APEX MI-008 Black Computer Case
|
36%
37%
13%
7%
5%
|
 Rating: Review Date: 03/13/09 |
APEX MI-008 Black Computer Case
Cons:Lacks airflow. Needs a cooling outlet on the left side as well as right. When installing 2nd HDD it blocks all airflow in the case.
Pros:Small, good looking, comes with very quiet power supply, cheap. Great if not planning to use all three internal drive mounts (1 x 5" and 2 x 3.5") |
|
Rating: Review Date: 02/10/09 |
APEX MI-008 Black Computer Case
Cons:the psu is too heavy for the backplate and will likely ben is in the transport.
Pros:- small size - PSU id good enought wiuth all the needed connectors. Comment:
i used this with the atom dual core and it did the job prety well. the price is right but the outter case is a bit flimsy. |
|
Rating: Review Date: 01/20/09 |
APEX MI-008 Black Computer Case
Cons:Cheap, thin construction2nd hard drive mount blocks main ventFlimsy 5.25" buttonSeverely limited heatsink height
Pros:CheapLooks niceQuiet power supplyEnough space for 120mm on the sideFull-sized expansion slot Comment:
Overall this is an affordable case that looks pretty nice on the outside. Inside it's kinda cheap - the metal is thin and you can bend the support beams easily. Don't take it anywhere - it will get banged up.The power supply is very quiet, but it overhangs directly over the CPU socket. That limits your heatsink options if your board doesn't have an integrated CPU (e.g. Atom) - 4cm according to SPCR. The only CPU coolers I know that are shorter than that are the ones used in servers.On the right side there is enough room to wedge in a 120mm fan next to the side vent. If you opt to install a second hard drive it blocks the vent though. The stealthed optical drive bay eject button is flimsy - you have to push it right in the center and all the way in or it won't work. I suppose you could mod it by adding a pad on the inside to make the distance to the actual eject button shorter.I built a system for my mother using this case and the D945GCLF2 so she could surf and look at pictures. I suppose for the price, you can't really get anything better. There aren't a whole lot of good choices for mini-ITX. This review was modfied by poster @ 01-20-09 02:03 PM |
|
Rating: Review Date: 12/29/08 |
APEX MI-008 Black Computer Case
Cons:not enough room, bad documentation
Pros:small, stylish, portable, lightweight, hides many ugly components. hides dvd drive with a black flap. Comment:
This case is a good buy for those who are new to computers... this has all the problems a new computer builder should come in contact with.First thing I always do when building a computer is I remove the power supply. This will help when trying to install the motherboard and components.If your motherboard has the memory installed at the front end of the board, you will have your floppy drive sitting on top of your memory... so if you have a tall heat sink doohickey on your memory its a no-go for floppy drives.This I love because I don't have to worry if my dvd drive is white and my case is black... this case hides the drive until you push the button to eject, a flap opens and the tray goes out the flap hole, allowing you to put in a dvd or cd. The case only has three cables to go to the motherboard for front panel... power led, hdd led, and power switch.Another flap can be pushed and will pop open revealing two USB ports that are inconveniently downside up, along with two ac97' or HD audio headphone and microphone jacks.I have added another fan to the right side to help with an output for airflow... the back of the case gets hot due to the PSU (power supply unit).My core 2 duo processor was touching my PSU causing the motherboard to bend... I ended up putting washers with the bottom screws for less tension on the board. Since my floppy drive couldn't fit the slot due to the memory, neither could my hard drive, i had to install my hard drive on the floor of the case with a special screw to rise the hard drive, and foam to muffle the vibrations.You will have to add and remove a few parts to get everything in the way you want it... nothing new to computer building. lolThe case's wall that can be removed for access to inside the case is easy to put on, yet can be mistakenly put on backwards if you do not the the front bezel(panel) attached. The case only comes with some screws a zip-tie. Other than that i see junk papers that don't tell you anything about the case, I didn't know it came with hard drive brackets for installing a hard drive vertically.Judge from this info what you will... i like it, you may think otherwise. |
|
Rating: Review Date: 12/01/08 |
APEX MI-008 Black Computer Case
Cons:No reset button on the case which means you have to hard power down the system if it hangs. The button for the DVD Rom / CD Rom doesn't line up closely. You have to push quite hard for the optical drive to eject media. (Design flaw)
Pros:Small enclosure accomodates micro iTX pc form factor Comment:
This case came as part of a bundle package purchased during an online sale at NCIX. Case is fairly easy to work in just make sure and take out the power supply before attempting to do anything. Sata cables are recommended to improve airflow in an already tightly constricted area. |
|
Rating: Review Date: 11/09/08 |
APEX MI-008 Black Computer Case
Cons:Flimsy drive cover.
Pros:Cheap, small, includes power supply. Comment:
This is a great case for a cheap build as it comes with a power supply! The drive eject button has to be pushed in a fairways for the drive to open / close. Seems like it will stand the test of time! |
|
Rating: Review Date: 11/09/08 |
APEX MI-008 Black Computer Case
Cons:top of tray on optical drive sometimes rubs/gets caught on case when closing
Pros:Price, comes with psu Comment:
Purchased this case to go with dual core atom/mb combo in a build with optical drive, 2gb ram and hd. Case is good value for the cost. Only complaint is sometimes when closing the optical drive, the top of the drawer gets caught on the case. A little push and it closes properly. The case is smallish, but that is by design. The psu is fairly quiet and almost robust if you compare it to some of the psu's included in other itx cases. Good value. |
|
Rating: Review Date: 11/04/08 |
APEX MI-008 Black Computer Case
Cons:A little cramped to get the second hd & cables in
Pros:Good layout, full featured, great glossy black finish Comment:
Bought these for my new WHS server... combined with the BOXD945GCLF Atom mobo, a Scythe 40mm fan and a 500Gb WD Green drive this little beast is beautiful, quiet and discreet. |
|
Rating: Review Date: 11/01/08 |
APEX MI-008 Black Computer Case
Cons:-The HDD mounting system covers the only side vent completely.-Some of the plastic/glued components are a bit flimsy. -Lack of clearance for HSF (however being MINI-ITX form factor this is to be expected).
Pros:-Good price.-Looks nice.-Full PCI expansion slot.-Tiny! Comment:
Bought this case over the Jetway for my MINI-ITX build, basically to save money. Overall it's a fairly good case, looks nice, and was easy to setup (even though the instructions are incorrect and practically non-existent). For having almost no room it was actually easier to do the jumpers / power hookups on this than any full sized ATX case I've worked with. There is very little space in this thing for any extra components or HS/HSF, but one full sized PCI slot (I put an Antec exhaust on the PCI port/slot). Most replacement heat sinks won't fit, so, go with the Enzotech, it fits fine and cools well passively.The Power LED glue came off but I probably yanked the face plate off without unhooking the jumpers.The one major flaw with this case is that right side vent (the only vent) is completely blocked by the HDD mounting system, rendering it totally useless and turning the case into an easy-bake-oven. I highly recommend mounting an ~80mm fan where the HDD should be and just velcro / jam the HDD under the 5.25" drive. If you do that you will get nice cool air blowing directly onto the CPU/NB (for the D945GCLF2 at least), and your temps will drop literally ~15C. This review was modfied by poster x 11-01-08 10:34 PM This review was modfied by poster @ 11-01-08 10:58 PM |
|
Rating: Review Date: 10/20/08 |
APEX MI-008 Black Computer Case
Cons:- Not much room for CPU heatsink/fan, but that's to be expected for a mini-ITX case.
Pros:- Allows for a PCI/PCI-E card.- Great price.- PSU is relatively quiet. Comment:
I use this case with a J&W MINIX motherboard and an AMD 4850E CPU. Had to replace the stock AMD heatsink/fan with a low-profile job due to the |
|
Rating: Review Date: 10/17/08 |
APEX MI-008 Black Computer Case
Cons:No place to mount a fan
Pros:SmallLooks good Comment:
Got this for the dual core atom. It's great. A little tough to work in due to the small size, but that's expected with a mini-itx case.It would be nice to have room to mount a fan though. |
|
Rating: Review Date: 10/14/08 |
APEX MI-008 Black Computer Case
Cons:None for the price range
Pros:Better finish than Apex MI-100 Good price Comment:
This case is mostly designed for the Intel D945GCLF2 and D945GCLF. It fixes the problems of the MI 100 (invisible power led and HDD led), and too limited space for DVD drive.Power supply is quiet enough. Efficiency is unknown but I plan to test it soon. |
|
Rating: Review Date: 10/04/08 |
APEX MI-008 Black Computer Case
Cons:Flimsy optical drive ejection systemLack of cable management optionsVery tight space between optical drive and power supplySmall working area (obvious)Poor documentation
Pros:PriceFancy LooksPortable Comment:
Overall this is a nice case for the money. My only gripes are the poor documentation that comes with it. You have to guess as to the best installation method (Hint: remove power supply if you want to install the motherboard). I also managed to break the flimy ejection system for the optical drive, so be careful. |
|
Rating: Review Date: 10/01/08 |
APEX MI-008 Black Computer Case
Cons:can't handle stock amd X2 5200 heatsink + fax ( clearance problem)
Pros:attractive compact case for mini-itx Comment:
Just a warning to others who may be thinking about using this case (http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=32938&vpn=MI%2D008&manufacture=Apex%20Computer%20Technology)with a normal CPU. My MB is a mini-itx MB (http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=32760&vpn=MINIX780G%2DSP128MB&manufacture=J%26W%20Technology)that accepts regular AMD CPUs( http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=27680&vpn=ADO5200DOBOX&manufacture=AMD )The heat synch + fan doesn't clear the power supply.regardsjp |
Great, slick little case for an excellent price, perfect for BOXD945GCLF2. Could have been better designed though. If you're planning to use all drive mounts, the second 3.5" drive will completely block the air outlet on the right side. I ended up keeping just an optical drive and one HDD instead of two HDDs as originally planned. Big bonus points for including a silent power supply. There's a great review here: http://www.silentpcreview.com/apex-mi008