EVGA Hadron Air Mini-ITX Steel Black Chassis with 500W 80Plus Gold Power Supply

I have gone through many rigs in my PC-building career. Most recently, I have gone from Corsair 600T White Edition, to Bitfenix Prodigy Red, to this lovely case. Now, don't get me wrong, I both cases before I chose to get the Hadron. I had moved on to the Prodigy, because I was seeking small form factor with room for a Corsair H100 and multiple hard drives.But something about this EVGA Hadron case appealed to me, and I now know that this case is absolutely fantastic. Not only is it a little more than half the size of the Bitfenix Prodigy, It fits everything I need. I didn't need liquid cooling. I didn't need 5 different case fans. I didn't need a bunch of drives.Functionally, this case works. With the correct cable management, setup and installation, and proper planning, this case is more than enough to keep my components cool, while giving me the Small-Form-Factor feature I want.My build is: i5 4670K (4.3Ghz OC), Asus Z87I-Deluxe, EVGA mITX CPU Cooler (92mm), Kingston HyperX 120GB SSD, Corsair Force GS 180GB SSD, HGST 4TB HDD, EVGA GTX 670. I have also replaced the stock fans with two Enermax RED LED T.B.Silence fans.1) I added a Silverstone 2.5" x 2 to 3.5" adapter to get both SSDs in along with the HDD, with a Molex to Right Angle SATA cable. I had to mount the "top" SSD "upside down" so that the right angle cable went in the other direction. There is no other way to attach it without conflicting with the placement of already attached cables. I thought up this little mod when I saw that there was room in the right drive bay (closest to the front of the case) to fit 2 SSDs. Also, you must get a MOLEX to RIGHT ANGLE SATA adapter. The Hadron comes with 2 SATA power connectors, and some additional molex; you need to get the right angle sata adapter if you want to fit in a third 2.5" drive. I suppose it would be possible to fit four SSDs if you got two bay adapters, but that would be a super tough challenge and would require immense craftiness.2) I plan to upgrade to a GTX 780 (or some factory overclocked version), because I know the Gold 80+ PSU can handle it. Also, this PSU isn't loud, like some people were complaining. I've done some benchmark tests with it on full load and the PSU happily hums along. Perhaps when I upgrade to a 780 I will see more stress on the PSU, but 500W GOLD 80+ should be within limits. In addition, I plan to get a backplate for this card to protect the PCB from stray cables, dust, or heat.My biggest advice to anyone looking to get an EVGA Hadron Air is to do your homework before you upgrade. You will also need zip-ties for cable management, and prepare to get your hands dirty. It is a challenge working with so little space, but once you are finished you will know that this little mini-ITX case is one of the best SFF cases out there.Second not-so-big advice: This case can't fit a card longer than a GTX Titan. Even my GTX 670 is a little cramped in there. So, it cannot fit a GTX 690 (the PSU also would have a tough time), nor can it fit an HD 7990 (and the PSU definitely cannot run this), even if your mini-ITX motherboard supports dual-GPU cards. I'm sure there will be somebody out there that will try, but I do not advise it. Perhaps in the future when either company makes a dual-GPU card that runs under 250W and is short enough we can do it. Also, I'm not sure if cards like EVGA ACX or MSI Lightning versions of cards are a good idea - they dump hot air into the case and thus, they move air upwards toward the CPU. In a Small-Form-Factor build like this, that may not be a good idea. I recommend a decent stock-style fan (if you can).Last advice: DO NOT put this case on the floor (unless it is wood/tile or super clean). It is definitely small enough to fit on a desk or in a cabinet. Otherwise, the dust from your floor would be sucked right into it. The Hadron Air has a bottom-up airflow design and you should not obstruct the bottom of this case from precious, clean air. Knowing this, you should attempt to get a mini-ITX cpu cooler (like the one EVGA designed for this case, Arctic Freezer 13, or a low-profile Noctua) to move air upwards to the exhaust fans, where hot air can escape on top.That is pretty much it, and keep in mind that this case does not appeal to everyone. It is for those seeking SFF with clean, sleek features in a small size, while configuring for high performance power. This case has much potential, and I'm pretty sure you can find ways to be creative with a build involving the EVGA Hadron Air.UPDATE 11/25/13: I have managed to fit a fourth drive inside of my case! With a couple short molex to SATA power adapters and some clever rotations (within Silverstone 2x 2.5" to 3.5" adapter) and some velcro, I have successfully inserted another drive. So, currently I have a HGST 4TGB HDD (3.5"), Kingston HyperX 120GB SSD, Corsair Force GS 180GB SSD, and now a Hitachi 500GB HDD (2.5"). The Hitachi 500GB HDD was placed into where the Kingston SSD was, and now the Kingston drive is velcro'd onto the flipped underside of the Corsair Force GS. Of course, having done this I give up the ability to ever install the slot-load disk-drive that EVGA was advertising - but who needs that when you have FOUR DRIVES!!! I'll attempt to upload some pictures and some notes when I get my GTX 780 in the mail! Additional Notes: I am now sure that with some more clever planning, it is possible to fit yet another 2.5" SSD or so under the Hard Drive Bay in the Hadron Air with some more velcro, seeing that this power supply has 2 additional molex connectors left. I'm not going to go that far, however - I'm content with even having managed to fit 4 drives inside this tiny beast.UPDATE 12/30/13: I'm planning to switch out CPU Cooler to Cooler Master Hyper TX3 with a Dual Fan configuration to see if I can get some high overclocks. Also, I ordered another SSD to test if the Hadron can hold another drive on the underside of the drive cage or if I can fit another one on the right side (AM I CRAZY OR WHAT!?). Additional Notes: I overclocked my GTX 780 to the same CoreClock/MEMClock speeds as a 780Ti (+117,+248), and it runs beautifully. It should be stated that I installed an EVGA backplate and an EVGA GTX 680 (yes, 680) High-Flow Bracket for lower temps. The power supply isn't even whining. Also, sorry that I wasn't able to post pictures - I'll get get those uploaded when this build is fully configured and running with the parts that I ordered; so far I can say it's so beautiful!UPDATE 1/15/14: I've gotten the Cooler Master Hyper TX3, but the mounting brackets broke - so I put the additional fan on the EVGA Mini ITX Cooler. NOTES: I put up pictures. I intend to put up more in the future, but you can see the ones that I have now. I hope they are helpful!UPDATE 1/28/14: I have successfully added a Corsair H100i to my Hadron Air. It was a gigantic pain in the rear to install, but I'm glad I got it in there. Temps are a lot lower than what I had before, and I ran IntelBurnTest to test the install. Great! On another note, I am disappointed that I could not get the slim fans to be internal. No matter what I tried, It conflicted with the motherboard mounting process. The only way to have fans (which the H100i absolutely needs, as it fails to cool passively) is to mount fans externally on top. I went a local store and purchased some screws and nuts with haste. The exact screws to mount the radiator internally is a 6-32 1/4" screw (you need only 4 of these). The screws I chose to mount the Scythe Kaze Slip Stream Slims on top are 6-32 5/8" (x8). I covered the fans with a filter, and now they are good to go. You may view my latest picture to see my rig. NOTES: If you wish to try this, DO NOT BE FORCEFUL. Be gentle. It may require some positioning and repositioning, alongside some firm pushes. However, DO NOT try to force it in. I almost bent the top of the case outward while trying to force the radiator in - this is a bad idea that could result in a mangled Hadron Air and a broken H100i radiator. Also, when attempting to insert the screws into one of the air holes in the top cover, be patient and keep trying. It took me about an hour to get all 8 screws in.UPDATE 1/30/14: Overclock Successful; 4.4GHz on OFFSET MODE, 1.333V. Overclocked my 780's memory further; it runs 10C hotter than normal, which is now around 37C idle. Load Temps are still under 65C. Temperatures in this case with the H100i are awesome. Approximately CPU is 30C idle/normal, with under ~80C on full load. Tested with IntelBurnTest multiple times to check the temperatures and stability. This is with Scythe Kaze Slip Stream Slims (1200RPM) fans blowing air upwards.UPDATE 3/13/14: I'm still running with an overclocked CPU and GPU, practically with the same configuration as listed previously. Although this time, I gave away my 500GB 2.5" hard drive to a friend (his broke), and I swapped out for a SanDisk Ultra Plus 256GB SSD for additional game storage. One other noticeable thing that I have changed about my build is that I now run Lucid Logix Virtu Basic, with graphics running through the IGP on the processor. It raised my CPU temps by 15C, but still averaging about 65C during gaming loads - which is not bad. Offset/Turbo works just fine, though my little Scythe Kaze Slipstream fans have to spin up more often to cool off the H100i that I have managed to squeeze in there. Otherwise, my GTX 780 idles when not gaming, so that cuts back power consumption and reduces stress on the PSU.UPDATE 3/17/14: So I've discovered that running an OFFSET overclocked configuration with Lucid Virtu is not a good idea. The voltage became much higher during gaming sessions than necessary and too hot for this tiny case (dangerously close to 1.5V!). I can set to 1.222V MANUAL for stable at 4.2GHz, but I'm trying to save power with this build, not lock it down! So for those who are trying to overclock in this case with Offset or Adaptive in the EVGA Hadron Air, do note that running Haswell in Offset while trying to use the iGPU may add unwanted voltage; otherwise in a standard setup where you plug video cables into the discrete card directly, Offset OC works fine and runs alright in the Hadron Air's cooling limitations (granted, I fit an H100i in here...). NOTES: I overclocked my reference 780 even more, and it doesn't have a big impact on heat - the graphics card basically sucks up cold air from below and expels it out the back anyway, so hot air rarely flows upwards toward the CPU.UPDATE 3/31/14: Reconfigured for standard setup with overclock (4.4Ghz, video out through PCIe). Lucid Virtu is alright, but not enough for the potential performance I was losing out on.UPDATE 4/18/14: Took off external Scythe Kaze Slipstream fans. Inserted a pair of new 80mmx10mm EverCool 5v 2000RPM fans, mounted to a fan rail. Took some time, but it works, keeps temps below 45C. "Eh." The only thing is that it is audibly louder; still silent when idle, but ramps up very quickly to move air and becomes really loud really fast. It is tolerable, and it's aesthetically more appealing now that I don't have fans on the outside of the case. WIN. NOTES: Asus Fan Xpert 2 really helps to keep the fan noise low, especially when temps are acceptable. Don't want these things spinning constantly - it can get annoying over time. NEW PICTURES ADDED.UPDATE 4/29/14: Played a lot of games and stress-tested the system with the new 80mm fans. It did run hotter, but found that it was better for airflow if I move the one fan that was half-covered by the drive bay closer to the other one. This allows more air to pass through the radiator in the bottom-up direction, at the expense of relying on one screw to hold the rail/bracket in place (although I used some electrical tape to help hold it down). It doesn't rattle, since the fans are so light and thin; even at max speed. Temps are actually just ~5C above the previous setup on full load, during Intel Burn Test. Interesting what you can do with the Hadron Air and determination/creativity.UPDATE 5/13/14: Added a third 80mm fan and added pics. Temps are better by about 5-10C, and because there are 3 fans they only spin up for a second or two to expel air, then quiet down again. I used zip ties to secure the fans to each other and managed to use only one machine screw to mount them in place. Please refer to pictures for more details.UPDATE 7/9/15: Upgraded to i7 4790K and EVGA GTX 980 Superclocked; tested different TIMs and different overclocks. In this case, with the three 80mm fans that I have in my pictures, my temps were better with Coollaboratory Liquid Pro, even when the i7 4790K was OC'd to 4.8Ghz at 1.35v (1.95v VCCN) at about 35-45C; currently, I am running stock with Arctic MX-4 and the temps are down, but the fans have to spin faster to keep it there - a tad bit noiser, but hey: I'm not really complaining about 4.4Ghz of hyperthreaded awesomeness. If you have read the previous notes and updates, I have not changed much of anything since then. I still have the H100i setup in there, with the same motherboard. Thinking of testing new liquid-metal TIMs in the future to produce better temps/noise. OH - and I have a Acer 4K G-Sync Panel... nearly everything runs smoothly with this machine. #pcmasterrace

This case is so great in most ways and has a few major, glaring issues. I'll say though, if you're on the fence at all, just get it. You clearly want a small and sleek build, and this is the case to get. I'll go over the good and bad and so so of this case.The good of this is why you want it, right? Well, this thing is TINY. I clearly knew the dimensions by reading and compared to things I'd built before, but it's small. It's as wide as many other computer cases, because it has to hold a real GPU, but the depth and height is amazing. It includes a PSU that has all you need and is very efficient. So, the price EVGA asks for isn't TOO out of the realm. Both the case and PSU purchased separately might be cheaper from other vendors, but it isn't too out of the realm. The PSU cables are sleeved which is nice and makes it easier to route the cables. My PSU, unlike others, is very quiet running. At load on stress tests that heat it up it stays pretty quiet and at idle, silent for all intents and purposes. I do hear how loud it can get at startup, and if yours runs that way all the time, I'd say return it.Everything will fit in this case, provided you plan as so many say. I put my motherboard inside a few times and checked if I could put X cable in while it was installed or if I should do it before I installed it. That made it MUCH easier to build. I have huge hands and it's tight to build in the case, but if you plan and use patience, it goes just fine. Space would be much better and cable routing if it wasn't for the infernal HDD cage. That's one of the HUGE cons of this case that I'll get to later. Space wise any GPU should fit within the Geforce series and many Radeon cards might fit if you do your homework.This case looks awesome as the pictures shows. That's the main thing that drew me to this case, just a simple design and it's small, which adds a lot to the looks. The materials are very nice and it's a pretty sturdy case given the size. I don't get why a few people are upset that some grey parts of the metal show - very few areas are like this and it's always going to be covered by a side panel.The included fans - seem good, but I'll be honest they were the first thing to go. I put in my old PWM Corsair SP120 fans because they move a ton of air if needed and they are very quiet when at very low RPMs. These are very easy to replace and are just like any other case. The cooler I'm using is the 92mm Noctua tower cooler - my favorite SFF cooler there is that I've used. It keeps my CPU cool, but Haswell is toasty. The case and component temps are fine, I live in hot Arizona and in the summer now, it's maybe 5-10c above my old mATX rig that had 5 fans well placed vs. the 2 in this rig. So, not bad overall.The bad things about this case and honestly, they pain me, but I must only give it 4 stars for this. They are major. The first is the DVD options - it says slimline, but only their one provided by EVGA works with the button and the sled they give you well. This is seriously a drawback as many slim DVD drives could work here. Installing it was fine, so at least that was a bonus. The next, is the entire HDD and DVD drive cage. This, at the very least, should be easily removed. It would make building much easier. I would go a step further saying that it should only fit 2.5'' drives - still leaves room for cheaper laptop type HDDs for bigger storage if you need more than SSDs offer. Also, many mobos have m2 slots or msata so you can put a drive there too for more storage. It also has some tabs on the HDD cage that can help with cable routing, but they also hinder it too. Very, very poor design. Those are the 2 major design flaws. The less major one that I could fix by modding, is the fact the back of this has holes from the Hydro version that aren't very useful. It also has some metal tabs in the area that look like it could mount up an SSD (more reasons to nix that cage). EVGA could have easily made this an optional fan mount for an 80mm (I checked by holding one up there). It would also hold a 92mm fan, but that would be very tight. This would have helped airflow greatly, by allowing you to actively force some cool air into the case. Get a drill or other type tool and make some mounting holes and airflow holes and you have your own fan vent.Overall, the 2 major oversights shouldn't let you not buy this case. You have this, the inwin 901, and a couple others in this form factor that look good and work well. So, do yourself a solid, and buy this.

Pros: Nice size, Good build qualityCons: Price, Non-Std power supply, Top fans are loud, Power supply fan whines like a jetI bought this case hoping for a quiet media PC build - well between the top fans and the PS fan, it was far from quiet. I did change the fan profile and that helped the top fans, but the jet engine whine from the 40mm power supply fan could not be fixed.