Moving to the SFF World

[VikingJoe]

Hello all,

My current rig is a test stand. This wouldn't be an issue because I love seeing a naked computer on my desk but now I am a married man and the wife has pretty much made me store my computer when not being used...

Current specs: Core i7 6700k, ASRock z170 pro4s mobo, Sapphire R9 Fury OC, 16 gigs of DDR4 ram, 1k Watt Rosewill PSU, ADATA 480 gig SSD

Anyways, I recently discovered SFF setups and it is something the wife can live with. I get to put together a new setup and I get to keep it out in the open, win-win!

I have only been researching for about 2 weeks now, so bear with me.

I have boiled it down to the following:
Case - Fractal Node 202
Board - ASRock H270M-ITX/AC (decided on the H270 instead of a Z board because I am not interested in overclocking)
PSU - Silverstone SX700-LPT 700 watts
Cooler - Cryorig C7

Everything else will be brought over from my previous build. I was wanting to upgrade to a GTX 1080 but after looking at the current prices, I will be sticking with my Fury for a while until the prices come back down to Earth.

Thoughts on this setup? Recommendations?

Thanks,

 

[ignsvn]

Welcome! I'll be your guide throughout your journey in this rabbit hole.

You can start by searching (or googling) for example: "Firewolfy MI-6", "NFC S4", "Dan A4", or "NCase M1".

Or even better, just browse through the forum

PS: your setup looks fine in general. However, that Silverstone PSU seems to be SFX-L format. Just make sure your Node 202 supports that. I also believe you can safely go to a 600 watt solution if you want to.

 

[Mtthwmths]

There's a pretty small ATX case on the forums here called the Cerberus X that you might want to investigate! It'll cost more than a Node 202, but I think you'll save some by not replacing as many parts.
Link to their site
Link to the forum post
Really in depth build log by MarcParis

 

[SeñorDonut]

I've a C7 in my Node 202, it can get kinda loud, and cable management is nonexistent. If you're okay with about twice the size, you can get a Cerberus X and keep your current hardware. I have something even smaller than that in the works, but it would require quite a bit of waiting.

There also exists the NFC S4 Mini, which is even smaller than the Node 202, and Ncase M1, which is a little bigger than the Node 202, but has much better compatibility.

 

[VikingJoe]

Thanks for the suggestions. I love the Dan A4, it was the other option I was looking at but it seems to always be sold out.

The Silverstone barely fits from looking at the dimension specs of the 202 and the PSU. I haven't found any examples of anyone using it in the 202 though so maybe I should consider something smaller.

 

[SeñorDonut]

The 202 does support SFX-L PSUs IIRC, but I'm using a Corsair SF600, which is SFX (non-L), and cable management is a pain even with that extra room. I actually ended up removing the drive bays when I upgraded my SSD and 3D printed an adapter to mount it in the void left by using a short GPU.

So TL;DR you can do it, but it's quite the challenge.

 

[VikingJoe]

I was considering the Cerberus X but I really like the form factor of the mini ITX cases. It would allow me to put it in my living room if I ever wanted to without getting any gripes from the wife.

 

[Mtthwmths]

You are in the right place for that pursuit! Here's a review for the psu you listed. I'm having a hard time finding it used in a node 202 as well...

 

[Mtthwmths]

found one in the Node 202
here's a bunch of builds using that PSU on pcpartpicker

 

[Soules]

If you are looking for something that is flashy that can look good in a living room, IMHO, the phanteks shift is a good option.

On the other hand if you want something that 'fits in' with DVD/Blu Ray players there is the Silverstone's GD line of cases to look at.

 

[VikingJoe]

I ordered my parts today. I changed a few things up.

I decided to go with a better motherboard and got the Gigabyte GA-H270N-WIFI board which has stellar reviews. I changed up the PSU and went with the Corsair SF600 for an easier fitment. I also got two 120mm Thermaltake 15mm thick fans for the GPU bay.

I will make a build thread in the other section once everything arrives.

Thanks again for all of the suggestions.