4262 - 16.4 (H) x 7.5 (W) x 18.9 (D)
Inwin A500 - 15.67(H) x 8.66(W) x 17.91(D)
Inwin J508 - 16.75(H) x 8.66(W) x 19.0 (D)
Inwin S506 - 16.5 (H) x 7.75(W) x 18.3 (D)
Maxtop CXS-320J - 14.0 (H) x 8.0 (W) x 17.0 (D)
Maxtop CXS-917C - 14.0 (H) x 8.0 (W) x 17.0 (D)
Maxtop CXS-917D - 13.0 (H) x 7.0 (W) x 16.0 (D)
Min Maw MM3713 - 17.0 (H) x 7.5 (W) x 18.0 (D)
Min Maw MM3631 - 17.0 (H) x 6.5 (W) x 16.0 (D)
Superpower KS-399XP - 14.25(H) x 9.65(W) x 19.5 (D)

Cases I like the best:
Inwin S506 - 16.5 (H) x 7.75(W) x 18.3 (D)
Evercase ECE4252 - 16.4 (H) x 7.5 (W) x 18.9 (D)

Places to check out or find these cases:
http://www.amamax.com/eoconomycases.html
http://www.newegg.com
http://www.compuplus.com
 
ello ello, =)@

i recently bought a new case for my custom computer. it is 15'' . . . nice looking . . . came with 250W . . . its no biggy brand name though . . . sorry it does not have a website . . . so no picture . . .

its an atx case . . . takes in atx form motherboards.

it has 5 expansion bays for optical drives . . . 3 cdroms/2 floppy disk drives . . .

6 pci slots on the back . . . open I/O ports . . . its pretty good . . . =)

i bought it at a local retailer store . . . the price is awesome . . . $33 cdn . . . thats about $20.72 USD

here is the web online!! ~~> h**p://cancomputer.com

GOOD LUCK !!!

and hope this helps . . .
if you have any questions feel free to ask in the next reply =)
 
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