Well, I've wanted to build a SFX PC for a long, long time and have finally been able to take the plunge comfortably.
Before this, I had a similar build in a Fractal Define S and I really liked that case. When the Nano S came out, I thought it was super cool because it's basically just a micro version of the Define S.
I originally went with the Corsair RM650x PSU for this build and it was choking the GPU of air, so I decided to go with the SF600 (with the SilverStone adapter to mount it to the case)... I really like the look of the SFX PSU.
Replaced the cables with the SF sized sleeved cables from Corsair (big mistake)... The cables ended up being too short so I had to use extenders for the 24-pin ATX and 8-pin CPU. But, this might have a silver lining as I'm planning to implant this build into a smaller form factor case.
Started with the Gigabyte Z270N Gaming-5 mobo that turned out being bad (bent CPU pin from the retailer, I think they tried to pawn off an open-box on me) so I replaced with the tried-and-true ASUS ROG Strix Z270I. No USB 2.0 header on the ASUS board so I had to find a USB 3.1 gen 2 to USB 3.0 20-pin adapter for the front I/O and used a 3.0 to 2.0 adapter for my h100i V2, both listed in the build. I just don't understand why more case manufacturers aren't adopting USB 3.1... it seems like now is the time.
I've replaced all of the stock fans (including radiator) with Noctua.
For now I'm running all case fans off of one fan header on the board via the splitters that came with the Noctua fans. So they all run the same speed.
Case fans are controlled via SpeedFan and speeds fluctuate based on GPU temps. This allows me to get a near silent setup when idle or doing basic tasks like browsing the web, photoshop etc...
The case fans ramp up as the GPU warms up, evacuating air out of the case as well as bringing fresh air to the radiator. Getting fresh air to the radiator is extremely important.
AIO is connected to the CPU fan header and controls the two radiator fans via a built-in splitter. I control those fans via the Corsair Link software on a custom curve that fluctuates based on the coolant temps.
The system is rock-solid and the temps are extremely good.
I'm planning on doing a new build in an Ncase M1 or possibly a DAN A4 with these same parts, though I am looking to trade to STRIX 1080 for a Zotac 1080 Mini so I have more room.
Specs
Case fan layout
CPU: 40C Idle / 70C Load
GPU: 38C Idle / 60C Load
Radiator coolant hovers around 32.8C and usually doesn't go above 40C at full load, though it does depend on ambient temps as I'm in Florida.
Before this, I had a similar build in a Fractal Define S and I really liked that case. When the Nano S came out, I thought it was super cool because it's basically just a micro version of the Define S.
I originally went with the Corsair RM650x PSU for this build and it was choking the GPU of air, so I decided to go with the SF600 (with the SilverStone adapter to mount it to the case)... I really like the look of the SFX PSU.
Replaced the cables with the SF sized sleeved cables from Corsair (big mistake)... The cables ended up being too short so I had to use extenders for the 24-pin ATX and 8-pin CPU. But, this might have a silver lining as I'm planning to implant this build into a smaller form factor case.
Started with the Gigabyte Z270N Gaming-5 mobo that turned out being bad (bent CPU pin from the retailer, I think they tried to pawn off an open-box on me) so I replaced with the tried-and-true ASUS ROG Strix Z270I. No USB 2.0 header on the ASUS board so I had to find a USB 3.1 gen 2 to USB 3.0 20-pin adapter for the front I/O and used a 3.0 to 2.0 adapter for my h100i V2, both listed in the build. I just don't understand why more case manufacturers aren't adopting USB 3.1... it seems like now is the time.
I've replaced all of the stock fans (including radiator) with Noctua.
For now I'm running all case fans off of one fan header on the board via the splitters that came with the Noctua fans. So they all run the same speed.
Case fans are controlled via SpeedFan and speeds fluctuate based on GPU temps. This allows me to get a near silent setup when idle or doing basic tasks like browsing the web, photoshop etc...
The case fans ramp up as the GPU warms up, evacuating air out of the case as well as bringing fresh air to the radiator. Getting fresh air to the radiator is extremely important.
AIO is connected to the CPU fan header and controls the two radiator fans via a built-in splitter. I control those fans via the Corsair Link software on a custom curve that fluctuates based on the coolant temps.
The system is rock-solid and the temps are extremely good.
I'm planning on doing a new build in an Ncase M1 or possibly a DAN A4 with these same parts, though I am looking to trade to STRIX 1080 for a Zotac 1080 Mini so I have more room.
Specs
- Case: Fractal Design Define Nano S
- CPU: i7 7700k (OC to 4.8GHz @ 1.265v)
- Motherboard: Asus Z270I-STRIX
- GPU: ASUS STRIX GTX 1080 A8G
- RAM: Corsair Vengeance LPX 2 x 8GB 3200
- PSU: Corsair SF600
- CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i V2
- Boot drive: Samsung 960 EVO 500GB SSD M.2
- Secondary drive: Western Digital Black 256GB PCIe SSD M.2
- SATA1: Samsung 850 EVO 500GB SSD
- SATA2: Samsung 840 EVO 256GB SSD
- SATA3: Toshiba 1TB 5400 HDD
- External: Samsung T5 1TB USB-C SSD
Case fan layout
- Front: 2x Noctua Chromax NF-A14 140mm (Intake)
- Bottom: 1x Noctua Chromax NF-F12 120mm (Intake)
- Rear: 1x Noctua Chromax NF-F12 120mm (Exhaust)
- Radiator fans: 2x Noctua IPPC NF-F12 120mm 2000RPM (Push/exhaust)
CPU: 40C Idle / 70C Load
GPU: 38C Idle / 60C Load
Radiator coolant hovers around 32.8C and usually doesn't go above 40C at full load, though it does depend on ambient temps as I'm in Florida.
