0-20k Horizontal (console-like) PC cases

m1tr

m1tr

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I am thinking of building a new PC for gaming/media serving. For aesthetic reasons, I would prefer the PC to look similar to an AV receiver since I would like to keep it under the TV. A case that suits my requirement pretty well is the Silverstone GD11 but it's not available in India. The Fractal Ridge also works but it is Mini-ITX and has limited clearance for CPU cooler. My ideal case would be something like a "slim" mATX case which I can lay flat on its side (bonus points if it also has decent IO on the front panel) with around 160mm of clearance for the CPU cooler and enough depth for a GPU like the 4080S FE (of course this is flexible if the case offers alternative GPU mounting configurations).

Does anyone have any recommendations for me?
 
Will the PC have a GPU? That and the PC power draw will strongly dictate the case options, especially if you want something compact. From what I know, Circle / Frontech and other brands will have ITX cases which are not the most well built (Flimsy metal) but will get the job done. Personally I bought a Node 202 from Sweden, and if I wasn't using a GPU I would have lot more options, especially from Iwin and other brands. It still won't be smaller than say a PS4 slim.

You can check out r/htpc in reddit - https://r-htpc.github.io/wiki/components#cases
 
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kvn95ss said:
Will the PC have a GPU?
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Yes. I would like to leave some room for future upgrades. I don't see myself going beyond a 4080S.
kvn95ss said:
You can check out r/htpc in reddit - https://r-htpc.github.io/wiki/components#cases
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The HTPC subreddit is a great resource. Unfortunately there aren't a lot of examples of the type of case I am looking for. The "console" style sadly seems to be out of fashion and everyone's moving towards mini-ITX designs which would only be a last resort for me.

I don't necessarily want something super compact (if I did, the Fractal Ridge would be a no brainer). A typical mATX case which is slimmer than usual seems like the best option for me but I don't know if something like this actually exists (hence the post)!
 
Yep, SFF M-ATX horizontal cases are not available here. You will need to pay the pretty penny and import.

I suppose you can keep any of the smaller vertical MATX cases horizontally but there aren't any slim ones which will match the aesthetics of your AV receiver.

As mentioned above, you can also consider these cheap MATX ones (add some sticky rubber feet to keep them horizontal) from the likes of Fingers, Artis, etc but the builds are filmsy and lesser said about the cooling, the better -

Take a look at this artis JOY 3.0 Slim Mid Tower Cabinet on Flipkart

Take a look at this FINGERS BabyTower Micro-ATX Cabinet on Flipkart

Take a look at this artis ATOM 3.0 SLIM ITX /Micro ATX Cabinet on Flipkart

For these, check the CPU cooler clearance and replace the stock PSUs with better SFX ones but you will need to check the fitment.

Edit : The Node 202 ITX case is available here though.
 
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ibose said:
As mentioned above, you can also consider these cheap MATX ones (add some sticky rubber feet to keep them horizontal) from the likes of Fingers, Artis, etc but the builds are filmsy and lesser said about the cooling, the better -
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Yea I'd really like to not go back to frontec and other cheapo brands. Most of them don't seem to have basic ventilation or mesh!

I don't want to push the case budget too much past 20k but if something perfect comes along I might make an exception!
 
roadrash99 said:
Look into HP Prodesk/Elitedesk SFF office PCs (motherboard will not be upgradeable)
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I actually did consider getting a ThinkCentre or Optiplex just for the case but am unsure about motherboard/GPU/PSU support.
roadrash99 said:
I also found this 7 liter case though it seems to use a non standard PSU which comes with it, might be a way to hack a SFF PSU to fit there.

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Many thanks for finding this!

Is Artis a decent brand? I will do some research into higher capacity Flex PSUs to see if this might be a viable option!
 
bssunilreddy said:

ASUS Prime AP201 M-ATX Case Black | Mdcomputer.in

Quasi-Filter Mesh Paneln | Tool-Free Side Panel | Sizeable Cable-Management | Removable Dust Filter | Industry-Leading Spatial Efficiency | USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C Front Pane
mdcomputers.in mdcomputers.in
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Appreciate the find, this probably comes close to my requirements.

Is the SSUPD Meshroom S available in India? Like like it's the successor to the Meshlicious.
NevermoreLove said:
If you want the Silverstone GD11, then this guys at themvp.in can help you. While purchasing Super flower power supply from them, I came to know that they import and ship other brands from other countries.
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Would you mind sharing how much of a premium these guys charge for ordering components from overseas?
Just as a point of curiosity, has anyone used their PC with the cabinet on its side? I know modern PCs have no moving parts but would like to know people's experiences regardless.
 
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HE-MAN said:

Buy Fractal Design Ridge White | M-ITX Cabinet | Mdcomputers.in

Fractal Design Ridge is a small form factor case designed to integrate seamlessly into your living space and daily rituals, Type-C interface, Supports GPUs up to a length of 335 mm
mdcomputers.in mdcomputers.in
Vertical/Horizontal both are possible.
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Like I mentioned in the opening post, the Ridge is way too slim, forces me into LP CPU coolers, something I would like to avoid. If nothing better comes up, it is the one I'd go with finally.
 
m1tr said:
Like I mentioned in the opening post, the Ridge is way too slim, forces me into LP CPU coolers, something I would like to avoid. If nothing better comes up, it is the one I'd go with finally.
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Low profile coolers are fine for this usage though. Something like the Deepcool AN600 can easily handle a 13600k which is way overkill for a media center PC. There is a white Ridge someone recently listed in the classifieds for 11.5k if you're interested.
 
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roadrash99 said:
Low profile coolers are fine for this usage though. Something like the Deepcool AN600 can easily handle a 13600k which is way overkill for a media center PC. There is a white Ridge someone recently listed in the classifieds for 11.5k if you're interested.
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I'm not planning on an HTPC build, just want similar aesthetics. I'd like to build something with some thermal headroom and a bit of future proofing without having to buy a new case. I have seen people build 4090 gaming PCs inside the Ridge but I'd prefer something with better air cooling support. Like I said, the Ridge is my fall back choice anyway.
 
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I was also looking for something similar in this regard and the options I could find are Thermaltake Core V21 and CM HAF XB Evo. These were the only 2 decent cases to support micro ATX and ATX boards with 3-4 3.5" hdd mounting options.

I went with the V21 but now feel that it sort of limits my option to micro ATX boards only. I did not find any other models with a horizontal MB tray and a cubish form factor.
 
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SMCInternational requires 10 units for MOQ Order for SSUPD Meshroom S M-ATX case. If we can gather 10 people we can group buy. Meshroom S is 15L which is excellent for M-ATX.
 
For a horizontal case, you can look at AIO, which may remove the limitation with cooler height.

Apart from that, niche components like these are really hard to procure in India. I was also trying to build a SFF gaming PC 2 years ago. I found that first my choices were getting severely limited, and second that I was ending up paying a hefty premium, which I was not OK with.

I eventually ended up getting a regular MATX motherboard and built the PC in Silverstone Fara H1M. Not the smallest of cases, but still diminutively proportioned. I know your requirements are different from mine, but you'll be running into the same limitations.
 
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