Completed Circle Pro - Solid Alu CNCed mini-itx case - 240mm liquid cooling

[SashaLag]

This is why I set out to make the MINI--to do my part in creating the "luxury chassis" market. As Dan said, people didn't bat an eye when they were paying 800+ for a 1080 during the shortage just a while back, but freak out at the thought of spending money on a quality item that could potentially last for decades.

"people" is a generalization I suppose... because well... the vast majority of people find a 200€ case pricey, no matter what... But here we are in a SFF forum, populated by that small group of people who are passionate about computer hardware and who are willing to pay an extra to have something unique AND/OR as small as possible. So a 200€ case here is considered a bargain... which is not!

I am not saying Necere, Dan, Lazer3D and others are stealing money... Far from that, 'cause they offer great products and they have a relatively small economy of scale... Just that a 200€ price tag allows their case to be positioned in the high-end spectrum of cases! And if they are high-end... A 400 or 500€ one is a luxury. Because a 200€ case is already a very good quality item

I agree with @Skarum opinion, which I quote for convenience

Yeah, but those are two different categories. You can't buy much of a graphics card for $100, but it'll net you a very good mainstream case. Likewise, you can get a great PSU at $100, but good luck trying to convince people $500 is a fair price for a PSU, because of it's incredible quality.

If a standard case is a Ford, then a $200-300 is a Mercedes, and this is a Lamborghini. And most people wouldn't buy a Lamborghini.

Moreover, you're saying a case can last a decade... but GPU can too! But hey... If in ten years a GPU would be obsolete... What about cases? Ten years ago, we couldn't even imagine about STX, picoPSU, M.2 SSD or sub 5 liters case for everyday/working use... So I hardly doubt people who buy SFF cases would like to stick with it for more than 5 years...

Am I saying this Circle Pro doesn't have the meaning to exist? No. it has. Is CircleTec stealing money? No. He is just selling a luxury product with a great quality sold at a great price/quality ratio. But it's a luxury product. Because even if material and production quality is top level, it doesn't improve much on functuonality compared to a case half its price (like Louqe Ghost for example).

A more comparable example between cases and GPUs could be IMHO, a 1000€ GTX1080 compared to a 600€ GTX1080... Same performance. Different build quality, different price tag.

 

[CC Ricers]

I've seen similar discussions and criticisms on price vs value on the Reddit SFFPC thread in which this case was announced. On comparing the price differences of cases vs graphics cards, the price difference doesn't net much difference in utility for most users when it comes to cases. Most of them would be fine grabbing a cheap $30 case over a $250 case. However it's easier to sell many gamers on a $250 GPU over a used $30 GPU that is gonna be several generations old because there is a big difference in performance. Given that, this is where it comes down to for most builders.

I found the Reddit discussion interesting in particular, because a lot of the people were more critical of the marketing language on the official website- which they found a bit confusing- more than the quality, or even the price of the case. For example, the S4 Mini sets itself squarely to be a SFF case for enthusiasts and experienced builders. This is a very small case, extra consideration needed with GPU and CPU choices, it requires external AC power source (for most builds).

Some have stated that in the way Circle Pro is marketed, it's not optimally reaching the most suitable audience. The particular language, the inclusion of and its commentary of tools, some of it appears to be aimed at beginner PC builders. This case is very nice and I like the very modular take-apart and put back together assembly. But for $400 to $500 that is a hard sell for new PC builders. Basically you have an enthusiast case with a price reflecting that. It should be marketed mainly to enthusiasts.

 

[Josh | NFC]

"people" is a generalization I suppose... because well... the vast majority of people find a 200€ case pricey, no matter what... But here we are in a SFF forum, populated by that small group of people who are passionate about computer hardware and who are willing to pay an extra to have something unique AND/OR as small as possible. So a 200€ case here is considered a bargain... which is not!

I don't think you and Skarum understand or value the art of this* process, from what you are saying. That's fine and dandy, luckily there are no shortage of great, functional, and beautiful SFF cases out there at many pricepoints.

I value the process of art. The Sistine Chapel ceiling is considered one of the greatest works of art of all time by the majority of art critics. Yes, the forms, balance, contrast, movement, themes etc etc are all good, but there are plenty of other works that best it in these areas. It is so mindblowing because of the medium, the scale, and the application.

An artist only has a limited time working with fresco. Michelangelo had to mix his own paints from materials he had to gather--the binding of which is egg white. This mixture had to be applied to FRESH plaster on the ceiling. He had to paint the forms before the plaster, and his mixture would dry and harden. He had to strip his scenes down over and over. The size of the piece combined with it being on the ceiling made this an example of skill and artistry that has not been matched since.

I have made a few computer cases (much more than just the MINI lineup, for other companies). I know the processes these take, and I appreciate that this is a milled system that doesn't look like garbage. I appreciate finishing processes and I like what I see from these photos.

Again, it is fine that you see this as apiece of metal that holds PC parts, but that is not how I see it.

Just wanted to explain my thoughts.

Some have stated that in the way Circle Pro is marketed, it's not optimally reaching the most suitable audience. The particular language, the inclusion of and its commentary of tools, some of it appears to be aimed at beginner PC builders. This case is very nice and I like the very modular take-apart and put back together assembly. But for $400 to $500 that is a hard sell for new PC builders. Basically you have an enthusiast case with a price reflecting that. It should be marketed mainly to enthusiasts.

Actually a significant amount of my customers are first time builders. These are people who have never really been interested in PC hardware before, but appreciate quality and the aesthetic of small form factor systems. There is a crossover here that is super fun to see happening.

You could make an argument that SFF FORUM is not the place to advertise, and from the posts here, I would sadly agree with you.

Peace all, it is fun reading your opinions on things. <3


*changed "the" to "this"

 

[whatanoob]

Yeah I think complaining about the price of this case doesn't make a lot of sense since it is a luxury item. It's sort of like complaining about the price of an expensive watch. If you're really worried about the price, if you want the best value for your money, then it just isn't the right thing for you.
Anyway it did sell out pretty quickly, so, you know, a product is ultimately worth what people are willing to pay for it.

Although I do agree that the marketing is a bit off. There's a comment on reddit that goes a bit in depth about it. I disagree with his conclusion about the price not being justified, however the comments he makes about the marketing are pretty fair. The idea that would market this as a case for a value oriented pc is quite hilarious, plus the tone of it is a bit patronising.
Let's be honest, this is a luxury case for SFF enthusiasts who are willing pay a premium to get an absolutely incredible build quality. Which is a good thing - all markets need both budget products, which sacrifice a bit of quality while trying to maintain the functionality, and luxury products, which are all about the quality. The more price points we can fill, the better.

I do understand that if someone was looking forward to buying a sandwich layout case with 240mm watercooling support, there aren't really any options that I can recall right now. I guess you could go for the NCASE M1, which, despite using a traditional layout, is only very slightly bigger. Or you can wait a bit and buy a Ghost S1 with a top hat, or, if you really want a window, wait a bit longer and hopefully the C4-SFX will be out. Unless there's another option out there that I'm not aware of (you can probably find something on taobao tbh).

Also, from the pictures, there doesn't to be a lot of space between the graphics card fans and the window, so I can't help but wonder about the GPU thermals in this case.

 

[Nanook]

Quick question @CircleTect .. what’s the best way to take the glass off?

Finally unboxed, this case is amazing! Even the box is a keeper. Everything looks just like the photographs (and even the renderings) posted here and on the website. I’m floored.

I only took a few snaps to showcase the perfect fit and finish. I will look at the case in greater detail, and maybe build in it later tonight. A handful of pictures here:

 

[NinoPecorino]

damn, that looks good up close. if i wasn't waiting on a ghost i'd be trying to get one of these.

 

[chyll2]

looks good even if shot without lightbox

 

[rfarmer]

Fit and finish on this look incredible, looking forward to some completed builds. My first thought on this case was that it was incredibly overpriced, but looking closer maybe it is just that good. I like @whatanoob analogy with the expensive watch. A Rolex might not tell time better than a Casio but it looks a damn site better doing it.

 

[AP2]

Are these still available for purchase?

 

[Nanook]

Are these still available for purchase?

I just checked their site, and the metal version is still available.

 

[Nanook]

Just going to leave this here...
https://i.imgur.com/iL6fo9p.jpg

 

[chyll2]

Image not working

 

[Nanook]

Image not working

Added a link and an image.

 

[NinoPecorino]

Just going to leave this here...
https://i.imgur.com/iL6fo9p.jpg

i feel like a flexatx could fit pretty comfortably down there

 

[Nanook]

i feel like a flexatx could fit pretty comfortably down there

You could probably fit a FlexATX in there. A SFX would fit above too, if you give up the ability to use a 240mm AIO.

 

[Flyingpepper]

I've seen similar discussions and criticisms on price vs value on the Reddit SFFPC thread in which this case was announced. On comparing the price differences of cases vs graphics cards, the price difference doesn't net much difference in utility for most users when it comes to cases. Most of them would be fine grabbing a cheap $30 case over a $250 case. However it's easier to sell many gamers on a $250 GPU over a used $30 GPU that is gonna be several generations old because there is a big difference in performance. Given that, this is where it comes down to for most builders.

I found the Reddit discussion interesting in particular, because a lot of the people were more critical of the marketing language on the official website- which they found a bit confusing- more than the quality, or even the price of the case. For example, the S4 Mini sets itself squarely to be a SFF case for enthusiasts and experienced builders. This is a very small case, extra consideration needed with GPU and CPU choices, it requires external AC power source (for most builds).

Some have stated that in the way Circle Pro is marketed, it's not optimally reaching the most suitable audience. The particular language, the inclusion of and its commentary of tools, some of it appears to be aimed at beginner PC builders. This case is very nice and I like the very modular take-apart and put back together assembly. But for $400 to $500 that is a hard sell for new PC builders. Basically you have an enthusiast case with a price reflecting that. It should be marketed mainly to enthusiasts.

I just want to point out that people on Reddit are cheap as fuck.

Just going to leave this here...
https://i.imgur.com/iL6fo9p.jpg

This would be a game changer for me.

 

[Esso]

Just going to leave this here...
https://i.imgur.com/iL6fo9p.jpg

I'm sorry, I had to .
Also @Nanook, thank you for sharing the pics, that is some damn fine edge work, wow!

 

[gunpalcyril]

Just going to leave this here...
https://i.imgur.com/iL6fo9p.jpg

Wow, I had a feeling that the psu shroud limited its potential. It even looks like you could fit the sfx psu on the underside, though that spine needs to be modded. Maybe a possible revision 1.1?

How are gpu temps?

 

[AP2]

@Nanook from the top of the gpu to the top of the case, how much run do you have? I almost purchased it just now, but I better check the clearance. Lol

 

[Longbow072]

The only thing that killed the Circle Pro for me was the additional cost of buying a new GPU to go along with it. That coupled with AIO/MB raised the cost past what I want to spend at the moment.

Not the price of the case, just the additional costs of swapping what I already have over to it. I'm curious how the 2080 shakes out temp wise in that thing however, also any clearance issues associated with it. Its a beefy card.