It's so *tiny*!

[Grauniad]

OK, now I want to build a PC again - not for me, but I just have to build one in one of these silly little mini-ITX cases from  Inwin.



Inwin makes some very stylish cases - best to look at them on the Newegg website, since their own website is a nightmare to navigate (cursed Flash...).

To fully appreciate the size of this case, .

These cases are not cheap - they're all aluminum, and more expensive than my quiet, all-steel, foam-insulated Fractal Design cases. Expansion slots are minimal and the power supply is built in at 180W - so there will be challenges for graphics. Space is severley limited, it will only take a slim, optical drive and there is also space for two SSDs - no 3.5 inch hard drives at all.

Regardless, it will be interesting to size a GPU and then ram all the components into this little beast.

Edit: Click on images for links to Newegg site.

[teknotiss]

well i'm glad you like it, but what's the point?  ???
surely a notebook or powerbook will outperform whatever you can run on the components that will fit in these, and if you want a small desktop there are other options that are nearly as small and will let you put in a wider range of more powerful parts. and they will be a lot cheaper,$200 is a lot for a case that small.
but still, if it's just the challenge of it all i guess i understand that.   :D

[Grauniad]

Actually, I suspect I can build a bigger, badder computer than a note- or power-book in that case. And I can connect it to a high-end screen that would leave a portable in shame...   I'll probably opt for an AMD processor with built-in graphics, rather than trying to spec a card that will fit in the case  and will conform with 180W poser supply.  Even a new Haswell processor - maybe an i5 will play very nice in there.

I can make a media center PC that can connect to my server for bulk storage and at the same time will look snazzy in the living room. :)

A Steam gaming PC... ?? not sure.

Edit: Of course, it won't be cheap. The case is 4x the price of low-end mini-ITX cases. the slim optical drive and SSD will push the price up as well.

[teknotiss]

well ok, but it's not my idea of snazzy so i guess that colours my opinion  ;)
and i dunno about powerful, but let us know what (if you do) you manage to cram in there, i may be surprised

[knucracker]

Way back in the year 2002 I built the great-great-granddaddy of this:
http://us.shuttle.com/barebone/Models/SH87R6.html

Shuttle only had one or two models back then and I ordered  all of the parts for a smoking new system:

Shuttle Computer SB51G Case and mobo ( http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16856101215 )
Intel Pentium 4 2.53 Northwood 2.53GHz Socket 478 ( http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16856101215 )
512MB memory ( http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145416 )
DVD Rom Drive ( http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827131104 )
An ATI All in wonder graphics card that I didn't get form newegg because they were out of stock.

Total cost $993 (not counting the All in Wonder) in 2002 money ( http://www.bls.gov/data/inflation_calculator.htm )

I hooked that rascal up to my awesome rear projection 55" TV that was capable of get this... 480p (or 540 if you got the timing just right).  Good times.  I remember playing  http://sc2.sourceforge.net/ on that TV with that little shuttle HTPC.

Little systems like this can be cool, especially if they are a part of an entertainment system and something that is nearby the TV in the living room.

[Cavemaniac]

Little systems like this can be cool, especially if they are a part of an entertainment system and something that is nearby the TV in the living room.

Now that's what I'm talking about!

I have a 5 year old laptop propped up on it's side next to an awesome new 55" plasma TV doing 'home entertainment' duties.

It's fine, but it could be soooo much finer...

(as an aside, my provincial home town finally got high definition TV - up 'til now we've only had 'ultra-lo-res (TM)' TV broadcasts available via satellite. DVD was considered 'high def'. You can only imagine what we thought of the new TV broadcasts and Blu-Ray. It was like the spaceshuttle had just landed in our driveway ...)