Micro-ATX Cases - Shoebox Showdown
by Joshua Buss on January 2, 2007 12:40 PM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
PC Design Lab Qmicra - Exterior
U.S. based PC Design Lab has only one case to their name so far, and its name is the Qmicra. The case, just like the company, is different from just about everything else out there. When talking to PC Design Lab, one this is for certain - this company is very serious about creating the highest quality product possible, period. Citing poor layout designs and sometimes downright shoddy workmanship as motivations for designing a better small form PC case, designer and company owner Dave LaLopa made it clear that the Qmicra does many things unconventionally in the interest of making a superior final product.
The Qmicra's construction is considerably different from pretty much anything else because its strength comes from the exoskeleton - not from any internal bracing. When fully assembled, one feels confident that the computer could take a serious amount of abuse without the internals suffering much damage. Entirely manufactured and assembled in the USA, the case is also a fine example of what high-quality craftsmanship entails.
As for the external styling of the case, the Qmicra understandably takes most of its cues from the currently popular minimalist philosophies. The front is just solid brushed aluminum with an eighth-inch thick sheet of Plexiglas in front for the glossy sheen and added protection. Two 5.25" and one 3.5" external bays offer the typical "upper limit" drive flexibility for this size system, and only the essential power and reset buttons are present. Even the almost-always-present front-mounted ports are missing, but the 3.5" bay would be perfect for those that feel they are absolutely critical. We were told that newer versions of the case will have nicer looking reset buttons that better match the theme and current power button (center). At the bottom of the front panel are two perforations for the front 80mm fan intakes.
Matching the two front intake positions are the two 80mm rear exhaust vents, allowing for a generous amount of airflow for any case in this class, especially taking into account the full-sized power supply as well. Notice how the mounting points for the power supply are perfectly symmetrical too, so there is no concern that flipping a PSU upside down will make it less stable. Instead of a recessed motherboard, the Qmicra positions the board as rearward as possible, with the expansion card mounting tabs actually sticking further beyond the rest of the rear of the case. The perfectly centered power supply mount makes the case not only look nice but also allows for the distinctive rounded top corners.
Together, the four thumbscrews pull the front and rear plates to just the right position using the two long aluminum rods. The five-sided, one-piece cover seals against the rest of the case thanks to a soft rubber strip and is held firmly in place by both the pressure from the rods and the four unique screw-in feet.
The fit and finish of the Qmicra is certainly as high-quality as any other case we've ever dealt with. Every part feels solid and well-made, and the fit of each part couldn't be better. The brushed aluminum finish itself is fantastic - it's not prone to fingerprints, yet it can still be cleaned easily if needed. It's anodized so it won't make things dirty by simply rubbing against them, and it's just thick enough to be strong without adding weight - an empty Qmicra is feather light. More information on the Qmicra is available on PCDL's website.
U.S. based PC Design Lab has only one case to their name so far, and its name is the Qmicra. The case, just like the company, is different from just about everything else out there. When talking to PC Design Lab, one this is for certain - this company is very serious about creating the highest quality product possible, period. Citing poor layout designs and sometimes downright shoddy workmanship as motivations for designing a better small form PC case, designer and company owner Dave LaLopa made it clear that the Qmicra does many things unconventionally in the interest of making a superior final product.
 |
| Click to enlarge |
The Qmicra's construction is considerably different from pretty much anything else because its strength comes from the exoskeleton - not from any internal bracing. When fully assembled, one feels confident that the computer could take a serious amount of abuse without the internals suffering much damage. Entirely manufactured and assembled in the USA, the case is also a fine example of what high-quality craftsmanship entails.
 |
| Click to enlarge |
As for the external styling of the case, the Qmicra understandably takes most of its cues from the currently popular minimalist philosophies. The front is just solid brushed aluminum with an eighth-inch thick sheet of Plexiglas in front for the glossy sheen and added protection. Two 5.25" and one 3.5" external bays offer the typical "upper limit" drive flexibility for this size system, and only the essential power and reset buttons are present. Even the almost-always-present front-mounted ports are missing, but the 3.5" bay would be perfect for those that feel they are absolutely critical. We were told that newer versions of the case will have nicer looking reset buttons that better match the theme and current power button (center). At the bottom of the front panel are two perforations for the front 80mm fan intakes.
 |
| Click to enlarge |
Matching the two front intake positions are the two 80mm rear exhaust vents, allowing for a generous amount of airflow for any case in this class, especially taking into account the full-sized power supply as well. Notice how the mounting points for the power supply are perfectly symmetrical too, so there is no concern that flipping a PSU upside down will make it less stable. Instead of a recessed motherboard, the Qmicra positions the board as rearward as possible, with the expansion card mounting tabs actually sticking further beyond the rest of the rear of the case. The perfectly centered power supply mount makes the case not only look nice but also allows for the distinctive rounded top corners.
 |
| Click to enlarge |
Together, the four thumbscrews pull the front and rear plates to just the right position using the two long aluminum rods. The five-sided, one-piece cover seals against the rest of the case thanks to a soft rubber strip and is held firmly in place by both the pressure from the rods and the four unique screw-in feet.
 |
| Click to enlarge |
The fit and finish of the Qmicra is certainly as high-quality as any other case we've ever dealt with. Every part feels solid and well-made, and the fit of each part couldn't be better. The brushed aluminum finish itself is fantastic - it's not prone to fingerprints, yet it can still be cleaned easily if needed. It's anodized so it won't make things dirty by simply rubbing against them, and it's just thick enough to be strong without adding weight - an empty Qmicra is feather light. More information on the Qmicra is available on PCDL's website.
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jmke - Wednesday, January 3, 2007 - link
Do you have a picture of your test room? 15dB (I guess A weighed) seems awfully low :)JoshuaBuss - Wednesday, January 3, 2007 - link
It is very low.. in our old location we couldn't get any lower than 23 dB and now we're further away from the highway. All I know is that's what my new meter says if everything is silent and the dogs next door aren't barking.JoshuaBuss - Wednesday, January 3, 2007 - link
Whoa, I'm sorry.. it was supposed to be 18 dB. Updated.KayKay - Tuesday, January 2, 2007 - link
I built a machine for my brother using the Ultra microfly and it is a great case. The deciding factors for this was the ability to accept a Full-Size Power supply and the removable motherboard tray. They make this in several colours, as well as clear-sided versions. A small box with the ability to put some powerful components in it! 3800x2 with a 7600GT, this thing runs super quietCuriousMike - Tuesday, January 2, 2007 - link
I *just* built a machine three days ago using the Aria (NSK1300) as the basis; I just wanted something smaller than a tower case. I didn't see the review mention the case as being the NSK1300--- the Aria (IIRC) was all black. The case you reviewed is identical to the NSK1300.My build included a Frys X2 4200 "EE" combo deal with ECS C51GM motherboard.
The retail box AMD fan must have been running full tilt all the time (3000rpm sound right?)... it was the noisiest in the case. The CPU would reach 70' under Prime95 load within about 20 minutes, idleing at around 50'.
I replaced the stock HSF with a Zalman CNPS8000, which was reviewed poorer than the 7000 used in this review. The 8000, at anything other than it's lowest fan setting, is as loud as the AMD retail unit; at it's lowest fan setting, it *just* beats the cooling capacity of the stock HSF; running around 50' idle, and 69' with Prime load.
With the 8000 at full RPM, it only knocks a few degrees... 67'. The machine runs hot.
I used a evga 7600GTS and put a zalman 7000 GPU cooler on it (using the slowest fan setting); that made it go from idleing around 54' to 48', and running ATITool for 15 minutes, stock fan was 71', zalman brought it down to 65'.
With the current fan setup, the machine is tolerable noise wise. It's nowhere near silent.
The NSK1300 is cramped... almost impossible to route cables neatly.
It's pretty slick removing all the panels and the drive cage.
Myrandex - Tuesday, January 2, 2007 - link
I have the Lian Li PC-V300 and given its popularity with this crowd, I would have loved to see it included in there. I look forward to finishing the article as it is great so far.JoshuaBuss - Tuesday, January 2, 2007 - link
There are still a few more mATX cases on deck to be looked at soon.. hopefully the V300 will be one of them too.tayhimself - Tuesday, January 2, 2007 - link
I can't for the life of me find a good uATX motherboard with decent overclocking features for a core2 chip. I would like to build a uATX system but I havent gone with one because of the motherboards.Staples - Tuesday, January 2, 2007 - link
Unfortunately, good motherboards are not made in this size or even micro ATX for that matter. There are some decent P965 boards made in micro ATX sizes but the best ones are all in full sized ATX.JarredWalton - Tuesday, January 2, 2007 - link
µATX, uATX, mATX, and micro ATX are all the same thing. (u is the abbreviation used for mu a lot of the time - m already being taken by "milli" and most people not want to bother with the special symbol µ.)