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twistedsymphony

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Whenever I've needed to build a PC for arcade use the biggest pain has always been finding a suitable case for it. Most Towers are way too big, and most "compact" cases have really weird layouts like placing the PSU above the mobo which causes problems with the CPU cooler, or having a really shallow case preventing the use of full-height PCI cards. I've been stuck either buying pre-built PCs with small form-factor cases or just mounting the PC to wood, and neither of these are great options for swapping out the board and storing it along with my other PC based hardware.

Considering a PC for use in a cabinet like a vewlix and considering the TTX3 case as being on the larger side of what fits. I'd like to identify PC cases that support the following criteria:

  1. mATX form factor mobo or larger
  2. full height PCI cards
  3. fully enclosed metal case with dimensions of: 330mm (13in) wide, 330mm (13in) deep, and 170mm (6.75in) tall or smaller

There are of course other factors that would make cases more ideal, such as support for a full-sized PSU, mounted to the back on the left (to keep it consistent with TTX, RE, and others), no front-panel, mounting tabs instead of free-standing etc., But So far I've been unsuccessful in finding a case that meets the, seemingly simple base requirements so I don't want to put too many restrictions up.

Anyone know of any cases that they've used that they can share the make/model of?


So far I've identified 2 candidates, though both are no longer in production:
CIT SI001BK
In Win BK644

Still in Production:
In Win BK623 (Thanks Zepherino)

UPDATE::
InWin BK623 seems to be the best candidate so far, smaller than a TTX3 in all 3 dimensions. PSU position could be better but I've yet to find a superior option so far.
 
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How durable does the PC need to be if it spends most of it's time sitting in a cab? If you don't need it to be totally enclosed, I would consider just creating a case from scratch via 3D printing or laser cutting. That way you can have better control over sizing and where stuff like port locations are. I've seen custom PC cases in places like thingiverse a few times, which can work as a starting point.
 
How durable does the PC need to be if it spends most of it's time sitting in a cab?
if it's just sitting in a cab not a lot, but I'm swapping these out constantly and have stacks of these PC boards. So for my needs the case needs to be able to support say 40kg or so of weight. Also I'd prefer a full metal cage for static protection and good internal grounding.

finally if I'm building an arcade PC I just want to buy the damn thing and put it together. I don't want to have to fab a case.
 
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Let me know how it goes once you have the PC built!

I after considering a few options for a arcade PC myself, I ended up going with an Asrock Deskmini X300 build, since I bought that barebones setup on a whim during last Black Friday. It's the most modern thing I can think of that that still has a VGA port while having a tiny footprint.
 
I usually put it on a wooden board. Motherboard on some feet, PSU with tie-wraps through some holes. Works well, easy access and the airflow is fine when you have fans in your cabinet. Never had any issue.
 
Another possibly interesting option...

My PRAS3s came with SEGA ALLS.NET boards. Basically, they're pretty decent PCs with standard parts and a compact case layout that may fit your specifications. The ALLS boards seem to run about $700, come with a 1070GTX and all you'd need to change up is the SSD/HDD to install your OS of choice.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/274721727876 (not my auction)

If I were going with a PC build on candy with minimal effort, this would be my choice... provided I needed the parts too and not the case alone.

Otherwise, I've found that normal tower cases fit really well in a 32" showcase build. But they're fairly large for most folks nowadays.
 
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I'm team plywood too, but I'm never swapping out systems. I think @jassin000 had a fancy 'test bench' open air case. There are some small HTPC cases out there too, but airflow probably becomes a problem
 
Thanks for the suggestions but really the problem I'm trying to solve is that I've got 2 "open air" PCs on a piece of MDF built already and I'm looking for a proper case to put them in to make it safer and easier to swap them out and store them alongside my other PC based hardware systems.
 
So I've got the In Win BK623 case in and it works beautifully.

I removed the plastic front panel, as well as the power/reset button unit, the front panel audio/usb ports, and the FDD caddy, all of which simply attach with screws. Removing all of these makes the "front" of the case just flat metal with a bunch of holes in it and shortens the whole depth by about 25mm (~1in). In total this is smaller along every dimension than a TTX3 case, which is what I was going for.

I also bought one of these: https://www.ebay.com/itm/234144626782 It's essentially a PCI plate with power and rest buttons as well as power and IDE LEDs so all of the controls normally on the front of a PC case are now on the back; perfect for arcade use! Of course you could build your own by just drilling 4 holes in a PCI plate and wiring up some dupont connectors to LEDs and buttons.

I'll update with some pics a bit later. So far my only gripe is that there is no good place for a big case fan. The case is actually designed for the CPU cooler and PSU fan to provide airflow through the whole case. The ducting is designed so that the CPU cooler pulls air in then it passes over the rest of the Mobo on it's way to the PSU before exhausting through the PSU. Worst case you could probably externally mount a fan but on a whole I'm not sure it would be needed.
 
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Here's all the Junk I removed:
junk.jpg


And here is the case compared to a TTX3:
case1.jpg
case2.jpg
case3.jpg
 
Nice! I’m repurposing a TypeX3 case. Ill
Have a build log shortly.
 
I recently went on the hunt for a replacement case for my TTX3 since my current case is missing the top cover, and the new mobo BIOS allows for better GPU compatibility. I ended up choosing the SAMA IM01 case, which is not much larger than a typical ITX case (like an NR200), but can still fit a mATX mobo and standard PSU.

The case is flat on it's sides, well ventilated, and the panels allow for tool-less disassembly. The optional vertical GPU mount is also a small plus, since I can use the vertical PCI mount spot for the TTX3 JVS/FASTIO port. Considering the cost, availability, and build quality of the case, I'm pretty happy so far. They even included a small plastic case that organized and labeled all the included screws, standoff, etc, which is a nice touch.

Heck, I might even choose this case again if I need a smaller PC build down the road.

20220127_202320.jpg
20220127_202354.jpg
20220127_202415.jpg
 
I just built a pc in an InWin 301 to use in my Vewlix. It's a really nice case but it really is too big. It only fits if the back is facing the right, rather than the front or back.
That stripped down BK623 looks like the way to go for matx.

Pics:
PXL_20220128_194304325.jpgPXL_20220128_194321078.jpg

I recently went on the hunt for a replacement case for my TTX3 since my current case is missing the top cover, and the new mobo BIOS allows for better GPU compatibility. I ended up choosing the SAMA IM01 case, which is not much larger than a typical ITX case (like an NR200), but can still fit a mATX mobo and standard PSU.

The case is flat on it's sides, well ventilated, and the panels allow for tool-less disassembly. The optional vertical GPU mount is also a small plus, since I can use the vertical PCI mount spot for the TTX3 JVS/FASTIO port. Considering the cost, availability, and build quality of the case, I'm pretty happy so far. They even included a small plastic case that organized and labeled all the included screws, standoff, etc, which is a nice touch.

Heck, I might even choose this case again if I need a smaller PC build down the road.

20220127_202320.jpg
20220127_202354.jpg
20220127_202415.jpg
That looks nice but the depth might be pushing it a bit. How much deeper is it than the TTX3?
 
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I just rebuilt my PC in the In Win bk623 since I was annoyed by the struggle of trying to reach the cables on the side.

First of all, it's perfect for it's size but what a shitty experience. It mostly came down to the power supply I used. I got an EVGA 450watt sfx. The 24 pin cable and eps cable are both too short to do reasonable routing. I had to cut the sheath off the 24 pin to get it to fit. Also the eps cable would only reach if I ran it under the video card. I ordered some extensions to try to clean it up but in the mean time it does work I suppose. I gave up on trying to make it look good for now.

PXL_20220203_215937470.jpg PXL_20220203_215537676.jpg

Just a bummer compared to how clean the previous case was.
 
My biggest gripe was also the location of the PSU, had they moved it to the left side of the mobo instead of the right it would have been much better overall.

even with that though, it's still the best case I've come across so far in terms of being compact enough to work in a cab.
 
I just built a pc in an InWin 301 to use in my Vewlix. It's a really nice case but it really is too big. It only fits if the back is facing the right, rather than the front or back.
That stripped down BK623 looks like the way to go for matx.

Pics:
PXL_20220128_194304325.jpgPXL_20220128_194321078.jpg


That looks nice but the depth might be pushing it a bit. How much deeper is it than the TTX3?

It's about 2cm difference if you orient the case 90 deg, and shorter than the stock case. The bigger clearance concern would probably be how tall the case is when it's lying on it's side (~3cm). I can't say for certain how well it fits in LCD cabs because I don't own one (yet).
 
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