SFF Silent Mini-ITX recommendation
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Wondered if anyone had some recommendations for a small mini-ITX case for my new pfSense build. The board is a supermicro denverton with passive cooler and M.2, so no drive space, pcie etc needed.
Currently I have it in a case that's pretty much the same as the Powercool Q6. However I am finding the temps start to get a little too high with zero fans.
My ideal would be a case of similar size where in the area on top that the ssd/hdd drives go you could put a 120mm fan, that way I could still have quiet cooling running it at like 300rpm. So far all cases I have found of similar size use 40-50mm size fans which I have always found even on lowest rpm to be a bit too noisy (at least the pitch they make bothers me more than larger fans).
I have considered taking a dremel to the top of the case and attaching the fan manually, but if there is a case out there already that can do the job, or someone has a better idea, that would be preferable!
Next best solution might be the Mini-Box M350 with the top fan brackets, but that's still 40mm fans therefore more noise.
Any thoughts and suggestions would be appreciated!
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Wondered if anyone had some recommendations for a small mini-ITX case for my new pfSense build. The board is a supermicro denverton with passive cooler and M.2, so no drive space, pcie etc needed.
There are three well known and working chassis for that kind of boards;
- Supermicro SuperChassis SC101F Link
Small and compact case without the ability to insert a PCIe card - Supermicro SuperChassis CSE-E300 Link
Small 1U desktop factor with the ability to insert an additional PCIe card - mini-ITX case M350 Link
Often used and well known working with mini-ITX boards from several vendors
Supermicro BareBones that are using this cases.
Supermicro SYS-E00-9A
Supermicro SYS-E300-9AWould you share which board you are owning? I mean the exactly model and model number or name of this?
To be sure that the board is matching and fitting exactly in the case I would at first open the website from
Supermicro and search your board number and then see on the right side all matching and fitting cases for
that board! So you can´t go with a wrong size or case.Currently I have it in a case that's pretty much the same as the Powercool Q6. However I am finding the temps start to get a little too high with zero fans.
This could be very well, inside of the three named above case models you will be able to mount
small case fans, in each of them I mean! They are available as spare parts or came together with the case.My ideal would be a case of similar size where in the area on top that the ssd/hdd drives go you could put a 120mm fan, that way I could still have quiet cooling running it at like 300rpm. So far all cases I have found of similar size use 40-50mm size fans which I have always found even on lowest rpm to be a bit too noisy (at least the pitch they make bothers me more than larger fans).
- Enermax U.R.Vegas 120mm Portable USB Fan with Magnetic Skin Pad (UCUR12-R)
For usage together with a mini-itx case with an open metal mesh.
I have considered taking a dremel to the top of the case and attaching the fan manually, but if there is a case out there already that can do the job, or someone has a better idea, that would be preferable!
- Scythe Kaze Jyu SY1012SL12L Kühllüfter - 1 x 100 mm - 1 - 1000 U/Min
With opening and using the dremel
Next best solution might be the Mini-Box M350 with the top fan brackets, but that's still 40mm fans therefore more noise.
Might be one of the best available mini-itx cases and if the fans are to high turning you may be able to get some
small fans (40mm - 50mm) from Sunon they have some nice silent fans out. - Supermicro SuperChassis SC101F Link
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@BlueKobold:
Wondered if anyone had some recommendations for a small mini-ITX case for my new pfSense build. The board is a supermicro denverton with passive cooler and M.2, so no drive space, pcie etc needed.
There are three well known and working chassis for that kind of boards;
- Supermicro SuperChassis SC101F Link
Small and compact case without the ability to insert a PCIe card - Supermicro SuperChassis CSE-E300 Link
Small 1U desktop factor with the ability to insert an additional PCIe card - mini-ITX case M350 Link
Often used and well known working with mini-ITX boards from several vendors
Supermicro BareBones that are using this cases.
Supermicro SYS-E00-9A
Supermicro SYS-E300-9AWould you share which board you are owning? I mean the exactly model and model number or name of this?
To be sure that the board is matching and fitting exactly in the case I would at first open the website from
Supermicro and search your board number and then see on the right side all matching and fitting cases for
that board! So you can´t go with a wrong size or case.Currently I have it in a case that's pretty much the same as the Powercool Q6. However I am finding the temps start to get a little too high with zero fans.
This could be very well, inside of the three named above case models you will be able to mount
small case fans, in each of them I mean! They are available as spare parts or came together with the case.My ideal would be a case of similar size where in the area on top that the ssd/hdd drives go you could put a 120mm fan, that way I could still have quiet cooling running it at like 300rpm. So far all cases I have found of similar size use 40-50mm size fans which I have always found even on lowest rpm to be a bit too noisy (at least the pitch they make bothers me more than larger fans).
- Enermax U.R.Vegas 120mm Portable USB Fan with Magnetic Skin Pad (UCUR12-R)
For usage together with a mini-itx case with an open metal mesh.
I have considered taking a dremel to the top of the case and attaching the fan manually, but if there is a case out there already that can do the job, or someone has a better idea, that would be preferable!
- Scythe Kaze Jyu SY1012SL12L Kühllüfter - 1 x 100 mm - 1 - 1000 U/Min
With opening and using the dremel
Next best solution might be the Mini-Box M350 with the top fan brackets, but that's still 40mm fans therefore more noise.
Might be one of the best available mini-itx cases and if the fans are to high turning you may be able to get some
small fans (40mm - 50mm) from Sunon they have some nice silent fans out.Thank you for all the info, the exact board in question is the Supermicro A2SDi-4C-HLN4F. Considering one of the barebones you mentioned uses the exact same board, I am pretty sure it's compatible :D
I actually already have one of those scythe fans you mentioned in my main computer (cooling a modified hdd hot swap caddy), pretty good fan. But I prefer not to dremel unless I have to, attaching a fan to mesh with magnets is a good idea, but feels like more of a temporary solution and not quite as clean as the other options.Looked at the SC101F, really quite like that case. Big advantage is the thick fans, other small cases generally don't take 40-50mm fans thicker than 10mm which also tends to mean they aren't pwm. My board will not do voltage fan control apparently (no matter how much I try) so I would have to have pwm fans. If I went for the M350 that would mean only the front fan pwm, the rest would need to be 'set and forget'. Unless I can find something 28mm that is quiet, I would think the Noctua 40x20mm PWM fans would be a good choice for that case.
- Supermicro SuperChassis SC101F Link