Final Thoughts
I was actually pretty excited to take a look at this case, but as I went through the installation my opinion of this case just got worse. For me the biggest issue with this case is that you really can’t use all graphics cards with it. If you have a card that is 130mm wide and over and has its power connections on the side of the card it is likely going to overhang the case. Now you can force the main side panel on which puts a lot of pressure on that power connection and actually starts to bend the case.
As I mentioned earlier I’m on with limitations on cases, especially smaller ones like this. The big issue here is that Redragon does not mention anything about this issue or give a specific limitation on how wide of a graphics card can be used with this case. Even in the official photos on their website they are using a 90-degree PCI-Express power adapter, so obviously this issue is known to them. Not mentioning it is pretty egregious.
And maybe being optimistic there was a communication issue between the case designers and people creating the PR and instructions for the case? I do have to say the actual instructions that come with the case are quite bad and pretty much useless. Being someone who’s built cases for years I rarely have to refer to instructions, but if I was a new first time builder with this case the instructions really wouldn’t help me at all.
Other issues worth mentioning with this case are the power supply mount and cooling options. While this case does support full-size ATX power supplies up to 160mm, if you actually plan to use a 160mm unit it is going to be cramped in there. On top of that you’ll likely have to route cables in front of the side cooling mount which blocks your airflow. Also if you are installing a Micro-ATX motherboard it is going to partially block the side mount as well. The case is actually lifted off the ground quite a bit and there is more than enough room for fans on the bottom of the case, but while the bottom of the case is ventilated there are no fan mounts here. The case also does not ship with any fans, although that is pretty common with these type of cases.
I do think this case looks quite good and the light bars on the bottom of the case are pretty cool. You can build a nice mini-ITX or Micro-ATX system inside this case, but it just would be nice to be aware of some major limitations from the actual company. Right now you can pick this case up at our favorite online retailer for $83.99. Overall ThinkComputers gives the Redragon MC211 ITX/M-ATX Case a 6 out of 10 score.
Pros:
– Price
– Sleek design with lightbar
– Supports both Micro-ATX and Mini-ITX
Cons:
– GPU limitations not listed by Redragon
– If you use a 160mm power supply it will be very cramped and cables will likely block the side cooling bracket
– Micro-ATX bracket blocks part of the side cooling bracket
– No cooling mount on the bottom of the case
– Instructions are pretty much useless
– Expansion slot lock falls off once removed and reinstalled
– Expansion slot covers bend off the case and cannot be reused
