The chassis is a modified version of the that used in the Gamemax Stealth, Gamemax F15M, A bunch of Ebuyer "Neutron Labs" branded cases (W07 i think), and a lot of other cases no doubt
Great review Leo. I'm looking into a new AM5 build when it hits and want a clean classic look this time. This case power supply combo from Seasonic went to the top of the list.
the feet and the style of the side vents on the front panel make it look very Lian Li in the pre O11D days, they oem a lot of smaller run itx cases so wouldn't be surprised if this seasonic modification of Lian Li model offered to customers
Good to see that PSU system again. It would be nice to see a more compact variant make its way in to the world of SFFPC building or just fit a lot of other cases as it's fair to say it can really clean up a lot of cable mess - not including the typically ridiculous RGB rats nest of course.
Really great to see innovation in this space! I wish they made a version which was 10-15% smaller in each dimension. Also, I wouldn't mind if they eliminated one of the tempered glass side panels to reduce cost. If this case was smaller and cost around $180-200 I would be super interested! Also, I only use M.2 SSDs, so I'm totally fine if future revisions of the case and Connect appliance are modified to remove SATA support.
Wonder if the thermals would improve with a top mounted 280 AIO. I expect they would. Perhaps a little blunt forcing of the intake through the front panel with HSP fans. It really is too bad the front panel is so restrictive.
A Leo video: excellent. Tea, biscuits, sorted. Great review. Thanks for using an air cooler. I would have liked to have seen a mesh front panel and a third front fan. I'm not currently in the market, having recently purchased a Torrent, but I would like to see two PSU improvements: first that the more powerful PSU should be more than 750W - possibly insufficient to cope with the power spikes from a RTX 3080 or 3090 - and second that there be two 12+4 pin microfit connectors for new GPUs on the hub. I know Seasonic's hub predates that standard but I had hoped they might have updated it. (Never mind the rumoured high power requirements of Nvidia's 40 series.) I hope this sells well enough for Seasonic to marry it with a 1kW PSU and to upgrade the hub - integrating RGB hub and fan hub functionality would be a nice touch. Keep up the good work.
I have been waiting a year for this! I reached out to seasonic about buying just the case as I have one of these sitting in a box waiting for a case to mount it in. I even got some custom cables made, just an fyi the pinout on the 24 pin is different from all the other ones they sell. Update: just heard back and current connect owners have to buy the case and the psu together, cant buy only the case. I understand they are supposed to be "top notch" but I called them when I bought the unit asking about case compatibility and they could not tell me one case it would fit in.... now they wont sell me the case it does....
Cheers Leo. I've really liked the concept of Connect since, what was it? Computex a few years ago? The first case was interesting, I think Stuart from GGF did a nice build with it. This case is, as you say somewhat standard but with the Connect deployment making it unique. Forgive my ignorance on standard, but is there a reason why something like the Connect can't be designed to include the power supply itself? Obviously would affect dimensions, but the Connect has me wondering, why do PSU's have to be a squareish brick which in turn dictates a lot of case design.
I have an old Define R4 that’s completely Noctua filled. I wanna migrate to a new case and boy is it hard to find the perfect case these days. My top three are Meshify 2 Compact, Torrent Compact and the 011D Air mini. However, I really like Seasonic and would love to consider it for a new case. Thanks for a through review! What ruins it for me is the solid front with puny vents. The thermals aren’t too impressive either. That beast of a cooler barely makes it. My good old U14S might not. Plus, I’m running a 3070 Noctua and I’m afraid it won’t be able to breathe in this chassis.
I just recently build an i9-12900 system in a Meshify 2 Compact. I agonized over the choice of case for weeks taking in reviews all over the web and checking promotional material, but I am **very** happy with the choice. Joy to build in, in part because of the removable roof panel. I've now built two Fractal Meshify projects (one a Meshify C, 5950X, also filled with Noctua. It's an older, cheaper, slightly smaller case, the only issue is the front panel can't be fully removed because of the power and USB cables. Also, roof not removable which is how I know the Meshify 2 Compact is so much nicer to build with!) and am very satisfied with the choices. The other case I couldn't decide on was a Fractal Torrent. I love the look of that case but if you put in an AIO - it's an i9-12900! - then the 180mm fans in the front get replaced with 3 x 120mm or 2 x 140mm on a front-mounted radiator so that was out, unfortunately. All the cases I considered were for airflow. I wouldn't go for a case with a solid front panel - Corsair was an option at one point until I watched reviews of the 4000D e.g. I decided against a 4000 AIRFLOW because in pics it looked like I'd have trouble fitting the drive cage and a power supply and cables in the same cramped space (Corsair leave out cables in their marketing pics showing a case with PSU and drives installed.)
@@treyquattro Your thought process is a lot like mine. What’s off putting in the 4000D is how thin the metal is. It has this distinct cheap feeling that I cannot justify giving money for. And the cramped bottom area is the final nail in the coffin. 011Ds are gorgeous but in my experience mounting HDDs vertically shortens their lifespan drastically. Plus the mini can’t fit a normal PSU. The Torrent has those proprietary front fans and only a single drive cage while I need two. Your arguments for the Meshify 2 are very convincing and can’t find anything wrong with that enclosure.
@@DrBreezeAir I forgot to mention - I also considered the Lian-Li LANCOOL 215 but it didn't rate too highly in the tests I watched. It looks good, has the large fans that I wanted and space for more than one drive but the metal was a bit on the flimsy side and the airflow results weren't as good as I was hoping. Also, they were sold out when I was shopping! The Corsairs were quite expensive but appear to have come down a little. I did consider a full-sized Torrent but it's huge by comparison. The Compacts are perfect if you're not building a server or workstation with a ton of HDDs. I replaced the Fractal Dynamic fans in the 5950X build with 6 Noctuas and there's a Noctua NH-U12A cooler. It's pretty much silent - definitely so in normal use. I kept the Fractal fans and added a couple of 140mm Prismas in the i9-12900 build. They're a bit noisier. I really shouldn't have bothered with RGB.
One of the many areas of a modern computer that wastes space is the power supply, while the Connect distribution is a step in the right direction, why doese still use basicaly a standard for factor power supply?! Why not build a case where the power supply runs from the bottom to the top of the case, as in a single circuit board has the power suply AND the connectors to power the computer. You could use the case structure as the heatsink, eliminating the power supply fan and box entirely!
Clearly the PSU in Connect is based on an ATX design to avoid a monumental extra cost. It is tempting to ask Seasonic how much a small batch of custom power supplies would cost. Leo
This pc case is a generic Chinese design used in other brands and models such as:"Bitfenix Dawn tg"/"Eagle warrior thrones"(latinAmerica)/"nox hummer nova"(eruope) /etc
@@KitGuruTech the only thing that changes is the front panel on the bitfenix variation, the lack of rubber grommets, and the inclusion of usb type c, but the chassis and its capabilities is the same as the ones I mentioned above, I write it because my current chassis is one of them . (even the holes for the wiring, the base for the hdd/ssd are the same, in my version I have a vertical gpu also)
@@KitGuruTech He's right. I don't know the OEM, but the core-chassis is identical to the Bitfenix Dawn or XPG Stalker. And i think there are other vendors, that use the same tooling. Afair Kolink and others.
The “Connect” is a great “in theory” concept, but in daily use achieves nothing as you’re simply replacing some cable length for a massive hub to run cables off …. We really need to see I guess a standardised custom thinner cable or an all-in-one design power delivery cable to eliminate all the various SATA/Molex etc power connectors for this concept to be a benefit and not a cost increase for nothing imo 👍🤯
I dont get it.. NO ONE bought the "Seasonic Syncro Q704 + Syncro DGC-650 Gold" Witch is good for me since i bought TWO of them for the price of 119 a piece.. ye 119 Euro's ! And now you get the same stuff with a WAY cheaper case for just 270,- with a 650w psu ? Trust me no one is going to buy this.... (and i bet it dont got Nidec fans neither :P )
The Connect is a nice idea, but the execution is entirely pointless and redundant. Spend all that money on a Connect, or pay for a set of custom modular cables? Properly made to length, combed and trained, custom cables will take up may less space than the Connect, and cost much less.
@@KitGuruTech You aren't fooling me I bought a corsair power supply as a try against my normal Seasonic purchase. I sent it back and rtmed it and bought a Seasonic instead. Nowhere as good as a Seasonic. Low profile corsair memory is solid though. Cases er no sorry Fractal are better. SSD's I only buy the real stuff from Samsung.
Personally I like the cut outs PROVIDED they show the logo on the component the correct way up. It did my head in with the inverted layout of the Seasonic Q704 case which meant the graphics card, motherboard and M.2 SSD were the wrong way up. Leo
case seems to be the gamemax f15 / lian li 215 / neutron labs fusion (and many others based on the same pressing)
Gamemax F15 looks very similar so yup, reckon you're correct
Leo
Doh beat me too it Mike, hello!
The chassis is a modified version of the that used in the Gamemax Stealth, Gamemax F15M, A bunch of Ebuyer "Neutron Labs" branded cases (W07 i think), and a lot of other cases no doubt
Great review Leo. I'm looking into a new AM5 build when it hits and want a clean classic look this time. This case power supply combo from Seasonic went to the top of the list.
the feet and the style of the side vents on the front panel make it look very Lian Li in the pre O11D days, they oem a lot of smaller run itx cases so wouldn't be surprised if this seasonic modification of Lian Li model offered to customers
You may well be correct. OK people, hunt down the specific Lian Li for me please!
Leo
@@KitGuruTech the front panel at least is kind of like a mid tower version of the Lian Li TU 150
That core chassis is a Thermaltake one. The 2.5 drive caddy, and the cutout at the top of the front for IO passthrough are the give away.
Good to see that PSU system again. It would be nice to see a more compact variant make its way in to the world of SFFPC building or just fit a lot of other cases as it's fair to say it can really clean up a lot of cable mess - not including the typically ridiculous RGB rats nest of course.
Really great to see innovation in this space! I wish they made a version which was 10-15% smaller in each dimension. Also, I wouldn't mind if they eliminated one of the tempered glass side panels to reduce cost. If this case was smaller and cost around $180-200 I would be super interested! Also, I only use M.2 SSDs, so I'm totally fine if future revisions of the case and Connect appliance are modified to remove SATA support.
Great review as always Leo. Glass panel in the back is a no go for me, same goes for the solid front panel...
looks like a lancool or the razer tomahawk with the closed front
Wonder if the thermals would improve with a top mounted 280 AIO. I expect they would. Perhaps a little blunt forcing of the intake through the front panel with HSP fans. It really is too bad the front panel is so restrictive.
A Leo video: excellent. Tea, biscuits, sorted.
Great review. Thanks for using an air cooler. I would have liked to have seen a mesh front panel and a third front fan. I'm not currently in the market, having recently purchased a Torrent, but I would like to see two PSU improvements: first that the more powerful PSU should be more than 750W - possibly insufficient to cope with the power spikes from a RTX 3080 or 3090 - and second that there be two 12+4 pin microfit connectors for new GPUs on the hub. I know Seasonic's hub predates that standard but I had hoped they might have updated it. (Never mind the rumoured high power requirements of Nvidia's 40 series.) I hope this sells well enough for Seasonic to marry it with a 1kW PSU and to upgrade the hub - integrating RGB hub and fan hub functionality would be a nice touch.
Keep up the good work.
I have been waiting a year for this! I reached out to seasonic about buying just the case as I have one of these sitting in a box waiting for a case to mount it in. I even got some custom cables made, just an fyi the pinout on the 24 pin is different from all the other ones they sell.
Update: just heard back and current connect owners have to buy the case and the psu together, cant buy only the case.
I understand they are supposed to be "top notch" but I called them when I bought the unit asking about case compatibility and they could not tell me one case it would fit in.... now they wont sell me the case it does....
Cheers Leo.
I've really liked the concept of Connect since, what was it? Computex a few years ago? The first case was interesting, I think Stuart from GGF did a nice build with it. This case is, as you say somewhat standard but with the Connect deployment making it unique.
Forgive my ignorance on standard, but is there a reason why something like the Connect can't be designed to include the power supply itself? Obviously would affect dimensions, but the Connect has me wondering, why do PSU's have to be a squareish brick which in turn dictates a lot of case design.
Although most cases are similar, this case has the feel of a Fractal Design model/models
I hope this power supply will fit an an lian li air mini?.
Thanks for your reviews!
So glad you reviewed this case. Does it use the same Seasonic branded Nidec fans as the Q704?
Almost certainly not - Seasonic made a feature of using Nidecs in Q704 but these are merely described as 'fans'
Leo
Would like to see a single loop water cooling solution in the is case
Reminds me of a slightly reworked aero cool prism argb mid tower.
where to buy this case please? Seasonic Arch Q503 Chassis.
I have an old Define R4 that’s completely Noctua filled. I wanna migrate to a new case and boy is it hard to find the perfect case these days. My top three are Meshify 2 Compact, Torrent Compact and the 011D Air mini. However, I really like Seasonic and would love to consider it for a new case. Thanks for a through review! What ruins it for me is the solid front with puny vents. The thermals aren’t too impressive either. That beast of a cooler barely makes it. My good old U14S might not. Plus, I’m running a 3070 Noctua and I’m afraid it won’t be able to breathe in this chassis.
Those are good choices that you list however they are very different to each other. The O11D Air Mini is superb.
Leo
I just recently build an i9-12900 system in a Meshify 2 Compact. I agonized over the choice of case for weeks taking in reviews all over the web and checking promotional material, but I am **very** happy with the choice. Joy to build in, in part because of the removable roof panel. I've now built two Fractal Meshify projects (one a Meshify C, 5950X, also filled with Noctua. It's an older, cheaper, slightly smaller case, the only issue is the front panel can't be fully removed because of the power and USB cables. Also, roof not removable which is how I know the Meshify 2 Compact is so much nicer to build with!) and am very satisfied with the choices. The other case I couldn't decide on was a Fractal Torrent. I love the look of that case but if you put in an AIO - it's an i9-12900! - then the 180mm fans in the front get replaced with 3 x 120mm or 2 x 140mm on a front-mounted radiator so that was out, unfortunately. All the cases I considered were for airflow. I wouldn't go for a case with a solid front panel - Corsair was an option at one point until I watched reviews of the 4000D e.g. I decided against a 4000 AIRFLOW because in pics it looked like I'd have trouble fitting the drive cage and a power supply and cables in the same cramped space (Corsair leave out cables in their marketing pics showing a case with PSU and drives installed.)
@@KitGuruTech Thanks a lot! I’ll give it a closer look.
@@treyquattro Your thought process is a lot like mine. What’s off putting in the 4000D is how thin the metal is. It has this distinct cheap feeling that I cannot justify giving money for. And the cramped bottom area is the final nail in the coffin. 011Ds are gorgeous but in my experience mounting HDDs vertically shortens their lifespan drastically. Plus the mini can’t fit a normal PSU. The Torrent has those proprietary front fans and only a single drive cage while I need two. Your arguments for the Meshify 2 are very convincing and can’t find anything wrong with that enclosure.
@@DrBreezeAir I forgot to mention - I also considered the Lian-Li LANCOOL 215 but it didn't rate too highly in the tests I watched. It looks good, has the large fans that I wanted and space for more than one drive but the metal was a bit on the flimsy side and the airflow results weren't as good as I was hoping. Also, they were sold out when I was shopping! The Corsairs were quite expensive but appear to have come down a little. I did consider a full-sized Torrent but it's huge by comparison. The Compacts are perfect if you're not building a server or workstation with a ton of HDDs.
I replaced the Fractal Dynamic fans in the 5950X build with 6 Noctuas and there's a Noctua NH-U12A cooler. It's pretty much silent - definitely so in normal use. I kept the Fractal fans and added a couple of 140mm Prismas in the i9-12900 build. They're a bit noisier. I really shouldn't have bothered with RGB.
Glad they’ve stuck with Connect. It’s cool. Just like Leo 😎
What is cool about non-standard components?
@@UhOhUmm how do you mean?
Looks like it might be a retool of the Phantenks P600s
Love you Leo!!
That’s a great case for roasting my briskets
One of the many areas of a modern computer that wastes space is the power supply, while the Connect distribution is a step in the right direction, why doese still use basicaly a standard for factor power supply?! Why not build a case where the power supply runs from the bottom to the top of the case, as in a single circuit board has the power suply AND the connectors to power the computer. You could use the case structure as the heatsink, eliminating the power supply fan and box entirely!
Clearly the PSU in Connect is based on an ATX design to avoid a monumental extra cost. It is tempting to ask Seasonic how much a small batch of custom power supplies would cost.
Leo
Reminds me of a Fractal case.
This pc case is a generic Chinese design used in other brands and models such as:"Bitfenix Dawn tg"/"Eagle warrior thrones"(latinAmerica)/"nox hummer nova"(eruope) /etc
I can see why you say that however the location of the I/O panel makes it unlikely. An older Lian Li seems like it might be a good bet
Leo
@@KitGuruTech the only thing that changes is the front panel on the bitfenix variation, the lack of rubber grommets, and the inclusion of usb type c, but the chassis and its capabilities is the same as the ones I mentioned above, I write it because my current chassis is one of them . (even the holes for the wiring, the base for the hdd/ssd are the same, in my version I have a vertical gpu also)
@@KitGuruTech He's right. I don't know the OEM, but the core-chassis is identical to the Bitfenix Dawn or XPG Stalker. And i think there are other vendors, that use the same tooling. Afair Kolink and others.
Looks very similar to be Quiet cases
The “Connect” is a great “in theory” concept, but in daily use achieves nothing as you’re simply replacing some cable length for a massive hub to run cables off …. We really need to see I guess a standardised custom thinner cable or an all-in-one design power delivery cable to eliminate all the various SATA/Molex etc power connectors for this concept to be a benefit and not a cost increase for nothing imo 👍🤯
That case is exceptional in it's banality.
Im not convinced the connect system is any good at all, the case is shi t. Good review Leo.
That sapphire card looks exactly like my amd reference card
It is indeed a reference design which is the precise reason I bought it to use in reviews.
Leo
@@KitGuruTech does sapphire make the cards amd sell on their site?
It looks like a case from be quiet!
i got it for 120€ so i think it doesn´t perform well on the market. so i think lucky for interested ppl now bcs very good price-performance yet
I like it. Say, If I bought you a wig, would you crack a smile?
I must decline your very kind offer,
Leo
I dont get it.. NO ONE bought the "Seasonic Syncro Q704 + Syncro DGC-650 Gold"
Witch is good for me since i bought TWO of them for the price of 119 a piece.. ye 119 Euro's !
And now you get the same stuff with a WAY cheaper case for just 270,- with a 650w psu ?
Trust me no one is going to buy this.... (and i bet it dont got Nidec fans neither :P )
innovation would be fanless case
The Connect is a nice idea, but the execution is entirely pointless and redundant. Spend all that money on a Connect, or pay for a set of custom modular cables? Properly made to length, combed and trained, custom cables will take up may less space than the Connect, and cost much less.
Good case, but in Black is horrible, white is much better and beautiful.
nope not for me 260 dollars is about £210 duno how they think we should pay this much more for it
Its annoying to see this case having two glass panels.
Why? Fractal do cases! Seasonic do power supplies!
and Corsair does power supplies, cases, cooling, RAM, SSDs and has announced a laptop. To infinity and beyond!
@@KitGuruTech You aren't fooling me I bought a corsair power supply as a try against my normal Seasonic purchase. I sent it back and rtmed it and bought a Seasonic instead. Nowhere as good as a Seasonic. Low profile corsair memory is solid though. Cases er no sorry Fractal are better. SSD's I only buy the real stuff from Samsung.
@@tomquimby8669 Seasonic have been an oem for Corsair power supplies in the past. They tend to use cwt designs now which can be either hit or miss.
@@KitGuruTech also keyboards, mice, headset, chairs and monitors. the same can be said for asus and gigabyte. everyone is doing everything rn
When are case manufacturers going to get it?
We don't want to see the power supply brand
Stop putting cut outs on the bottom
Personally I like the cut outs PROVIDED they show the logo on the component the correct way up. It did my head in with the inverted layout of the Seasonic Q704 case which meant the graphics card, motherboard and M.2 SSD were the wrong way up.
Leo
Corsair 275R clone