– Pay for what you want – the I/O plate on the front can be fitted with power/reset (or not) and USB3 (or not). We would recommend spending the extra for all of these. Sadly there is no front panel audio, but then we would recommend USB DACs and headsets anyway.
Once 2×240’s are fitted there is one bay left, if mounted at the top there is very little space, i.e. anything but a fan controller is out, and even then clearance to even plug cables into the fan controller can be tight. CaseLabs’ flexbay system is great however – the flexibility to re use the bays for radiators, optical drives, fan controllers, HDD racks is truly refreshing.
– Drop in mounts – The top radiator mount for a few extra bucks can be swapped for a removable one. This is secured with 6 screws:
This makes life so much easier not only to fit the radiator, but to try out orientating it in different positions or with different fittings. This is more important for a small case because positioning of components and tube routing can be critical for a clean look and for ease of installation.
– Motherboard support for heavy GPUs – mITX motherboards can often sag underneath the heavy weight of a large card with a waterblock on it. CaseLabs have added a rubber piece underneath the PCIE slot to help support the motherboard from flexing excessively
– Removable motherboard tray – unlike some motherboards in other CaseLabs cases this tray is not removed by pulling it out the back of the case. Indeed the tray only supports the motherboard itself and does not also remove any of the back wall. This means that you need to also unscrew the graphics cards from the pcie backplate support before removal. The tray is secured with 2 screws either side that are just offset from the motherboard itself:
Because of all of this the advantage of the tray is not as large as the more full featured tray. However the larger tray would have required the case to grow and does mean that the GPU does not have to removed from the motherboard in order to remove the motherboard. It’s a slight advantage, but not game changing.
– Colors – Many cases only come in one color. CaseLabs offer three colors (as well as a primer option) and will mix and match each piece to any of the color options. Of course the downside is a possible increase in cost and delivery date. CaseLabs do not carry stock of the cases so when you order the case will not get shipped immediately but instead will be scheduled from production. Current processing time estimates on the website are 20-25 days for plain black and an additional five days for more complex varieties.
– Mod friendly pieces – there are no rivets in the design and every piece can be unscrewed. Indeed the case can be shipped “flat pack” style to save on shipping costs if needed. This also means that if you are modding the case and make a mistake then getting a replacement part is easy. You can also change your mind and order pieces to make a different configuration at a later date.
– Room to work – many mITX cases will make you hate your life if you even attempt to watercool. You’ll need small hands and may struggle to hook up small pieces of tube, or to turn tight corners. This case is just big enough to make it easier. Indeed there is even an extra fan hole with a removable cover on the base of case that while it could be used for ventilation was quite useful for me to get my hand in to tighten a fitting.
– Thick aluminum construction – because so many mITX cases are built with a budget in mind they are often made of thin stamped steel riveted together in China. This case is not only designed and manufactured in California, but it’s made of thick aluminum meaning that it’s not only strong but lightweight given the strength of it. Like all of CaseLabs cases it’s built like a tank and you do not have to worry about it being damaged in transit to a LAN.
So overall the case is packed with features – so let’s review everything it brings to the table…
