Planning SSF build - no gaming

[tnysff]

The new SFF buid will replace an aging secondary system in an Antec P150 tower, M4A79XTD EVO / Phenom II X2 550, Windows7, with a bunch of hard drives which at this point are mostly empty. The new system will run Linux, with some embedded development and a one or two light VM images.

It has been been many years since I built the above tower, so am not only struggling a bit with going SFF, but with the current status of technology. Your help will be appreciated. These are my initial thoughts:

- Streacom F1CWS (are there alternatives in similar dimensions)
- Motherboard ??? (good brand)
- Intel 35W TDP, i7-7700T or i5-7600T processor (I assume either will be a significant step up from the Phenom)
- 32GB RAM DDR4 ???
- Graphics, integrated... are they good enough nowadays for no gaming?
- WIFI if possible, in motherboard.
- A couple of SSDs, prefer 2x2.5, but if needed, one of them could be Msata.
- DVD slim drive
- Power supply, if possible, external brick with DC-DC in motherboard. If not, I guess something like a Pico.

As you can see I need help to make some decisions. Somehow flexible with the budget -- this box should last me another ten years (as the above one has) .

I will apreciate comments and suggestion

 

[Stevo_]

Maybe look at an 8400T,(for newer 300 socket support) most of the latest intel UHD6xx iGPUs are really decent for desktop use and chips have VP9 and H.265 hardware acceleration that drive 4k screens no problem. Even my J5005 based fanless can do 4kx60 hdmi vids, my gt1030 in another pc has issues at that rate.

If you're not locked into fanless I'm rather partial to the morex 557 case when going real small, but have to watch ATX location as usb and power switch can interfere. M350 another popular one.

EDIT: Fanless with power supply inside, for low power build
https://www.hdplex.com/hdplex-h1-s-fanless-computer-case.html

 

[tnysff]

Maybe look at an 8400T,(for newer 300 socket support) most of the latest intel UHD6xx iGPUs are really decent for desktop use and chips have VP9 and H.265 hardware acceleration that drive 4k screens no problem. Even my J5005 based fanless can do 4kx60 hdmi vids, my gt1030 in another pc has issues at that rate.

If you're not locked into fanless I'm rather partial to the morex 557 case when going real small, but have to watch ATX location as usb and power switch can interfere. M350 another popular one.

EDIT: Fanless with power supply inside, for low power build
https://www.hdplex.com/hdplex-h1-s-fanless-computer-case.html

I will look into the 8400T. I do not see feel the need for six cores, but I'll check it out. For motherboard, I think the thin ASUS H360T may be the best fit. As it is thin mITX, it has 19V DC input for external notebook like brick. It should support the 8400T.

I do not think the morex 557 nor M350 have provisions for slim DVD drives.

The HDPLX cases are interesting. Rather pricey!

Thanks for your comments.

 

[Vlad502]

Some case options with 5.25 slim:
Akyga AK-101-01BK
Chieftec BU-12B
CoolerMaster Mini 110
Inter-Tech MW-02
LC-1550mi

 

[tnysff]

Some case options with 5.25 slim:
Akyga AK-101-01BK
Chieftec BU-12B
CoolerMaster Mini 110
Inter-Tech MW-02
LC-1550mi

I really like the looks of the MW-02. I am concerned about the power design. A 5.5x2.5 plug for the amps it will take at 12V seems u der dimensioned to me. All notebooks I know have more substantial plugs. But I do like the look and size is ok.

 

[tnysff]

Some case options with 5.25 slim:
Akyga AK-101-01BK
Chieftec BU-12B
CoolerMaster Mini 110
Inter-Tech MW-02
LC-1550mi

The LC-1550mi could be an option but the information about it is bit on sketchy side. I guess from the pictures, (more than see), that there might be a power button on the front. It seems to have a built in DC-DC adapter, again a 5.5x2.5 plug which for 10A seems iffy to me.

Obviously, if I would go with a thin mITX like the ASUS H360T, I would not use the power component and may remove if not tied to the front connections.

What seems to be a problem is that these two cases don't seem to be common in the US. But I do like the look of the MW-02.

 

[Stevo_]

Missed the internal DVD slim drive requirement, I just use a plugin slim LG for those rare occasions. I wouldn't worry about the 5.5x2.5 plug handling the 10A, you won't be using half of that even if doing a torture test with a 35W TDP CPU.

InWin makes a bunch of built-in supply DVD capable cases

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod...STMATCH&Description=inwin+itx&N=-1&isNodeId=1

 

[Valantar]

Isn't that LC power case just the Chieftec IX-01B with the optional ODD expansion (and a custom front bezel, I guess).

 

[tnysff]

I have been hanging out on these boards for a while and have been maturing the concept for my build. It has evolved quite a bit. I have dropped the requirement of the DVD. I have an external drive that will do fine. This is the plan

1. CHASSIS: I like the F1C but it lacks USB ports and ventilation on the top plate. I have stayed with the shape but switched to RGeek 65mm with top ventilation and two USB 3.0 ports. I have one coming from eBay. I hope that with out the DVD drive I will be able to fit the cooler and a 2.5" SSD.
   
2. MOBO: I have decided to up the board to have better IO features and be able to under clock, I am At this point my mind is on the ASROCK Z390 Phantom Gaming-ITXac. My intent is to keep this system for a long time, so it better has the latest. It even has Thunderbold, though it appears to be half capacity.
3. CPU: After learning more about what the T processors really are, and since I want to be able to throttle down dissipation, I moved to an i5-9600K. It is about the same cost as the 8600K and appears to run a bit cooler due to soldered TIM. It is about $75 more than the 8400T, but I think it is worth it.
4. COOLER: I have not decided yet between NH-L9i, Engine 27 and IS-30, but it seems the L9i is very popular, there must be a reason. I know there is no data yet on the IS-30.
5. RAM: I will get some compatible Crucial 2666.
   
6. PSU: PicoPSU kit 90W/100W (will it be enough) or 120W/120W
   
7. STORAGE: BOOT 1x M.2 Samsung 970 EVO Plus Series 512GB or 1TB NVMe + AUX 1x 2.5" SSD Samsung 860 EVO (on hand)

I have two areas of concern

1. Will the cooler (L9i ?) fit, leaving room for one SSD on the internal drive mounting plate and SSD?. If it is too tight I wonder if taking a DREMEL to the plate may help. If not, I always have the option of two M.2 drives, although I already have the 2.5" on hand.
2. Will the 90W/100W picopsu kit do it or should I go with 120W?

I will appreciate any comments, suggestions...

 

[Valantar]

One easy option to fit the SSD is to remove its housing/shell, insulate the PCB (kapton tape is good, as it doesn't trap much heat), and stick the SSD somewhere convenient in the case. Most 2.5" SSDs have far smaller PCBs than their outer shell seems to indicate.

 

[tnysff]

One easy option to fit the SSD is to remove its housing/shell, insulate the PCB (kapton tape is good, as it doesn't trap much heat), and stick the SSD somewhere convenient in the case. Most 2.5" SSDs have far smaller PCBs than their outer shell seems to indicate.

I will keep it in mind!

 

[Valantar]

I will keep it in mind!

Here's an example of a cheap AliExpress SSD I put in a low-end ITX build I did a little while back.

It has a rather large PCB compared to modern name-brand SSDs, but it's still down to about half the area (and a fraction of the thickness) of the 2.5" enclosure. Well worth the tiny effort, and with most drives the removal process is entirely safe, so you can put it back in case of any warranty issues or anything like that.

As a size reference, here's an 850 Evo mSATA in an adapter that got the same treatment for a build I'm currently working on.

Most name-brand SSDs will be more along the lines of this in terms of size (just without the added thickness from the adapter board. The thickest part by far is the SATA connector, meaning that with some finagling you could even fit a drive like this beneath the motherboard if you wanted to.

 

[tnysff]

Valantar, thank you for the pictures.