Need advice for first build

TweaknFreak

Efficiency Noob
Original poster
Apr 13, 2018
7
2
Hi folks. I'm looking forward to my first build within a month now and I have a fetish for SFF rigs. I'll list down some important points first -
  1. I'm from India(country where computer hardware prices are buffed due to customs duty)
  2. Have been avid reader of latest hardware trends for years
  3. Rig will be primarily used for gaming and nothing else
  4. I play FPS, RPG and sports emulation games only
  5. Looking for a decent rig to deliver 4K@60 FPS at medium to high settings
  6. Ambient temperatures here are around 30-32 degree Celsius(86-89 degree Fahrenheit)
  7. Dust is an issue here. Rig will require quarterly cleaning at the very least
  8. Will prefer air cooling, have seen AIOs spewing coolant in other's rigs :(
Now in terms of cases, the stuff available here are very limited. The only case I found was Cougar QBX Kaze, priced at around USD 190. I know, its ridiculously expensive. But its a long time dream of mine, so I'm going all out on this. I'll wait for the GPU though for a couple months atleast as Nvidia might launch next gen mainstream GPUs soon.

So my question is that given my conditions above, should I go for the SFF dream or stick to the old ATX route? thanks for your time if you read till now and thanks a bunch if you reply. :)
 

tinyitx

Shrink Ray Wielder
Jan 25, 2018
2,279
2,338
OK, I am the first one to respond and so I will throw in an unorthodox solution.

Have you considered using a test bench? Given the high ambient temp (thus requiring premium air cooling) + 4K@60 fps for FPS gaming (thus requiring a top-end GPU and a higher end CPU), an open test bench will provide unlimited size restriction for both the height of the CPU air cooler and the size of the GPU. Air flow will be optimum.

The main cons is dust, which is a concern. This could be solved by covering the rig with a piece of cloth when it is not in use. No dust will settle on it. A simple compressed air clean per month can be done in a minute time.

This solution is highly personal. Either you like it or hate it.

Good example:-
https://pcpartpicker.com/b/HrpG3C
 
  • Like
Reactions: IanWells

TweaknFreak

Efficiency Noob
Original poster
Apr 13, 2018
7
2
OK, I am the first one to respond and so I will throw in an unorthodox solution.

Have you considered using a test bench? Given the high ambient temp (thus requiring premium air cooling) + 4K@60 fps for FPS gaming (thus requiring a top-end GPU and a higher end CPU), an open test bench will provide unlimited size restriction for both the height of the CPU air cooler and the size of the GPU. Air flow will be optimum.

The main cons is dust, which is a concern. This could be solved by covering the rig with a piece of cloth when it is not in use. No dust will settle on it. A simple compressed air clean per month can be done in a minute time.

This solution is highly personal. Either you like it or hate it.

Good example:-
https://pcpartpicker.com/b/HrpG3C

Well I do like the idea of an open test bench but I have a 3 year old son who might mess with it. So to play it safe I'll prefer a proper enclosure. Thanks for replying anyways. :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: owliwar

TweaknFreak

Efficiency Noob
Original poster
Apr 13, 2018
7
2
Given the ambient temperature at my location should I go for an unlocked SKU and overclock it in a SFF case? I fear the heat might deteriorate my motherboard
 

Bogghi

What's an ITX?
Jun 20, 2018
1
0
Hi, I think if this is your longtime dream you should go for it anyways.
My case advice is this one: https://www.sfflab.com/collections/enclosures/products/ncase_m1 the ncase m1 is really popular as sff enclosure and offer ton of versatility with an incredible space management and yes the "ridiculous" price 190 USD is worth it and a little things to notice they ship out every 3 months and they send this July so you can take the m1 in consideration until September for the next batch
 

TweaknFreak

Efficiency Noob
Original poster
Apr 13, 2018
7
2
Hi, I think if this is your longtime dream you should go for it anyways.
My case advice is this one: https://www.sfflab.com/collections/enclosures/products/ncase_m1 the ncase m1 is really popular as sff enclosure and offer ton of versatility with an incredible space management and yes the "ridiculous" price 190 USD is worth it and a little things to notice they ship out every 3 months and they send this July so you can take the m1 in consideration until September for the next batch

Well as much as I like the Ncase M1 or Dan case, there's no way I can get them in here. Importing them will be an issue as they will cost almost 3x the original price, rendering the feasibility of having such a case to 0. So the best cases that I can lookout for is the Cougar QBX(both Kaze and non-kaze versions), Antec Cube and Corsair 380T. I don't drool over aesthetics so tempered glass has absolutely no preference over performance(like airflow) whatsoever. I like the Cube but those acrylic panels will be a mess after some months with scratches and all.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bogghi

tinyitx

Shrink Ray Wielder
Jan 25, 2018
2,279
2,338
If you are happy with the performance of M1, then Cougar QBX should be acceptable as well because the layout and airflow are very similar. The Kaze edition will be even better with the additional front intake.

Admittedly, Cougar QBX does not have the same material and construction quality as the M1. But it is certainly not a subpar case. In fact, at its price, its performance-to-cost ratio is quite high, IMHO. The standard version is available here for only 1/4 the price of an M1. If the Kaze edition is available locally, I personally would get it over Antec Cube or Corsair 380T. I quite like the aesthetic. But the beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
 

TweaknFreak

Efficiency Noob
Original poster
Apr 13, 2018
7
2
But the beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Couldn't have said it better:thumb:

Yes I like the Kaze more than the non-Kaze version for front intake.
Given the price of Ryzen 1700 right now, I'm more inclined to get this over 8600K. Since I'll be gaming at 1440p and above(4K@60) processor shouldn't be much of a bottleneck. The only thing I worry is AMD is known for their hot chips, should it be an issue when I overclock it to say, 3.8 GHz on an ITX motherboard?
 

jtd871

SFF Guru
Jun 22, 2015
1,166
851
Ryzen are better than the older chips, Ryzen+ (aka Ryzen 2000) really give team Blue a run for the money. I imagine the street prices of Ryzen 1000 are rather attractive right now to clear out the older stock.
 

TweaknFreak

Efficiency Noob
Original poster
Apr 13, 2018
7
2
Ryzen are better than the older chips, Ryzen+ (aka Ryzen 2000) really give team Blue a run for the money. I imagine the street prices of Ryzen 1000 are rather attractive right now to clear out the older stock.

Will Ryzen 1700 pose overheating issue in such a small enclosure or should I stick to 8400/8600K ?
 

jtd871

SFF Guru
Jun 22, 2015
1,166
851
Intel TDP is specified at stock clocks. So if you're mobo is set to use MCE or overclock/overvolt, you will see higher thermals from Intel chips than published. Ryzen 1700(non-X) published TDP is 65W IIRC.

Please define "overheating". When run at stock speeds and voltages, and using a cooler rated for the stock TDP properly installed in a well-ventilated case, you should not easily be able to push the CPU to the thermal limit. Smaller cases have less internal volume and the fans should be able to turn over the air volume inside the case more quickly than for a larger enclosure. The main limitation of a small enclosure is not the air volume, but the physical limitation on the size and mass of the cooling solution.

FYI, Intel considers the maximum safe temperature for their CPUs to be ~100C. AMD's official top end appears to be ~95C. The BIOS, however, may have another, lower power limit (usually right at the published TDP) that it may enforce, especially if it is an OEM build, as OEMs don't want their customers exceeding the published specs of the components and incurring warranty costs to repair or replace.
 

TweaknFreak

Efficiency Noob
Original poster
Apr 13, 2018
7
2
Intel TDP is specified at stock clocks. So if you're mobo is set to use MCE or overclock/overvolt, you will see higher thermals from Intel chips than published. Ryzen 1700(non-X) published TDP is 65W IIRC.

Please define "overheating". When run at stock speeds and voltages, and using a cooler rated for the stock TDP properly installed in a well-ventilated case, you should not easily be able to push the CPU to the thermal limit. Smaller cases have less internal volume and the fans should be able to turn over the air volume inside the case more quickly than for a larger enclosure. The main limitation of a small enclosure is not the air volume, but the physical limitation on the size and mass of the cooling solution.

FYI, Intel considers the maximum safe temperature for their CPUs to be ~100C. AMD's official top end appears to be ~95C. The BIOS, however, may have another, lower power limit (usually right at the published TDP) that it may enforce, especially if it is an OEM build, as OEMs don't want their customers exceeding the published specs of the components and incurring warranty costs to repair or replace.

I see. Didn't knew processors could go that far in temperatures. Good to know.

Well since this is my first build so I want to rely on you folks' experience about SFF builds. My doubt is given the comparatively high ambient temperature of my country, is it advisable to build a Ryzen SFF build or opt for an Intel SFF build? Comparison being between Ryzen 1700 and i5 8600K. Thanks for your answers.