SilverStone ALTA G1M

[Darksaber]

The SilverStone Alta G1M allows for an mATX board while offering enough room for a 360 mm radiator or potent air-cooling setup alongside a long graphics card. With its unique layout and compact shape, you should have no issues placing the chassis on your desk the same as you would much smaller cases out there.

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[jeremyshaw]

Thanks for reviewing this case.


I have the FT03, a very similar case from Silverstone from a decade ago. It seems Silverstone slimmed up the case a tiny bit (removing the backside 3.5" HDD mounts and HDD hot swap tray - they are not really as pertinent nowadays, IMO) and moving to a SFX PSU. Looks like the annoying first slot lip is gone, too (made anything other than a VGA or DVI plug nearly impossible to plug into a GPU - again, not as much of an issue in 2011, when DP and HDMI didn't really reign supreme yet).

Still just a tiny bit off of being a full ATX case. ATX MB compatibility could have really resolved a number of mATX MB choice issues that I already faced in 2011, nevermind 2019 (when I finally retired my FT03). FT02 was simply too large (from a bygonne era that used multiple 5.25" drives) and the FT05 used a rater suboptimal PSU layout w.r.t. footprint. FT03 mini was a poorly cut up SG05, instead of being a mini FT03.

I do like the overall concept. I know I paid ~$100+shipping for my FT03 back in 2011, and this seems inline with that for 2021. I used mine on the floor (slightly elevated), so I would still prefer top IO + "front panel" for this layout (FT03 et al were this way).

tl;dr: IMO, classic Silverstone case. 90% of the way there. Just a bit off in the overall implementation, rather than the concept or the details.

 

[mouacyk]

Another FT03 customer here. Thanks for reviewing this successor case. At 31 liters, surprised they couldn't manage to fit ATX PSUs, since a 360MM would more likely be needed to power beefier CPUs and GPUs. Been looking out for similar orientated cases and there are just not affordable options.

 

[Turmania]

I think with proper fan set up this case can be very good. Just a bit too tall and narrow for my comfort.

 

[dicktracy]

NR200 is smaller and cools better. MATX is a semi-dead form factor. It's either ITX or ATX. Make a smaller ITX version of this and try again

 

[TheinsanegamerN]

NR200 is smaller and cools better. MATX is a semi-dead form factor. It's either ITX or ATX. Make a smaller ITX version of this and try again

That's just silly, without dual GPUs there is 0 reason for ATX to continue. It's not like people want front expansion bays anymore either.

 

[claes]

The whole standard needs to go. Riser cables are a convenient fill-in but the ATX standards haven’t made sense from a cooling stand point on over a decade.

 

[80-watt Hamster]

Good to see someone continuing to design enclosures with a disk activity LED and front panel schtuff actually on the front panel.

 

[Camm]

Great case let down by being ugly IMO, lol.

 

[Ferrum Master]

Can you measure up, can you fit 360tie and a 240 side by side, the 240 above the PSU. With some rework to be done?

 

[aktpu]

I'll buy this case (in silver) when it becomes available in where I live. Let's just hope that some manufacturer shows love for mATX when next CPUs AMD ship

 

[trsttte]

NR200 is smaller and cools better. MATX is a semi-dead form factor. It's either ITX or ATX. Make a smaller ITX version of this and try again

Micro ATX might be dying but most graphics cards are at least 2 slots and it's getting very common to get close to 3 slots. If you're at 3 slots already doesn't really hurt to have 4 and allow micro ATX.

What could be really cool is if the DTX or mini DTX format gained traction and replaced the micro ATX, I like the micro ATX format but unfortunately all we get are half assed cheaper designs so I'd rather they killed it entirely.

 

[Turmania]

Micro atx is great standard the trouble is the boards for it is almost entirely for budget or business oriented. Asud had the gene series which was great.

 

[low]

This Alta or Hyte Revolt 3?

I keep my atx case for e-atx boards, but for 4 years i dont need 2nd gpu or more than 2x nvme drives. Itx is the way to go.

There is only one thing missing: one itx case with enough radiators and space for a small custom watercooling setup.

 

[claes]

There’s not much of a comparison between the two — the Alta is almost twice the size of the Revolt 3.

There are a lot of itx cases built for water cooling in the custom market, but pursuing custom water cooling in <20L is not for the faint of heart.

 

[rainwilds]

I love this case. The best mATX case I've seen to date. I built a 9900K rig using the Asus Maximus XI Gene motherboard in a custom Thermaltake Level 20 VT case. But this case is way smaller in size. Am going to buy this case the move the old rig into it.

 

[PCL]

The GPU being able to draw air in from the front panel is ingenious, imo. I look forward to buying one once it's available and using some acoustic isolation feet to put this thing on its side and rebuild my PC in it so it will fit in my entertainment center.

 

[LocutusH]

I have read somwhere, that some graphics cards dont like this vertical position. Their heatpipes dont fuction properly, and they are way hotter this way.
Can anyone confirm this issue?

 

[claes]

It’s true, but it’s usually only a few degrees lost.

 

[Camm]

I have read somwhere, that some graphics cards dont like this vertical position. Their heatpipes dont fuction properly, and they are way hotter this way.
Can anyone confirm this issue?

It should also be noted, it doesn't affect all designs, and the lack of case heat build up in vertical cases can negate any potential heat pipe heat gains.

 

[thebluebumblebee]

I think the most neglected part of the PC market is uATX. mITX has too many compromises, and ATX is larger than almost everyone need, IMHO.

 

[mouacyk]

I think the most neglected part of the PC market is uATX. mITX has too many compromises, and ATX is larger than almost everyone need, IMHO.

DTX would be fine too. Dedicated sound cards and 10Gbe are still nice-to-haves, that can be migrated from one system to another.

 

[John-Y128]

I think with proper fan set up this case can be very good. Just a bit too tall and narrow for my comfort.

I like the 'convection' functionality of 90deg rotated ITX and mATX layouts.

Micro ATX might be dying but most graphics cards are at least 2 slots and it's getting very common to get close to 3 slots. If you're at 3 slots already doesn't really hurt to have 4 and allow micro ATX.

What could be really cool is if the DTX or mini DTX format gained traction and replaced the micro ATX, I like the micro ATX format but unfortunately all we get are half assed cheaper designs so I'd rather they killed it entirely.

Spot on, I have a ITX board and WiFi5 (AC) on board, would love to have a small PCI slot to upgrade to WiFi6 or 6e (AX). mATX gives that flexibility.

NR200 is smaller and cools better. MATX is a semi-dead form factor. It's either ITX or ATX. Make a smaller ITX version of this and try again

I have a ITX board and would much rather have a mATX board, so I could upgrade to WiFi6 (AX) today.

 

[Diporas]

I have a ITX board and would much rather have a mATX board, so I could upgrade to WiFi6 (AX) today.

Most boards use m.2 or mini pcie wifi cards and you actually can replace it. Have done it with my gigabyte a520i ac

 

[John-Y128]

Most boards use m.2 or mini pcie wifi cards and you actually can replace it. Have done it with my gigabyte a520i ac

I have yet to see many WiFi6 or any 6e mini PCIe adaptors and no M.2 network adaptors WiFi5 or 6.
I was only able to update one of my AIO PC's to WiFi6 with a 'half height' mini PCIe adaptor, all my other ITX boards have no PCI3 slots available and WiFi5 is on the MB.