When I first look for a new computer case, I look at included power supplies, front-side features, and cooling. When I look for a micro-ATX case, I also want it to be subtle, slight, and all-around superfly. The Ultra MicroFly case tries hard on all counts and is an all-around solid performer that looks stylish to boot.
Rather than a flat desktop that would fit in an entertainment center, or a mini-tower that’s just a smaller ATX case, the Microfly is sort of squareish at the front. It is 11.25” wide by 9” high by 15” deep. The metal sides and top are all very light and the aluminum case is surprisingly mobile. A handle mounted on the front is an inspired feature because its unusual shape is best suited for being trucked to people’s houses and set-up on makeshift desks for LAN events, but it also looks nice as part of any home-computing setup. The black, glossy paint adds a special layer of class.
In the past, trying to find a compact case that is still versatile and truly dynamic was a daunting task. But that’s all changed now that there’s the Ultra Micro Fly! The Micro Fly can utilize any micro ATX motherboard, and because the Micro Fly is 1.5″ deeper than similar cases, it can accept standard depth ATX power supplies and standard depth optical drives. Despite Micro Fly’s compact size, cooling is never a problem since the Micro Fly comes included with an 80MM fan in the front bringing cool air in, and a 120MM fan in the rear pulling hot air out. The Micro Fly also includes front USB, Firewire and Audio Outputs and is available with an optional, Ultra V-Series 400W power supply with custom length cables.
The power supply is cooled by a 120mm fan that isn’t obtrusively loud. The motherboard connector is modular so if your motherboard only has a 20-pin connector instead of a 24-pin one, the extra pins can be detached.
The case comes with a power supply already installed. This is a nice feature, but gets in the way during installation so it should be removed when installing hardware.. The included supply is Ultra’s own 400W V-Series full ATX power supply that works with both Intel and AMD motherboards (and meets ATX 12V version 1.2 specifications).
This value series (hence the V-series) is a no-frills power supply, but is rock solid under normal use. Although it is “only” 400 watts, it would be difficult to max it out given the limited hardware that can fit within the MicroFly. If you installed the latest CPU and graphics card you would still only draw about 200W, leaving plenty of headroom for other components. These are its output specs:
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Micro Fly Case
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V-Series Power Supply
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Specifications
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Features
Connections: 1 – 20/24 Pin Motherboard Connector Output
Total Output Power: Input AC Input Voltage: 115V/230V |
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Included with the case are plenty of screws and mounts—more than enough for the number of free slots and bays. A standard power cord is included for the power supply. The manual doesn’t help much beyond telling you that to use the case you’ll have to open it and probably use some screws at some point. It gives a skeletal outline for installing the motherboard, drives, and thermal display. Any real problems or troubleshooting will have to go elsewhere for help.
To get inside the case you’ll just need to slide the top backward, and then remove the sides by pulling them up and out. First thing to do is remove the motherboard tray. You have to remove several screws from the back to slide it out, but it is not loose and may take some effort to remove. After mounting any standard micro-ATX board to it using the screws provided with the case, you can slide it back in. The tray doesn’t seem to enjoy this, though, and will put up a fight. It’s very easy to bend the back of the tray if you are not very delicate.
The metal bends easily, but gently pushing on one side and then the other will get it back in. Hopefully you won’t be swapping motherboards often. Even when not swapping a board, it is necessary to pull the tray out at least partially to install expansion cards (the case has four slots). This is a marked difference from am ore traditionally-shaped mini-tower whose side-panel comes off to give you all the access you need.
A small rack for two hard drives slips out for easy access. Just install up to two hard drives and then screw the rack back into the case. There is even an external 3.5” bay which can be used for a third hard drive if needed. The covers for the 3.5” and 2 5.25” external bays are easily pried off with a screw driver. Nothing in the case is excessively sharp which is very important in a small case.
The front panel of the case has 2 USB 2.0 ports and a Firewire port. Both connect to the motherboard cleanly, with all the jumpers bound together. The Firewire is especially nice for people used to installing a PCI card to gain Firewire support. The front also has headphone and microphone jacks but the jumpers for these are less tidy. They are all separate, but clearly labeled. It’s just a hassle to match each individually to the right pin.
Also on the front is a temperature display. A small sensor fits into your processor’s heat sink. It’s just that easy. Then you connect the power to one of the 4-pin molex connectors and it’s ready to go. The case is kept cool by two fans working in tandem (aside from the one in the included power supply). An 80mm fan at the front pulls cool air in to the case and then a 120mm fan at the read removes hot air from over the processor. They are audible, with the rear one generating the bulk of the noise.
However, it would likely be drowned out by a beefy graphics card’s cooling. The display is very bright though–much brighter than the tiny power and hard-drive activity LEDs. This can be a nuisance if you’re trying to play a game or watch a movie in a dark living room. If you don’t run into any cooling problems, it probably won’t hurt to just unplug it, although it is a fantastic feature to have if you want it.
The MicroFly has everything you need to get up and running with a new case. With a power supply already uninstalled all you need to do is decide on the fun stuff, like processor and graphics card. Ultra’s like of micro cases have a very small form-factor. You can cram in everything a micro-ATX board can handle without taking up any extra space. With the thermal display you can monitor how well the two fans are keeping the tiny area cool. The case is has what you need and does what you want—a solid, classy piece of equipment.
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