My search for the Smallest form factor PC
Lately I have been wanting to cram my full ATX computer into the smallest case possible. I have been using my Google-fu extensively and have found some pretty sweet manufactured SFF cases. Yet they were not that small which was totally understandable. My hardware is Full ATX which is demanding of a larger case because that is the purpose of my current hardware. Then I came across a few custom scratch built SFF cases, but none were that visually appealing yet still awesome none the less.
Currently I don’t have the time to build my very own custom built SFF case. Even though I am itching to tinker with making one. Because who doesn’t love purchasing new hardware on Amazon and Newegg???
So I have set my sights to looking for the smallest form factor PC you can purchase outright. Now this is quite the journey and may be a little more expensive than making my own PC and searching for the Deal of the century on parts. It is still new hardware regardless, it’s just missing that satisfaction of diving in and piecing it together.
Here is a list of some you can buy complete or cases you can build upon:
The DAN Cases A4-SFX
Linus did a build using this case last year, here are our recommended parts
- GTX 1080 max 295 mm length (can be swapped for budget sake with a GTX 1060 or whatever you choose)
- Skylake CPU
- Mini-itx motherboard
- Silverstone SFX-L 700W
- Then you can match it up with whatever hard drive size fits your needs.
ZOTAC EN1070
This PC can be bought as a barebones setup which means it comes with everything except HDD, Ram, and no OS. Or for a little bit more you can get it with SSD, HDD, Ram and a version of Windows. It’s really up to you and either way very convenient. Take a look at Austin Evans review of the system who let’s us know about the PC’s 4k capabilities
Solid Budget SFF Case: Cooler Master Elite 110
You can check it out in this budget build by Tech By Matt.
Pros
- It’s Cheap
- Small cube that can fit pretty much anywhere.
- HDD: can fit two 2.5 and one 3.5 drive
- ATX PSU
Cons
- Obvious cramped cable managment
- Airflow will take a hit because of the bad cable management
- water cooler/ large aftermarket coolers will not fit
SFFPC with a handle: Corsair Graphite Series 380T
Pros
- It has a carrying handle, if portability is a requirement
- Fits full-sized GPU
- can fit two 3.5 drives
- easy to open up and close
Cons
- Cable management
Check out this video Paul’s Hardware did building up a PC with this case.
This list of small form factor PC cases can keep going. I tried to narrow it down to some styles that I liked. This might ease your decision on what case to pick up. If I happen to see an awesome case in the future I will update this post. Until then, see you in the next post.
