Hi! I'm new to the forum but spent some time reading about SFF builds before venturing down this path recently. There's not a lot of info about the Geeek A20 (or A10) case, so I thought I'd share my experience. My goal was to build a relatively small/portable dual-boot Hackintosh that I could play some games on, without spending a fortune. The main reason I chose the Geeek A20 is because it's the cheapest SFF case I could find that fits a graphics card. In short, the case is pretty nice and small, so I'd say it's a good deal, but it was a PITA to build and definitely has room for improvement.
Pros:
Cons:
When I received the case and computer parts, I began assembling the case based on the 2 videos I found online, as the Geeek instructions were almost useless. One challenge was getting the back panel (with motherboard attached) into the case while getting the I/O shield to stay on, which I figured out required removing the front panel USB 3 ports first. Because the USB 3 front panel cable is so long and relatively inflexible, I could not get it to reach and plug into my motherboard. I later solved that with a header extension cable, but it seems like poor design that I needed an extra cable. Mounting the SSDs was pretty easy, and I definitely recommend using really short cables to avoid clutter. I solved the really bright red LED issue by swapping the power and hdd LED plugs on the mobo, so the blue LED stays on with power, and red flashes with HDD activity. On my case, the top button was marked reset and the bottom power, and I also decided to swap those. I had to swap my motherboard's included WiFi/BT chip for one compatible with MacOS, and in the process needed to move the antennae from the motherboard panel. I was able to screw the antennae into the back of the case, and it was thoughtful of Geeek to have included those holes.
For power, I decided to go with the HDPlex ATX & AC combo because it's completely silent and doesn't require an external power brick. However, there's no way to mount the AC-DC adapter without drilling holes into the case, nor does the power socket screw securely into the case - I attached mine with just 1 screw until I figure something out. Another annoying issue was when I wanted to use the HDMI out on my video card, which is on the far left. No HDMI cable could fit into the card due to the fact that the case comes out to the edge of the left video card port, leaving no room for a cable to plug in. I was considering cutting a notch into the case to allow a cable to fit, but in the end I managed to find a super-thin HDMI cable that just barely fits.
After a couple weeks of playing games and running some benchmarks, I decided I wasn't happy with the thermals of the computer even after adding a top case fan. The CPU idled around 40-50C and got up to 80C under full load, not to mention the stock Intel fan whined and was pretty loud at full RPM. I had a friend use his CNC to drill ventilation holes into the side panel right above the CPU, but that only dropped the temps by about 5C. I took apart the whole computer to install a Scythe Big Shuriken rev B (which does fit, barely), and that made a drastic difference. Idle temps have been about 30-40C, but more importantly even with the fan on the lowest RPM, the full load temps maxed at 60C! With this setup, the computer is near silent even when playing a game maxing the CPU & GPU.
Computer specs:
Photos!
So many screws on the back panel!
Side panel with drilled holes (mug for size comparison)
Original build with stock cooler
Final build
Edge of case blocking HDMI access
Semi-installed HDPlex socket (no good way to mount)
CNC drilling holes in side panel
Pros:
- fits a real GPU (low profile)
- pretty small - fits in a backpack
- near silent (with the right setup)
- fits aftermarket CPU cooler
- unique design with black & white acrylic
Cons:
- poor back panel design - can't easily fit left video output cable
- ventilation isn't great, especially for CPU
- too many screws showing on the outside
- red power LED too bright
- front panel USB 3 cable is waaay to long and thick, making it difficult to plug into mobo
- no mounting options for alternative (non-Flex) PSU
When I received the case and computer parts, I began assembling the case based on the 2 videos I found online, as the Geeek instructions were almost useless. One challenge was getting the back panel (with motherboard attached) into the case while getting the I/O shield to stay on, which I figured out required removing the front panel USB 3 ports first. Because the USB 3 front panel cable is so long and relatively inflexible, I could not get it to reach and plug into my motherboard. I later solved that with a header extension cable, but it seems like poor design that I needed an extra cable. Mounting the SSDs was pretty easy, and I definitely recommend using really short cables to avoid clutter. I solved the really bright red LED issue by swapping the power and hdd LED plugs on the mobo, so the blue LED stays on with power, and red flashes with HDD activity. On my case, the top button was marked reset and the bottom power, and I also decided to swap those. I had to swap my motherboard's included WiFi/BT chip for one compatible with MacOS, and in the process needed to move the antennae from the motherboard panel. I was able to screw the antennae into the back of the case, and it was thoughtful of Geeek to have included those holes.
For power, I decided to go with the HDPlex ATX & AC combo because it's completely silent and doesn't require an external power brick. However, there's no way to mount the AC-DC adapter without drilling holes into the case, nor does the power socket screw securely into the case - I attached mine with just 1 screw until I figure something out. Another annoying issue was when I wanted to use the HDMI out on my video card, which is on the far left. No HDMI cable could fit into the card due to the fact that the case comes out to the edge of the left video card port, leaving no room for a cable to plug in. I was considering cutting a notch into the case to allow a cable to fit, but in the end I managed to find a super-thin HDMI cable that just barely fits.
After a couple weeks of playing games and running some benchmarks, I decided I wasn't happy with the thermals of the computer even after adding a top case fan. The CPU idled around 40-50C and got up to 80C under full load, not to mention the stock Intel fan whined and was pretty loud at full RPM. I had a friend use his CNC to drill ventilation holes into the side panel right above the CPU, but that only dropped the temps by about 5C. I took apart the whole computer to install a Scythe Big Shuriken rev B (which does fit, barely), and that made a drastic difference. Idle temps have been about 30-40C, but more importantly even with the fan on the lowest RPM, the full load temps maxed at 60C! With this setup, the computer is near silent even when playing a game maxing the CPU & GPU.
Computer specs:
- Geeek A20
- HDPLEX NanoATX 160w (w/ AC-DC adapter)
- ASRock H270M-ITX/AC
- Intel Pentium 3.5GHz G4560
- Scythe Big Shuriken rev B
- Ballistix Sport 8GB DDR4
- MSI GT 1030 2GB (fanless)
- Samsung 250GB & 500GB 850 EVO SSDs
- mod-DIY USB 3 header extension
- Noctua NF-A8 PWM
- Dell DW1830 wifi/bt
Photos!
So many screws on the back panel!
Side panel with drilled holes (mug for size comparison)
Original build with stock cooler
Final build
Edge of case blocking HDMI access
Semi-installed HDPlex socket (no good way to mount)
CNC drilling holes in side panel
Last edited:
