Installation: Power Supply
Power Supply (ATX)
The Cooler Master Elite 110 case is designed to mount a standard, full size ATX power supply; no small feat for a mini-ITX enclosure. However, if you choose to go this route you will want to select a power supply with a small chassis (140~150mm deep preferred) and one that is either fully or semi modular (I actually prefer semi modular for tight spaces). The Elite 110 case can accept a full size ATX PSU up to 180mm deep, but cable management can quickly become a nightmare, especially if you are filling up the cube with a dual-slot graphics card and one or more 3.5” HDDs.
To make a little extra room inside, the Elite 110 case uses a mounting bracket on the back panel that bumps the PSU out the back of the case one inch.
Once the bracket is attached to the PSU, you just slide the assembly into place and secure it with four machine screws.
(Full size ATX power supply – 160mm deep)
As you can see, things start filling up quickly with a full size power supply, dual-slot graphics adapter, and two drives mounted to the side panel. On the other hand, if you are not using an expansion card and don’t have a 3.5” HDD mounted on the left side panel, there is ample room for a full size PSU and easy cable management.
Power Supply (SFX)
Another option is to use a small form factor PSU like the 450W SFX unit shown below. It is much smaller than the 600W ATX unit used above and still has enough capacity and comes with the necessary cables (4+4 pin CPU and dual 6-pin PCI-E connectors) to support our build.
The fully modular SFX PSU comes with an ATX adapter plate, so by putting all the pieces together we come up with a very compact PSU combination.
And this leaves room for adding a water-cooling system (next section).
Note: I recommend selecting a power supply that incorporates a quiet fan that runs all the time (even at low power) to help maintain airflow through the case.
This is a case that really
This is a case that really tempts me. The Asus GTX 760 fits (based on forum feedback at http://www.overclock.net) so a decent gaming machine is possible in such as small package.
I used the CM Elite 120 for
I used the CM Elite 120 for my HTPC build a few months back. I went with it for two reasons, low cost ($35.00) and I could put a Blu-Ray drive in the front. It’s been a great case for me and it’s very quiet too.
To Bill, I was wondering how
To Bill, I was wondering how your got a Blu-Ray drive into this case? Any pics you could share? Thanks.
He’s using a bigger case, the
He’s using a bigger case, the Coolermaster Elite 120, not the same as the case in this review. It’s longer and has a 5.25in bay. I can say for certain that there is no way to fit a full size DVD drive in the Elite 110.
Thom, as pws said in his
Thom, as pws said in his replay to you already, I was using a different case (CM 120) than the one in this review. It was all for naught though as I eventually gave up on trying to watch Blu-Rays through Win7 as I wasn’t about to spend $50 on software to be able to play a Blu-Ray disc.
I bought this case a month
I bought this case a month ago, and it’s very small for a case that fits regular ATX components. Mine was for an H81/Pentium G3240 build, and for that it’s great, but I wouldn’t build a high-end system in this case, not enough airflow. A video card would finish the job of blocking the airflow. It’s longer siblings, the Elite 120 and Elite 130, are both longer cases which can fit a larger graphics card and have better airflow, but they don’t look as cool as this little monster. I like the case, but going by the build quality and material thickness, it should be about half the price – it’s only this high because it’s “mini-ITX”, and the market needs to mature. It’s very light and flimsy, and with the cover and drive bracket removed it flexes all over the place. Solid enough when put together, but still very light and cheap feeling. All 3 cases go for the same price, $50, but should drop considerably after more choices appear. Still, it always elicits positive comments (and disbelief).
I agree that $50 is too much
I agree that $50 is too much for this little case. That being said, these do go on sale occasionally, and it was one of those sales that I picked up my CM 120 for $35. I really liked the look of the 130 better, but decided it wasn’t worth an extra $15 at the time.
With a SFX psu installed,
With a SFX psu installed, will a tall tower cpu cooler fit?
Looking at the picture, it seems that a slim tower cooler can fit in there?
Could be a tight fit but
Could be a tight fit but something like…
Masscool 7WA868
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835150122
or Titan TTC-NC95TZ(RB)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835192031
I love mini-ITX cases, but I
I love mini-ITX cases, but I would much prefer it with a larger fan.
Of course Mini-ITX means compromise but what you can do with a little bundle is amazing
I like the fact that it
I like the fact that it includes a beeper / speaker, too many builds as of late haven’t been and that adds 5-15 bucks to a individual build.
What model and brand of SFX
What model and brand of SFX PSU is that? Silverstone?
SilverStone ST45SF-G V1.1,
SilverStone ST45SF-G V1.1, 450W, 80Plus Gold
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What is the height of the
What is the height of the Kingston RAM???
I bought this case and fitted
I bought this case and fitted it with:
Cooler Master Elite 110 Mini-ITX BLCK
MSI Z87I Gaming AC, Socket-1150
MSI GeForce GTX 760 Gaming ITX 2GB
Corsair H60 Hydro Series CPU Cooler
Intel i5 4690k
Kingston SSDNow V300 120GB 2.5″ OEM
WD® Desktop Black 1TB
HyperX Fury DDR3 1600MHz 8GB Black
Cooler Master B500 VER.2, 500W PSU
Microsoft Windows 8.1
Corsair SP120 Quiet Edt. 120mm fan
Fractal Design R2, 80mm silent fan
Great review, thanks for the
Great review, thanks for the tips i didn’t think a push pull would be possible but using a SFX PSU with the bracket is a great idea and gives much more room and more airflow. I want this for my next build and if you use a m.2 SSD then there is even more room for cable management!
My ideal build:
Cooler Master Elite 110
Asus Maximus VII impact Socket 1150 W/ M.2 SSD Slot
Corsair H80 Hydro W/ Push-pull Config
Intel i7 4790K
Kingston Digital HyperX Predator 480 GB PCIe Gen2 x4 M.2 SSD
Corsaid H80 Push Pull
Silverstone 600W SFX PSU + Short Cables
Zotac GTX 970 – 8.03″ will fit!