Bedding has been quite concerned about the ITX chassis, possibly due to having spent a lot of time with ATX chassis like the T S340E, which eventually became tiring. This led to a longing for an excellent ITX chassis. However, despite the dazzling array of products available today, it's rare to find one that truly meets expectations. After browsing through many brands on Taobao, it became clear that ITX chassis are still a minority. Testing the 901 and AIR 240 models, the reality turned out to be more like a MATX chassis, using an ATX power supply, which ended up being larger than expected.
Looking at various custom ITX chassis designs, they all seem similar, often inspired by foreign crowdfunding projects. Most feature all-aluminum or tempered glass side panels, but production is limited, mostly from small factories or workshops. These non-commercial builds often lack the attention to detail that enthusiasts desire, though they do offer compact designs that can accommodate full desktop hardware. The ZS A4, for example, is currently one of the best long-card ITX chassis available. Some well-known OEMs have also released their own small ITX chassis, such as the NCASE M1 and ABEE RS01, but the styles tend to be similar.
In February 2017, Corsair launched its first ITX chassis, featuring an avant-garde upright design. At 38cm x 17.6cm x 20cm, it was only 12L in size. I was instantly drawn to it, but after receiving the unit and disassembling it, I found that the water-cooling components were custom-made, making DIY very challenging.
Phanteks introduced two new "Liangtian" ITX chassis, the EVOLV Shift and EVOLV Shift X, during Computex 2017. The chasing wind 217e finally shipped in September, after some delays. This chassis completely changed my perspective on ITX builds. It’s not just a small case—it's a highly innovative design that offers both style and functionality.
The Hercules 217 chassis stands out with its futuristic and concise design. It features aluminum alloy side panels and double tempered glass, allowing it to stand upright on a TV cabinet. The vertical airflow design and internal layout are well thought-out, making it a refreshing choice. The 217 is actually 20L in volume, which makes it more than just a simple ITX chassis.
I wanted to try the AM4 platform and set up a 3A system using an R9 NANO. The ASRock X370 motherboard was chosen due to its compatibility, and the H80I V2 cooler was used. However, during gameplay, performance was underwhelming, with frame rates dropping below 80. Even though the NANO isn't the most powerful card, the cooling was insufficient, leading to high temperatures.
After testing, I realized that the 217's design wasn't ideal for air-cooled graphics cards. The back glass trapped heat, causing the GPU to overheat. To solve this, I decided to go with a split water-cooling setup. Using a custom water block and thin cold plates, I managed to improve cooling significantly. The final build featured a 120+120mm fan configuration, with a thin row of 25mm thickness. This setup allowed better airflow and kept temperatures under control.
Despite the challenges, I'm still experimenting with different configurations. The 217 is a unique chassis that pushes the boundaries of what an ITX case can do. While it may not be perfect, its design and potential make it worth the effort. I’m looking forward to further improvements and seeing how others tackle similar builds. If you're into compact and stylish cases, the 217 is definitely worth considering.
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