Review on 💻 M350 Compact Mini-ITX PC Enclosure with PicoPSU Compatibility by Jon Estell

The M350 is an incredibly tough and tiny Mini-ITX chassis, about the size of a thick hardcover novel. The construction is mostly metal, with the exception of the plastic front panel. Opening the case was a bit difficult at first. The top of the case is secured on the back with an M3 Phillips screw. To open the case, slide the top about 1 inch and pull up. I found it easiest to open the case if I slowly slide the top panel back by pulling it up from the front. Anyone considering replacing the rear case screw with a thumbscrew should check out Lian Li's thumbscrews. Most standard thumbscrews are 6/32" so won't fit the M350, but Lian Li uses the slightly smaller M3 size for their cases. I've ordered several online and they work great. If you've built a computer before, you'll find that the inside of the M350 is very simple and straight forward. The front panel has three ports for the power button, power light, and USB ports. The M350 ships with a 2.5-inch hard drive bracket through the top of the case. The bracket also doubles as a 40mm fan mount when not using a hard drive. You can buy a second bracket to mount on the other half of the case if your CPU cooler is short enough. The plastic front panel is removable (after you remove the top metal plate) to reveal two horizontally aligned USB ports. This is the perfect place to hide your Wi-Fi adapter or wireless keyboard/mouse. There is also room for another 40mm fan. It seems obvious, but there is NO support for a thin optical drive and a PCI/PCIe expansion slot. I've read forum posts where people actually ask about it. You can install the operating system from a flash drive (check Google for instructions) or you can temporarily plug in a CD/DVD drive. The system I installed in the M350 was an older Zotac IONITX-AU Atom 330 2GB. RAM and a 2.5 inch hard drive with a capacity of 80 GB. The SATA connectors for this particular motherboard are located just below the hard drive bracket, so the 6" SATA cable was the perfect length. You should also consider buying SATA cables with L-shaped connectors if you are super picky about cables, but a regular straight connector will do just fine. Pros: + The size of the ITX case is as small as it gets. for high air flow. + Incredibly durable build quality. + Universal drive and 40mm fan mount, suitable for different motherboard layouts. Minor cons: The plastic front panel feels cheap compared to the rest of the case. The LEDs are amazingly bright. I'll darken them with a marker - No easily accessible front USB port - It would be nice to have mounting options for a slim 60mm or even 80mm fan Notes: * The rear case screw, that secures the top bezel is M3. If you want to replace it with a thumbscrew, look for cases for Lian Li, which come in black or silver to match the M350's color options.* If you're purchasing 40mm fans for this case, you can install the fan behind the Install front panel, but you'll likely need thinner 40x40x10mm fans for the internal mounts.* If you're looking for a small case that supports a slim optical drive and a low-profile PCI/PCIe card, see you the Antec ISK-300 series.