Prototype J-Hack Pure Mk2 APU case

[nextpc]

From my perspective the Pure Mk1 has three main features, which differentiate it from the DeskMini A300:

• internal AC-DC PSU
• ability to freely choose a mini-ITX board
• the look and build quality of the case

Isn't that already enough?

With the Pure Mk2 you trade Flex-ATX motherboard support against increased case volume and worse CPU cooler support compared to the Mk1.

As reason for Flex-ATX you quote better storage options, but you also say people prefer an internal AC-DC PSU over the SSD bracket. And is storage of the Mk2 really that much better than with the Pure Mk1? With the Mk1, even with internal AC-DC PSU, you should be able to get 2x x4 M.2 SSDs (1x from the board + 1x using an adapter card for the PCIe slot) + 2x 2,5" SATA SSDs (1x rear mounted + 1x taped slightly angled behind the front bezel). Without internal PSU you can even add 3 additional 2,5" SATA SSDs using the existing SSD bracket.

I completely agree with this comment.
Pure has something going for it, and some small improvements to build on it would be great.
I don't see the flex atx motherboard option being something that would appeal to most people? Or i could be wrong. Are these small portable Nas units a thing now?
* true tho, you could have tons of ssd storage going with external, just like the A300.
I just think the Pure is almost perfect in every sense. Add usb c/3 as an option i think many people would like that.
Maybe a stand

 

[Thehack]

I completely agree with this comment.
Pure has something going for it, and some small improvements to build on it would be great.
I don't see the flex atx motherboard option being something that would appeal to most people? Or i could be wrong. Are these small portable Nas units a thing now?
* true tho, you could have tons of ssd storage going with external, just like the A300.
I just think the Pure is almost perfect in every sense. Add usb c/3 as an option i think many people would like that.
Maybe a stand

Note, the new layout allows for both ssd stack and internal acdc. The extra space in the front allows the use of UHP-200-12 for power, and the extra space allows for SSD/HDD stack.

 

[Aguda33]

I completely agree with this comment.
Pure has something going for it, and some small improvements to build on it would be great.
I don't see the flex atx motherboard option being something that would appeal to most people? Or i could be wrong. Are these small portable Nas units a thing now?
* true tho, you could have tons of ssd storage going with external, just like the A300.
I just think the Pure is almost perfect in every sense. Add usb c/3 as an option i think many people would like that.
Maybe a stand

As a long time Pure owner, I don't see the need for any changes. The style and size are great, everything works well for me. Some may want USB on the front panel, I feel the case is small enough to quickly get to the back and plug in a USB. I have 2 m2 SSD drives which are more than enough for me. Maybe make a different model for those wanting to pack in a lot of drives. I feel the Pure is just about perfection as is now, and you may loose sales with the proposed changes.

 

[newzealot]

This is really strange. I wanted to fit taller cpu coolers and got the recommendation to upsize to Pure X.

I thought the intention is to keep the Pure small. But now i see that the volume has increased but further taking away cooler height.

If people want a larger motherboard or more storage, would they also not be recommended to upsize to Pure X instead?

I have not even heard of a flex atx motherboard standard. If i wanted more, i would want mini-DTX.

The UHP-200-12 provides the same amount of power as the RPS-200-12-C, so adding it is strange. Why not have support for a larger 300W power supply?

 

[Thehack]

This is really strange. I wanted to fit taller cpu coolers and got the recommendation to upsize to Pure X.

I thought the intention is to keep the Pure small. But now i see that the volume has increased but further taking away cooler height.

If people want a larger motherboard or more storage, would they also not be recommended to upsize to Pure X instead?

I have not even heard of a flex atx motherboard standard. If i wanted more, i would want mini-DTX.

The UHP-200-12 provides the same amount of power as the RPS-200-12-C, so adding it is strange. Why not have support for a larger 300W power supply?

For 300W consumption, you'd have to have a GPU + 71mm cooler to dissipate that much heat. That or a full sized cooler. At anything around 3L, it doesn't make sense to support that much power since you wouldn't be able to cool it. For CPU, you'd need either a 140 rad or a full 160mm tower to cool 300W.

Mini-DTX motherboards don't actually exist, as the purpose is to have 2 slots instead of 1. I have not seen any consumer boards out there. Flex-ATX is quite easily available. They're labeled "mATX" on the market as I've linked.

If the Pure grows by 10% volume you gain the following:
1. FLEX ATX support (1 x16 + 2 x1 slots)
2. Low profile GPU + UHP-200-12 support
3. 4x SSD + UHP-200-12 support

You lose the following:
1. Increase of volume by 10%
2. 7mm loss on CPU cooler height.

RPS-200 support still remains.

Of course, additionally it'll be made in USA. There may be a small price increase but hopefully a good design can prevent that. We'll have to see.

 

[nextpc]

As a long time Pure owner, I don't see the need for any changes. The style and size are great, everything works well for me. Some may want USB on the front panel, I feel the case is small enough to quickly get to the back and plug in a USB. I have 2 m2 SSD drives which are more than enough for me. Maybe make a different model for those wanting to pack in a lot of drives. I feel the Pure is just about perfection as is now, and you may loose sales with the proposed changes.

Im totally thinking along the same lines. This case is perfect in almost every way and even from the market perspective, it's the only full on case that looks and functions so well with apus and such. I would build on the current version ...it really does have alot going for it. A special edition, maybe some accessories

 

[Windfall]

That LP GPU support looks great!

 

[maxdfw]

This is what I'm thinking of.

The Cryorig C7 is also taken out of the market recently in USA, so it is one less cooler available. I just checked and the AMD stealth cooler will work if you replace the over sized fan with a slim one, so that can still be the budget option.

This is totally something I've been looking for forever. I love the SkyReach Mini 4, but I wanted something smaller that used a half height GPU. Hopefully that 1650LP comes out soon!

 

[Dunedan]

If the Pure grows by 10% volume you gain the following:
1. FLEX ATX support (1 x16 + 2 x1 slots)
2. Low profile GPU + UHP-200-12 support
3. 4x SSD + UHP-200-12 support

That's truly amazing. This flexibility in such a small case is awesome. ?
On the other hand to me this isn't a successor to the Pure. As it offers space for a GPU now this isn't a minimalistic APU case anymore, it's more like a version of the Pure X with less clearance for CPU coolers. Have you considered calling it something like "Pure M" and continue to iterate on the original Pure design later on?

 

[Thehack]

That's truly amazing. This flexibility in such a small case is awesome. ?
On the other hand to me this isn't a successor to the Pure. As it offers space for a GPU now this isn't a minimalistic APU case anymore, it's more like a version of the Pure X with less clearance for CPU coolers. Have you considered calling it something like "Pure M" and continue to iterate on the original Pure design later on?

It's minimalist in manufacturing and industrial design language. That was the actual design concept. I never meant it'd be constrained in features. If there was space for features, and the manufacturing cost to add it was low, I added as many features as I could. With top mounted SSD, internal PSU, and plenty of power entry option.

The LP GPU is just that, a feature. It's also a trade off. I can also chop off the extra space in the front, and it'd be around 3L, no increase in volume, and remove the LP GPU + UHP-200 option.

We can also trade flex-atx support for 47mm cooler height. But I am leaning away from 47mm since the only cooler right now for AM4 is the black ridge, which has iffy compatibility. C7 is gone from the US market, and the US market is about 2/3 of buyers .

 

[dzungitx]

If Pure has GPU support, Pure is no longer Pure.

Some suggest:
1. Make J-Hack Plugin better. 200w, support 95w CPUs, EPS 4+4pin.
2. Cpu cooler up to 50mm, memory height up to 56mm.
3. SSD only in rear, compatible with 40mm cpu cooler.
4. Keep support for PCIe x16 to M.2 adapter.
5. Acrylic plate on top side for show off. Sell seperately.
6. C14 power inlet.
7. USB-C in front.

 

[Thehack]

If Pure has GPU support, Pure is no longer Pure.

Some suggest:
1. Make J-Hack Plugin better. 200w, support 95w CPUs, EPS 4+4pin.
2. Cpu cooler up to 50mm, memory height up to 56mm.
3. SSD only in rear, compatible with 40mm cpu cooler.
4. Keep support for PCIe x16 to M.2 adapter.
5. Acrylic plate on top side for show off. Sell seperately.
6. C14 power inlet.
7. USB-C in front.

Concerning acrylic plates:

You cannot have acrylic plates unless your design uses flat panels. Cases like the NCase or the Dancase uses flat panels which can be modified for acrylic. The Pure does not have any flat panels; both panels have bends.

 

[smitty2k1]

I'm sure you don't want to keep making more and more SKUs, but I agree with the above commenter that this isn't really the "Pure" case any more if it has GPU support. Perhaps add this as a "Pure W" (wide) to the lineup of Pure, Pure X, and Pure XL. Logistics get more messy the more options you have, to be sure.

Also, I assume the riser would be sold separately, but that would definitely add a significant cost. IMO going with small and low power components such as CPUs that can be cooled with ultra low profile coolers and low profile GPUs cost can be a factor. Adding $30 to the case just for LP GPU support could be a VERY niche area.

 

[Thehack]

I'm sure you don't want to keep making more and more SKUs, but I agree with the above commenter that this isn't really the "Pure" case any more if it has GPU support. Perhaps add this as a "Pure W" (wide) to the lineup of Pure, Pure X, and Pure XL. Logistics get more messy the more options you have, to be sure.

Also, I assume the riser would be sold separately, but that would definitely add a significant cost. IMO going with small and low power components such as CPUs that can be cooled with ultra low profile coolers and low profile GPUs cost can be a factor. Adding $30 to the case just for LP GPU support could be a VERY niche area.

Note, the LP GPU is optional. It is only supported because it *can*. Riser would be sold separately as an add-on. But you're right, a short riser is about $30.

 

[Thehack]

Btw, you guys are strangely minimalist lol.

 

[reasons4reasons]

To provide sort of a counterpoint, I think sort of consolidating the PURE X and the PURE together into one case with both low-profile GPU support and non-flex PSU support is a solid choice. 10% volume increase at this size isn't a terrible trade-off, and designing around non-flex internal PSU options is a positive thing given the weirdness that's sometimes present in those units (fan noise, cable bulk, etc.). Also, on a pure uniqueness level, there are a lot of APU cases, including ones from Streacom that are quite attractive. There aren't a lot of cases that can support dual-slot low-profile cards, and this would be the smallest available, to my knowledge.

 

[Windfall]

Btw, you guys are strangely minimalist lol.

And proud of it!
I think it's because the message that Mk1 sent was minimalism, but I don't feel that LP gpu support changes that.

Note, the LP GPU is optional. It is only supported because it *can*. Riser would be sold separately as an add-on. But you're right, a short riser is about $30.

I like that LP GPU support. Please keep it!

To provide sort of a counterpoint, I think sort of consolidating the PURE X and the PURE together into one case with both low-profile GPU support and non-flex PSU support is a solid choice. 10% volume increase at this size isn't a terrible trade-off, and designing around non-flex internal PSU options is a positive thing given the weirdness that's sometimes present in those units (fan noise, cable bulk, etc.). Also, on a pure uniqueness level, there are a lot of APU cases, including ones from Streacom that are quite attractive. There aren't a lot of cases that can support dual-slot low-profile cards, and this would be the smallest available, to my knowledge.

Absolutely agree.

Basically: You can have a minimalist design without compromising on configurability, and this is a good example of that.

 

[Thehack]

To provide sort of a counterpoint, I think sort of consolidating the PURE X and the PURE together into one case with both low-profile GPU support and non-flex PSU support is a solid choice. 10% volume increase at this size isn't a terrible trade-off, and designing around non-flex internal PSU options is a positive thing given the weirdness that's sometimes present in those units (fan noise, cable bulk, etc.). Also, on a pure uniqueness level, there are a lot of APU cases, including ones from Streacom that are quite attractive. There aren't a lot of cases that can support dual-slot low-profile cards, and this would be the smallest available, to my knowledge.

This is a good point. Quite a bit of chassis that are $50 that are showing up on Amazon. And the new Geeek as well.

So right now the chassis sits at 3.2L. If we remove UHP support, we can bring it down to 3L. I think I can squeeze it in a couple more places and hit 47mm cooler clearance + LP and UHP support at 3.3L.

 

[reasons4reasons]

In terms of what features and size you go with, I think it depends on if you want to keep the PURE X around. If you're planning on it, then a product stack that looks like this makes sense:

• PURE: Either a UHP or a LP GPU and external PSU (so basically either an APU case or a mini S4M)
• PURE X: LP GPU and UHP/Flex ATX
• PURE XL: Full-height ITX GPU, SFX PSU

As long as the PURE X exists I don't think the extra volume to support both a UHP and a LP GPU simultaneously is worth it. If you're planning to simplify your lineup then yeah, consolidate the PURE and the PURE X. But otherwise giving folks more options in a similar size on the PURE Mk2 is the way to go.

 

[Windfall]

In terms of what features and size you go with, I think it depends on if you want to keep the PURE X around. If you're planning on it, then a product stack that looks like this makes sense:

• PURE: Either a UHP or a LP GPU and external PSU (so basically either an APU case or a mini S4M)
• PURE X: LP GPU and UHP/Flex ATX
• PURE XL: Full-height ITX GPU, SFX PSU

As long as the PURE X exists I don't think the extra volume to support both a UHP and a LP GPU simultaneously is worth it. If you're planning to simplify your lineup then yeah, consolidate the PURE and the PURE X. But otherwise giving folks more options in a similar size on the PURE Mk2 is the way to go.

@Thehack How well has the Pure X sold?