APEX MI-008 Black Steel Mini-ITX Tower Computer Case 250W Power Supply

Pros: Despite being so small, it was fairly easy to work in, though a little cramped. It works with my Zotac motherboard and a matching video card.

Cons: The case has a small rounded ridge on the side of the video card slot. The problem is that this ridge gets in the way of hooking up an HDMI cable if you install a video card. The shoulders on the HDMI cable bump up against the ridge and won't let you get the plug in all of the way. I had to take the case out and "Dremel" the ridge away where the HDMI would plug in. It works now, but it was a terrible design decision. Did anybody try this case with an HDMI cable and a video card?

Other Thoughts: If there was a way to cram even a 60MM intake fan it it, that would be nice. It might be possible to extend the vent holes on the side further forward and inset four of them to allow an optional fan mount. The only fan pulling air out is the PSU and there is no fan pushing air in. The case gets warm in the top back over the CPU and PSU, though it runs fine.

Pros: Great little case for the money. I'm about 90% satisfied with it.

Cons: The power supply sits almost directly on top of my CPU fan. I'm running an Intel G860 with the stock fan and there's barely any space between it and the PSU.

Other Thoughts: Again, I like it for the most part. It would have been nice to have an option to mount a 120mm fan in the front of the case. Venilation holes could have be planned out a little better.

Pros: I got this for an HTPC build and have been rather happy with it. Of course its a little cramped, but this is something that you should know going into this. I found no problem building with it as long as you pull the PSU out before anything else. I even managed to work an IR receiver in there with plans to put it where the HDD light was - but for now, its lazily connected next to one of the side vents - which still seems to work fine when pointing the remote at the front of the case.

Cons: A few gripes: HDD access light is annoyingly bright for an HTPC . Easy fix though: disconnect or there's a mod that some do on this case where they put the led closer to the edge of the case and its muted, but also has a nice glow effect.

Removable panel is a bit difficult sometime to line up properly. Trial and error mostly for this one.

Not the prettiest little box. A bit annoyed that the disc drive door is labeled on the outside, ruining a mostly subtle and beautiful front. Also wish I could sub the door out for a plain panel or something since I have long since given up on using discs for anything - door seems to be solidly worked into the case, so without breaking it, its not a quick fix.

Other Thoughts: I would recommend this for an HTPC build, for sure. It's inexpensive for what you get and as much as I have some gripes about it, its a solid little box that I'm happy with. Fits nicely in my entertainment center too, and with a few mods, this case will more than fit my needs.

Pros: could not say, completely unusable.

Cons: Power supply sits directly on top of the CPU with no where near enough room to allow for any kind of cooling. Worthless, stupid design.

Pros: Stuck a FM2 A10-5700 and crossfired a HD6670 in here, along with full sized blu-ray drive and 2 x 2.5" drives. this system is a great Steambox, and receives much more play than my aging PS3. PSU is working fine so far, and there is plenty of room for additional 120mm fans to keep things reasonably cool.

Cons: The PSU sits directly above the CPU, which necessitated a low profile cooler (Noctua is great). Build quality is a little cheap, but so is the price tag so you get what you pay for

Other Thoughts: I did tons and tons of research before picking my components. A bit obsessive actually, but I am very happy with my build. Know what you're getting.

Pros: System (WHS) has been running 24/7 since 06/2010.

Stock PSU has been powering 4 HDs and a Gigabyte D510 Atom system the whole time.

Cons: PSU fan failed sometime last December (2012), but the 80mm fan I added to the side (blows on 4 HDs, dremel is our friend) kept things cool. I replaced the PSU fan with one of the low profile CPU fans I had laying around. It's slightly smaller in size compared to the original but does the job fine. I may eventually replace it with the correct size just for my POM, but don't see it as a critical need.

Other Thoughts: This system houses my WHS server and runs Subsonic service. Subsonic lets me steam my music (like right now) at work on either of my Android devices. No need to be subjected to Ads (Pandora) and I know I'll like all the music. I can even stream movies if I wanted to.

It's great having my own cloud that I fully control/own. I just don't like the idea of giving control of my content to some company. I just back up my entire server on a separate drive (4T) each month or after I've added a large amount of new content.

Personal clouds will be the next thing for many households IMO. You gain access to all your content, without giving up control of YOUR content to some large/closed ecosystem.

I"m thinking of adding a Rosewill RSV-Cage 4 x 3.5" HDD Cage for added convenience, since currently the four HD's hang from the two bracing rods, using custom clips mounted on one side of each HD.

My early modification was to remove the 5.25/3.5 cage/bracing assembly and hang the four HD's hanging from the two rods I used as the new bracing for the front and back sections.

Pros: Plenty of room for mini-itx components and ample ventilation. There is space for a full-size DVD-ROM drive and the exterior finish is nice. The 250W power supply is adequate for mini-itx boards and doesn't take up too much space. No odd PSU noises.

Cons: The power supply doesn't have enough support from the case which results in the back bulging outward a little bit due to the weight. This makes the I/O shield sit a little crooked but doesn't over-stress it. The front panel feels a bit cheap but it's not too bad. The "rail" system for a HDD is not ideal, and doesn't offer any support for 2.5" or SSD.

Other Thoughts: This isn't a bad case for a mini factor build, but I've used much better. I was able to use the floppy spot for a mount/SSD setup which worked out MUCH better than the lousy rail system. Overall I guess I'm happy with how the build turned out but I probably wouldn't buy another one of these cases.

Pros: Size. This is exactly what I wanted for my HTPC build. Fits perfect in my entertainment center/tv stand. I even have wife approval.

Cons: None so far. If the power supply dies like others have mentioned then that will be a con.

Other Thoughts: Go ahead and take the power supply out and sit it beside the case during assembly. Make all the connections and then put it back in. Works great for a HTPC. Built this with the Biostar A68i-E350 with 4GB Gskill RAM and a 250GB Seagate Barracuda I had laying around. I plan on installing a BlueRay drive in the next couple weeks. I use the Logitech K400 keyboard to control it and I will be canceling the cable soon.

Pros: Exactly what I thought I was buying.

Cons: 2 power supplies were dead on arrival.

Pros: Small, comes with power supply. Decent looking. Easily fits in a drawer in many media cabinets.

Cons: Had to snap some of the fins off of some ram heat spreaders to clear the powersupply. So check to make sure the ram you use does NOT have any fins on the heatspreader/sink that sticks up. In order to get the mobo in, you have to remove the powersupply. Tight fit.

Other Thoughts: Would be nice if this was equipped with a slide out motherboard tray so you do not have to remove the PSU to perform any maintenance to the innards. Also, would be cool if it had a 2.5" mount since i'd be willing to bet a lot of builds with this case utilize a SSD.