SFF Newbie - Looking for advice and suggestions

[cptwhite]

Hi all,

I''ve been building desktops for over 20 years, and through channels like Optimum Tech I've become interested in the idea of building myself a budget SFF PC I can throw in a bag. I know it's a very niche hobby and costs can sky rocket, but my aims are to build a capable but cost effective and ultra small PC for gaming @ 1080p + 144Hz

I'm already buying parts for the build, but before I go any further want to hear recommendations. I don't want there to be any need for physical modding of the case or components. I love the idea of the Skyreach S4 Mini using the HDPLEX 400W Hi-Fi DC-ATX or similar, but I'm not sure exactly how that works or what to order, it's all a little unclear to me, and I feel I need someone to guide me through that. Also the S4 Mini is probably out of my price bracket anyway. The Velka 3 sounds good, but the noise from the Flex ATX PSU in Optimum Tech's video put me off this type of PSU.

I like the idea of vertically stacked case to minimise the footprint, but ideally I probably want an SFX sized PSU for ease of use and noise considerations. I'm open to using the DPLEX 400W Hi-Fi DC-ATX if someone can guide me through it's setup and link what I'd need.

Velka 5 therefore is the front runner, but I'm not keen on the cables exiting the top of the case and the build quality seems a little lacking (thinking of the corner detail on Optimum Tech's review) when compared the the Dan A4 or Ncase M1.

Therefore my preferences for the case are:

Vertical footprint (either console style, or vertical sandwich config.)
Support for SFX PSU
Cost effective
Aluminium or steel build - don't want acrylic. Aluminium is my preference to reduce weight.
Option of a handle would be great
Good build quality

I have been working my way through this list:

..but my current pick is still the Velka 5, it would be the Sentry 2.0, but I guess that's going to be near impossible to find and prohibitively expensive. The Raven RVZ02 is also a decent build option, but it's larger than I want my SFF PC to be, ideally.

So here's where I'm at:

Case:
PSU:
Motherboard: Asus H310i-Plus r2.0 @ £40 (2nd hand)
CPU: Intel i3 9100F @ £70
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-L9i @ £35
SSD: 256Gb NVME SSD M.2 2230 @ £32 (2nd hand)
GPU: AMD R9 Nano @ £80 (2nd hand)
RAM: 2x 8GB 3000Mhz G.Skill Aegis@ £50

Total cost = £307 + Case + PSU

I'd love some suggestions for the case and PSU, the smaller the better.

 

[cptwhite]

Liking the look of the M69 case and PSU combo, as shown in this thread:

M69 - 4L Build Housing 1080 TI

Hi Guys, Like many others I've been silent observer for the lat few months, slowly but surely my own build came together and then some more I did the Dan build and it is a beauty, but this thread is not about that, it is about the next build i did, which is just damn sexy Initially I set my...

smallformfactor.net

Trying to order through the Taobao website is impossible, any help?!

 

[larkmaj]

In the optimum tech video he used a 400W FSP power supply with an RTX 2070. The RTX 2070 looks to have the same TDP as your R9 Nano, so I'd expect a similar noise from that PSU in your build. However, if you go for the 600W Enhance you'll probably get significantly reduced noise. I like my Velka 3 for size and power, but I"m still waiting on my PSU. Currently running an ATX psu externally while I wait for my Enhance.

For the S4M you'll need an AC-DC which would probably either be the internal HDPLEX one, which I've read is difficult to fit, or a brick like the Dell 330W. Not sure how your power draw will stack up to 330W.

 

[cptwhite]

1660 Performance, with 2070 power consumption, that's what 4 years power efficiency improvements does for you. Still I can't complain for £80, the whole build is likely going to cost around the same as an RTX 2070 on it's own, about £400 or thereabouts.