APEX DM-387 Black Computer Case

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Bought this case for an HTPC setup. Some older reviews complained about a noisy 80mm case fan, but I haven't needed to change it because I'm actually quite happy with the supplied fan. I only hear the fans spin up for 2 seconds when the system powers up, and that's probably the CPU fan; other than that it's quiet.I'm running a Celeron G1610 + Gigabyte B75M-D3H in an HTPC setup.It looks decent with the front cover closed. I'm thinking about adding a blu-ray drive in the future, but for now there's no need to open the front panel.

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I'm super impressed by this case - if you're looking for something inexpensive but quality, and don't mind only having 275 watt power supply this is perfect. I was building servers with just a motherboard, RAM and processor, so the 275 watt power supply was more than enough. I highly recommend this case - it feels quality, looks professional (I ordered the glossy black model) and is dirt cheap.

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Used for POS cash register machines. Small, quiet, and cool, and it fits the bill perfectly. Doesn't look half bad either. was surprised at how quiet the PSU and included case fan is.

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Matched this case with one of the new AMD A8 3850 APUs and mATX motherboard, and it has not disappointed. As has been said before, this case is a bit of a tight fit for whatever you're installing - the tray that holds the drives closed down just above the main power plug on my motherboard (MSI A75MA-G55), so the install was a little exciting. However, once everything is in and cleaned up, it operates as a pretty tight little package. I outfitted the case fan and (extremely accessible) PSU fan with speed controllers, which quieted the otherwise noisy units down - they only needed the edge taken off to remove any whine. Unit runs cool, even under load the stock HSF doesn't spin up much past 2500 rpm, and my Kill-A-Watt says it hasn't pulled a peak past 110 Watts in 2 months, so I think the PSU will be just fine. I think this case complements the new AMD APUs perfectly, as the ventilation is set up perfectly for an integrated video solution, and the A8 has plenty of horsepower for what I want to do with it. Would purchase again.

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I bought this case to use for a server. It has been working well for nearly 2 months. The mobo fan fit in fine. The fan is a bit loud but I am using it as a server so that doesn't really matter. Haven't had any issues with the front panel as others have mentioned.

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Back in 2002 I built my wife a computer using a case called Antec Minuet. This case appears to be a direct knockoff of that case, without the glossy paint and metal trimmed face. This case is much cheaper so who would expect a nice paint job like that of an old Antec?This case is sturdy enough and easy to work with if you're experienced. It isn't ideal for a first build, but hardly any small form factor cases are.If the power supply is anything like the Antec it ought to last about four-five years before the capacitors will need replacement. Certainly a heck of a deal, like all the Apex cases I have used, especially when on sale.

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I bought this to build my home lab, due to small form factor it is space saving, and I am running diskless on some builds, so it is perfect for me.In BIOS, tune down the system fan speed, no more jet engine noise level.I do hope that the 275W PSU will last for at least three years, keep in mind they are running a few hours a day.

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I bought this as an office PC and so far it hasn't disappointed. I really like the design and the front cover. The 275W might be of questionable quality, but as long as I don't draw maximum amperage, I think this thing will last a while.

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Really loving this case, fits into any cheap build budget unless you need a case for gaming. 275w doesnt seem like a lot, but with new hardware being so much more efficient you really dont need more. Runs an MSI H55-E33 / i3 540 combo no problem.Looks wise, the case is nothing special. Pretty clean front panel, front flips out to expose the optical drive or 3.5" if you put something there.The exhaust fan is a little noisey, could be quieter. I have also noticed that it makes a slight humming noise, but it seems to be related to vibration noise coming from the tiny rubber feet. I'm going to put in some sound deadening material inside to see if I can silence the vibration. Still, for $43 I cant complain.Also, dont know if anyone has noticed, but this case is pretty much identical to the Antec Minuet 350. Only differences are 350w vs 275w power supply, front flip and the Antec has an e-sata on the front. This review was modfied by poster @ 11-13-10 03:51 PM

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We have been using these to fit office PC's into, the 275 Watt PSU is plenty. As a basic office computer (Word, Excel, Outlook, IE, Quickbooks, etc...) this does the job great. I would not recommend it for an HTPC build as the video card will draw too much this is pretty much an onboard video only sort of deal. For safe usage I have found you have to keep the total system draw down to below 165 watts.

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Sturdy well made case. Switched the case fan for a quieter one. Ideal for HTPC.

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I think it is a great case for the money. Would have gave it 5 stars except for my PSU failure. Though, I'm pretty sure the PSU failed due to 24/7 operation in a poorly ventilated closet though (My fault).

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I like the design of the flip out tray for mounting the drives. Cable management takes a little care but I don't consider that a negative. There is enough room to work...enough so that it seems to me the case could be made a little shorter. It is that dimension of the case which might give some builders pause. It worked for me but folks who choose to place the unit on a shelf will probably have to set it sideways.

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I purchased this case for an HTPC build, and it's been ok. Nice slimline case with good cooling. I'm a cable management nut, but it pays off. Airflow is excellent for this case. CPU idles about 22C and never goes above 45C under load. - I don't care for the flip open door on the front of the case. it feels flimsy, although so far it's been ok. -The included 80mm case fan pushes a lot of air, but it's loud. I replaced it with a silent one. -The way the front 3.5 inch drive mounts needs to be improved. I was unable to mount a card reader in the bay because there only way to install it is by securing it from the bottom of the case. Overall, I really like this case, it's a bit longer than I'd hoped, but it's slim and does the job. I think I'd go with something similar that doesn't have the front bezel cover if I were to build another computer though.

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I purchased this case for use with the M4A785-M board. The power connector on that board is lined up right under the DVD bay on the case, resulting in a very tight fit when the case is closed. The bay is part of a caddy on a hinge, and when closed pushes the power connector's wires down. Also the placement of the hard drive, underneath the DVD bay, makes it almost impossible to use a single IDE cable for both HD and DVD drive. SATA is no problem. The front panel feels cheap and could break if not careful. Further, the case fan is a little noisy, when in a quiet living room.

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I am unable to rate performance since I never got to use the case. The case arrived badly damaged. It had obviously been dropped. The rear panel of the case was very distorted and a motherboard plate, which was still in place, was also damaged. So, what seems obvious is that the product had been returned damaged, and not inspected, and then shipped out to me. Not nice! All that said, it is a nice case and a good value. I will reorder the case as soon as I see a credit for the return.

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Quite happy with the purchase. Fits organically in the room with cables to LCD and TV under the rug. Low profile saves space. In addition you could put something on top of it (in my case wifi router). The only drawback is that it does have only 2 SATA power connectors.

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Pros: For the money it's a great case with power supply. Small Form Factor works great for my wife's desktop. Reasonably quiet. Neutral: Since it's a small case things are cramped but hey, it's a small case. Cons: the cage that holds the drives is a little funky in the way it removes. Drive face plates can bind when removing the cage. Small bug in an otherwise great value.

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Be warned that this case can only accept shorter PCI cards. The front USB, audio and button cables are barely long enough to reach some MB connectors. The side fan is very noisy! This was a durable case that really packs it in, and things lined up nicely.

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Got 3 cases build for customer. Two of them are with loud fan other than that no problem. They seems to like the heavy case. Why? Heavy means more stuff inside I guess. I just wish this case come with bigger power supply. Nice case but as I mention before. You better replace the fan first. You don't want them to bring back the case and demand you to replace the fans for you, right?

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This is an amazing case. Its very small so you will need low profile video and sound cards. The case is well built and very solid. I put this right behind my LCD tv and it fit perfect. The 80mm fan that comes is a little loud so i switched it for a ultra quiet fan now it runs almost completely silent.

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The case itself is very compact and has great ventilation using just the built-in fan, which is good because there's no room to add an extra one. The power supply is rated rather wimpy, so I was careful about my power budget and so far so good. The front mounting bracket swings up to make mounting the mobo, HDs, and optical drives easy. Swinging it back into place was a little tricky because the cabling to the front panel kept getting pinched. The metal portion of the case is very solid and well built while the plastic front panel and door cover are rather flimsy and cheap. One of the snaps that hold the front panel to the case came broken, but you can't see it from the outside and panel is still very firmly attached, so it wasn't worth RMAing the case. The fans are fairly quiet but audible. Good case for the price. I'd buy this case again.

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I really like the case, especially the tray out for the hard drive adn dvd player, it is small and yet easy to work on if you are a pc builder (like I am), or just doing an upgrade. I woudl preffer the power supply to handle more wattage, but so far for me it is working fine. Good product.

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works just fine ,plenty of room for micro-atx mobo , nice PS 2 sata plugs included, for under $50.00 i like that drivers bay easy to remove to install DVD ,card reader or floppy and a hard driver( you may need a sata plug extension to power your DVD & hard driver PS wires are very short) still i give it a 5

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This unit was purchased because it was cheap and small. For that, it did it's job, but came with some recurring issues that threaten to annoy me throughout the lifespan of the case. The front facade is kept on by two plastic tabs that seemed to bend out of shape within a few scant hours of installing the components. Now it comes off easily but is hard to place back on. The rack for the HDD and optical drives lowers into the rack in a way that would impress if it did not threaten to shear data and power cables each time the rack was returned to it's resting place. Further, the HDDs are placed perpendicular to each other. With the PSU supplied, it was difficult to have the two HDDs and the optical drive plugged in as the cables stretched to reach everything. In the end, I dug up some splitters I had lying around. Typically, any component that forces me to go into my part reserve is not going to win favour with me.Finally, this case seemed heavy, without any components in it. Actually, the components don't seem to make it feel much heavier than it already is. On the good side, the case remains very cool despite having many high-end parts in it.