Very first N-ATX v2 sold if I remember well ?..Haha the cat is awesomeNice serial number BTW
I must admit that I already built several setups inside my N-ATX :
- AM4 : Asus Crosshair VI Hero + AMD R7 5800X
- 1700 : Asus Prime Z690 D4 + Intel Core i5 12600K
- AM5 : Miniforums BD790i + AMD R9 7945HX
Even in terms of disassembly I must rework 2 times some tape that was interfering with back fan.. Of course I had to disconnect I had to remove only 1 side panel, without removing both panels & stand. Fast & easy maintenance.
At last, cooling performance is, indeed, the best of my cases, even beating my Cerberus-X (except CPU obviously)...
After one week of additional testings, I can confirm that N-ATX is a better case than FormD T1 in terms of cooling, noise & maintenance...even for the BD790i a miniITX motherboard..
As a summary :
Only N-ATX v2 downside is CPU cooler height limitation with mini ITX motherboard : approx 60mm due to power cable extension
Question is : why bother with MiniITX motherboards inside N-ATX whereas we can use ATX motherboards instead ?
As a summary :
- Peak CPU temperature is around 8-10°C less. Easy to catch, in FormD T1, R9 7945HX was exceeding 90°C-96°C in peak (red highlight in HWInfo 64). While in N-ATX we are reaching around 88°C peak
- GPU temperature is even easier to catch as my setup has to start GPU exhaust fan when it is reaching 50°C...well in N-ATX, fan was not spinning...I was forced to decrease starting temperature to 45°C (as already stated, N-ATX simply the best case I've ever tested in terms of GPU thermals. Cerberus-X is not far behind, but required more fans and airflow analysis)
Only N-ATX v2 downside is CPU cooler height limitation with mini ITX motherboard : approx 60mm due to power cable extension
Question is : why bother with MiniITX motherboards inside N-ATX whereas we can use ATX motherboards instead ?
Last edited:
Here are some news.
I'm testing the AMD R7 9800X3D inside the N-ATX v2 here :
https://smallformfactor.net/forum/t...erberus-x-complete-build-log.2007/post-291206
I'm testing the AMD R7 9800X3D inside the N-ATX v2 here :
https://smallformfactor.net/forum/t...erberus-x-complete-build-log.2007/post-291206
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
N-ATX 2025 : Experimenting around Mini-ITX motherboard (01st February 2025)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Following my successful test of the SFFTIME U-ITX I decided to deep dive more in Mini ITX form factor, especially to improve the cooling & noise ratio.
Despite its tiny size, the U-ITX managed to cool in an efficient way my R7 9800X3D (limited to 75W) and my RTX 4080 FE (with noticeable thermal hit). I would say the U-ITX is perfectly fitted for a 65W CPU paired with a 250W GPU.
The RTX 5080/90 paper launch!
Finally the RTX 5090/80 will arrive one day, but unfortunately not day one..
Not so bad as I can adjust my strategy :
What SFF Case for a custom RTX 5090?
I searched through my used cases and here is the outcome :
And finally there is my SFFTime N-ATX v2…
At first, I bought it for its compatibility with ATX motherboards to recycle them from my Cerberus-X/Desktop setup to my living room setup.
Compared to my Cerberus-X, my N-ATX performed almost as well, except, of course, on the CPU cooling.
I tried my N-ATX with the BD-790i and it worked really well. But I did not realize at that time what specific capacities the N-ATX v2 was offering for mini-ITX motherboards.
The N-ATX v2 for mini-ITX motherboard or the ultimate power of cooling!
At first glance, based on my experience with the BD790i comparing with the U-ITX, I noticed those positive & negative points :
Time to build my setup
Compared to my U-ITX setup, it is almost the same components (except the main SSD, moving to the WD SN850X) :
The cooling fans are expected to do wonders on the GPU temperature and also to remove all hot air from the case!
If the GPU seems to have a very good access to cool air, what about the back SSD?! It is completely covered by the case frame!
Is it time to panic? Well no, it is even the opposite. This back SSD has access to the best possible heatsink : the case itself!
Please remember that the N-ATX is made of aluminum. Thanks to this shape, the back SSD can touch the case with the help of a standard thermal pad.
Here is the secret : I used the thermal pad from my cheap heatsink already used in the U-ITX.
The best part is that it is working perfectly. I’m reaching approx -20°C versus the U-ITX (not exceeding 50°C while intense GPU load, way better than the 70°C seen in the U-ITX)
At last, I was lucky enough to fit the AC power cord extension inside the case!
However I must admit I’m no longer a fan of this AXP120-67. Its locking mechanism is pretty hard to assemble and its fan clips were just horrible to fix. I’ll try ID Cooling IS-67-XT soon. This is the bigger brother of the IS-47-XT I tested successfully inside the U-ITX : you can choose between the 4 orientations of the heatsink on an AM5 socket. Let’s see.
Here is the final result :
Time to benchmark the N-ATX v2!
Conclusion
More to come soon…
N-ATX 2025 : Experimenting around Mini-ITX motherboard (01st February 2025)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Following my successful test of the SFFTIME U-ITX I decided to deep dive more in Mini ITX form factor, especially to improve the cooling & noise ratio.
Despite its tiny size, the U-ITX managed to cool in an efficient way my R7 9800X3D (limited to 75W) and my RTX 4080 FE (with noticeable thermal hit). I would say the U-ITX is perfectly fitted for a 65W CPU paired with a 250W GPU.
The RTX 5080/90 paper launch!
Finally the RTX 5090/80 will arrive one day, but unfortunately not day one..
Not so bad as I can adjust my strategy :
- My main target is to get a RTX 5090 as the RTX 5080 would be too close to my current RTX 4080
- The RTX 5090 FE proved to be noisy (with many reports of coil whine) and not so SFF friendly with its dual passthrough, keeping all the heat inside the case, leaving no real advantage versus competition (already doing the same)
- Thus my preference is going now towards other cards, like the Asus TUF, MSI Trio, Zotac Solid. However, they are all longer than 330mm and generally thicker then 60mm…that are tough constraints within a SFFPC
- Cherry of the top is that I would require pretty high CPU horsepower with a fast GPU, especially using new DLSS4 features, like the “performance” mode (1080p rendering) as good (or better) as former quality DLSS. My target would be to use my R7 9800 X3D with a minimum of 120W power.
What SFF Case for a custom RTX 5090?
I searched through my used cases and here is the outcome :
- SFFTime U-ITX : Too limited thermally (both CPU & GPU), not compatible with any non-FE RTX 5090 models (Max is 304mm length, 60mm thick)
- Sliger Cerberus-X : Not a SFFPC (>20L), thermally powerful but limited in GPU length to 329mm (in practical around 315mm) and height to 145mm with the connector
- Sliger CL530 : Good CPU cooling, pretty bad GPU cooling (huge lack of exhausting hot air). Maximum GPU Length is 324mm
- Sliger SM550 : Limited in CPU & GPU cooling, only compatible with 2.5 slots GPU
- Sliger S620 : Too bulky (not a fan of its external shape), limited to 3 slots GPU with 325mm length…and even pretty awkward to assemble.
- FormD T1 : Limited CPU cooling (aircooling). RTX 5090 compatibility is limited to the FE model, and even the GPU exhaust air is heading towards the back of the motherboard. This is not a sustainable plan. Requires also maximum undervolting to avoid important noise & thermals
And finally there is my SFFTime N-ATX v2…
At first, I bought it for its compatibility with ATX motherboards to recycle them from my Cerberus-X/Desktop setup to my living room setup.
Compared to my Cerberus-X, my N-ATX performed almost as well, except, of course, on the CPU cooling.
I tried my N-ATX with the BD-790i and it worked really well. But I did not realize at that time what specific capacities the N-ATX v2 was offering for mini-ITX motherboards.
The N-ATX v2 for mini-ITX motherboard or the ultimate power of cooling!
At first glance, based on my experience with the BD790i comparing with the U-ITX, I noticed those positive & negative points :
- Positive :
- GPU compatibility : 388 x 163 x 82mm
- Up to 3x120mm fans (or 2x140mm) could be placed at the bottom, just behind the GPU
- 3 slots (~60mm) GPU are compatible with rear 25mm thick fans
- 3.5 slots (~70mm) GPU are compatible with rear 15mm thick fans
- Negative :
- Potential back SSD will be covered by the case frame! (spoiler alert : this is the icing on the cake!)
- Power AC extension cable could not be put in place inside the case, leaving the pigtail outside of the case. I got this solution on my SM550 and I pretty dislike it : ugly and tends to disconnect
Time to build my setup
Compared to my U-ITX setup, it is almost the same components (except the main SSD, moving to the WD SN850X) :
- CPU : AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D PBO PPT 120W, Curve Shaper :
- Min Frequencies : -30
- Low Frequencies : -30
- Med Frequencies : -30 (Max Threads performance, like Cinebench)
- High Frequencies : -10 (Gaming)
- Max Frequencies : -10
- Motherboard : ROG STRIX B650E-I GAMING WIFI (with its rear i/o shield and plastic cover)
- CPU Cooling :
- Heatsink : Thermalright AXP120-67, black
- Cooling fan : Fan replaced by a Noctua NF-A12x25 Chromax/black
- Thermal paste : Arctic MX-6
- Contact frame : Thermal Grizzly
- RAM : Corsair Vengeance 2x24Go 7600 MTS (XMP profile). Booting time is also excellent.
- GPU : NVIDIA RTX 4080 FE, with fixed fan speed @1100rpm under load. Fully passive otherwise
- PSU : Corsair SF1000 with its standard cables.
- SSD#1 : WD SN850X 2To (Gen 4), heatsink : standard from the motherboard
- SSD#2 : Samsung 990 Pro 4 To, heatsink : surprise (see below)
- Rear Fan #1 : Noctua NF-A12x25 Brown (temporary solution to test thickness) @500 rpm
- Rear Fan #2 : Noctua NF-A12x15 Chromax/black @500 rpm
- Front i/o : 1xUSB Type-C
- UPS : USB connection to UPS is fully functional
The cooling fans are expected to do wonders on the GPU temperature and also to remove all hot air from the case!
If the GPU seems to have a very good access to cool air, what about the back SSD?! It is completely covered by the case frame!
Is it time to panic? Well no, it is even the opposite. This back SSD has access to the best possible heatsink : the case itself!
Please remember that the N-ATX is made of aluminum. Thanks to this shape, the back SSD can touch the case with the help of a standard thermal pad.
Here is the secret : I used the thermal pad from my cheap heatsink already used in the U-ITX.
The best part is that it is working perfectly. I’m reaching approx -20°C versus the U-ITX (not exceeding 50°C while intense GPU load, way better than the 70°C seen in the U-ITX)
At last, I was lucky enough to fit the AC power cord extension inside the case!
However I must admit I’m no longer a fan of this AXP120-67. Its locking mechanism is pretty hard to assemble and its fan clips were just horrible to fix. I’ll try ID Cooling IS-67-XT soon. This is the bigger brother of the IS-47-XT I tested successfully inside the U-ITX : you can choose between the 4 orientations of the heatsink on an AM5 socket. Let’s see.
Here is the final result :
Time to benchmark the N-ATX v2!
- Dragon’s Dogma II :
- RTX 4080 FE ~240W ~58-60°C (Stock, Fans@1100 rpm)
- R7 9800X3D (120W) ~65W ~65°C (Fan@650 rpm)
- Star Wars Outlaws :
- RTX 4080 FE ~280W ~63-65°C (Stock, Fans@1100 rpm)
- R7 9800X3D (120W) ~65W ~65°C (Fan@650 rpm)
- CyberPunk 2077 : DLSS 4 Performance mode, Frame Generation
- RTX 4080 FE ~280W ~63-65°C (Stock, Fans@1100 rpm)
- R7 9800X3D (120W) ~75W ~75°C (Fan@650 rpm)
Conclusion
- Back exhaust fans are very effective. The RTX 4080 FE temperature drops very quickly when the load is over
- Both SSD temperatures are great!
- Best in class noise& thermal levels :
- At idle : Silent, inaudible (all the time, ie the GPU fans are never starting like in the U-ITX)
- Gaming load (300W) : very very quiet (no turbulence or parasite noise)
More to come soon…
Last edited:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
N-AITX : Sublimate my setup 08th February 2025)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From now on I will refer to my setup as N-ITX, meaning N-ATX paired with a mini-ITX motherboard.
After the very positive outcome with this N-ITX setup, I decided to sublimate it by :
Switching the CPU cooler from the Thermalright AXP 120-67 to the ID-Cooling IS-67-XT
Why replace this CPU cooler?
In fact the Thermalright is a very good performer, however, it is limited to only one heatsink orientation (horizontal setup) for AM4/5 socket
On top of that, the fan is fixed using fan clips that are very difficult to assemble in crammed areas, like on the top of the N-ITX.
On the other side, the ID-Cooling IS-67-XT offers, by default, the two orientations (like the optional kit on the Noctuas). Their fans are also screwed on the heatsink.
This allowed me to orientate the heatsink, mostly towards the bottom to free space at the top.
Thanks to this replacement, free space at the top of the N-ITX is approximately doubled versus with the Thermalright AXP120-67! The most important thing is that I’m able now to connect/disconnect fan headers, CPU power, AC cable extension, pretty normally!
In terms of cooling performance, the AXP120-67 remains slightly ahead, able to cool my R7 9800X3D at 140W versus the IS-67-XT able to cool it at 130W. Basically, above those maximum power, they are reaching the thermal throttle of 95°C.
To sum-up on the CPU coolers :
Both CPU coolers are good and you can adjust your choice depending on your needs!
Double exhaust black & slim fans
As a change, I’ve switched the NFA12x25 with a black NFA12x15…simply splendid!
I wonder if I can try to put a third fan behind the riser, like on my Sliger CL530.
Overall look : Gorgeous!
N-
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From now on I will refer to my setup as N-ITX, meaning N-ATX paired with a mini-ITX motherboard.
After the very positive outcome with this N-ITX setup, I decided to sublimate it by :
- Improving accessibility between the CPU cooler heatsink and the top of the case. This area is particularly crammed
- Uniform color style of all the fans
Switching the CPU cooler from the Thermalright AXP 120-67 to the ID-Cooling IS-67-XT
Why replace this CPU cooler?
In fact the Thermalright is a very good performer, however, it is limited to only one heatsink orientation (horizontal setup) for AM4/5 socket
On top of that, the fan is fixed using fan clips that are very difficult to assemble in crammed areas, like on the top of the N-ITX.
On the other side, the ID-Cooling IS-67-XT offers, by default, the two orientations (like the optional kit on the Noctuas). Their fans are also screwed on the heatsink.
This allowed me to orientate the heatsink, mostly towards the bottom to free space at the top.
Thanks to this replacement, free space at the top of the N-ITX is approximately doubled versus with the Thermalright AXP120-67! The most important thing is that I’m able now to connect/disconnect fan headers, CPU power, AC cable extension, pretty normally!
In terms of cooling performance, the AXP120-67 remains slightly ahead, able to cool my R7 9800X3D at 140W versus the IS-67-XT able to cool it at 130W. Basically, above those maximum power, they are reaching the thermal throttle of 95°C.
To sum-up on the CPU coolers :
- Thermalright AXP120-67
- Assembly : 3 / 5
- Maintenance : 3 / 5
- Cooling : 4 / 5
- ID-Cooling IS-67-XT
- Assembly : 5 / 5
- Maintenance : 5 / 5
- Cooling : 3.5 / 5
Both CPU coolers are good and you can adjust your choice depending on your needs!
Double exhaust black & slim fans
As a change, I’ve switched the NFA12x25 with a black NFA12x15…simply splendid!
I wonder if I can try to put a third fan behind the riser, like on my Sliger CL530.
Overall look : Gorgeous!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
N-AITX : Facing the hard truth : Nvidia FE are the only SFF friendly GPU (22th March 2025)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After my disappointment about the cooling/noise performance of my RTX 5080 Ventus inside the U-ITX I decided to test it inside the N-ITX, which was performing very well with my RTX 4080 FE.
For this build I adjusted the GPU location to fit 2.5 slots, quick & easy.
My main question was : Are the rear exhaust fans helping the RTX 5080 Ventus airflow? Short answer, just a little with this kind of GPU cooler, that diffuses heat everywhere inside the case.
By design, the N-ATX design is similar to the U-ITX, just bigger and more vented. Thus the airflow remains the same, even if it is stronger & bigger.
The final results are way better than the U-ITX however : 290-300W, GPU at 2000 rpm, 71-73°C.
Oddly, I also got some resonating vibrations during my trial. Basically the N-ITX was even louder than the U-ITX, actually.
Basically the open air GPU cooler style loves fresh air active intake and hot air active exhaust, at least to maximize its performance.
I’ll continue my testing on mini-ITX casess with the Sliger S620.
N-AITX : Facing the hard truth : Nvidia FE are the only SFF friendly GPU (22th March 2025)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After my disappointment about the cooling/noise performance of my RTX 5080 Ventus inside the U-ITX I decided to test it inside the N-ITX, which was performing very well with my RTX 4080 FE.
For this build I adjusted the GPU location to fit 2.5 slots, quick & easy.
My main question was : Are the rear exhaust fans helping the RTX 5080 Ventus airflow? Short answer, just a little with this kind of GPU cooler, that diffuses heat everywhere inside the case.
By design, the N-ATX design is similar to the U-ITX, just bigger and more vented. Thus the airflow remains the same, even if it is stronger & bigger.
The final results are way better than the U-ITX however : 290-300W, GPU at 2000 rpm, 71-73°C.
Oddly, I also got some resonating vibrations during my trial. Basically the N-ITX was even louder than the U-ITX, actually.
Basically the open air GPU cooler style loves fresh air active intake and hot air active exhaust, at least to maximize its performance.
I’ll continue my testing on mini-ITX casess with the Sliger S620.
