Thin mini-itx chassis to suit thin itx boards ? eg. Jetway NF9HG w/ 4x gbe NIC.

bytecode

Hi everyone,

I have been hunting for a cost effective slim pfSense build now for some time. I recently came across part of the ITX standard called "THIN ITX" which I was previously unaware of - it has quietly been around for as long as ITX itself.

Thin m-itx boards often ship with 2 different back plate adaptors, the regular ITX and the low profile "THIN itx" backplate. According to the spec: THIN" boards must be under 2cm tall, which is perfect for a firewall.

So far, I have been unable to find suitable enclosure (let alone at a fair price), so … has anybody come across "thin m-itx" enclosures ? They should be about half the height of the common M350 case, as an example which would make a perfect DIY solution =)

Realan make a few nice thin chassis, i've had no luck finding them though, particularly this one. http://www.minicase.net/product_E-T3.html

The mainboard below launched in May from Jetway could be a much more compact solution than the Supermicro DIY that folks have been building, and an alternative to the no-name brand boards on Aliexpress.

Prices seem to vary around $200.

Celeron N2930 embedded, 1.83GHz – 2.16GHz, Quad-Core, 7.5W TDP/4.5W SDP (much much quicker than the ATOM's)
2 x 204-pin DDR3L-1333 SO-DIMM up to 8GB (1.35V required)
4 x Intel i211AT Gigabit Ethernet LAN
2 x SATA2 3Gb/s Connector
1 x mSATA (Full size)
1 x mini PCI-E Slot (Full size)
1 x SIM Card Holder

Just need to find a thin spec case…

Cheers!

My favorite was the Silverstone PT13B. When they came out they were around 55 bucks. Since then then have jumped up to 75 bucks and i don't know if they are worth that. Here is what i am building with now..Not as nice but utilitarian instead of snazzy.
http://shop.inteset.com/1u-thin-mini-itx-htpc-pc-case-int-tx482-1u

Here is the silverstone. At 60 bucks on Amazon. Pretty good deal.
http://www.amazon.com/Silverstone-Aluminum-Mini-ITX-Center-PT13B/dp/B00DL4BMMC

You literally could not get a smaller footprint case. I had to buy 3 coolers to find one that fit an i7/3770T build. Your passive rigs are much better suited for that small box. Just make sure the height is right.

bytecode

@Phishfry:

Here is the silverstone. At 60 bucks on Amazon. Pretty good deal.
http://www.amazon.com/Silverstone-Aluminum-Mini-ITX-Center-PT13B/dp/B00DL4BMMC

You literally could not get a smaller footprint case. I had to buy 3 coolers to find one that fit an i7/3770T build. Your passive rigs are much better suited for that small box. Just make sure the height is right.

That silverstone looks nice if you are in the USA. Unfortunately im in AUS, so >$100 for a silverstone case which should cost $30 is a bit of a joke.

I used this on a digital signage build. Closer to your continent.
http://www.in-win.com.tw/Ultratop/en/goods.php?act=view&id=K1

pfcode

How about these (disable AdBlock for the site):

http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a230r.1.14.133.u77c4G&id=44398430950&ns=1&abbucket=6#detail
http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a230r.1.14.225.u77c4G&id=20443284995&ns=1&abbucket=6#detail
http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a230r.1.14.457.u77c4G&id=38968747282&ns=1&abbucket=6#detail
http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a230r.1.14.112.u77c4G&id=14777135621&ns=1&abbucket=6#detail
http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a230r.1.14.244.IlSbGK&id=45417707400&ns=1&abbucket=6#detail

wiretap

I was looking at that same Jetway board.. but ultimately I decided to go with something similar (nearly identical specs), but in the NUC form factor. I went with the Jetway HBJC311U93W-2930-B. Given it is a little taller, but overall it would take up a smaller footprint. I priced everything out, and given that it already comes with a case and power supply, it ends up being cheaper for me.

edit: ah, I overlooked your 4x GBe requirement. Sorry about that.

wiretap

It looks like AliExpress has a bunch of Realan cases.

This one would work, given you just used a nibbler tool to cut out the hole for the I/O backplate. (looks easily removable)
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Realan-Aluminum-Mini-ITX-Case-E-U3-Slim-HTPC-Desktop-Computer-Without-CPU/1916618730.html

There are also many other vendors on there that sell various slim-ITX chassis.
Example: http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Support-hd-video-X-25X-mini-pc-case-industrial-pc-case-slim-mini-itx-case-High/1441847031.html

That silverstone looks nice if you are in the USA. Unfortunately im in AUS, so >$100 for a silverstone case which should cost $30 is a bit of a joke.

Ask friendly at Yawarra.com for a slim case and a custom made front panel.
They are directly in AUS!