IN WIN Development has been far more than just a name the last couple years. We’ve seen some impressive computer enclosure designs catering to the eclectic gamers including the GT1 or Mana, conservative professionals who appreciate the 900 Series and extreme enthusiasts showing off their systems in the amazingly creative Open Frame series which includes the S-Frame, D-Frame and now the D-Frame Mini, which we had a special sneak peek at back in May of 2014, during COMPUTEX. We have in the lab, and so far, there doesn’t seem to be a more portable, impressive low maintenance enthusiast’ computer enclosure.
Features and Specifications
First, there isn’t a lot hidden by the IN WIN D-Frame Mini’s design. Like it’s big brother the D-Frame, what you see is exactly what you get. The benefit and simplicity reveals there is a lot of potential behind what you get. Here are the essential features:
- Anodized aluminum construction
- Removable hard drive trays support platter and SSD
- Tempered glass side panels (quite strong)
- Wire management cut outs
- High quality machining
- Supports up to 220 mm power supplies
- Supports up to 165 mm tall heat sinks (6.5 inches)
- Supports two 120 mm bottom fans
- Supports 120/240 mm radiator
- Braided front panel case wiring
- Two USB 3.0 ports (backward compatible)
- Top handle frame
The D-Frame mini weighs about 11.6 pounds, or 5.25 kg. That’s not too shabby given the aluminum construction and parts. It was partly created because of multiple requests for a smaller version of the original D-Frame, which, when completely built up, wasn’t very portable, despite the multiple hand holds. However, the requests came pouring in, and IN WIN definitely came back with a proper response.
The last feature of the IN WIN D-Frame Mini is, of course, the price, which is set at around the $349 US price range.
Although there are many Mini-ITX cases on the market, that are substantially cheaper, none of them will give you the looks of envy, that the IN WIN D-Frame Mini commands.
A Closer Look
The IN WIN D-Frame Mini is made from rather light weight tubular aluminum stock. The very smooth aluminum tube frame is connected by small welds at each joint, similar to a bicycle frame. Small red rubber grommets act as padded feet on all four sides in case users want to position it differently on various surfaces. The front panel header includes two USB 3.0, audio analog ports, reset and power buttons. That’s enough for a keyboard and mouse if needed. Most users will opt to use the IO ports in the back though.
The back of the IN WIN D-Frame Mini supports a vertical power supply (up to 165 mm). The PSU can be mounted in either direction, up or down, depending on your cabling preference. Facing the modular connectors down and routing wires to the left side seems to be the optimal managed direction.
Let’s pull off the glass and have a look inside.
Removing the Glass
Four thumb screws secure the tempered panels on each side. You can see the very nicely fabricated aluminum motherboard tray. There’s enough space for a 165 mm (6.5 in) tall tower cooler. Since mini-ITX don’t have enough real estate for large CPU coolers, you should choose your cooler carefully. Most every CPU cooler manufacturer includes the height on the product page so make sure to double check. If you aren’t sure about air cooling, consider all in one liquid cooling because it’ll fit even better.
Thumb screws secure the storage trays that support platters or SSDs. Users have the option of removing what they don’t need. Below the storage trays, there is a thumb screw secured dual 120mm aluminum frame. Users can add cooling fans or a 240 mm radiator. That’s just enough to cool a medium to entry level graphics card and quad core CPU, if you choose to do a full loop.
On the left, there’s just enough room for managing wires. However, there isn’t quite enough room to stack PSU cabling if you like to bundle them up in one run. As long as they laid down relatively flat, it will all fit nicely. The enclosure accessories include plastic rings that can be placed in any one of the empty holes visible on the back.
The only thing missing from motherboard tray is a cut out handy for mounting CPU coolers. If there was a cut out, users could mount it after mounting the motherboard. As it stands, a CPU cooler will have to be mounted first. We’re not sure if a cut out would have compromised the integrity of the case or system, but it’s a standard feature today, and should be included.
Test System Setup
An air cooled CPU cooler and all in one liquid cooling system was used for testing the difficulty of installation, and overall functionality of the IN WIN D-Frame Mini enclosure. Here are the hardware specs.
- Processor 1: Intel Core i7-4770K Haswell
- Motherboard 1: ZOTAC H87-WiFi Mini-ITX
- Processor 2: Intel Core i7-4790K Devil’s Canyon
- Motherboard 2: ASUS Maximus VII Impact (Z97) Mini-ITX
- Memory 1: Kingston HyperX Fury 16GB 1866 MHz DDR3
- Memory 2: Kingston HyperX Savage 16GB 1866 MHz DDR3
- Graphics 1: ZOTAC GTX 980 AMP! Extreme Edition
- Storage: Kingston HyperX Fury 240GB SSD
- CPU Cooler 1: Cooler Master Hyper T4
- CPU Cooler 2: Thermaltake Water 2.0 Extreme
- Power: be quiet! Straight Power 700W 80Plus Gold
- OS: Windows 7 Pro 64-bit (Patched)
How did it all install? Did everything fit and was it supported well by the IN WIN D-Frame Mini? We answer those questions next.
Installation Notes
As previously mentioned, any cooler other than the Intel retail cooler must be attached before installing the motherboard. The holes for the enclosure are pre-drilled and require installing stand offs before hand. All the stand offs and screws needed are in the accessories bags.
As you can see, the IN WIN D-Frame Mini really goes well with a system you want to show off. In two of our examples, one is a bit more conservative, perhaps for serving as a mid-range gaming system. The tall fan cooled tower fits easily with some room to spare. And, the other is an elite work of red and black art. Liquid cooling fits easily and frees up a bit more space. In either case, the systems can get a little tight depending on the video card, given the placement of the motherboard.
There is one limitation that should be noted. Video cards that require more than two PCIE slots won’t fit between the PSU cage and motherboard. IN WIN could easily remedy this by moving the motherboard hole placement forward without too much trouble during fabrication.
Next, we try to figure out how to actually test this for performance.
Thermal and Noise Testing
How can we thermal or noise test the IN WIN D-Frame Mini? You really can’t right? It’s like trying to test the cooling performance or measure the noise created when installed on an open tech station. Only the components themselves will manage temps as well as the noise.
The two systems were actually nice to be around thanks to the open air flow of the D-Frame Mini. Both systems were very quiet being only slightly noticeable when sitting close at full system load. Fan control comes in very handy. However, if you use this in a LAN party environment, where this case thrives, then the noise of the room, and the headset you are wearing, will drown out anything coming from this machine.
Final Thoughts
The goal of any computer enclosure manufacturer is to create a design that impresses visually and offers the right features for a successful build. The IN WIN D-Frame Mini is definitely unique in design, with a small foot print, creating a compact and portable system. In fact, it’s perfect for LAN parties or similar tasks thanks to its knurled handle design. The features are kept extremely simple forgoing conventional features like tooless drive bays, or motherboard tray cut outs. Fortunately, the trays themselves, as well as the 240 mm frame are removable to make the IN WIN D-Frame Mini much more customizable.
The IN WIN D-Frame Mini does have one limitation which is lethal for a gaming system. It won’t accommodate any video card that takes up more than two PCIE slots. This was the case when trying to install a ZOTAC GTX 970 AMP! Omega, so be aware when choosing your GPU.
What’s the IN WIN D-Frame Mini going to cost you? That unique high quality design requires a $350 US premium. At this price, it might be a bit much for most enthusiasts looking for a case to knock about at a LAN party. But for the extreme enthusiasts, this is a world of possibility, with multiple colors available down the road.
It’s definitely not a need at the asking price, but no one would turn one down if it just showed up. It gets our “Ultra Bling” award for those things we just can’t justify spending for, but we all want so badly.
Pros
- Durable tubular aluminum construction
- LAN Party friendly
- Removable 240 mm fan/radiator frame for more versatility
- Easily removable hard drive trays
- Stunning looks
Cons
- Limited to dual slot graphics cards
- No CPU cut out
- Premium enthusiast purchase price
Overall Rating: 8.5 / 10.0
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