14 DAY TRIAL // For a computer to qualify as a miniature PC, or mini PC, having a micro-ATX case is not enough. The chassis needs to be at most mini-ITX-ready in size, though some may disagree. On that same note, the hardware within needs to make sacrifices in order to fit.
And yet, there are certain hardware platforms and components that can provide a mini PC with performance better than that of some full-size desktops. Especially if a short-PCB graphics card of reasonable performance is involved.
When Cooltek created the UMX1 Plus chassis, it chose to turn it into one of those cases that can house a better than average system, despite the size.
That's why coolers don't need to be abysmally small, and why there is a full-size power supply bay instead of a small one.
The Cooltek UMX1 Plus premium mini-ITX chassis
Available in both a simple and a windowed form, the chassis can be colored either black or silver, owing to the material it's made of.
The black is the only one painted. The other one just lets the aluminum panels exposed in all their pseudo-matte glory.
Speaking of the panels, they are 2 mm thick, which is better than for many full-size mid-tower and tower cases.
The windowed model may as well be said to not actually have a window, since the whole side panel is actually a tinted acrylic sheet. Everything is held together by a SGCC steel frame 0.8 to 1 mm thick.
As you can see in the attached gallery, the “foot” of the chassis is actually the deliberately curved and bent front/top/back framework. It's not a single piece though, from what the pictures show.
As for technical specs, you can find a standard ATX PSU bay (near the front side rather than the back), space for a 270 mm dual-slot graphics card (10.62 inches), room for a cooler of 130 mm in height (5.11 inches), and drive bays for one 3.5-inch storage device (HDDs/ SSDs) and two 2.5-inch ones (mostly SSDs).
All in all, the Cooltek UMX1 Plus premium mini-ITX case measures 160 x 300 x 345 mm / 6.29 x 11.81 x 13.58 inches and weighs 3.2 kilos / 7.05 pounds.
Availability and pricing
The Cooltek UMX1 Plus premium mini-ITX chassis, both in windowed and non-windowed form, should be up for sale soon, but the company didn't say when or for what price, sadly. At least the product pages exist.
