Air Temp is measured by the mobo, and it's obviously high. This is because the cooler is blowing hot CPU air right on the mobo sensors, but it's still useful for relative measurements. Now is a good time to mention my goal: maximum performance with silent fans. That means running all fans at around 50%. Eventually I'll set up a proper fan curve, but for now, and most of the rest of the tests, the fans are all just pegged at 50%. There's only a slight performance reduction here, again indicating sufficient airflow, and this is our CPU thermal performance target. This case needs custom length power/fan cables (without sleeves, since you can't really see them anyways) because space is so limited. I recommend using PET hookup wire, since it's easy to work with and very thin. As I'll get into later, maximum airflow is very important.

So if you're going into the small cases, enjoy your journey down the rabbit hole! You'll wonder why you ever put up with large towers! Their previous cases are some of the most popular choices for Mini-ITX builds around thanks to their premium materials and minimalist aesthetics. From early images and specs, the new LOUQE Raw S1 offers an increase in size without compromising on much of anything. Considering the total size of this offering and its support for some of the largest graphics cards on the market, thermal performance holds up extremely well. There are not many fan formations – only two fans can fit in the case – but it is clear that airflow was a major consideration during design. For most getting into the mini-ITX cases, you can't go wrong (and may not go any further) going with the NR200. It's much smaller than the big cases you may have been using, and it's easy to build in. You don't necessarily have to get the Max version if you weren't planning on going with an AIO build. However, if you were, then it doesn't get much easier than the Max with the large 850W PSU and AIO already installed.

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It goes without saying that this is a unique and visually striking case, whether you're a fan of the particular aesthetic or not. I'm going to skip commenting on the looks and artistic merit to focus on the practical aspects instead. However, you can fit a PC in here. There’s no AIO support, nor air filtration. So yes, there are sacrifices, but it offers among the easiest build processes – chances are you’ll be done building within the hour and have a very tidy end result. It will also happily fit huge triple-slot graphics cards, despite its ultra-compact 12-litter frame, and with a fancy ‘Cobalt’ PCIe 4.0 riser cable, there’s hardly a thing about this case that isn’t ultra-premium. It even has a carrying handle. I'm fairly sure that the same issue affecting the CPU performance is affecting the GPU. It's just not able to pull in cool air from outside. People using triple slot GPUs seem to have fewer issues, presumably because the fans are closer to the shell. A duct would probably help this, but it would have to be custom-designed for every model. Because of this, I would actually say the Raw S1 is perfect – because it does a 100% job at achieving what the designers set out to achieve: a simple, easy-to-work-on minimalist system that looks the part and cools well.

An important note: the Corsair One case is only available in prebuilt configurations, severely limiting GPU and CPU options. Meanwhile, the Raw S1 will support most graphics cards and CPUs on the market thanks to its construction. The Raw S1 is a more subtle design than the Corsair One, opting for simple sides and vents instead of the Corsair One’s LEDs and large vents. Instead, the Raw S1 looks much closer to its smaller brother, the Ghost S1. There are almost no markings or features on the outside of the case. In fact, the front only features one small button for power, and I/O options are limited to a single Type-C placed on an angled panel. GIGABYTE B550I AORUS PRO AX gave me a bit of headache. CPU cooler clearance is perfect, plenty of room at all sides, however I struggled with CPU-less bios flash. I had to flash the bios to get support for Ryzen 5000 and I couldn't make the flash work. Eventually I googled out that it only works with USB 2.0 thumb drives. Granted I was using USB 3 thumb drive. So I replaced it with older USB 2.0 thumb drive and then the flash went through properly. Another problem with the board is that PWM fan speed regulation sometimes does not work. I have created separate post about it here: https://www.reddit.com/r/gigabyte/comments/r79tra/pwm_sometimes_failing_on_b550i_aorus_pro_ax/ . Not sure if it's issue with my concrete piece or if it's general problem with all these boards. This was resolved by removing Gigabyte software (SIV and EasyTune Engine). And when all said and done, the Louqe Raw S1 is hands-down the nicest ITX chassis I’ve ever had the honor of working with. From its stunning, elegant single-piece external shell to the simplicity with which a system inside it pieces together, the Raw S1 is a chassis that I’m going to remember.We can actually quantify the effect of these poor design choices and how much improvement the gasket offers by measuring the airflow. With a small footprint and beautiful finish in both the tempered-glass and mesh variants, the Evolv Shift 2 is perfect as an SFF PC for use in the living room, or moving around the house wherever you need it. The easily accessible top IO makes plugging devices in a breeze too. Building in it was tight, and came with the typical frustrations associated with Mini-ITX systems, but I still managed a build within about 3 hours, and the end result was well worth the effort. The overall size is a bit bigger than most Mini-ITX cases would be, but the tempered glass side panels do wonders for creating systems to show off, though keep in mind that its single-fan radiator support may be too thermally limiting for some systems.

This increase in size can be found across all specs comparing the two cases. CPU Heatsink height support also increases from 66 mm in the Ghost S1 to 75mm in the Raw S1. This is, of course, largely thanks to the extra 4 liters of volume that the Raw S1 comes equipped with. It is important to note, however, that it is still an extremely small case. I started with some tests of the CPU and GPU without the shell on. This allows us to get a sense for how the coolers perform in the best case scenario (open air) and serves as a sort of thermal performance target. For all the various configurations, mods, etc., I used Cinebench for CPU testing, Furmark for GPU testing, and Unigine Heaven for mixed/gaming. The new RAW S1 promises full gaming PC power in one of the smallest chassis currently available. Its thin, minimum aesthetic is also unique; the popular Corsair One and Ghost S1 are two of the only other thin cases of this size. Outside of these options, it is rare to find other models that can also support powerful components. In an already limited category, LOUQE aims to situate itself as the best option.

The Louqe Raw S1 is more than just a case – it’s arguably a functional work of art.

Louqe's CPU Cooler Test and their support recommend adding an A12x15 fan on top of the NH-L12 GE cooler to achieve silent performance. You can get extra 120mm fan clips from Noctua for free to mount it, and you should get "silent" full performance! The smallest DIY PC cases from just a few years ago have often been thwarted by the increased cooling needs and size of today's components – particularly graphics cards like Nvidia's RTX 4090. But at 10.4 liters, the Mini-ITX Fractal Design Terra case has (just) enough room for most big GPUs, while delivering eye-catching aesthetics thanks to an aluminum exterior with some real wood trip up front. As compact cases go, this is one of the prettiest around.