SFF build - questions first

[aussie-revhead]

Guys, my netbox has died so Im looking at a new build. This is primarily for a netbox/NAS replacement, I like it to be fairly low powered so I can leave it on 24/7 but not too weak to affect my usage (not too slow). The location under my desk has a height limit of 340mm and I want to fit a few HDDs in it so I can sell the NAS I dont use. I have a RAID card that I bought from here, I dont need a vid card but if I use matx instead of mitx then I wouldnt mind checking out the new 660 range. I was really set of a Bitfenix Prodigy, lovely looking case with plenty of features and a great price tag but its 404mm tall so Im looking for something else. Right now Im leaning towards a Lian-Li case, such as:

PC-V354B

PC-Q25B

PC-Q18

I dont really need the hot swap feature but it is pretty cool, it seems that matx is being left behind in case options with MITX cases being much nicer, having more features and design options ....

For a mobo I was looking at an Asus P8Z77-I Deluxe or a matx P8Z77-M, maybe a Gene-V but such overkill .... cpu will be a 3770K and it will have an SSD boot drive, maybe a 256GB M4.

If anyone has any advice or opinions please fill me in.

[mrbean_phillip]

Heya Aussie,
Always a mission to find the right case for the job

Anyhow, I have had an experience with a similar case to the PC-Q18, i.e its predecessor, the PC-Q08. For a few ideas, you are welcome to have a look at my Macho-mini worklog, link in my sig.....

It is a nice case, heaps of space, and I managed to squeeze a nice 140mm rad, 8x SAS drive-cage, as well as a SFX PSU in there.

You migh probably stick with air-cooling, great heat-pipe coolers out there, and that might give you better options wrt PSU's.

If you have any questions on that one, give me a holler, and I will answer if I can. I have not worked with the others, so cannot comment on them.

Good luck with this, I luv a nice ITX build.

ps: I am going to transplant the PC-Q08 into a Fractal Array R2 in the next few weeks, as it will be better suited as a NAS box - at least for me - nice and compact, pretty sleek, but may not me what you're after - I think this in is manufactured in the Lian-Li plant, for Fractal....

[Hood]

Originally Posted by aussie-revhead

Guys, my netbox has died so Im looking at a new build. This is primarily for a netbox/NAS replacement,

When you say usage, what do you mean? games? folding? emails??

[VeritronX]

Why not get the prodigy and remove the top handlebars? Or all of them and just stick normal feet to it.

[Hood]

Well all the MATX cases that are "normal" with a bottom mounted PSU are 370mm high, the ones list all have the PSU over the motherboard which is just not cool.

how wide can you go? there are some really cool HTPC cases that are broad and not tall that can hold lots of drives and anything you can throw at them.

[aussie-revhead]

Thanks everyone, answers as follows;

Usage - just net browsing, emails etc, maybe backup gamer but that's optional, I have this rig and my benching rig on a KVM so when the benching rig is being tortured I'm busy on the lighter pc.

Room - length is unlimited, width is near unlimited expect it's taking up leg room under my desk, so not too wide would be best.

Prodigy - yes I thought about removing the handles too, it's an option, and much cheaper than a Lian-Li case

The height is only restricted by a vertical board near the back so I can cut a bit out if need be.

[605jimmy]

+1 for the Asus P8Z77-I Deluxe. Just put that in a FT03 mini, used turbo evo and overclocked to 4.75Ghz for my 2500K on air. Could have gotten higher clock speeds but stopped it cause I was only seeing how high it could go. Didn't want to go higher as 4.4Ghz is fine for me.

Cases, I like the pc-q18 from Lina li or the fractal R2.

[aussie-revhead]

Has anyone seen m-dtx motherboards? I have found a Zotac one that has a pcie16x and a pcie4x but the vid crd will need to be single slot if I use my raid card .... Interesting option since most little cases also support M-dtx, only downside is its 525 Ion powered...

Jimmy- how have you found the FT03?

Guys, what do you think of these:

Zotac D2700ITXS-A-E

Zotac NM10-B-E

[aussie-revhead]

Or even these:

Asus AT5ION-I

Zotac Z68ITX-B-E

[aussie-revhead]

OK, I bought a lovely black Lian-Li V354, a Gene-V and a cluster of 2TB Barracudas, what psu would you guys recommend? I will be using a 3770K, H80 cooling, and an SSD boot drive. I will probably get a 660Ti when they come out too.

What do you guys think of the H80?

[alexc2005]

Originally Posted by aussie-revhead

OK, I bought a lovely black Lian-Li V354, a Gene-V and a cluster of 2TB Barracudas, what psu would you guys recommend? I will be using a 3770K, H80 cooling, and an SSD boot drive. I will probably get a 660Ti when they come out too.

What do you guys think of the H80?

Is this dead?

How'd the build go?

[aussie-revhead]

Drama after drama, sold some parts and thas all since .... I might throw a Haswell in it and start again.