Inter-Tech IM-1 Pocket Review | The Smallest Micro ATX Case

[@STSYT]

Link to the Inter-Tech IM-2 Expander | Stackable Small Micro ATX Case Review - kzbin.info/www/bejne/lYTPgHatpsR8Z8k

[@niko5514]

This moment … when the reviewer knows more about the product than the manufacturer. Awesome.

[@WatchMysh]

This! :D

[@DaneMurdock]

I just recently noticed this case (and its numerous regional versions) and was super interested in an SFF mATX form factor. I also thought it seemed a shame that this case didn't have reversible build capabilities, but was really glad your video proved that wrong... even thought he manufacturers didn't seem to care to mention it themselves.

[@STSYT]

You're welcome ^^ Yeah, it's shocking how often Manufacturer's forget to mention some feature. Most of the time it's 140mm support. But in here, the reverse build capability makes or breaks Water-cooling support.

[@Ezzulnawawi]

this case has been rebranded a lot... i have the same case but the brand name is tecware fusion steel.... also I didn't know you can have the case be reversed so thanks for that info... great video

[@STSYT]

Thanks! Yeah I've seen it here and there with slight variations, but I don't know if all of them can be reversed.

[@rfsanjurjo]

yeah, it also goes under the alias "Now Hummer Vault", and costs 57-60€ in Spain.

[@rfsanjurjo]

i mean NOX hummer vault

[@kinglau66]

The original case is Sama IM01. Alot of build in r/sff

[@RG32822]

I think it's because it's a chinese case that gets purchased and rebranded/resold by various companies. You can even find it on Alibaba with an acrylic side panel.

[@redq6393]

Such a thoroughly detailed video without it being boring and a very hands on approach, wonderful job. I like your format, you covered pretty much all of it and emphasized the most key factors for someone who is looking to buying this case (Like me), you also showed a lot of parts or angles of the case in the video that is very helpful. Love the little tip about the screwdriver and the magnet too, I overlook that sometimes. Thank you for the review, subbed and liked.

[@gjdakin]

Hey, wollte nur sagen, dass dein Review echt spitzenklasse ist und mir die Kaufentscheidung sehr leicht gemacht hat. Dickes Lob!

[@Alecsfreeman]

Very thorough review of a too rarely seen case, thank you :)

[@rirrorio]

that reverse build is ingenious. good catch!

[@mattg8888]

just fyi: a 158mm high cpu cooler also works. I put a Noctua NH-U12S in there and it is perfectly fine...granted without the side-bracket installed.

[@STSYT]

Good to know! Thanks. Yea we do not have that many Air Coolers on hand, so this will certainly help somebody out

[@allanfeds7722]

which panel you use the tempered glass or the metal one? Thanks.

[@AR-teek]

@@allanfeds7722 absolutely the metal one only.

[@mattg8888]

@@allanfeds7722 yeah, I used the metal side panel. The glass apparently sits a little closer and just would not work.

[@shusui9665]

so it will fit with a u12a chromax?

[@Plecter]

Thank you for such an in-depth review explaining alle the 'if's' and possible configurations!

[@josephb5989]

I just bought this case and you blew my mind with how it's able to be configured for a reverse build. Opened up my AIO options a ton

[@neilg97]

I got mine yesterday. Its a good case. I'd say best functionality comes with ITX and SFX PSU, but larger in volume than what would be termed as an SFX case. I put a m-ATX board in with full size ATX PSU in mine as an APU build, but there are lots of hardware compromises if that is the way you choose to go. Definitely a better bet to go with small form mobo and PSU if you can as you can work in it with little, if any compromise, although there are smaller alternatives (NR200 being a good one) at around the same price if looking only for ITX/SFF

[@stephanweinberger]

do the bottom fans have enough clearance to the front-panel connectors of an mATX board?

[@ilichio]

this is an awesome, tiny and cheap case. thanks to this review I decided to go for it as I was looking for a small case for my mATX but with out having to buy a new power supply. the only issue for me is that in Mexico it's only sold with the glass panel.

[@aditiaprima8124]

try cube gaming axel

[@LastSecBloomer]

FSP CST350 Plus is another (slighly fancier) clone of this case, which became pretty popular. In the US, it is known as Sama IM01. If you're interested in it, you can find a ton of threads and builds on r/mffpc subreddit...

[@budthecyborg4575]

For american shoppers this case is the SAMA IM01 being sold for $55. Yes it is exactly the same case. My setup has the Sapphire Nitro+ 7900XTX in the bottom position occupying three GPU mounting brackets. The GPU fits almost exactly within a few millimeters but with ONE modification, just to the left of the GPU mounting brackets (seen here 1:57 ) there is the back end of a screw holding a magnet to the outside of the case, this screw must be ground down by about 2mm for complete clearance of the largest GPU coolers.

[@strelokscar2578]

Great review and very detail oriented. You spotted the little quirks with this case. I was thinking about getting the updated version of this case IM02 white. Using a Sliger S620 ATM but this is interesting because of the M-ATX support. Thank you!

[@us7876]

Was about to migrate from my Core V21 aka "the microwave" and this was SUPER helpful, otherwise I've spent hours looking through SAMA IM-01's clones spec sheets. Clearances and "ifs" straight to the point in this awesome case. Liked and subbed! much love❤

[@Spork888]

So in depth. Seriously, thank you.

[@QueueTeePies]

If you're in the US, Newegg sells it under Sama IM-01.

[@xXxBaptistxXx]

Thank you for the review. This case is perfect for my small homeserver!

[@STSYT]

You’re welcome! I’m sure it will do it’s job

[@thiagodcano]

i have two of this case, you can actually use a top aio and thick gpu if use a sfx psu and mitx mobo.

[@miguelmc2289]

There's a rebrand of this one, the FSP CST350 Plus. The only differences are at the front: mesh front panel and USB-C port. I like it but the problem is I really wanted liquid cooling. Any suggestion for similar mATX case that I can fit a 240 AIO? Thank you for such an in-depht review exploring all the configuration possibilities of this case. That was awesome

[@tpfeiffer1986]

Hab das Gehäuse direkt gekauft und nach etwas Tüftelei eine 240er AiO für die CPU und eine 120er AiO für die RTX3070 FE mit Kühlblock verbaut und das ganze ohne Case-Flip. Es geht, wenn man denn möchte. 58€ bestens angelegt :)

[@thiagodcano]

there is a LOT of options to build with this case

[@Listener11111]

I believe it's also known as Tecware Fusion and Sama IM01, and also some other names. Also, you've said Dark Rock Pro 4 didn't fit, right? If I understand correctly, dark rock non-pro might fit as it is several mms shorter?

[@Tekillyah]

Looks like Tecware Fusion.

[@04dram04]

I think these micro atx cases should be more popular

[@seifenspender]

Thanks for the great review! This looks like an awesome 4xHDD + 4x NVMe micro-ATX NAS case. Exactly what I was looking for. Sadly my Fractal Node 304 (while having enough internal volume) can only fit 5mm shorter motherboards than mine, so this looks like a good replacement.

[@aneeshprasobhan]

Pretty sure its not German Engineering , its just a SAMA IM01 case designed and made in China just rebranded by Americans and Germans with different names with a 100 € markup.

[@nobody_there_]

This video is brillant !... I will try to install my micro ATX + 1080+ water cooling. I will let you know... THE reverse idea, is really needed for a water cooling. They should be more explicit about that !

[@stephanweinberger]

There are so many weird design decisions in this case... The biggest flaw for me is the mounting position of the bottom fans. They are centered on the floor panel, which means they interfere with the connectors on micro-ATX mainboards (particularly the huge USB3 plug). This kinda defeats one of the main selling points of this case... Why not just provide holes to mount the fans off-center? Or provide holes to mount 3x 92mm fans instead of 2x 120mm? Another flaw are those stupid plastic clips to mount the panels. They know why they provide a full replacement set in the box... Mine lastet less than 2 weeks until every single one of them was broken. Terrible quality! In the end I simply replaced them with adhesive round 8x0.8mm magnets. Six of those are more than enough to hold the side panel in place - much more reliable, and *much* better haptic! Cost: about $0.02 apiece if you buy in bulk. The hinged magnetic slot bracket cover in the back is also just completely useless (and yes, it reliably demagnetizes screwdrivers, even when you take care not to touch the magnet, just by turning them in its proximity). Seriously, who needs a hinged cover ... to cover *screws*?! If it were a tool-less mechanism it would make at least some sense, but when you already need a screwdriver to mount PCI cards you can just as well unscrew a cover plate. Omitting that hinged thingymagick would have easily covered the cost for magnets on the side panels. Finally, the last annoyance is that you can only mount an 80mm (!) fan in the back - not even a 92mm, nevermind a standard 120mm. There would be enough space, if they had not added the vertical GPU mount option - which is completely pointless, as there is no side window anyways! ... so many wasted opportunities to make this a _truly_ great case... 😞 btw. I seriously consider designing a custom fan bracket to address the first issue. Shouldn't be too complicated with a laser or water-jet cutter and a folding machine. Does anyone know a fabricator for one-off/small-series metalwork?

[@Eaglos]

Have you tried it with m-atx board and standard 25mm width bottom fans; There seems to be a conflict with the matx board IO pins. For me this would have been the ideal case if it was at 20cm width instead of tje 18,5. Otherwise, if I were to go with m-itx and sfx psu, it is a waste of space.

[@STSYT]

It’s been more than a year since touching the case, so it’s quite hard to remember the exact interior layout. If I remember correctly, depending on the mobo, the plugs could be touching the fans, but still be usable?

[@Eaglos]

@@STSYT Thank you for the reply. From what I have seen, it is a hit or miss with the bottom fans and mobo spacing. On the other hand, judging from NR200, the bottom fans don't play that much of a role in the overall temps.

[@machkick2]

NR200's big brother, nice!

[@MaggiWuerz]

very nicely and clearly explained. thanks a lot!

[@Dfain94F]

SKTC S200 is sub 20L and has full MATX and ATX PSU support

[@STSYT]

Nice one, didn't know about the brand before

[@sparkplugbarrens]

So basically an nr200 with matx support (although the nr200 supports some smaller matx boards). It's kind of a miss in my opinion, that you can't fit a fan above the atx psu bracket.

[@sparkplugbarrens]

I would focus more on what is possible with the case rather than criticizing the manual.

[@setokaiba5065]

actually, you can mount an 240 AIO water cooling even when you have an mATX motherboard and an SFX PSU if the radiator length is shorter than 275mm

[@STSYT]

The amount of ‘ifs’ is uncanny.

[@setokaiba5065]

@@STSYT Well, I can recommend some model like MAG 240R or Galahad 240. It costs much much times to find, but after all, it's worth

[@elib7467]

Tell me why.. right after he said “let’s watch something enjoyable” my video played an ad 😂

[@Havanu81]

So a bigger but iferior nr200 with matx support. Because basically all of the features seem the same, including being able to mount an ATX psu with an additional bracket.

[@etbiiim]

Seems at a cooler master nr200 🤔

[@lahojaqueflota]

I just picked this up at Micro Center, except it's branded as the Lian Li Lancool 185m.

[@denns0r]

What about an ATX Power Supply, that has its outlets on the right. Like the Corsair Shift Series? They're a bit cheaper then the sfx 750 watts from corsair.

[@budthecyborg4575]

2:56 It should be noted that an MATX motherboard does NOT fit with the default PSU mounting location, PSU has to be moved to the front.

[@solanumtuberosa]

Can it handle a combo of matx mobo+ a full size atx psu?

[@budthecyborg4575]

@@solanumtuberosa I have not tried it but it should fit the full ATX PSU beside the MATX motherboard. Do note, the full size PSU will leave almost no room for the GPU, if you use an ATX PSU you should effectively subtract the height of that PSU from the available GPU space.

[@solanumtuberosa]

@@budthecyborg4575 I was wondering if a bottom mounted psu with vertical gpu + bottom top airflow with 240mm aio would work

[@marksulloway5669]

For an air cooler try either the Noctua D12L at 145mm or the Thermalright Silver Soul 135 (mm).

[@ptzzz]

Thanks for this in depth review of that case which is one of many versions of the SAMA IM-01. I'm looking at one of said versions (Tecware Fusion) which costs about $50 USD in my country. And I think my current build in my Darkflash DLM21 Mesh case would fit without needing to downsize my hardware since I have an mATX board, 270mm gpu, 153mm heatsink, 2 sata ssds, and 5 Arctic P12 PWM PST fans. My concerns lie with my Corsair CV450 psu due to the amount of cables to manage and the bottom places front panel headers on my motherboard.

[@ptzzz]

Update on this : Currently in the process of migrating my build and the USB 3 connector on my matx motherboard is the biggest issue as I either can use 2 bottom mount fans but no front panel USB or 1 bottom fan and front panel USB 3. I'd have to get a flexible USB 3 front panel extender cable which would hopefully resolve that.

[@lakaymark]

Thanks for information was able to fit a ak620 air cooler

[@kikkom4n]

i have a 140mm length atx psu and a 318mm gpu (strix 3070ti). do you think it would fit the case?

[@xx_raphaelo_xx7594]

Bro you deserve more views!

[@STSYT]

Thank! It means a lot

[@xx_raphaelo_xx7594]

@@STSYT accually I'm gonna buy this case👍. This review answerd all my questions. Thank you. Btw: Bist du Deutsch?

[@FynnR]

Hey STS thanks for the review! I'm planning on building a DIY NAS and this case is amongst the smallest case with 5x 3,5" HDD mounts. Would you say this is a good choice for that purpose? Seems like one would miss out on fans when many HDDs are attached? I found the reversible feature in the product page on the inter tech website, so they are now disclosing this 😉 Very very great review and case, I will come back to your channel in the future!

[@uioda8569]

I have a question can you put an atx psu in this case ?

[@STSYT]

I’m pretty sure that was said in the video

[@dev9033]

why in the first , you use old gpu? seem bad :(

[@STSYT]

Because it was the biggest we had at the time

[@ethanwatanabe8277]

Looks a lot like the sama im quaza and techware fusion case

[@STSYT]

Or one of the other one.

[@dougstone7962]

Well it is a rebranded SAMA IM01 so yes.

[@EffectualPoet]

No front ventilation = dealbreaker

[@joseqmedina101]

right. like air only flows towards one direction ever. it is design for side intake

[@thoughtsofapeer]

OMG; I have been looking for this for so long, the SAMA IM01 without any luck in Denmark. Then I fall over your channel and here it is with this weird name lol. So cheap even in Denmark. Thank you. But I don't think it is German engineering tbh; seems like Taiwanese ;)

[@MicroageHD]

No, the company is located in Langenhagen, Germany.

[@leester9487]

Couln't find it anywhere in the USA so I got the SAMA IM01

[@Barecovi]

How are the bottom fans clearance with mATX mobo, somewhere i red there is no space for them if using mATX. Also if I use ATX PSU I can fit only one top fan? Thank you, amazing very informative review btw.

[@STSYT]

It will depend on if/and with what the bottom PCIe port is used. If you are just installing a GPU in the top port, it should work just fine. (though you want to install the USB/Front IO before mounting the fans). But if you are going to put something like a chunky network card in there, there might be issues. For the ATX PSU, yes. Using one would limit the top fan spot to 1x. I'm glad you enjoyed it :)

[@krino8137]

I got a ATX PSU and my GPU is 300mm - any chances to fit ?

[@STSYT]

Nope, don’t think so

[@tinnywinny06]

Will this fit AK620 cooler?

[@vinceknight34]

is it possible to put an aio cooler then flip the case upside down

[@mirlenahildavillacortaolaz8766]

That case is the fat brother of the Cooler Master NR200.

[@STSYT]

Si

[@vensroofcat6415]

Nice case for a good price. If I could add something, that would be 15..20mm thickness for more CPU cooling options (and huge recent GPU), rear 120mm fan (intake probably) and a USB C front connector. Well done and detailed presentation!

[@mickaelsflow6774]

That would defeat the purpose of the size tho

[@vensroofcat6415]

@@mickaelsflow6774 ​Nah, it's some container shipping limitations or some other obscure business reason, but a lot of budget mATX cases have been around 190mm wide forever, which prohibits usage of many great air cooler towers by just a few mm. Make those cases 10mm wider and no one will notice? btw recently a few cases have been made around 20.5cm. Like the famous ASUS Prime AP201. But that one is a bit oversized to be perfect in other dimensions.

[@KHALILALIZADEH-b8e]

How much does this weight ??

[@MASViper]

So, it's possible to install a 280mm rad? How?

[@bhaveshdevjani3278]

Shouldn't the psu fan side be on the open end?

[@MichaelMEndenhall]

Anyone know how to buy this in the USA?

[@NippyNep]

wouldnt say this is the smallest matx case, its pretty big

[@STSYT]

The smallest one will always be the box the Mobo came in. But you need to consider other things like PSU/GPU compatibility. Going bare minimum would be something like one of those ultra-mini cases where you will only fit the mobo + an APU with a mini passive heatsink on there. But I would not consider this to be a "real" PC "Case" for the average consumer.

[@namelessmusik4345]

Has someone mamaged to get a 120mm IOA into this case

[@libbsupremacist9398]

Can 2x 80mm fans fit on the rear or just 1?

[@sarabaya5977]

hi,excusme its posible asrock 6650xt challenger with a atx psu? the gpu its 269mm the specifications of the case say its posible but after wacthed this video idk sorry and thanks!!

[@Gadgetmawombo]

Is there the option for dual steel vented steel panels? I hate tempered glass side panels with a passion.

[@1986Hikaru]

Yes. And they're pretty.

[@Axzry]

hello, should i get a ML120L or M22 for my i710700KF? i think a ML240L will sync up better with my rgb but the M22 performs better. let me know

[@STSYT]

I would take the ML240, a 240mm is a far better option for a 10700k

[@Axzry]

@@STSYT ok, thank you

[@jasongallardo6391]

Can I fit two 120mm fans on the side panel bracket if I'm using an ATX PSU? I feel like the body of the ATX PSU will block right slot for one 120mm fan when using the side panel bracket.

[@STSYT]

You'll be able to do so. Sure it won't be the biggest space imaginable, but enough to make it work fine.

[@ksaphier]

is it okay to face the video card up? like installing the case reversed with the gpu horizontal

[@maizantwaichi5779]

The design, 99% seems similar like tecware fusion case

[@STSYT]

Yep, that's rebranding

[@rumplin]

Help me out here, I want to use this case for a NAS build, can I use 4x 3.5" drives with an ATX psu? Air cooling and no GPU.

[@panman1964]

have you changed your lighting?

[@STSYT]

Yes a couple of videos ago. We turned the table 90° to have more space between me and the hardware-shelf. Though, for now, there will be only 2 more videos with this set. We just finished building an entirely new set with colored lights and whatnot ^^ so you can except quite the change in the near future.

[@panman1964]

Ahhhhh. Just looked "darker"

[@bernreccion]

Is it possible to fit 6 slim fans (2 top, 2 side, 2 bottom) with a matx mobo and an atx psu (semi modular)?

[@Mr.McWatson]

Can tell it's german due to the fact it's somehow the most complicated case

[@Frey_64]

I want this case so much, but they only sell it in Europe??

[@RWM_]

It seems to be mostly sold out, but it also has more names. Original name is Sama IM01, Krux Naos (Poland), Itek Evoke..

[@dragonld123]

Lets suppose I use a micro atx motherboard, an ATX psu and place the GPU horizontal as normal. Can I fit 2x120 fans top 2x120 fans side 2x120 fans bot ? How much is the max cpu height using fans at side?

[@jin4502]

this is basically sama quzao

[@spicynoodleboi]

From the description, it states this case can fit 5 3.5" hard drives, would you say that's accurate? I'm thinking of grabbin this for my unraid build (which is just an optiplex 3010). There's no GPU in the build so hoping that will give me space for drives.

[@gringogenious8796]

top quality content

[@Nikolai_Hamann]

"this case is not built for water cooling" pointless review.. i have this case with 2x 240mm EKWB radiators, matx board, sfx power supply, pump, reservoir, gpu and cpu block . And I still have space on the side for 2x 120mm slim fans

[@STSYT]

Somebody could install 2x 360 and 2x 240 rads in an empty shoebox. That doesn’t make it a good watercooling shoebox. Cool that you managed to squeeze so much in there, happy for you. But I stand to what I said. Considering alternatives and the way it’s built, it’s not the ideal water cooling case, there are better alternatives. The case is still awesome though

[@ВладБурковський-ш3е]

Will the asus m5a78l-m lx3 motherboard fit into this case? (24.4 x 18.8)

[@STSYT]

That's microATX isn't it? Should be fine then.

[@ВладБурковський-ш3е]

@@STSYT Micro-ATX motherboard dimensions Height 244 mm Width 188 mm

[@ВладБурковський-ш3е]

@@STSYT thanks for the answer

[@skidrow-black]

Not much airflow for the gpu

[@the-patient-987]

I'm tired of RGB and windowed panels. I need another version of this case that can fit an ATX motherboard with the PSU next to it on the same side and 2 T30's or 140's at the bottom, side and top. I also don't know why nobody made a cage to mount 2 (maybe 3) 2,5" drives to the PSU bracket. Also, as per NR200 testing results shared by Machines & More, ideal CPU cooling requires a fan on side bracket and top down cooler like Scythe Shuriken 3.

[@MrE1981]

Good luck using an ATX psu without custom cables in this case!!

[@STSYT]

I've had to do that during the review process. Yes (very) hard. Though I think if you get into these kinds of Cases you have to assume that

[@gutwallst6645]

Germans complicating stuff? No Way!! here is my Shocked face 😎

[@parcoyu7103]

Hey, I’m currently building with this case right now, just wondering how or where can I get the PSU cable through ? I’m using a ATX PSU, does that mean I have to keep the top panel open to get the cable through?

[@STSYT]

There's a PSU cable pre-mounted inside the case. It starts in the back where you should be connecting your power cable, and ends in the front-top of the case where the PSU will be positioned. You don't need to connect your own cable to the PSU, just to the extension.

[@louismiguel8432]

will it fit in a bag to carry for lan parties hehehe

[@Dazai-0samu]

"to make it more complicated"

[@marcin_karwinski]

Is it actually German? Seems about the same as Polish company's Krux Naos, and also looks the same as Chinese and EAP region's popular Sama IM01, or Tecware Fusion, or Cube Gaming Axle, or Nox Hummer... It's basically the same case, albeit sold by different OEMs/SIs under their own branding, some have no special flavor designs, some even apply a form of a trademarked feature flare around/on the front panel (a bit of engraving here and there, slightly different paint color for the coating, presence or lack-there-of of the filters or extra features such as riser cables etc.).

[@JamesPearson1]

What's the biggest air cooler you can get into this thing? Would a hyper 212 fit?

[@STSYT]

According to spec sheet, it's max 155mm. Though I was able to fit some slightly bigger ones when ignoring that front fan bracket. I don't want you to blindly believe me here as I don't have a hyper 212 to test it, but I would assume that it still fits.

[@sushantade9891]

I did able to fit hyper 212 without fan bracket

[@christiandreyer8506]

👍

[@JiajuChen]

Seems like a ripoff SAMA im01, which was released a while ago and sold very well in the chinese market.

[@blogJM]

It's a rebadge case so more like Chinese engineering :)

[@albertwesker4266]

Its not german... its chinese sama im01 rebrand ...

[@שלמה-נ1ח]

And the sama im01 is basically a fake of the nr200 so who cares

[@albertwesker4266]

@@שלמה-נ1ח or nr200 is a fake of im01 🤷🤷

[@1nicko29]

the panels of this chassis look thin and in the amazon customer-reviews people mention bending them therefor it will also be a very noisy system-enclousure. what was left out completely is the cable management capabilities in this box. it looks really difficult since there is at the most 5mm space behind the motherboard tray. also when installing a full size power-supply(has very long cables) and mATX-motherboard it looks like the 24-pin boardpower-connector could be very hard to reach. is that why here in the review cables were not connected at all??? thats a bit lazy. and the recording mic sucks big time unfortunately but nice, detailed, high res and close up views.

[@boudewijn2648]

"German engineering" 😅