Slaughtahouse

Noted! I will proceed with caution. I bought this ITX B550I board in 2020 I think... so I've been quite slow with moving to ITX overall I figured if I don't jump in now, I may reconsider sticking with ITX when I go to AM5 (Zen 6? TBD). I'll make a purchase probably once a month (PSU next) to spread cash flow and hopefully, have something to show for it by fall. Worst case scenario, I don't like the test bench as a system case, I keep it as a bench or sell it locally. Terra wouldn't be as easy to sell without taking a loss since it's so easily available and it would just be one more large box cluttering.

Might be too early but... 1. I think any prize you can provide digitally is great. Just makes the competition more accessible. So I appreciate that 2. Maybe a limit of one submission per user? I realize I am a culprit of multiple submissions... XD 3. Continue doing specific themes like you've done so. I think that makes it more unique and don't hesitate to get even more nitty gritty. Like best Intel only build under $600. I'm even open to buying PC Building Simulator for a challenge if need be XD Much more cost effective vs. actually building PCs

Took a chance and ordered a black BC1 Mini V2 along side a power / reset button direct. Seems to cost very similar to Terra but offer more flexibility and functionality. Debated on silver but I think black would be more practical with most components. ETA 7-12 days. Thank you both for your feedback If you know any sites that review SFX PSUs, let me know. I'm a bit rusty and not sure what to look out for / avoid.

Interesting options. Would have to gamble on tariffs / customs but the base Canadian price isn't all bad ($190 to $220 CAD). I wouldn't be moving my PC that often so it's definitely viable. I think I prefer the BC1 as well. Just a thick piece of metal.... Thanks for sharing, haven't seen this before!

Yup that's the case. I'm still not 100% sold on it, however it's one of the highest quality and accessible cases out there. I could walk 30mns or do a short drive to Canada Computers and pick it up for context. I would prefer to procure from them if possible but open to other online retailers like Amazon or Newegg if necessary. If you have other recommendations, I am open to them The only other case that I've ever considered is the NR200 (air version) since it's very versatile and can fit much larger components. The only caveat I have with the NR200 is it's not the highest quality case (steel vs. CNC'd aluminum) and its 18L. If I'm going to make the effort to go to SFF, I'd want to justify going smaller. I love my Fractal Meshify C but I have no space for it on my desk (its 33L), so its on the floor. Going SFF will help give me flexibility to move my PC around and I'm not sure a 18L case is the best call. I also know myself and will try to fit a NHD15 G2 inside because... why not XD RE: GPU, I already underpower it (~300W) and have adjusted the fan curve, so I attest to your recommendation for a quiet mode. Reviews indicate that the Fractal Terra's PCIe riser bracket blocks airflow. GPUs with a fin stack going N/S or Up/down will be impacted. The silver lining is that I will likely swap to a RTX 5070 or RTX 5080, in hope that the GPU has consumes less power (+ newer features etc.). That should give me even more breathing room. It's partially why I bought the Ref 7900 XTX years ago, as it was the highest performing GPU per cubic volume. So in other words, I can accept the impact for now. Do you have any recommendation on PSUs? Regardless when I do the case swap, I am working with a Corsair AX850 from ~2012. So it wouldn't be a bad investment to buy a new PSU sooner than later

Hello, I've had the intention for quite some time to move my components into a small form factor (SFF) case. Unless something new releases or there is a revision, I have my eyes set on the black, Fractal Terra. Due to availability in Canada, size, flexibility, and build quality. Fully aware of the acoustic challenges flagged by Gamers Nexus. My system is almost ready to go into a SFF case besides a few components and mechanical disk drive I'll need to retire, and lastly, my custom loop will need to be sacrificed. To bridge that gap, I know I will need: A SFX PSU Ideally PCIe 5.0 compliant if I go Nvidia (Blackwell) to avoid adapters (more cables) inside a small case. A quiet CPU (air) cooler. My memory (corsair LPX) should be approx. 31mm tall. My GPU (ref 7900 XTX) will drive me to use the Terra's spine setting #3, resulting in 67mm height for the CPU cooler. I'm open to discussing other cases if they're similar quality and easily available in Canada. The challenge is that most of the high quality, SFF cases like the Loque Ghost just aren't accessible or will result in expensive customs / tariffs. Terra seems to hit that look and feel I am after. Thanks! My current setup:

Slaughta's votes (and no I wont vote for myself either :P) Get ready for a boat load of context. Fluxmaven Damric Sir Beregond

Following a discussion in a separate thread, here is an interesting perspective on how well the user experience is on Intel Arc for gaming. Including compatibility (does it load), playability (does it need tweaks), and a performance snapshot (not an in-depth performance review). Hardware Unboxed tested approx. 250 games on Intel Arc's 31.0.101.5592 driver (most recent at the time of this recording). This could be a useful resource in the future to quickly check how Intel Arc, and future Intel graphics architectures stack up and improve over time.

The cables that meet PCIe spec can support the 600w without issue. They should be 16 AWG and with that gauge can easily handle loads over 1000w. That's partly whythey can say "200% power excursions". Seasonic even has a nice image to help promote best practices. Superflower also has a similar image on their wesbiste. They're all recommending 3.5cm (1 3/8") distance between the tip of the connector and the start of the radius for the bend. There are no guidelines or max radius' specified on the bends. Either way, there haven't been any fires to my knowledge from the bends themselves. All the issues previously reported tie back to the issue reiterated by GN and Mr. Fox. Poor contact at the connector means path of least resistance, current goes through plastic, takes the load and melty melty starts.

If you’re in doubt, whilst the PSU and system is disconnected and without power, wiggle the cable. If it slides out of the female connector, you know it’s not seated correctly. Highly recommend you take 30mns out of your day to watch that video linked above.

* Disclaimer * I don’t own a PSU and/ or GPU with this connector. Congrats on the purchase The risk has been reviewed in depth by Gamers Nexus. The bend (within reason) has no impact. The source of issues stem from the male connector NOT being fully seated into the female connector. As long as the bend isn’t putting strain on the connector or tension on the cable, in which the male connector is at risk of disconnecting, you’re fine. Obviously if you put immense strain on the cable by bending it 180 degrees with a very tight radius, maybe the cable would fail at the bend. but you’re far from that situation. The reported issues that blew up in the media were isolated to the connector not being fully seated. In other words, I think the bend is fine. Source: https://youtu.be/ig2px7ofKhQ?si=mr3_CvLmU5rmfa1t

Fallout: London devs will “downgrade” Fallout 4 to save their massive mod ARSTECHNICA.COM The game's "next-gen update" threatened to upend years of work on the "DLC-sized" mod. An interesting article about the effort to get this community made expansion out to players.

Stepping up the BBQ game. Sorry, Hank

In that spirit, I will re-submit my ITX / 7900 XTX build. As the memory price ($20) seems unobtainable.

Pragmatically, I agree. Outside of budget, you have to admit that there is no other supplier like Noctua in the PC space which can offer that level of engineering, build quality (tolerances), and validation / longevity testing. I added 3 of their fans 120mm fans to my rad a couple years ago and couldn’t be happier. Excited for the case fan / square frame variant of the A14x25 fans. All for the brown theme fans but it would be nice to buy a black heatsink with standard fan colours.

For the RGB gamer. Cause everyone knows you're not pro-gamer unless you have RGB and motherboard that's TUF. https://pcpartpicker.com/list/8vNqt7

Cleared cache. I'll report if the issue creeps back up. Edit: Right after I posted the above, I clicked on the banner image and ran into the same issue again. Google Chrome, desktop.

LOL it's not trash talking, it's just a discussion Though if you're prioritizing ARC... I have many questions

Same. Both mobile and desktop chrome experience same issue. Solid colour background with no info. 1 single refresh resolves it. Haven't been able to replicate it on Edge or Safari. Started last Friday or Saturday. Can't recall specifically.

Nothing wrong your build at all, just saying people have different priorities

Respectfully, disagree. If the objective is a gaming only system, I would prioritize everywhere possible on the GPU/CPU. I don't believe the type of storage (TLC vs QLC) is really all that important. Formatting the OS or cloning a drive without important data (projects, personal files, private media etc.) isn't really at risk if you ever wanted to swap out the drive. I'd treat drive quality as a nice to have. Even PCI-E (speeds) aren't technically necessary when many games work fine with SATA SSDs but I can concur, it's better to have PCI-E where possible considering how cheap a good drive can be. More important would be storage (quantity) depending on the users network speed. With gigabyte fiber becoming more accessible these days, it's really not all bad to delete, remove games, and reinstall others. Games do require faster storage these days but I've yet to see a game struggle on a SATA SSD. Hard drive would be a no-go. I tried installing Alan Wake 2 on my 7200rpm HDD and it would have large, massive stutters during cutscenes. I still use a Samsung 840 (non PRO) 250gb sata drive for my OS with a Steam library for context. TLC from 2012... and still healthy. I'll update my post with a NVME (3.0) drive in an effort to improve the build. Don't get me wrong, for a more balanced system, I 100% agree with your logic.

Trying to min/max in ITX format, prioritizing a 7900 XTX. Total: $1499.80 https://pcpartpicker.com/list/Ptw7VW Notes: Like Ultra, cheaped out where I could to get best GPU/CPU combo. Edit: Updated with NVME in-lieu of SATA, only 512gb storage. No additional fans Edit 2: Swapped memory from GSkill to Silicon Power. Edit 2: Peerless Assassin didn't fit in budget, swapped to AXP90, which is more tailored for SFF / low power CPUs. Edit 2: Deleted table

Update: all 3 variants of the default brown / silver colour scheme are now available for purchase. $150 USD. All-round version (most flexible solution): https://www.amazon.com/Noctua-NH-D15-G2-All-round-Recommended/dp/B0D5B6MXJF/ Low base convexity (AMD preference): https://www.amazon.com/Noctua-NH-D15-G2-LBC-Specialised/dp/B0D5B5B821/ High base convexity (Intel preference): https://www.amazon.com/Noctua-NH-D15-G2-HBC-Specialised/dp/B0D5B4KWMD/ Edit 2: Review from GN

Co-op in a traditional sense (progressing through missions, levels, and/or plot) or are you open to player vs. environment (PvE) games? If PvE scratches your fancy, the options open up. Traditional co-op, especially couch / split-screen are few and far between. What titles did you like, dislike?

I posted these in “last purchase thread”. My playtime has gone down for the summer and I don’t anticipate to play these games anytime soon. In fact, I’m catching up on my 2022 Black Friday purchases right now (Frostpunk). I always group my purchases on Steam whenever I buy a few games in a sale. Helps me manage the backlog and my wallet An easy pick up and play game with a controller that you may like if you’re into Spelunky is Rogue Legacy 2. I think they came out around the same time, different but similar type of gameplay (traveling deeper and deeper) but it’s one of those games that can get addictive quickly. Mark of the Ninja is good. I played that when it released, and while I never went back to it, it was throughly enjoyable. Check out Katana Zero. Much more memorable in my opinion, and it’s length is perfect (4-6hrs). Another game I haven’t played in years… Halo Wars. It’s the first console strategy game from Ensemble Studios that really embraced a controller. I’ve only played it on 360 but would recommend if you looking for a strategy game with a gamepad. Never tried Shogun (1) but Shogun 2 is my favourite Total War title if you’re looking for a time sink, M/KB is a must. I was tempted to grab Remnant II but I decided to remove it from the cart at the last moment. Until I can find someone to commit playing co-op with… I can’t handle that commitment right now.