Q&A on your SFF PC

[EpicBlob]

Hi!

Currently in my senior year at college for Industrial Design, and for my thesis project, I am making a SFF PC case. The main concerns with this project are manufacturing (lowering the parts needed for the case) and post-assembly work (easier to upgrade, replace components). I am nearing the concept ideation portion stage, but I'd love to make a small database of information regarding your opinions on your computer choices. If you are willing to help, just copy the questions below and fill each out. Any info at all would be greatly appreciated Thank you!!

Case:
GPU:
How long have you been building PCs?:
Why SFF?:
Things you like about the case:
Things you don't like about the case:
How is upgrading parts post-installation?:
In general, what are your issues with PC building?:

 

[confusis]

Case: NCase M1 V5
GPU: Sapphire R9-270x Vapor-X
How long have you been building PCs?: ~25 years
Why SFF?: Because it's a challenge, because it's less wasteful
Things you like about the case: Easy to build in
Things you don't like about the case: lack of cable hiding space
How is upgrading parts post-installation?: Not too bad, except cable management!
In general, what are your issues with PC building?: too much non-SFF stuff. need all the SFF!

 

[SeñorDonut]

Case: Fractal Design Node 202
GPU: Zotac 1060 Mini
How long have you been building PCs?: First scratch build was 2014, but I've been dissecting and upgrading since probably around 2011 (school computer was slow so I borrowed a stick of RAM from the one next to it)
Why SFF?: It just seems wasteful to me to have a PC take up so much space - my first build was based around an ATX board and PSU with 2 sticks of RAM, the stock cooler, a short GPU, 3 storage drives, and was about tall and deep as a two drawer file cabinet. Now I've the exact same functionality in such a smaller case and it's pretty fascinating tbh.
Things you like about the case: Small
Things you don't like about the case: No support for Threadripper, 240mm cooler, optical drive
How is upgrading parts post-installation?: Meh, I guess it could be worse
In general, what are your issues with PC building?: Cable management and maximization of space usage. Oh, and the cost

 

[tinyitx]

Case: OBT Mini test bench
GPU: not yet bought (most like a full length GTX1070Ti)
How long have you been building PCs?: about 16 years
Why SFF?: no longer need that many PCI expansion slots of an ATX format
Things you like about the case: small footprint and occupy least volume
Things you don't like about the case: none yet
How is upgrading parts post-installation?: not applicable as the system is not fully built yet
In general, what are your issues with PC building?: compatibility between various components (eg CPU air cooler limiting the height of RAM and might obstruct the 1st PCI expansion slot, RAM compatibility with the motherboard...etc)

 

[ChinStrap]

Case: CCD MI-6 (Soon to be: https://smallformfactor.net/forum/threads/ccd-mi-6-case-performance-in-less-than-7l.1091/ , Current: Open test Bench)
GPU: 1050ti
How long have you been building PCs?: 16ish years. (1st CPU I bought was the P4 'Northwood')
Why SFF?: Size/Space. Having an ATX case on or by my desk doesn't cut it. way to big.
Things you like about the case: n/a
Things you don't like about the case: n/a
How is upgrading parts post-installation?: should be simple.
In general, what are your issues with PC building?: Coin mining has wrecked the hobby for the time being. DRAM might be expensive, but I can still buy it if I need it. You can't even buy anything over a 1050ti right now, anywhere.

 

[zovc]

Case: MSI GS63VR (Okay, so I'm cheating...)
GPU : GTX 1060 (non-Max-Q)
How long have you been building PCs?: Maybe 15 years?
Why SFF?: It's an interesting challenge, and I like the 'efficiency' of it.
Things you like about the case: Does a decent job of managing components.
Things you don't like about the case: Turns out the ~75W battery doesn't last nearly as long as I hoped, in hindsight, I'd rather give up the 2.5" drive for a ~90W battery.
How is upgrading parts post-installation? I think the GPU is soldered on, I would have to double check. But as far as laptops are concerned, taking the unit apart, replacing the drives, and even reapplying thermal compound was relatively easy and painless.
In general, what are your issues with PC building?: Manufacturers outright blocking things, like Nvidia does with GPU passthrough and Freesync.

 

[XeaLouS]

Case: Custom Sg13 clone made of wood
GPU: Asus Gtx 970 mini
How long have you been building PCs?: 10 years
Why SFF?: Same performance, can show off case/computer on desk
Things you like about the case: Wood, nice aesthetic
Things you don't like about the case: still too big for my liking
How is upgrading parts post-installation?: have to pull apart entire case. not fun.
In general, what are your issues with PC building?: None.

 

[Kwirek]

Case: Cerberus
GPU: GTX980
How long have you been building PCs?: 5 years
Why SFF?: Looks. Being Scandinavian I'm all in for minimalist design and small footprint. I won't have something on my desk that I'd need to hide every time someone is over.
Things you like about the case: More or less as small as you can get an mATX case and thus the largest more or less anybody needs. Really refined looks. Thought out design to make it easy to work in.
Things you don't like about the case: Slightly too easy to bend the top panel, but you can bend it back.
How is upgrading parts post-installation?: A breeze, despite being small it is roomy.
In general, what are your issues with PC building?: Learning curve, if you don't have anybody you know (who knows how) it can be quite scary to start putting things together. When you don't know the common mistakes everyone makes or how to troubleshoot I understand why people pay for the thing to be set up, especially for more expensive gaming computers.

 

[bledha]

Cool thread!

Case: Jonsbo U1 Plus
GPU: EVGA GTX 1060 SC / 6GB
How long have you been building PCs?: About 20 years now.
Why SFF?: At first, it was because I put my PC on my desk. Then it was because I wanted more space on my desk. And efficiency!
Things you like about the case: Nice tempered glass, good build quality, gorgeous aluminum design.
Things you don't like about the case: It is a tough build, airflow restricted for PSU, component limitation, some space inefficient design quirks, etc.
How is upgrading parts post-installation?: Tough due to aforementioned restrictions, and also because you have to remove everything to change CPU cooler, CPU, etc.
In general, what are your issues with PC building?: Component cost for SFF stuff, fan selection (!), sourcing products, etc.

 

[Maestria]

Case: CUSTOM_MOD Flex Mini rev1 (3.99 L)
GPU: GTX 1080 Mini
How long have you been building PCs?: 20+ Years
Why SFF? : I want only one PC that i can travel with, upgrade and play latest game.
Things you like about the case : Smallest case for no compromise
Things you don't like about the case : No front vent so during long gaming sessions the case can be very hot, poor build quality
How is upgrading parts post-installation? : Very hard, everything is so much tighten that there is no room left
In general, what are your issues with PC building? : Finding every piece i want, to make the perfect build i have in my mind

 

[Aki]

Case: Sentry
GPU: GTX 1070
How long have you been building PCs?: 5 Years
Why SFF?: Space efficiency. Flexibility when I move out of my parents place. Occasionally I travel with it. And I Literally only have 12cm by 40cm of room on my desk and under it is not really an option.
Things you like about the case: Looks. Cooling capabilities (way better than I thought it would be). Build quality.
Things you don't like about the case: Weight. (4mm more in with would have meant even better cooling.)
How is upgrading parts post-installation?: A bit of a hassle to open it up, but once it's open, a lot fits inside, if you planned ahead.
In general, what are your issues with PC building?: Manufacturers taking to long to adapt a new standard. For example the new USB 3.1 internal header or molex instead of Sata power. Finding a fitting case. Especially since most "normal" cases sacrifice to much potential in cooling, compatibility with components, wasting space...

 

[owliwar]

Case: Project kairos (its one of my cases) 15L matx case
GPU: ... its to old I'm embarrassed
How long have you been building PCs?: 3 years? I was using mac for work and notebooks before. if you count the time i had a gt 9800 then is probably 10 years but the last 3 i got more serious
Why SFF?: because i fell in love with it. being a mac user and then going to a big ass '''mid tower'' was painful. I designed sophia at this time, that I thought was very compact but it actually was 30L. kairos is 15L now and fits everything I had
Things you like about the case: it has a smaller footprint , better for my desk.
I need loots of space for drawing tablets and monitor, as I work with illustration and desk space is a must
Things you don't like about the case: could be made or other materials haha (its mdf right now) and actually doesn't fit a radiator, and it would increase just a tiny bit of the already not so small size. my cpu would be happier
How is upgrading parts post-installation? actually easier than the bigger case, but I still have to take lots of stuff off so its kinda painful because the psu goes in the front of the motherboard and cable management is hell
In general, what are your issues with PC building? when components are hard to install, fixed cages that gets in the way. not fitting matx moherboards (but then, I need really a large amount of ram and I prefer matx builds anyway)

 

[Canities]

Case: Geeek A30 (this is my folding box, my main system is m-atx)
GPU: Integrated Intel® HD 2000
How long have you been building PCs?: About 20+ years
Why SFF?: Compact, Challenging and portable.
Things you like about the case: Its compact, has good cable management, keeps my CPU cool (50-52 deg C @ 100% utilisation while folding) and is aesthetically pleasing.
Things you don't like about the case: Its a flat-pack case and the build instructions were no the best in the world. I cant fit my old GTX660 in this case unless i find a usable after market heatsink or mod the installed one.
How is upgrading parts post-installation?: Quite easy, the sides and front panel are easy to remove for cpu/gpu/ram/hdd/ssd upgrades.
In general, what are your issues with PC building?: Cable management is my biggest gripe. Manufacturers seem to think we need cables 2x longer than is required (mostly due to ATX system sizes). Also motherboard header locations can be a pain depending on their locations.

 

[raymondo]

Case: Parvum X1.0
GPU: XFX GTR 480 Black Edition
How long have you been building PCs?: 17 years
Why SFF?: Compact layout, space saving, better looks, not as dominant in the room
Things you like about the case: the looks and the way cables can be tucked away behind the mainboard tray thanks to two-chamber design
Things you don't like about the case: It's not really versatile and has got a lot of limitations. You want to change anything, you have to take nearly the whole case apart.
How is upgrading parts post-installation?: The parts are all just there behind the pieces but you have to remove a whole lot of screws which gets obnoxious when doing it a few times though it's not very time consuming. Air management is also not as easy when you have a GPU that's nearly as big as the case.
In general, what are your issues with PC building?: Cable management has become easier and easier for most cases. Air tends to get blocked in a lot of PC cases which is an issue.

 

[jtd871]

Case: DAN A4-SFX V1 Silver
GPU: EVGA 1060 SSC 6GB
How long have you been building PCs?: This was my first build.

Why SFF?:
I didn't wan't a huge case on my desk
the technology exists
I wasn't going to buy another laptop
smaller components in a small case results in better airflow and thus lower thermals and thus less noise

Things you like about the case:
Hides dust
looks fantastic - very minimal
great ventilation

Things you don't like about the case:
Cabling with stock-length PSU cables was challenging,
no activity indicators other than LEDS on the mobo and GPU,
button incompatible with anti-vandal switches,
case screw heads are not deep so I worry about stripping them at some point.

How is upgrading parts post-installation?: I just built it less than a year ago, so no upgrades yet. I may want to upgrade mobo/CPU and maybe custom cables at some point. The GPU will be the easiest part to upgrade.

In general, what are your issues with PC building?:
Front panel USB3 cabling seems needlessly stiff compared to that of external cords
PSU cables are overcomplicated compared to some actual power needs - especially for the 24-pin connection
SFF components tend to be pricier than physically larger similar components

 

[warfreak131]

Case: Perfect Home Theater T-ITX-6
GPU: GT 1030
How long have you been building PCs?: My whole life
Why SFF?: Never bad to have something that's easily portable. SFF computers also generally blend in better than large towers.
Things you like about the case: Solidly built, 2mm thick aluminum, great design.
Things you don't like about the case: Some wasted space if you're using only 1 hard drive or an M.2/mSata. Only option for expansion cards is half height and max 1.5 slot width.
How is upgrading parts post-installation?: Very easy, everything is accessed from above.
In general, what are your issues with PC building? The more SFF you get, the more specialized you have to get, and more specialized = more cost.

 

[1461748123]

Case:
NFC S4M

GPU:
Gigabyte GTX 1080 mini

How long have you been building PCs?:
Since 2012

Why SFF?:
I'm always fascinated by the idea of stuffing powerful hardware into a small footprint!

Things you like about the case:
Slim. I like slim cases. I generally hate square or fat cases since they are hard to fit in any carrying cases or backpack, although they might have a similar volume to the S4M.

Things you don't like about the case:
Really can't think of any currently. Maybe the price haha.

How is upgrading parts post-installation?:
I guess it won't be hard? When I'm using the S4M-C upgrading is a pain.

In general, what are your issues with PC building?:
SFF stuff are expensive...

 

[loader963]

Case: Silverstone ML08
GPU:Asus 1080 Ti Turbo
How long have you been building PCs?: 2005-now
Why SFF?: Have fallen inlove with minimal looks. Plus I dont buy as many parts or dream of going full on uber rig
Things you like about the case: Roomy yet compact, looks great in a simple, elegant way
Things you don't like about the case:THE TOP IS VERY POORLY VENTILATED!!!!!!!!!!
How is upgrading parts post-installation?: Easy as a full atx rig almost
Issues with building: Dealing with long cables

 

[cmyk78]

Case: Cryorig Taku
GPU: Gigabyte GTX 1070 Mini ITX OC
How long have you been building PCs?: 1.5 years
Why SFF?: Originally for travel, now for the challenge.
Things you like about the case: It's a monitor stand and you can put your keyboard under it.
Things you don't like about the case: It's fiddly to install a GPU, and it could be smaller
How is upgrading parts post-installation?: Relatively painless, except GPU.
In general, what are your issues with PC building?: Shipping costs, noise, the fact that I don't have the best possible system.

 

[MultiDoc]

Case: Ncase M1 v5
GPU: Asus Strix GTX 1080Ti OC (inbound)
How long have you been building PCs?: Since 1999 (when I unfortunately had to pack up my Amiga 500)
Why SFF?: Don't need more than one PCIe slot anymore and no more need for lots and lots of 3.5 HDDs, much more elegant, beautiful, efficient, space saving and ofcourse challenging to build in a SFF than a full tower. Oh and silence
Things you like about the case: As above, space saving, beautiful, efficient, silent, stealthy and packs a much bigger punch than its size suggests.
Things you don't like about the case: Had to buy all parts from scratch, since this is my first ever SFF.
How is upgrading parts post-installation? N/A still in the process of building this one, but i dont see why this would be a problem in the future should i need to upgrade subsystems
In general, what are your issues with PC building? Money/cost and time, the older we get the order changes to 1. time and 2. money/cost