Enclosure mITX case - China
- Thread starter tnysff
- Start date
Hi tnysff,
This is the case (RGeek L80) I bought for my very first SFF build. In fact, I was so pleased with it that i've bought a 2nd one that i have waiting on the sidelines, and a 3rd and 4th which are on the way.
Here's my story:
I decided late last fall to take the plunge and to finally cut the cable service in my home. All I have now is a no-cap internet service which is all you really need since you can literally stream EVERYTHING now. In doing so, I decided to build my first SFF PC to be at the center of my streaming needs. As a result, all my friends who come to my house and see my cool ittle MiniITX PC hooked up to my TV all want me to build them an identical system! Especially when I tell them how much money i'm saving every month by only having an internet connection to pay.
So that's the reason why I have a 2nd RGeek L80 case waiting and two more which should arrive any day now.
Bottom line: I was very impressed with the build quality. A thick, sturdy aluminum with a premium paint job. My first purchase didn't have the vented top, simply because it appeared as an option at the bottom of the webpage I bought the case from and dsidn't see it. Upon ordering my 2nd case, I requested two vented tops and I did receive both. :-) I highly recommend the vented top for the case since temperatures can get a bit high in a case this small.
The only modification I did was to paint the SSD support which is a different color from the rest of the case, since I didn't like the way it looked through the vented top.
I wanted an HDPLEX 160-AC power supply, but none were available at the time, so I conceded and bought a 12v - 150w PicoPSU combo from Amazon. It gets the job done and i've had no problems with it since putting it together in early February.
Other specs: I3-8100, Gigabyte B360 MiniITX, 16 gb Gskill DDR4-2133, 500gb Corsair M2 SSD.
I hope this helps!
This is the case (RGeek L80) I bought for my very first SFF build. In fact, I was so pleased with it that i've bought a 2nd one that i have waiting on the sidelines, and a 3rd and 4th which are on the way.
Here's my story:
I decided late last fall to take the plunge and to finally cut the cable service in my home. All I have now is a no-cap internet service which is all you really need since you can literally stream EVERYTHING now. In doing so, I decided to build my first SFF PC to be at the center of my streaming needs. As a result, all my friends who come to my house and see my cool ittle MiniITX PC hooked up to my TV all want me to build them an identical system! Especially when I tell them how much money i'm saving every month by only having an internet connection to pay.
So that's the reason why I have a 2nd RGeek L80 case waiting and two more which should arrive any day now.
Bottom line: I was very impressed with the build quality. A thick, sturdy aluminum with a premium paint job. My first purchase didn't have the vented top, simply because it appeared as an option at the bottom of the webpage I bought the case from and dsidn't see it. Upon ordering my 2nd case, I requested two vented tops and I did receive both. :-) I highly recommend the vented top for the case since temperatures can get a bit high in a case this small.
The only modification I did was to paint the SSD support which is a different color from the rest of the case, since I didn't like the way it looked through the vented top.
I wanted an HDPLEX 160-AC power supply, but none were available at the time, so I conceded and bought a 12v - 150w PicoPSU combo from Amazon. It gets the job done and i've had no problems with it since putting it together in early February.
Other specs: I3-8100, Gigabyte B360 MiniITX, 16 gb Gskill DDR4-2133, 500gb Corsair M2 SSD.
I hope this helps!
Tnysff, you're right: there are two different models available, one which is 65mm in height, and another which is 80mm in height.
I went with the 80mm simply to avoid any clearance issues with the CPU fan.
Here is the link:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/New...me-Chassis-DIY-MINI-ITX-Case/32959726987.html
I went with the 80mm simply to avoid any clearance issues with the CPU fan.
Here is the link:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/New...me-Chassis-DIY-MINI-ITX-Case/32959726987.html
I contacted the eBay seller that sells Rgeek cases asking if he could carry the ones with vented top or the top plate upgrade and he came back posting them. So for people that prefer eBay to Aliexpress, here they are:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/312564551026
https://www.ebay.com/itm/312518926585
https://www.ebay.com/itm/312564551026
https://www.ebay.com/itm/312518926585
Alain, what CPU cooler are you using? After your experience building it, do you think you could have used the 65mm model? What clearance do you have from cooler to SSD mounting plate? I would like to have a 2.5 drive.
Get yourself a Ryzen 3 2200g and you got a light home gaming setup too! Perfect for emulators and older titles!
I evaluated going Ryzen but decided on Intel. Having a light gaming system adds zero to me, but thank you for the idea.
EDIT: Thinking twice about this, may be I should not dismiss you so quickly, but it is not as easy as in dropping a Ryzen.... The main concern I have is that I am not up to date on the status of AMD, corresponding motherboards, drivers, etc... For example, IIRC, ten years back when I built my last AMD system, there where concerns about performance of IDE not being as fast as it should be, and AMD did not seem too concerned. Do we have similar problems today with SATA, NVMe or USB 3 ? Just wondering. Has AMD improved in that respect?
To go with AMD, I would have to research it all, and I do not feel like it is worth it. You can see my thread about the build here. May be you can give it a reading and suggest a comparable CPU and motherboard.
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I have taken a quick look at the few m-ITX motherboards and they look so good with two M.2 PCIe 3.0 x4... That is until you drop in a 2200G or 2400G and break the PCIe budget, loosing one of the slots. It seems to me this AMD solution would be much more appealing if the chipsets would have a few more PCIe lanes. Just four more to allow keeping the second M.2 would be great!
As it is, I am not not so sure. As I said in the other post, it is not as simple as dropping in a 2200G...
Hey, sorry for the slightly out of topic question. I was not able to find much discussion on the rgeek l80s and I would like to know how does the storage bracket and top cover mount together? I don't plan on using any drives other than m.2 so I want to fill that volume with a beefier cooler. Thanks in advance for any info.
The problem is that the two USB3.0 ports on the side of the case are also part of the storage bracket. Either you live without the ports, or you find a way to attach the ports to the case without them being part of the bracket. When things are not so busy in my life, I plan to do this myself. Like yourself, I only use the m.2 slot for storage, so removing the bracket would clean up the case's already tiny interior as well as improving airflow. ;-)
Great input, thank you for the reply btw. I have no issue what so ever with dremeling them free and then fasten them otherwise to the case.. i bet cooler clearance would really really increase. I'm planning on slapping an IS-60 with an upgraded fan.
These are nice minimalist cases!
+ Does the motherboard mount upside down to the inside of the top or onto the bottom plate?
=> If the top cover comes off and the motherboard mounts to the bottom of the case. How is the top panel secured to the case?
+ Without 2.5" or 3.5"/bracket, how much clearance is there for a CPU cooler on the 65mm and 80mm cases?
+ Anyone mod the case to use the PCI-e slot? I got a half-height network card thats 64.5mm not including PCI-E connector, wondering if I can squeeze it into the 65mm case!
=> If the top cover comes off and the motherboard mounts to the bottom of the case. How is the top panel secured to the case?
+ Without 2.5" or 3.5"/bracket, how much clearance is there for a CPU cooler on the 65mm and 80mm cases?
+ Anyone mod the case to use the PCI-e slot? I got a half-height network card thats 64.5mm not including PCI-E connector, wondering if I can squeeze it into the 65mm case!
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1) Don't own one but it appears it is screwed to the main chassis as is the bottom plate.
2) would like to know that as well but Alain has not gotten around to mod his case.
3) with some heavy modding a dremel kit there is little stopping you I guess. Although for the 65mm model that is a bit of a stretch since the pcb is more than 1mm thick. But in that case I guess you could put longer screws and some standoffs. Or bite the bullet and go for the 80mm version.
Thanks. I got in touch with the seller and here's what I learned:
1) Not sure but it looks like the top sits on an inner lip.. the older version had screws on the top but the new is smooth.
2) Seen a few folks cut away most of the storage frame, except the section holding the USB header and two mounting screws. See :
3) Seller says stand offs + motherboards eat up about 10mm, so with the 65mm case, I'd need 10 extra mm or jump to 80mm and make a thin slot. Will try to find a CNC to make a nice clean cut, there's a few maker spaces around : )
Here's the taobao link: https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=578826676813
With USB 3.0 (CNY +15) and vented top (CNY +10) (add-ons as separate items in shop)
L65S ~ CNY 145 ~ USD 21
L80S ~ CNY 160 ~ USD 23
There's also this style:
https://detail.tmall.com/item.htm?id=544140539465
I like the light and button much better, but USB 2.0
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We get this in the UK as well, there’s a aluminium option or black. About £40 in the UK and hope you get through customs- if not you’d be looking at another £30 most probably. I have wondered if it is worth a punt, not that I am really short of ITX cases.
Shipping is hassle even if you're expereinced with it! If its a concern, use the Amazon store or another local reseller.
Not sure about the UK, but for the US and intl. shipping incl. AliExpress, Taobao here's me experience:
Code:
Best : I've not had issues with DHL. Quick (days), handles customs, but pricey.
Good : SF Express / EMS is another good cheaper option(week) .
OK : E-packet takes a month or so but will get there. (weeks-month)
You feelin' : China Post is a crap shoot since its untracked (1-3 months)
lucky?Some people also recommend Superbuy as a shipping agent.
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