Antec ISK110 VESA Case Review

[nextpage title=”Introduction”]

The Antec ISK110 VESA is a tiny case for Mini-ITX motherboards, targeted to users who want a small computer that won’t take up any space on their desktop. In fact, the ISK110 VESA can be attached to the back of your video monitor, so it won’t take up any space on your workspace and it will also be hidden from view. Let’s check it out.

You can use the case standing, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, or you can use it laying flat, as shown in Figure 3. The case comes with a stand, if you will use the case standing up. See Figures 5 and 6.

Figure 1: Antec ISK110 VESA case

Figure 2: Antec ISK110 VESA case

Figure 3: Antec ISK110 VESA case

Figure 4: The rear panel

Figure 5: Stand

Figure 6: Antec ISK110 VESA case

The panel above the motherboard is completely meshed. Air vents are also present on the side panels (or top and bottom panels, depending on how you look at the case). This is very important, as the case doesn’t support fans; the only fan that will be present is the fan of the CPU cooler.

The case has four USB 2.0 ports and the traditional audio jacks on its front panel.

Due to its reduced size, it doesn’t support the installation of optical drives.

[nextpage title=”The Video Monitor Mount”]

The Antec ISK110 VESA comes with a mount, allowing you to attach it to the back of your video monitor. This mount is called a “VESA mount,” as it has holes that match the specifications set by VESA (Video Electronics Standards Association) for the mount holes available on the backside of flat-screen video monitors. (Hence, the name of the product.) In Figure 7, you can see the mount by itself. In Figure 8, you can see the case with the mount attached. And in Figures 9 and 10, you can see the case installed behind a video monitor.

Figure 7: VESA mount

Figure 8: Case with the VESA mount attached

Figure 9: Case installed behind a video monitor

Figure 10: Case installed behind a video monitor

[nextpage title=”Inside the Antec ISK110 VESA”]

The Antec ISK110 VESA supports the installation of Mini-ITX motherboards, and it comes with two internal 2.5” bays. The case doesn’t support optical drives or 3.5” hard disk drives.

Because of its reduced size, you must use a low-profile CPU cooler.

Figure 11: Inside the Antec ISK110 VESA case

Figure 12: Inside the Antec ISK110 VESA case

[nextpage title=”The Power Supply”]

Due to its unusually small size, the ISK110 VESA doesn’t support an internal power supply, coming with an external 90 W power supply manufactured by Delta Electronics. According to Antec, this power supply provides efficiency up to 92 percent.

Figure 13: The 90 W external power supply

This power supply only provides 19 V. A DC-DC converter available inside the case provides the voltages and connectors required by the computer’s components. This converter is based on a APU3048 PWM controller, using a pair of STD85N3L MOSFETs for each positive output, and a PS222S monitoring integrated circuit. The converter uses Japanese capacitors from Chemi-Con.

The current limits for the DC-DC converter are shown in the table below.

Output	Current Limit
+12 V	5 A
+5 V	6 A
+3.3 V	5 A
+5VSB	1.5 A
-12 V	0.1 A

Figure 14: The internal DC-DC converter

[nextpage title=”Main Specifications”]

The main specifications for the Antec ISK110 VESA case include:

• Style: SFF
• Application: Mini-ITX
• Mate
  rial: Steel
• Power supply: External 90 W power supply, comes with the product
• Available colors: Black
• Side panel: Meshed
• Dimensions: 8.7 x 3.1 x 8.4 inches (222 x 78.6 x 212 mm) (H x W x D)
• Net weight: 2.3 Lbs (1 kg)
• Gross weight: 5.5 Lbs (2.2 kg)
• Bays: Two internal 2.5” bays
• Expansion slots: None
• Maximum video card length: NA
• Maximum CPU cooler height: NA
• Fans: None
• Optional fans: None
• Extra Features: VESA mount
• More Information: https://www.antec.com
• Average Price in the U.S.*: USD 85.00

* Researched at Newegg.com on the day we published this review.[nextpage title=”Conclusions”]

The Antec ISK110 VESA is an excellent solution for users who want a tiny computer that won’t take up space on their workspace and that will be hidden from view. It doesn’t allow the installation of add-on cards, so it is targeted to users who need a computer for office tasks and light gaming. The price could be seen as a negative point; however, you have to consider that this case comes with a power supply, reducing the total cost of the computer. The real weak point of the ISK110 VESA is the absence of USB 3.0 ports. (This is the reason we are giving it the Silver Award instead of Golden.) The absence of support for 3.5” hard drives may also be seen as a negative point by some users. Since it doesn’t support optical drives, you will need to install an external optical drive (or an internal unit keeping the case opened) to install the operating system and programs.