Jonsbo UMX3 Review
Category : Cases
Published by Luca Rocchi on 25.11.15
The UMX3 is an elegant and classy case from Jonsbo. In order to also make mATX users happy, Jonsbo to introduce yet another UMX case, since the UMX1 and UMX2 are compatible with mini-ITX and ATX motherboards. The UMX3 is made from aluminum and the case is compatible with ATX PSU as well as high-end graphics cards. Apart from that this case is available in black or silver and with or without a side window made from smoke acrylic glass.
Rating |
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Cooling |
Features |
Layout |
Build Quality |
Value for Money |
| Pros |
+ Up to 160mm for CPU cooler
+ Dust filters |
+ Compatible with ATX PSU
+ Aluminum chassis |
+ Interior
space
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+ Good build quality |
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| Cons |
- Not compatible with all 120mm radiators
- No 120mm fans holes on top |
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- Internal build quality not on the usual level |
- High price |
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Preview
Specifications
| Model: |
UMX3 |
| Case Type: |
Mid tower |
| Dimensions: |
188 mm (W) x 365 mm (H) x 358 mm (D) |
| Material: |
Outside: |
Aluminum |
| Inside: |
Magnesium 1.0mm + SGCC 1.2mm |
| Color: |
Black |
| Drive Bay: |
5.25": |
/ |
| 3.5": |
1 |
| 2.5": |
3 |
| Expansion
slots: |
4 |
| Form factors: |
mATX, miniITX |
| Cooling: |
Front: |
/ |
| Rear: |
1x 120mm (included) |
| Top: |
1x 140mm (included) |
| Bottom: |
/ |
| Side: |
/ |
| Link to the product: |
Jonsbo UMX3 |
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Features
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Product overview
Overview |
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| The Jonsbo UMX3 is a small case designed for mATX motherboards and high-end graphics cards. Unlike most PC cases, there are no large openings in the front and its outer shell is very smooth, since it has been made from aluminum. Only the rear and top panels features a mesh, which helps realizing decent cooling. The build quality is good, which is what we've come to expect from this manufacturer. When it comes to the side panel, there is not much to say since are both quite simple and without openings. Jonsbo offers also another version with a full and big plexyglass panel, which allows you to see your hardware. On this model, the I/O connectors have been located
at the front in the bottom and they include two USB3.0 ports, two USB2.0 ports and the classic 3.5mm audio jacks. |
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Installation
Overview |
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| The UMX3 from Jonsbo is amongst the smaller mATX cases we have tested so far. Despite its compact dimensions there is enough space available on the inside. The motherboard is placed vertically with the socket and slots facing towards the side panel while the power supply has been put in the front part of the case. As far as the storage options, you can equip the UMX3 with up to one 3.5" HDD and three 2.5" devices. All HDDs are positioned on slides which
can be fixed to the bottom of the case. Measuring only 188 x 365 x 358 mm, the UMX3 allows installing high-end graphics cards and small-sized ATX power supplies. For our test system, we used a fully modular ATX PSU and there was no issue.
Due to the size of the case, mid-range tower coolers or AiO watercooling systems have to be used, otherwise there's not enough space. Despite the claimed compatibility with watercooling systems we were not able to place radiators in the back and the top of the case. On the rear we found an incompatibility between the radiator and one of the internal profile of the case, while at the top there is only one slot for 140mm fan not retrocompatible with 120mm fan. The be quiet! cooler in our pictures is in place only to see a complete build, but basically this cooler is too tall, which means the side panel cannot be closed anymore. As we already mentioned, you'd have to choose a medium-sized cooler with this case.
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Ventilation options
Overview |
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| From the cooling point of view, the Jonsbo UMX3 provides only a limited number of options. The package includes a Jonsbo 120mm fan with 3-pin header. In addition, if you are a watercooling lover, there is space to install a 120/140mm radiator on the outside of this cases top panel. |
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Temperatures
Overview |
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For testing purposes we are using an ASUS P8Z77-I ITX motherboard, an Intel Core i5-2500K CPU, which is cooled by a be quiet! Dark Rock 3 cooler as well as a Club3D R9 290X royalAce graphics card. To put the CPU under full load, we are running prime95 for 10 min and in the case of the GPU, we are using Furmark also for 10 minutes. The temperature ambient is set to 23°C. |
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All noise dampening panels installed |
Idle (°C) |
Full (°C) |
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Intel Core i5-2500K |
34 / 36 / 35 / 34 |
55 / 53 / 54 / 56 |
| Club3D R9 290X royalAce |
37 |
77 |
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Less is better |
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Conclusion
Overall the UMX3 from Jonsbo is a good case and it's overall a good solution for those, who'd like to build a very elegant and exclusive, small gaming PC. There is quite some space available on the inside of the case, which helps with good compatibility. We appreciate the very small dimensions of this case, and it's remarkable that there is room for a high-end dual-slot graphics card as well as an ATX power supply.
Despite initial concerns about the internal layout, Jonsbo did a good job arranging it. The build quality is overall good but not perfect. The main body is made high-quality aluminum while the internal alloy made, which consists of magnesium and SGCC steel isn't flawless. Although the side panels have been rounded, there is quite some space available on the inside. This case is also a lot about looks and this is where the UMX3 really scores. A quick look at cable management options reveals they're sufficient and allow hiding unwanted wires. The manufacturer is mentioning, that this case is compatible with watercooling systems. It's possible to install a 140mm radiator in the top and that's it. We would have appreciated a little more flexibility at this point. On the rear we found a physical incompatibility between the radiator and one of the internal profiles of the case. Due to the dimensions of this case it's not possibile to use high-end tower coolers (>160mm). Regarding the GPU, we have used a high-end graphics card without any issue. Although this case is compatible with mATX motherboards we do not recommend to use multi-GPU setups.
The Jonsbo UMX3 is available on PC-Cooling.de for 119.99 Euro, while the version with acrylic side panel costs 124.99 euro. Despite the rather rich bundle that includes two fans and a fan controller that allow you to have a case ready-to-use, we believe that the price of both versions is a bit steep. We award this case with
4 stars out of 5.
