Dimastech Mini Review
Category : Cases
Published by Luca Rocchi on 16.05.14
Dimastech Mini is one of the smaller benchtables on the market and despite its compact measurements it's compatible with E-ATX and XL-ATX motherboards. The bench test uses two levels to manage and organize all components and offers interesting solutions. The product is available on official site in differents colors, on the following pages we will analyze the Dimastech Mini Aurora (smurf) Blue.
Today we will take a look at yet another bench table, this time from Dimastech,
called the Mini. This is one of the smallest bench table on the market but despite the size,
it is compatible with a lot of form factors.
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Preview
Specifications
| Model |
DimasTech Mini V1.0 |
| Case Type |
Benchtest |
| Dimensions |
340 x 370 x 120 mm |
| Material |
1.5 mm thick sheet steel, with CNC laser cutting |
| Color |
Aurora
(smurf) Blue |
| 5.25'' drive
bay |
2 |
| 3.5'' drive bay |
3 + 1 |
| Expansion
slots |
7 |
| Form factors |
ATX, Full ATX, MicroAtx, XL-ATX, Mini ATX |
| Cooling |
1x 120mm |
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Bundle
Overview |
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| Dimastech Mini comes
packed in a single box which contains all the required hardware for the installation of the Mini. The accessories are well separated inside the package. The bundle includes instructions, PCI-E bracket, one 120mm fan supports, power and reset buttons with cables and all the needed screws.
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Product descriptions
Overview |
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The
Dimastech Mini comes with a clean, simple lines and the design which does not require
any special care during installation of the components. From the first
contact you will notice the strength of the structure as the test bench
has two different levels for the installation of all components and sits on four solid rubber feet screwed directly into the chassis.
The Dimastech Mini is made of 1.5mm thick steel. Despite its compact size (340mm depth x 370mm width x 120mm height),
it still supports all major motherboards on the market, including the Micro-ATX, Mini-ATX, ATX, Full ATX
and XL-ATX form factors. On the Dimastech Mini you can install up to 2 5.25inch
devices and 3+1 3.5"/2.5" ones. For our test we used an ATX platform with a
longer graphic card without incurring compatibility issues. Unfortunately, the Mini does not offer mounting brackets for radiators, however, the
manufacturer did not leave anything to chance and made some good routing for cable management and a huge window for the installation of the toughest backplate. Thanks to the good cable management and to the fact that all peripherals are on the lower plan, with
the Dimastech Mini it is pretty easy to obtain a very clean setup. Despite
the fact that many motherboards have remote power and reset buttons directly on the PCB, the package
includes two buttons for power and reset.
The fan support, called FlexFan 120, supports 120mm fans and allow a flow of air directly on the hottest components. This solution is very good since you will be able to reach the smallest hottest zone on your motherboard. Like the bench table, the support is
also sturdy and can be used also for a small 120mm radiator. |
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Installation
Overview |
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The included instructions are not very clear when it comes to installation of the components and since we had an early revision of this bench table, we had a pretty good idea what to do and how to mount levels and components. The process is not complicated so it should be very easy to mount. As we said, the top level is for
the motherboard and the other hardware components, so in order to install the motherboard you need to place the standoffs, nothing complicated. The lower level holds the HDDs, 5.25" peripherals and the power supply. Regarding the power supply, we used a not-modular
model without any problems regarding space or the cable management. The power supply has a place in back part of the level and can be mounted easily with just four thumb screws.
The HDDs and SSDs are located in the front part of the lower level and
are screwed to the cages with thumb screws and anti-vibrations washers. In addition, on the left external side,
it is also possible to install a single "on-the-fly" HDD or SSD.
For our test we used an EVGA ATX form factor motherboard. We did not see any incompatibility problems with
the memory or the CPU cooler, and the installation was simple as expected. Also, the supports for the expansion cards fit perfectly into the holes of the graphics card so it does not need any pressure on the brackets or other components.
The ventilation of the Dimastech Mini allows the installation of one 120mm fan on the flexible arm, but on the official site, you can purchase additional supports. |
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Conclusion
| General |
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| We were pleasantly surprised by the quality of the materials used for this product.
The Dimastech Mini offers compatility with the most common form factors. The steel sheets provide a pleasant feel to the touch. The layout is well thought out and implemented, the cable routing is very well made and this product is perfect for overclockers that
do not need water cooling system components. |
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- Design
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| Manufacturing quality / Ergonomics |
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| The build quality is on a very good level. Overall, the used
materials are well made, material thickness, paint finish, and everything
else is of high quality. The installation process is quick and intuitive, but also does not need a screwdriver, since everything is toolfree.
Cable managment is very good and you get three huge cut-outs for 24-pin motherboard, PCI-ex and 8-pin CPU
cables which is the decent amount for the product size. The Dimastech Mini
also has many small features which makes this bench table a very good product. Despite the size of the product, we would
also liked to see a small spot for a 240mm radiator, which could have
been placed behind the HDD cages, close to the PSU. |
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- Build
quality
- Cable management on
the back of the motherboard tray- Power and Reset buttons hole |
- No space for radiator
- No USB |
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| Design |
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+ |
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| The Dimastech Mini uses a very classic and clean design, the product is made on two differents levels, the first one is for motherboard and other components while the second for HDDs/SSDs and PSU. Our sample features a
rahter odd blue-tone, called "Aurora Blue",
and at the official site you can select an infinite amount of colors. |
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- Design
- Color
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| Recommendation |
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| The Mini from Dimastech is listed on Geizhals.eu for around 90 Euros excluding shipping costs. The price is very good and in line with other similar products.
The Dimastech Mini is a very functional bench table. |
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- Price |
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| Rating |
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The Dimastech Mini
smurfs good
4 out of 5 stars. |
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