First Time Building SFF

Harway

Minimal Tinkerer
Original poster
Jul 14, 2017
4
0
Hey, guys.

First off let me say that this seems like a great community. I've been researching SFF for a couple weeks, and after reading many of the threads here, I feel this is the perfect place to ask some questions before beginning my build. I hope the questions I ask are particular enough to warrant a new thread. I can see some information on other threads/websites, but nothing 100% concrete.

One thing I'd like to ask is regarding people who have owned the Silverstone SG13/MLO8. These are, thus far, my two preferred cases. They're at a price I can afford and very, very easy to travel with, which is my main goal. Is there much of a difference between these two in temperatures? I'll be air cooling only, and know the SG13 has the front case fan, but the ML08 has the separate GPU bay.

I have also been recommended some other seemingly solid cases. RVZ01 slightly bigger but with case fans. Also the Lian Li PC-Q21, though I'm not sure how much a bottom fan would help? Same applies to these cases too, I guess.

I'm not sure yet whether I want to go with an i7-7700(k) or the Ryzen 1700. If I go with the i7, will these cases, with low profile air coolers, be able to handle the i7-7700(k) at stock, or is the non k model preferred? The price difference is negligible, after all. With the Ryzen 1700 I'm waiting to find out more about the few AM4 ITX boards on the market, especially with the Gigabyte thread I've been reading here raising concerns.

Finally, are the Silverstone PSUs any good? I've read conflicting reports, some saying to completely avoid them in favor of the Corsair models, and others swearing by them.

Thanks in advance.
 
Last edited:

jeshikat

Jessica. Wayward SFF.n Founder
Silver Supporter
Feb 22, 2015
4,969
4,780
The voltage regulation and ripple on the SilverStone units typically aren't the best in class, but it's also debatable if you would ever notice the difference without a multimeter and oscilloscope.

Otherwise the main difference is warranty (7-year on the Corsair vs 3-year) and noise. Some of the SilverStone units are pretty quiet while others not so much.
 

Harway

Minimal Tinkerer
Original poster
Jul 14, 2017
4
0
The voltage regulation and ripple on the SilverStone units typically aren't the best in class, but it's also debatable if you would ever notice the difference without a multimeter and oscilloscope.

Otherwise the main difference is warranty (7-year on the Corsair vs 3-year) and noise. Some of the SilverStone units are pretty quiet while others not so much.

Thank you. I'll likely pick up the Corsair just for the warranty! :)
 

matt3o

SFF Lingo Aficionado
Jun 29, 2017
113
268
One thing I'd like to ask is regarding people who have owned the Silverstone SG13/MLO8.

these are two completely different cases. The ML08 when placed vertically has definitely better cooling performance and it's perfectly capable of handling a 7700.
 

Harway

Minimal Tinkerer
Original poster
Jul 14, 2017
4
0
these are two completely different cases. The ML08 when placed vertically has definitely better cooling performance and it's perfectly capable of handling a 7700.

Thank you. I definitely prefer the slim cases stood vertically, so if I go with that option I'm glad it lends itself to better cooling!

Today I bought the processor, memory, motherboard, and storage. I'm currently in the process of moving so it will be a couple weeks before I decide on a case. I'll be sure to seek more advice closer to construction.
 

Harway

Minimal Tinkerer
Original poster
Jul 14, 2017
4
0
Finally finished the build about 10 days ago, forgot to post an update.

I ended up going with the SG13, paired with an i7-7700k and GTX-1060. Max gaming temps on Witcher 3 at true Ultra is 78c/74c for CPU/GPU. My stress tests see my CPU go no higher than 82c, so I think that's pretty decent for an air cooled SG13.

Thanks for the few tips and this wonderful website. I lurked a lot learning more before deciding on parts!