SFF Conversion help

[Slaughtahouse]

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:

Spoiler

 

[UltraMega]

This case? Terra — Fractal Design (fractal-design.com)

 

 

After looking at this review: Fractal Terra Mini-ITX Case Review: Build Quality, Thermals, Acoustics, & Cable Management - YouTube

I'm not sure you will enjoy this setup. I think it would do well with a mid rang build, but some design flaws will make it much louder if the GPU/CPU fans ramp up. With a 5800X3D and a 7900XTX, you are likely to run into those issues. 

 

If you still want to do this with this case, I think there is really only one option for an air cooler: Noctua NH-L9x65, Premium Low-Profile CPU Cooler (65mm, Brown) - Newegg.com

Seems like it would be a tight fit, but I suppose you could get a smaller/lower clearance fan if you had to. You would probably also want to run your GPU on quiet mode in the driver settings. I have my GPU set to quiet mode myself, that's definitely not a bad option. 

 

 

When I worked for Digital Storm, I had to assemble the Bolt 2 builds. They were ridiculous, we just stuffed cables in there and they had some custom corsair H100 coolers that had shorter tubes so they could fit. I don't think it would be hard to manually shorten the tubes on a similar cooler to get it to fit in a small case if you really wanted to. 

Edited July 18 by UltraMega

[Slaughtahouse]

2 hours ago, UltraMega said:

This case? Terra — Fractal Design (fractal-design.com)

 

 

After looking at this review: Fractal Terra Mini-ITX Case Review: Build Quality, Thermals, Acoustics, & Cable Management - YouTube

I'm not sure you will enjoy this setup. I think it would do well with a mid rang build, but some design flaws will make it much louder if the GPU/CPU fans ramp up. With a 5800X3D and a 7900XTX, you are likely to run into those issues. 

 

If you still want to do this with this case, I think there is really only one option for an air cooler: Noctua NH-L9x65, Premium Low-Profile CPU Cooler (65mm, Brown) - Newegg.com

Seems like it would be a tight fit, but I suppose you could get a smaller/lower clearance fan if you had to. You would probably also want to run your GPU on quiet mode in the driver settings. I have my GPU set to quiet mode myself, that's definitely not a bad option. 

 

 

When I worked for Digital Storm, I had to assemble the Bolt 2 builds. They were ridiculous, we just stuffed cables in there and they had some custom corsair H100 coolers that had shorter tubes so they could fit. I don't think it would be hard to manually shorten the tubes on a similar cooler to get it to fit in a small case if you really wanted to. 

 

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

[Memmento Mori]

An open bench table would not be a sollution? Plenty airflow, no height limits of the coolers or hw and for example:

 

BC1 Mini V2 – Open Benchtable – Streacom

STREACOM.COM

DA6 – Mini-ITX Case – Streacom

STREACOM.COM

 

on the regular BC1 you even have a nice demo mode which turns me on the most  but the DA6 is sexi as welll… and as its open there are no airflow problems = lover rpms = quiter? Ornim wrong?

 

just and idea…

 

Edited July 18 by Memmento Mori

[Slaughtahouse]

30 minutes ago, Memmento Mori said:

An open bench table would not be a sollution? Plenty airflow, no height limits of the coolers or hw and for example:

 

BC1 Mini V2 – Open Benchtable – Streacom

STREACOM.COM

DA6 – Mini-ITX Case – Streacom

STREACOM.COM

 

on the regular BC1 you even have a nice demo mode which turns me on the most  but the DA6 is sexi as welll… and as its open there are no airflow problems = lover rpms = quiter? Ornim wrong?

 

just and idea…

 

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! 

 

 

[Memmento Mori]

Glad you like it. And take a look at ebay/amazon, i got mine from an local seller so was able to avoid the custom and tax. Just bought from the store directly the power and reset buttons, which are not that mich or you can buy them localy as well if you take the measurements of the wholes… 

 

and one more advice, once you decide, order and get it, take a look on an assemling video, i was to proud and damaged mine a bit

 

And just one more thing, its rly a good bench table

Edited July 18 by Memmento Mori

[Slaughtahouse]

 

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. 

[Memmento Mori]

Nice that was a quick decission… i think you will not regrett it. Just be carefull with the assembly… 

 

here is my little misfortune:

 

 

i messed up in the srewing in the sticks and yeah 1 got unfortunatelly stuck…. I cant get it out anymore as i overwinded it and now the base whole got loose and is turning as well..  anyway let me know once you get it what you thing anout it

 

 

[Slaughtahouse]

46 minutes ago, Memmento Mori said:

Nice that was a quick decission… i think you will not regrett it. Just be carefull with the assembly… 

 

i messed up in the srewing in the sticks and yeah 1 got unfortunatelly stuck…. I cant get it out anymore as i overwinded it and now the base whole got loose and is turning as well..  anyway let me know once you get it what you thing anout it

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.

Edited July 18 by Slaughtahouse

[Fluxmaven]

Nice choice on the BC1. 

 

As for PSU

 

Corsair SF line has been the cream of the crop for SFX for years. I own/have owned 3 of them and they are rock solid. They actually just released their updated lineup of the true SFX units recently to ATX 3.1 and go up to 1000w.

 

There are some other options in SFX-L (which is just the longer version of SFX). Some of which are higher wattage, others are just a bit cheaper than SFX units. I actually reviewed the Cooler Master V1100 SFX for the site a while back. Wasn't particularly impressed and went back to an SF600 for my actual PC. 

 

 

 

 

 

[Slaughtahouse]

15 hours ago, Fluxmaven said:

Nice choice on the BC1. 

 

As for PSU

 

Corsair SF line has been the cream of the crop for SFX for years. I own/have owned 3 of them and they are rock solid. They actually just released their updated lineup of the true SFX units recently to ATX 3.1 and go up to 1000w.

 

There are some other options in SFX-L (which is just the longer version of SFX). Some of which are higher wattage, others are just a bit cheaper than SFX units. I actually reviewed the Cooler Master V1100 SFX for the site a while back. Wasn't particularly impressed and went back to an SF600 for my actual PC. 

 

Thank you for the context. My PSU knowledge is limited and all based on recommendations from 10 years ago. Whether it was from friends who worked in the hardware industry or Shilka over on OCN. The big caveat that I was aware of was different B2C vendors (Corsair, NZXT, Silverstone etc.) selling different SKUs from different OEMs E.g., my Corsair unit is actually Seasonic. 

 

I wasn't sure if that issue was still prevalent where baseline quality could vary a lot between SKU. If Corsair, across the line on SFX is still well regarded, regardless of the OEM, I'll keep my eyes peeled on their SF line. 

[Memmento Mori]

well IDK if it helps but here you could take a look here for some reviews:

Reviews | TechPowerUp

WWW.TECHPOWERUP.COM

 

 

eventually here as well but you will need to dig a bit on the internet

 

 

Navigation Groups - PSU Case & Modding EN

WWW.IGORSLAB.DE

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=sff+psu+reviews

 

 

 

and could be as well helpfull to get back on track on the toppic if interested

 

 

 

 

 

 

I know its a bit plain explained and all one source of information, but i like that its explaned so even if you dont have a master in this toppic you understand it ...  Would be nice if we could gather more infos and sources  lets share some knowledge..  looking forward to read some interestig stuff ... 

 

@slaughtahouse - get Shilka over here!

[UltraMega]

If I were going to do something like this, I would go with a case that could fit a standard ATX PSU. SFF PSU are generally a lot more expensive and have a higher failure rate. Any one of these would work well IMO. 

[Slaughtahouse]

12 hours ago, UltraMega said:

If I were going to do something like this, I would go with a case that could fit a standard ATX PSU. SFF PSU are generally a lot more expensive and have a higher failure rate. Any one of these would work well IMO. 

 

I appreciate the extra cases linked, thank you!

 

I’m aiming to go quite small so unfortunately most cases, including the ones considered here will not fit ATX.

 

I did do extensive research on the DAN A4-H20 when it released ~2 years ago and it seems to be fairly easy to get. I’ll bookmark it

 

 

Lian Li A4-H2O Small Case - Mini ITX - Aluminum Exterior & SPCC Steel Interior - PCIe 4.0 - Easy AIO Installation - Supports SFX/SFX-L Power Supply (A4-H2O A4 Silver) : Amazon.ca: Electronics

WWW.AMAZON.CA

---

Lian Li A4-H2O Small Case - Mini ITX - Aluminum Exterior & SPCC Steel Interior - PCIe 4.0 - Easy...

 

In other news, or no news, still no confirmation email that the mini itx bench has shipped. I’ll give it a few days before emailing or escalation.

 

I started to draft up a PC part list for anyone interested. It’s really just a means for me to archive and price check. (ITX PHASE 2, 2024). Ignore compatibility. https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/user/Slaughtahouse/saved/

 

[Memmento Mori]

1 hour ago, Slaughtahouse said:

 

I appreciate the extra cases linked, thank you!

 

I’m aiming to go quite small so unfortunately most cases, including the ones considered here will not fit ATX.

 

I did do extensive research on the DAN A4-H20 when it released ~2 years ago and it seems to be fairly easy to get. I’ll bookmark it

 

 

Lian Li A4-H2O Small Case - Mini ITX - Aluminum Exterior & SPCC Steel Interior - PCIe 4.0 - Easy AIO Installation - Supports SFX/SFX-L Power Supply (A4-H2O A4 Silver) : Amazon.ca: Electronics

WWW.AMAZON.CA

---

Lian Li A4-H2O Small Case - Mini ITX - Aluminum Exterior & SPCC Steel Interior - PCIe 4.0 - Easy...

 

In other news, or no news, still no confirmation email that the mini itx bench has shipped. I’ll give it a few days before emailing or escalation.

 

I started to draft up a PC part list for anyone interested. It’s really just a means for me to archive and price check. (ITX PHASE 2, 2024). Ignore compatibility. https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/user/Slaughtahouse/saved/

 

 

had the same about the confirmations, but log in to your account and there will be an link to follow your order and shipment...  at leat this was my experience...

[Slaughtahouse]

3 hours ago, Memmento Mori said:

 

had the same about the confirmations, but log in to your account and there will be an link to follow your order and shipment...  at leat this was my experience...

 

Ah, you're correct. Email mentions both separate email update once shipped but also includes a separate link. It's in transit now  

[Slaughtahouse]

Update: Openbench “case” has arrived!

 

 

Surprisingly, no duty fees either. I won’t assemble the build yet as I still need an air cooler and SFX PSU but one step closer.

 

I do have an old Xigmatek Dark Knight that maybe could be modded to fit AM4 as a stop gap. TBD.

 

[Memmento Mori]

Nice that was kinda quick, lucky you… hope you like it

[Slaughtahouse]

Quick update: Took a "chance" and ordered a SF850L PSU. There was a flash sale today where the priced dropped to $94 USD ($130 CAD).

 

The "L" variant (+30mm length) isn't ideal due to lower case compatibility but from the one review I found, it seems the quality should be similar to the SF line and it's technically PCIe 5.1 / ATX 3.1 compatible. Which is a nice perk for future proofing / eventual GPU swap*

 

Review: https://hwbusters.com/psus/corsair-sf850l-sfx-l-psu-review-the-best-sfx-l-psu/

Edited July 30 by Slaughtahouse

[Slaughtahouse]

PSU arrived. I put it into the open bench. Unfortunately, the placement of the ON/OFF switch clashes with the bottom component of the frame / legs. Preventing the PSU from being installed and access to the switch. The only orientation I can install it without modifications, is to have the PSU flipped,  where the fan is pointed away from the bench. In this operation on a level surface, the fan is constricted. 

 

 

If the bench is in vertical orientation, this isn't an issue.

 

 

When I start migrating my system, I'll see if vertical orientation is stable. Otherwise, I'll consider spacers / longer screws to swap PSU orientation. Or alternatively, install feet for the legs, to provide some ventilation for PSU. It's not critical... but it's annoying

[Memmento Mori]

But to be honest? I like the looook ... Keep us posted for sure!

[Slaughtahouse]

3 minutes ago, Memmento Mori said:

But to be honest? I like the looook ... Keep us posted for sure!

Will do! It's definitely easy to haul this bench around with the cable management / handle at the top. My only concern will be the GPU placement but considering I have a reference 7900 XTX (2 slot), it shouldn't be an issue. 

[Memmento Mori]

cant wait to see the whole setup, will be probably a bit tricky, but im sure its doable  and you know, what doesnt fit, make it fit  There is always a way... 

[Slaughtahouse]

I started to test fit the components. GPU is too heavy to have the bench stand up vertically without toppling forward.

 

See how it goes with an air cooler but likely won’t stand up.

 

 

I mounted the TechN block just to temporarily cover the CPUz

[Slaughtahouse]

Another small update: Old Xigmatek definitely won’t fit with its included mount, too short to modify. It’s AM2 / AM3 style.

 

I ordered this Thermalright low profile cooler and I’ll slap one of my Noctua NF-A12x25 fans on it.

 

https://www.amazon.ca/Thermalright-AXP120-X67-Profile-Cooler-TL-C12015B-S/dp/B0BQ6M7R6W

 

Edited August 11 by Slaughtahouse