Jonsbo U2 mini itx build

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klatox

Weaksauce
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Feb 13, 2013
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Case: Jonsbo U2 (silver)
PSU: Silverstone ST45F-G
Motherboard: MSI Z87i
RAM: Crucial Ballistix Sport Very Low Profile 8GB
SSD: Samsung EVO 250GB
CPU: Intel Core i5-4570
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-L9i
GPU: MSI GTX 760 Gaming ITX
Case Fan: Scythe GlideStream 120 PWM

Notes:

My first build in over 10 years, I had a lot to catch up on and figure out, of course.

  • I originally was going to go with the Asrock z87e motherboard and the Silverstone 550 ATX modular PSU, however, the Asrock board was DOA, so I sent it back and ended up with the MSI motherboard and the Silverstone SFX psu. The SFX PSU also gives a bit more wiggle room being smaller and having shorter modular cables. Really surprised how small that thing is!
  • My Intel stock fan made a horrid sound when I installed it, sounded like a remote control airplane flying around, so I swapped it out for the Noctua. Really nice unit and excellent packaging, and much quieter than the stock Intel.
  • I have disabled my Scythe fan for now, as it sounded like a jet engine when I booted up and the BIOS limits it to 50% minimum speed. It's a 4-pin connected it to the motherboard sysfan connector, not sure what's up with that. I was going to go with the Corsair H80i cooler, but I returned it as it would be a major pain in the ass to install it in this case.

As for the case itself, it's really solid and well-built, I was surprised by that. I expected it to be flimsy, but it's top notch if you ask me. Little rubbers here and there to stop vibration/scratches, case opens with 2 thumb screws. I'll post some pics if anyone wants them.

Cheers, thanks for reading and comments welcome.

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Perfect timing. I was searching for a build with this case just yesterday.

Pictures would be greatly appreciated.
 
Is there a filter on the front vents on side panel? As can't tell going to by picture search.
 
Glad someone else discovered this case as I just did! I've got the Rosewill version of the U2 in black, here's a pic I took. Sorry for the flash, my room isn't well lit.



Intel i5 4670k
ThermalRight AXP-100
Asus Maximus VI Impact
2x8Gb Crucial Ballistix Sport
Asus DirectCU Mini GTX 670
Samsung 2.5" 1Tb HDD
Mushkin 2.5"120Gb SSD
Silverstone Strider 750w PSU
BitFenix Spectre 120mm Fans


To the OP: You might want to rotate your SSD so the wires face the other direction (in toward the motherboard). I found the motherboard standoffs were long enough such that I could route my SSD and HDD cabling up and under the board to clean up the wires. Also, as you can seen in my pic, I routed the 8pin CPU, 24pin MB, and 8pin GPU cables behind the front fan mount, and it helped to clear space in front of the CPU cooler.

I also noticed through experimenting that the front fan in the case doesn't really draw air from outside the case. The ventilation slots on the sides of the case aren't super effective at drawing in air. If you have any temperature issues, you may want to reverse your airflow direction such that your rear fan is intake (it has a healthy 120mm grill) and your front fan is exhaust. The front fan does a decent job of pushing air out the vents, just not sucking it in.
 
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As soon as I saw your photo, was thinking "crap, I need to do some cable management on this thing!" :D

My 8pin GPU cable is unfortunately not long enough to feed behind the grill, so I'm going to have to have it hanging out there. I'll definitely look into feeding my drive cabling under the motherboard though, hadn't thought of that...is there any risk of shorting anything out when doing this?

Also, is your front fan mount effective at exhausting air when we've got all that cabling hidden right behind it?
 
nice builds. I just got the parts together for a similar hackintosh build.
 
klatox said:
As soon as I saw your photo, was thinking "crap, I need to do some cable management on this thing!" :D

My 8pin GPU cable is unfortunately not long enough to feed behind the grill, so I'm going to have to have it hanging out there. I'll definitely look into feeding my drive cabling under the motherboard though, hadn't thought of that...is there any risk of shorting anything out when doing this?

Also, is your front fan mount effective at exhausting air when we've got all that cabling hidden right behind it?
Click to expand...

If your cables are a little too short for management, you could consider the following Silverstone PP05 Short Cable set. I know it sounds whacky, but the short cable set made for Silverstone PSUs actually has slightly longer cabling than their SFX line of PSUs. They're much shorter than the standard ATX cables though. The set can be had for about $20 on Amazon.

http://www.silverstonetek.com/product.php?pid=219

As far as the shorting goes, as long as your cables are insulated you'll be good to go. If you want to be extra cautious, tape the cables to the inside wall of the case so they'll never even be able to touch the back side of the motherboard when you lay it down on top of them.

In regard to the front fan, I don't have any PSU cables tucked between the fan mount and the front face of the case. The cables are actually sandwiched between the bracket and the side wall of the case nearest to the front of the motherboard (next to the RAM slots where the 24 and 8 pin sockets sit). Because the fan is mounted in the center of the front panel, there is a channel of room to the inside of it.

Good luck!
 
Love this case. I just wish GPU makers would make something slightly more powerful then the 760 & 270x in the MITX format.
 
So is the bottom completely ventilated/perforated? Hard to tell.

Looks like there is plenty of room on the rear fan mount for a H60 radiator.
How are the temps at load/gaming?
 
Morbo66 said:
So is the bottom completely ventilated/perforated? Hard to tell.

Looks like there is plenty of room on the rear fan mount for a H60 radiator.
How are the temps at load/gaming?
Click to expand...

Bottom is perforated although covered pretty easily by two 2.5" drives. The case will support up to two 3.5" drives (one mounted vertically at the front of the case, one at the bottom of the case) but if you put a 3.5" drive at the bottom of the case it blocks the space that the 2nd slot of a GPU would occupy. So you can go single slot GPU + 3.5" drive or dual slot + 2.5" drive.

There is room to mount an H60 above and below the fan mount (the radiator won't hit the PSU or GPU).

Temperatures for me are fine (CPU idle around 35C, GPU around 34C, HDDs at 28C, and loads in the 60s and 70s on the CPU/GPU). My case fans are voltage regulated to about 750 RPM. My 4670k is at 4.4Ghz at 1.132V (I got lucky on the voltage lottery) so I may not reflect the average user, but the main source of heat in my case is the GTX 670. I've noticed that while gaming removing the side panel lowers case temperatures by about 10C, but heat has never been an issue.

My biggest take-away from this build is the fact that ventilation is poor. You need to use the rear case fan as an intake in order to bring in any fresh air at all. The side vents at the front of the case, as I mentioned earlier in the thread, just don't work well for intake. Because of this I would also avoid using an AIO watercooler like the H60 because it will stifle airflow into the case (or out of it depending on your fan setup) and even if it drops your CPU temps, your other components will see a rise I am sure. If airflow was just a tad better, my GTX 670 wouldn't even be sweating.
 
jamesman32 said:
....

My biggest take-away from this build is the fact that ventilation is poor. You need to use the rear case fan as an intake in order to bring in any fresh air at all. The side vents at the front of the case, as I mentioned earlier in the thread, just don't work well for intake. Because of this I would also avoid using an AIO watercooler like the H60 because it will stifle airflow into the case (or out of it depending on your fan setup) and even if it drops your CPU temps, your other components will see a rise I am sure. If airflow was just a tad better, my GTX 670 wouldn't even be sweating.
Click to expand...
Yeah, Jonsbo isn't known for intelligent airflow concepts.. damn noobs. :(
 
jamesman32 said:
Bottom is perforated although covered pretty easily by two 2.5" drives. The case will support up to two 3.5" drives (one mounted vertically at the front of the case, one at the bottom of the case) but if you put a 3.5" drive at the bottom of the case it blocks the space that the 2nd slot of a GPU would occupy. So you can go single slot GPU + 3.5" drive or dual slot + 2.5" drive.

There is room to mount an H60 above and below the fan mount (the radiator won't hit the PSU or GPU).

Temperatures for me are fine (CPU idle around 35C, GPU around 34C, HDDs at 28C, and loads in the 60s and 70s on the CPU/GPU). My case fans are voltage regulated to about 750 RPM. My 4670k is at 4.4Ghz at 1.132V (I got lucky on the voltage lottery) so I may not reflect the average user, but the main source of heat in my case is the GTX 670. I've noticed that while gaming removing the side panel lowers case temperatures by about 10C, but heat has never been an issue.

My biggest take-away from this build is the fact that ventilation is poor. You need to use the rear case fan as an intake in order to bring in any fresh air at all. The side vents at the front of the case, as I mentioned earlier in the thread, just don't work well for intake. Because of this I would also avoid using an AIO watercooler like the H60 because it will stifle airflow into the case (or out of it depending on your fan setup) and even if it drops your CPU temps, your other components will see a rise I am sure. If airflow was just a tad better, my GTX 670 wouldn't even be sweating.
Click to expand...

Is the front fan metal bracket removable? I imagine an H60 with an air penetrator on the rear fan mount should be fine for cpu temps.

I found this mandarin site with sample temps (~50c @ load) on a i7 4770 while the front bracket is blocked up with a 3.5 hdd: (chrome can translate). Acceptable temps IMO considering that cpu cooler is not getting any fresh air at all in his setup:
http://www.expreview.com/27085-5.html
 
Morbo66 said:
Is the front fan metal bracket removable? I imagine an H60 with an air penetrator on the rear fan mount should be fine for cpu temps.

I found this mandarin site with sample temps (~50c @ load) on a i7 4770 while the front bracket is blocked up with a 3.5 hdd: (chrome can translate). Acceptable temps IMO considering that cpu cooler is not getting any fresh air at all in his setup:
http://www.expreview.com/27085-5.html
Click to expand...

Yep the bracket is removable.
 
Finally got around to putting this 10.9 hackintosh together:

IMG_0673.jpg


Gigabyte GA-Z87N-WIFI
Silverstone ST45SF-G 450W SFX12V
Corsair Hydro Series H75
i7-4770k
G.SKILL Sniper Series 16GB (2 x 8GB)
Rosewill U2 Black
Samsung 840 PRO SSD 512GB
Seagate 1TB Hybrid Drive
Atheros AR5B195 Bluetooth/WiFi Half Size

The main problem I had with this is the sata data connector is too short on the ends to attach to the drives if they're flat on the floor. If it was inch longer it would be perfect so I had to stack em.
 
Moogoos said:
Finally got around to putting this 10.9 hackintosh together:

IMG_0673.jpg


Gigabyte GA-Z87N-WIFI
Silverstone ST45SF-G 450W SFX12V
Corsair Hydro Series H75
i7-4770k
G.SKILL Sniper Series 16GB (2 x 8GB)
Rosewill U2 Black
Samsung 840 PRO SSD 512GB
Seagate 1TB Hybrid Drive
Atheros AR5B195 Bluetooth/WiFi Half Size

The main problem I had with this is the sata data connector is too short on the ends to attach to the drives if they're flat on the floor. If it was inch longer it would be perfect so I had to stack em.
Click to expand...

Sweet build, what temps are you seeing with that cooler?
 
MaSsAcRe said:
Sweet build, what temps are you seeing with that cooler?
Click to expand...

I don't know if these are very accurate although the machine is essentially idling right now and it's freezing in my house. I will be doing some overclocking later tonight to try and get stable around 4.5 or so.

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Looking at the BIOS it shows 29 degrees C @ 3.9GHz @ Vcore 1.200V
 
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I've cleaned up my case a little bit. I also installed 2 Noctua NF-S12A fans. I have them set to push out the rear, I had them flipped to suck in through the rear, but my case got noticeably hot doing that. I'm also planning on swapping out the PSU in a few days as the SFX unit is just too loud under load for my tastes.

m8uyQ5Y.jpg
 
jamesman32 said:


ThermalRight AXP-100
Asus Maximus VI Impact
BitFenix Spectre 120mm Fans
Click to expand...

I'm looking to do a Spring 2014 build in the new Corsair Obsidian 250D mini ITX case using the Asus Maximus VI Impact motherboard like you have. I am trying to choose a low profile CPU air cooler. I like the Thermalright AXP-200 but feel it just may be a little too large to fit. The AXP-100 like you used obviously fits fine. Do the AXP-100 cooler grill fins clear the RAM slots for tall memory heat spreaders? Your 120mm fan is overhanging the 105mm width of the cooler. Thanks for you time answering my concerns. Your system build looks great! - Steve
 
sverreerik said:
Well how did it go?
Click to expand...

it went so so. Stable around 4.4, 40/42c temps idle. I had it at 4.5 but it shutdown at some point on me. This machine sleeps a lot so decided to just set it back to stock and put it in my office.
 
So what's the most powerful video card from each camp that will fit in this case? I'm running two Dell U2713H monitors, so my resolution is 2560x1440 times two.
 
GPU clearance is 220mm. I believe that for NVidia, MSI and ASUS's short GTX 760's would be your best bet. For AMD, Club3D makes a single fan R9 270X that measures 210mm.
 
Steve N. Mavronis said:
I'm looking to do a Spring 2014 build in the new Corsair Obsidian 250D mini ITX case using the Asus Maximus VI Impact motherboard like you have. I am trying to choose a low profile CPU air cooler. I like the Thermalright AXP-200 but feel it just may be a little too large to fit. The AXP-100 like you used obviously fits fine. Do the AXP-100 cooler grill fins clear the RAM slots for tall memory heat spreaders? Your 120mm fan is overhanging the 105mm width of the cooler. Thanks for you time answering my concerns. Your system build looks great! - Steve
Click to expand...


The AXP-100 will clear tall RAM if you mount it in such a way that the heatsink overhangs your I/O. Mine is setup such that the heatsink hangs over the RAM (rotated 180*), as mine is low profile, and in the U2 the rear 120mm fan is mounted too close to the I/O to allow the heatsink fins in between.

Also, as for the 120mm fan - the AXP-100 comes with a 100mm fan and a 120mm fan bracket. Any standard 120mm fan will work with the bracket, and some of Thermalright's 140mm fans will also work (the models that have 140mm fans with 120mm mounting holes).
 
Cool, Rosewill lists the max heatsink height as 175mm. That means I can use my Zalman CNPS9900 MAX:

CNPS9900max_b_03.jpg


since it's only 152mm high. The airflow will also be straight through from front to back.
 
Hi guys,

Do you guys think the Jonsbo U2 has a better cooling than the IN WIN 901? I can't decided between these 2 cases. I have an i7 4770 (non K) and MSI GTX 760 mini sitting here and waiting for a new home. Thanks
 
That blue power LED looks really bright from klatox's picture.
What color is the HDD led light?
 
Morbo66 said:
That blue power LED looks really bright from klatox's picture.
What color is the HDD led light?
Click to expand...

It's only noticeable to me when I turn out all the lights. That being said, probably not a good case for your bedroom, especially if you put it in sleep mode. :D
 
Here's my build. Thanks to you guys for posting pictures, convinced me to go forward with my first mini ITX build.

IMG_20140301_222124_zps2116545c.jpg


IMG_20140301_222731_zpsa603357d.jpg


IMG_20140301_222743_zpsc9a4d280.jpg



I LOVE mini ITX, it's so tiny and compact, the case is so small!
I HATE mini ITX, it's so tiny and compact, my knuckles and fingers want to throw the case out the window.
:p

i5 4430
MSI Z87I Gaming AC
MSI GTX760 Gaming ITX
Corsair H55
Corsair RM 550
Corsair Vengeance 16gb
Samsung EVO 840 500gb SSD
Silverstone AP 121 RL on the front fan mount
Silverstone FN 121-P-RL on the radiator
and of course, Rosewill Legacy U2

I really like the case, I've owned several Lian Li cases, and this Jonsbo case is as good if not better. It's the little touches, like rubber pads on the side panel thumbscrews so it doesn't scratch the aluminum, and the metal bracket to help support the PSU.

I went with a full size PSU, and as I was doing cable routing, immediately regretted it. Part of the reason was because I'm going for a quiet build, and the silverstone 450's fan is just too damn noisy. I wish Corsair sold a short cable kit, all their PSUs are modular so I don't know why they don't offer one. Took a lot of patience to cram the PSU cables behind the PSU, the fan cage, and in the upper right corner.

The H55's stock fan is ridiculous. It was like a jet engine taking off. So I replaced it with a silverstone FN 121 I had sitting around. Not the most optimal radiator fan, only 1.12mm static pressure, but it's quiet, and it gets the job done. I can feel the air flow coming out the radiator, and CPU temps aren't any different than the stock H55 fan.

The AP121 is hooked up to the included fan speed controller on the back of the case. I have it on the low setting, and it's completely silent, while still moving decent amount of air across the mobo.

I also flipped the HDD led and Power LED mobo headers, so the power switch is now shining red when on, and flashes to purple when the reads the SSD. It matches the red from the fans nicely. ;)
 
Synomenon said:
So what's the most powerful video card from each camp that will fit in this case? I'm running two Dell U2713H monitors, so my resolution is 2560x1440 times two.
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Most powerful GPU for this is still a GTX670 :)
 
Looks awesome. I'm wondering how you got the H55 to fit. I initially tried to install an H80i and the part of the radiator where the tubs enter was touching my GPU (same one as you), so I took it out.
 
klatox said:
Looks awesome. I'm wondering how you got the H55 to fit. I initially tried to install an H80i and the part of the radiator where the tubs enter was touching my GPU (same one as you), so I took it out.
Click to expand...

Hm, I'll check when I get home tonight. But I never noticed any tightness or pressure on the GPU. I know when i was mounting the radiator to the back of the case, there was still enough room to move the radiator freely to line it up with the screw holes without hitting anything. It didn't feel like it was in contact with the back of the GPU. I think it also helped that I reversed the pump on the CPU, so the tubes can curl upwards away from the GPU. On my dry run of placing everything in the case, I initially had pump the right way up, and the curl of the tubes were pressing against the backplate of the GPU, so i flipped the pump 180 upside down to help the h55 tubes curl away. Even if it was in contact, the MSI 760 mini has a back plate, so it should be fine.

Also, the H80 has 2 fans right? Maybe having the radiator closer in towards the center of the case changes things. H55 only has one fan, and I have the fan on the inside of the case so the radiator is up against the side of the case.

Edit: I just checked Corsair's website. The H80 uses large diameter tubing (same as H60, and H100). Where as the H55 and H75 use smaller regular tubing. The H80 does look thicker at the bottom where the tubes come out.
 
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klatox said:
Looks awesome. I'm wondering how you got the H55 to fit. I initially tried to install an H80i and the part of the radiator where the tubs enter was touching my GPU (same one as you), so I took it out.
Click to expand...

I took a look this morning, there's about 4 or 5 mm of clearance from the bottom of the radiator/tubes to the back plate of the MSI 760 mini GPU.

It's kind of hard to photograph since the case is so small, i can't really get the camera inside. The radiator and GPU are actually offset a little bit, the end of the radiator closest to the camera is floating above the fan controller.

IMG_20140303_121421_zpsd2ad0665.jpg
 
Interesting. Somehow in all my mITX case shopping, I've yet to come across this one. Looks like a pretty solid little case.
 
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