Production SFFtime presents: P-ATX V3 - 10.4L evolution of ATX console case

riba2233

Shrink Ray Wielder
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SFF Time
Jan 2, 2019
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Notably, though, that video does not include either the x47 or the x53 copper versions. (It does include the 100, which performs a bit better than the IS-55.)

Also, this person did not see the same results as the video, and found that the AXP90 performed better on average:


I think that their AXP-X47 is actually copper version:

 

kdawg0208

Minimal Tinkerer
New User
Mar 25, 2023
4
0
What's the most powerful graphics card I can fit with a m-atx motherboard (so card width is the main problem) I'm thinking it's the inno3d 4070ti which is the only 2 slot 4070ti. Anyone else have any suggestions? I'm in the am5 Platform and am5 itx motherboards are so freaking expensive I'm not keen on moving to mini itx.
 

kdawg0208

Minimal Tinkerer
New User
Mar 25, 2023
4
0
I think that their AXP-X47 is actually copper version:

I have been in a dillema between x53 full black and x47 as well. In the end went with x47 because you can add a 25mm height 92mm fan. Paired it with the bgears high airflow (think it's 3500rpm on max speed) 90mm x 25mm fan. It's pretty silent with fan curve management for normal desktop and gaming use and you can blast it at 100% rpm (sounds like a hair dryer) when doing stability tests.
 

riba2233

Shrink Ray Wielder
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Jan 2, 2019
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What's the most powerful graphics card I can fit with a m-atx motherboard (so card width is the main problem) I'm thinking it's the inno3d 4070ti which is the only 2 slot 4070ti. Anyone else have any suggestions? I'm in the am5 Platform and am5 itx motherboards are so freaking expensive I'm not keen on moving to mini itx.
If you feel adventurous you could try 7900xt of even 7900xtx reference. On Nvidia side as you mentioned 4070ti inno3d is a safe choice :)
 
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FLiP

Chassis Packer
Jan 4, 2022
15
7
Just tested AXP-X53 Full Black with my Ryzen 7 5700X with PBO enable and -30 offset.
It reaches 74C on CB R23 10 mins run, ambient temp around 32C. Browsing it's around 50C.

Thinking of placing 2x Noctua NF-A4x10 to help exhaust the heat faster.
 

riba2233

Shrink Ray Wielder
Original poster
SFF Time
Jan 2, 2019
1,648
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Just tested AXP-X53 Full Black with my Ryzen 7 5700X with PBO enable and -30 offset.
It reaches 74C on CB R23 10 mins run, ambient temp around 32C. Browsing it's around 50C.

Thinking of placing 2x Noctua NF-A4x10 to help exhaust the heat faster.

That doesn't sound bad at all considering the ambient temp you have!
 

archagon

Average Stuffer
Aug 17, 2020
76
26
I decided to take a slight risk and order an X53 Full Black from China, since it briefly became available on https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256804130243751.html. Different folks seem to have wildly different results with the IS-55 for some reason, but the X53 at least seems to be universally well-regarded. (No idea why Thermalright doesn't seem to want to sell it in the US anymore... too niche?)
 

archagon

Average Stuffer
Aug 17, 2020
76
26
Spent a few hours putting together my new P-ATX V3 this evening. WOW, the attention to detail in this case is just insane! Every part fits together perfectly. Every edge is properly aligned. Every little hole, gap, and ridge has some purpose. Even the packaging is an elaborate little puzzle. It's clear a ton of thought went into every aspect of this design.

Better yet, assembling the case was just as fun as putting together a LEGO set. The only part that confused me was "7. Installing the motherboard – preparing standoffs (part 1)". The manual didn't specify which screws to use, so I assumed that the flat-headed 4mm screws were the correct ones. Also, there was a single screw in my bag of parts that was the same shape as the triangle-headed 5mm screws, but twice as long. I didn't see it mentioned anywhere in the manual, so maybe just a random deformed screw?

One minor pain point: I transplanted the riser from my Dan A4-SFX v4, and I had to bend the cable quite a bit on the bottom to get it to fit. I think it might have even caused the steel bar holding the riser to deform a little. In the end, though, everything seems to work fine. Not sure if other risers have more clearance on the bottom to prevent this from happening.

Looking forward, my one concern is that the case end of the power cord is very close to the CPU cooler. Already, it's pressing into my Noctua fan duct, which should be ~48mm tall. That's not a big deal since the duct is made of foam, but I worry that when my X53 gets here, it will be too tight a squeeze. Any ideas? (I suppose this is only a Mini-ITX problem.)



 
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riba2233

Shrink Ray Wielder
Original poster
SFF Time
Jan 2, 2019
1,648
2,127
www.sfftime.com
Spent a few hours putting together my new P-ATX V3 this evening. WOW, the attention to detail in this case is just insane! Every part fits together perfectly. Every edge is properly aligned. Every little hole, gap, and ridge has some purpose. Even the packaging is an elaborate little puzzle. It's clear a ton of thought went into every aspect of this design.

Better yet, assembling the case was just as fun as putting together a LEGO set. The only part that confused me was "7. Installing the motherboard – preparing standoffs (part 1)". The manual didn't specify which screws to use, so I assumed that the flat-headed 4mm screws were the correct ones. Also, there was a single screw in my bag of parts that was the same shape as the triangle-headed 5mm screws, but twice as long. I didn't see it mentioned anywhere in the manual, so maybe just a random deformed screw?

One minor pain point: I transplanted the riser from my Dan A4-SFX v4, and I had to bend the cable quite a bit on the bottom to get it to fit. I think it might have even caused the steel bar holding the riser to deform a little. In the end, though, everything seems to work fine. Not sure if other risers have more clearance on the bottom to prevent this from happening.

Looking forward, my one concern is that the case end of the power cord is very close to the CPU cooler. Already, it's pressing into my Noctua fan duct, which should be ~48mm tall. That's not a big deal since the duct is made of foam, but I worry that when my X53 gets here, it will be too tight a squeeze. Any ideas? (I suppose this is only a Mini-ITX problem.)




This is awesome, thank you a lot for the write up and sharing your experience!

First of all I want to thank you for noticing all the little stuff about the case and the packaging, it really wasn't simple to design and I wasted countless hours to make everything fit and align :)

You also noticed some interesting stuff, like the picture of the screw missing from the MBO part of the manual (silly error on my part but you assumed well) and that longer screw (included that one for the right panel near the PSU side, if the short one is not enough).

Regarding the riser yeah the bracket was designed for the reverse cable entry, yours has the cable coming from the bottom of the PCB but I am glad if it all fit in the end, doesn't matter if the bracket flexed a bit.

Also about the power connector, it is somewhat expected with itx boards. You can either offset the whole connector a bit with a standoff, or get a pigtail adapter from our shop, it will look something like this once installed:

 

Helequin

What's an ITX?
New User
May 26, 2023
1
5
Recently got the P-ATX V3, and I love the case. The machining, tolerances, and general fit and finish of everything is absolutely spot on. The packaging was great, and certainly made sure everything arrived in perfect condition. Only downside to that packaging is once opened I was never remembering how all the pieces went in that box XD.

I'm honestly impressed, and that's from someone who has spent much more time designing and machining than tinkering with computer parts. If I had the shop to design and build my own case, it would come out a lot like this one.

Of course now I see the U-ITX project! My absolutely ideal case is probably a slightly thicker and maybe touch larger U-ITX, but the flexibility of the P-ATX is very nice to have and it's still small enough to fit in two of my old laptop bags (it's basically a slightly smaller but thicker version of my last laptop in size). And I was able to make my build with stock cables rather than needing to order specialty short ones.

A few things I did notice which might be worth considering if you go to improve towards V4 at some point:

I got the stick on feet for laying the case horizontally, but haven't installed them as it would make the overall size thicker and more difficult to fit in my carry bag. Would be brilliant to have these be detachable, maybe screw in and out of the side panel or something like that.

The slots in the sides, top and bottom of the case seem to be just barely too small to fit a usb-A connector through. I know adding more front IO (or in this case side, top or back IO) adds to cost, but I have spare USB headers and cables and there's just no where I can quite squeeze these in without cutting the case which I'd rather not do. The front mask does have a lot of available area that could be cut out, maybe different patterns for the future depending on needs? Or maybe those slots can be made just a little wider, so people are free to place extra ports like this anywhere they want. That would actually be pretty cool to have a case where you can secure IO ports almost anywhere you like.

Some sort of support for sag in a large GPU in the horizontal case position would be a nice to have. I had a rubber block I could slip in against the 15mm chassis fan I added that sits perfect, so this wasn't hard to fix myself though. I mainly added it to make sure the GPU never hits the fan if there's vibration or a small knock or something.

I prefer to have easy access to the power supply switch and the internal power cord is just one more thing to deal with in a small build, but aesthetically I see why the case is as it is. Personally, I'd love the option to be able to turn a SFX supply 90 degrees so all the cables point straight at the motherboard and and the power can plug directly into the front...although I'd probably make it the back at that point and just have all my IO in the "front." Looks might be a low priority for me XD.

The washers supplied for the L bracket supporting the GPU could be a bit larger in outer diameter. They seem to barely span the slot in the case, and if not dead centre when tightening can slide into the slot. Also, not the best place for the sticker since those washers will chew it up a bit over time.

Not sure how I feel about the toolless stand. It works, feels secure and stable enough. It certainly looks good. But I do wonder a little how it will fare if the case gets bumped or there's a small earthquake or something. It also means being very sure no cables are pressing the side panels out at all. Would be brilliant if the same detachable stand worked in both vertical and horizontal configurations, even if it did need screws.

Okay, that's everything I noticed during my build. All in all, these are very minor things or ideas that for me would make the case even better. Fantastic design, and impressive production!

And now an image of my somewhat modest, power efficient build and it's hilariously out of proportion GPU...



 

riba2233

Shrink Ray Wielder
Original poster
SFF Time
Jan 2, 2019
1,648
2,127
www.sfftime.com
Recently got the P-ATX V3, and I love the case. The machining, tolerances, and general fit and finish of everything is absolutely spot on. The packaging was great, and certainly made sure everything arrived in perfect condition. Only downside to that packaging is once opened I was never remembering how all the pieces went in that box XD.

I'm honestly impressed, and that's from someone who has spent much more time designing and machining than tinkering with computer parts. If I had the shop to design and build my own case, it would come out a lot like this one.

Of course now I see the U-ITX project! My absolutely ideal case is probably a slightly thicker and maybe touch larger U-ITX, but the flexibility of the P-ATX is very nice to have and it's still small enough to fit in two of my old laptop bags (it's basically a slightly smaller but thicker version of my last laptop in size). And I was able to make my build with stock cables rather than needing to order specialty short ones.

A few things I did notice which might be worth considering if you go to improve towards V4 at some point:

I got the stick on feet for laying the case horizontally, but haven't installed them as it would make the overall size thicker and more difficult to fit in my carry bag. Would be brilliant to have these be detachable, maybe screw in and out of the side panel or something like that.

The slots in the sides, top and bottom of the case seem to be just barely too small to fit a usb-A connector through. I know adding more front IO (or in this case side, top or back IO) adds to cost, but I have spare USB headers and cables and there's just no where I can quite squeeze these in without cutting the case which I'd rather not do. The front mask does have a lot of available area that could be cut out, maybe different patterns for the future depending on needs? Or maybe those slots can be made just a little wider, so people are free to place extra ports like this anywhere they want. That would actually be pretty cool to have a case where you can secure IO ports almost anywhere you like.

Some sort of support for sag in a large GPU in the horizontal case position would be a nice to have. I had a rubber block I could slip in against the 15mm chassis fan I added that sits perfect, so this wasn't hard to fix myself though. I mainly added it to make sure the GPU never hits the fan if there's vibration or a small knock or something.

I prefer to have easy access to the power supply switch and the internal power cord is just one more thing to deal with in a small build, but aesthetically I see why the case is as it is. Personally, I'd love the option to be able to turn a SFX supply 90 degrees so all the cables point straight at the motherboard and and the power can plug directly into the front...although I'd probably make it the back at that point and just have all my IO in the "front." Looks might be a low priority for me XD.

The washers supplied for the L bracket supporting the GPU could be a bit larger in outer diameter. They seem to barely span the slot in the case, and if not dead centre when tightening can slide into the slot. Also, not the best place for the sticker since those washers will chew it up a bit over time.

Not sure how I feel about the toolless stand. It works, feels secure and stable enough. It certainly looks good. But I do wonder a little how it will fare if the case gets bumped or there's a small earthquake or something. It also means being very sure no cables are pressing the side panels out at all. Would be brilliant if the same detachable stand worked in both vertical and horizontal configurations, even if it did need screws.

Okay, that's everything I noticed during my build. All in all, these are very minor things or ideas that for me would make the case even better. Fantastic design, and impressive production!

And now an image of my somewhat modest, power efficient build and it's hilariously out of proportion GPU...




Hi, thank you a lot for sharing your experience and for your feedback, also thank you so much for the nice words, I am glad you appreciate all the little details, I admit it is not so easy to design and to manufacture to all the right tolerances (shout out to a shop that does cutting and bending, they are great!).
Regarding your feedback, I agree with you for the most part and I would also like to include some utilitarian features, but in the end I choose to favor the elegant aesthetics over it.

Your build looks awesome BTW! GPU fits in very well :)
 

DaHans

Average Stuffer
May 11, 2018
58
23
@riba2233
I installed the RTX 4090 with an ITX Motherboard and I don't get the PCIe extender cables routed right. I tried the one youe are suggested on your website an also one from my DAN H2O.
There is too much cable left over on the back side and as I close the back panel it presses against the GPU and bents the GPU towars the other side. I already left all screws a little bit losse so the GPU doesn't get to much stress. Do you have example pichture how to do the cabe routing right?

 

riba2233

Shrink Ray Wielder
Original poster
SFF Time
Jan 2, 2019
1,648
2,127
www.sfftime.com
@riba2233
I installed the RTX 4090 with an ITX Motherboard and I don't get the PCIe extender cables routed right. I tried the one youe are suggested on your website an also one from my DAN H2O.
There is too much cable left over on the back side and as I close the back panel it presses against the GPU and bents the GPU towars the other side. I already left all screws a little bit losse so the GPU doesn't get to much stress. Do you have example pichture how to do the cabe routing right?

Hi, you basically need to double fold the riser like shown in the manual :)