Ah! They’re all so pretty, but which one is best?
eeny meeny miney…
Hello everyone!
I’m your host Trisha Hershberger
and welcome to DIY in 5 from home…again.
Today we’re gonna buy into all the hype for the brand new mini case out from NZXT
for a new build, but we’re also going to do some comparisons to other cases because,
I don’t know about all you other DIY techies, but this one is a comparison shopper!
If you find any of the tips in today’s video useful, please go ahead and like this video
and subscribe to this channel so you don’t miss out on any future tech tips!
First of all, the NZXT hype is real!
An actual ton of YouTubers have built systems with this brand new mini tower, the NZXT H1,
and it’s been lauded almost entirely with praise.
Everyone likes how small and compact it is, how easy the design makes your new component
installations, how organized all of the included wiring is, and they feel the included components
of a 650W SFX-L 80Plus Gold Fully Modular Power Supply, a 140mm All-in-one Liquid Cooler
and a PCIe 16x Gen3 High-Speed Riser Card are more or less solid choices.
The cons they tend to list include not having a second USB port on top of the unit,
how having a ventilated panel instead of tempered glass could help with cooling,
and how tricky it is to include a more sizeable GPU,
though this is always a consideration in any mini-ITX build.
There’s recently been a resurgence amongst PC builders to start going smaller.
Let’s call it … the Mini Renaissance … no?
OH!
The mini-sance…
No Barbara that’s what we’re calling it!
There are plenty of reasons for this, but among the top reasons are that they are absolute
masters of saving space, they are aesthetically pleasing, and they are fantastic for going
into the woods for a weekend LAN party…If your woods have decent internet that is.
Not to mention, as technology advances and everything gets smaller and smaller, it becomes
easier to find great components in a compact size at an affordable price.
If you’re straddling a tiny fence on if you should do a mini-ITX build at all,
let’s look at the pros and cons.
Pros: they generate a smaller footprint , obviously, and this size makes them more portable
as well as more aesthetically pleasing in a multiple PC setup.
Not to mention, there are so many more options these days than there were a few years ago
because we are living in the Mini-sance, Barbara!
But, with any pro, you gotta have cons, and in this case those cons are somewhat considerable.
One: can’t have quad channel memory because there’s just enough room for two sticks of RAM.
And who don’t love more than a second ram!
Don’t say that.
Also, the small size limits the space inside the cases.
So, for instance, not all cases can support a 3.5 HDD and there is limited space for SSDs as well.
Cable management is always a pain , which is one of the things that makes the NZXT H1
so desirable because they already took care of that.
The GPU size is pretty limited too, which is one of the cons with the new NZXT model.
And, lastly, because the parts are generally much closer together, they generate more heat,
so cooling can be a tricky sitch, which is also something a few reviewers have remarked about the H1.
Now, let’s say your best friend has invited you to a spooky cabin in the mountains for
a LAN party and you gotta build a Mini-ITX, it is the Mini-sance after all.
Let’s look at options for your case.
The NZXT H1 is a fantastic case, but it’s $349 price point could be a sticking point for some.
If this is you, then you might consider the NZXT H200i.
For one, it’s a more traditional looking case and has much more flexibility in build
options as it doesn’t come with as many pre-built-in components.
And, at $99, it’s a much more affordable option.
Next up, the Lian Li TU150 might be one of your best bets for a LAN party because it
has a handy-dandy little handle on the top.
But, more than that, it has two USB ports on the top, is large enough to fit a larger
cooling unit inside and is only $110, not bad.
Another beautiful little chassis is the IN WIN A1, which, on top of just being really,
really pretty offers a size compatible with larger GPUs and the power supply is built-in,
so power cable mischief is managed.
Not to mention it comes with a wireless phone charger in it!
But, you’ll pay for it as it retails around $200.
Finally, there’s the Thermaltake Core V1, which offers two main chambers, an upper one
for cooling and efficiency, and a lower one for the PSU and cable management.
Keeping in mind how hot these mini-ITX systems can get, great heat management is important.
And, at only $50, it’s the most affordable option in our list.
So, you’ve decided which mini tower to go with and you’ve packed plenty of bug spray
for this LAN party trip to the mountains, but you’ve still gotta build your Mini-ITX system!
We’d love to suggest checking out the Optimum Tech YouTube channel.
They have some great ITX builds over there that could go a long way in helping you make
the best mini-ITX PC possible.
Shouting out friends, yay!
We don’t know them personally I just love spreading the love to other tech channels
that I think are doing cool stuff!
And that’s it!
We’ve learned a lot today, but mainly that we are living in the Mini-sance
and no one can take that away from me.
If you need a reminder on how to do a PC build, what component parts you need to consider
and all that, we have a five-part series on how to build your own rig right here!
Links below.
And, if you have any questions, please go ahead and leave them in the comments.
My name’s Trisha Hershberger and you’ve been watching DIY-in-5!