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Micro Mini Monster Build: Help wanted!

2008 Views 32 Replies 8 Participants Last post by  ScoutX
Greetings Everyone!

I need help in completing my 3M (Micro Mini Monster). I've built my share of PCs over the years, but this time I'm afraid I've run into a virtual wall of issues and obstacles that I can't seem to find solutions to. I'm hoping some of you can help and have the answers I'm looking for.

So far, the components I already have are as follows:

Asus P8Z77-M Pro Micro ATX Motherboard
Intel I7-3770K Processor
Corsair H60 Liquid Cooler (2013 version)
32GB Ballistix Tactical DDR3 RAM (4 sticks of 8GB each)
Samsung 840 Pro 256GB SSD
Seagate 7200 RPM 2TB HD
Two (2) Gygabyte Geforce GTX-660Ti Video Cards (for SLI)
LG Slim Blu-Ray Combo Drive - SATA CT40N
Windows 7 Pro and Ubuntu 12.10 Linux

I bought an In Win BK623 case and have 10 more days to return it.
http://www.in-win.com.tw/products_pccase_series.php?cat_id=1&series_id=42

The only thing smaller is an SFF like the In Win BL140, but it's low profile PCI-E slots are too low.

The following are the problems I face:

Problem 1> I can't find a case similar to this that can take an 850w-1000w ATX Power Supply (PSU)
Problem 2> I can't find a modular 850w-1000w SFX PSU (The size this case actually takes)
Problem 3> I can't find an 850w-1000w ATX PSU that's 150mm deep or less (would solve problem1)
Problem 4> I can't find Right Angle PCI-E 6 Pin adapters (Normal ones won't fit in tight case space)
Problem 5> I can't find an Asus V7 case unless I buy the whole system from Asus (This case fits)

Any help with these problems would be extremely appreciated.

Cordially,

ScoutX
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1 - 20 of 33 Posts
Looks like you may need to look into other case possibilities. Maybe broaden your size range by a slight amount.

Also, why 660Ti? There are better cards for the money.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ScoutX View Post

Problem 1> I can't find a case similar to this that can take an 850w-1000w ATX Power Supply (PSU)
Problem 2> I can't find a modular 850w-1000w SFX PSU (The size this case actually takes)
Problem 3> I can't find an 850w-1000w ATX PSU that's 150mm deep or less (would solve problem1)
Problem 4> I can't find Right Angle PCI-E 6 Pin adapters (Normal ones won't fit in tight case space)
Problem 5> I can't find an Asus V7 case unless I buy the whole system from Asus (This case fits)
1. You don't need 850W to drive two 660Tis. A 650W will do even with overclocked 3770K.
2. There isn't any SFX PSU higher than 450W.
3. Gold, modular, 140mm http://www.silverstonetek.com/product.php?pid=350&area=en, but how does it solve problem 1? Case is still too small.
4. MiniFitJr connector can't be made right angle. The pins are 17mm long and run almost the whole length of the connector.
Quote:
All these cases are 2x larger in volume than what the OP linked...

Edit: although OP also mentioned the Asus V7 which is 22 liters.

So, ScoutX, what size do you actually want? 12 liters like the InWin you got, or don't you mind non-SFF like over 20 liters?
And yet I dont see a ton of options for his issues. I was just linking possibilities. And the sugo is definitely not 2x the volume.

There is a reason why he is having issues with such a build in that case. Plus running dual cards in that thing would be pretty bad for temps.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Biorganic View Post

And the sugo is definitely not 2x the volume. ... Plus running dual cards in that thing would be pretty bad for temps.
Sorry yeah SG02 is only 17 liters, and indeed temps are going to be horrible with dual GPUs in any case that's smaller than the SG10.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Biorganic View Post

And yet I dont see a ton of options for his issues. I was just linking possibilities. And the sugo is definitely not 2x the volume.

There is a reason why he is having issues with such a build in that case. Plus running dual cards in that thing would be pretty bad for temps.
Yeah, I'd definetly go with a more expensive single card solution as opposed to 2 lesser cards, which will draw more power and produce more heat and noise.

Also, what are you using this thing for?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Purger View Post

Yeah, I'd definetly go with a more expensive single card solution as opposed to 2 lesser cards, which will draw more power and produce more heat and noise.

Also, what are you using this thing for?
^This
Greetings Everyone!

Thanks for all the responses. I didn't expect so many so soon.

In order to answer your questions and reply coherently without losing my frame of thought I'll answer most of them with this message.

In response to Biorganic: The reason I'm using two GTX-660Ti cards is because I already had them. I rather not spend more money when I already have two decent cards.
Also, I know about the other cases that are larger than this one and are Micro ATX. I was just seeing if anyone could find one similar to this size first.
And you are 100% right as far as options go. I've spent several days looking at alternative cases I may have to settle on, and it looks like I'll be doing just that. Unless someone on Ebay is willing to sell off his V7 ASUS Case.

In Response to Wisk: I already have 2 660Ti card
smile.gif
, just saving some money.
Gotcha on the SFX limitation as well. It was worth a try, being that it's 2013, I was hoping someone would've invented one by now.
As for the 650w Silverstone Gold PSU, Yes it's 140mm in depth, but it's only the 650w. The higher Watt versions are all 180mm. 650w is not enough to power overclocked I7-3770k + 2 overclocked 660Ti cards plus a 2TB 7200 rpm Seagate Drive. Everyone I've talked to and most of the overclock articles I've read say 750 minimum for that setup. Or am I completely wrong on this?
You're also correct about the Right Angle pin setup on the PCI-E 6 pin connectors. However, I did find a possible adapter available which i'll be checking into very soon on Ebay> http://compare.ebay.com/like/130750508977?_lwgsi=y&ltyp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&var=sbar#
I was looking to put this system into the smallest Case I could find just to see if I could get it to work, plusw a little self gratification if i could pull it off.

In Response to Purger and LegendOfVirgil: If I had the money, I would be doing SLI with the top Nivida cards
smile.gif
I here you, but my wallet is deaf!
What inspired me to do this was actually a PC that's made by Falcon-Northwest called the Tiki. Although it is a 3.8 inch wide SFF mini ITX case. They still managed to put in a full size video card horizontally as well as a 120mm liquid cooler. Not too shabby for such a small case.
As for Heat issues. I planned on using a bunch of low profile fans plus the liquid cooler, and drill a few exrtra holes for more ventilation.

Or I can just get either a Rosewill LINE-M Micro-ATX Mini Tower or the Fractal Design ARC Mini both of which can use the Corsair H00i or the upcoming Swiftech H220 Liquid Coolers. But that's only if fate doesn't present me with a case similar in size than this one but only little larger so I have room for the PSU and Standard PCI-E Connectors. sigh.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ScoutX View Post

As for the 650w Silverstone Gold PSU, Yes it's 140mm in depth, but it's only the 650w. The higher Watt versions are all 180mm. 650w is not enough to power overclocked I7-3770k + 2 overclocked 660Ti cards plus a 2TB 7200 rpm Seagate Drive. Everyone I've talked to and most of the overclock articles I've read say 750 minimum for that setup. Or am I completely wrong on this?
660Ti has a TDP of 150W. which puts a pair of them at 300W
the 3770k has a TDP of 77W
so... you are looking at a max synthetic load of 377W. considering you will never reach synthetic load in normal gaming... you can OC everything and still only reach MAYBE 400W in "realistic" gaming load. you throw in another 50W draw for everything else in the box you are looking at a max gaming load of 450W. (hence why SFX PSU doesn't go higher). if you have a killowatt meter, you can measure your machine at the wall and see EXACTLY what you are actually pulling during gaming...

so yah... i'd say a high quality 650W unit like a seasonic X would provide more then OVERKILL for your rig
smile.gif
if you dont believe my math, send a PM to original sin who is the PSU editor of OCN and ask him directly
biggrin.gif
don't believe the kilowatt PSU hype. just look at the actual draw from the wall. it doesn't lie
smile.gif
when it comes to PSU, quality is FAR more important then the rated wattage because a high quality unit can ACTUALLY deliver the rated wattage w/o sagging or spikes. most of your sources are uneducated rumors propagated by those don't know any better and cant do math entirely
biggrin.gif
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4
SG03? its a tad smaller then the sg09 in terms of volume and it will do 2 cards and no PSU restriction however you do for CPU cooling and its something a AIO watercooler would solve. only thing you need to do is a blow hole mod or a slot fan.

i've previously ran an i7 920 and 5870CF in one and it seemed decent

im pretty sure you can mount a H100 in the SG03 though it may have impact on GPU length and PSU length and the sacrifice of a HDD bay(or not)
Thanks for the response and info Psyclum.

I checked out available 650w PSUs from Seasonic, Silverstone, and others. Sadly, however, none of them, come with the needed Four PCI-E 6 pin connectors. The most they offer are two. But the good / not so good news is that I did find a Coolmaster GX-750 that is 150x140x86mm which will work in the case. Unfortunately it is only a mediocre PSU with so-so reviews. But since it's a 750 (initially anyway) It should be able to handle the 2 video cards, processor and 2TB HD even though its not as efficient as the better ones from Seasonic. The other issue is that there seems to be an old version of this PSU and a new one. Some stats say it has only 2 PCI-E connections and other stats say it has 4 and is SLI ready. Still trying to confirm this though.

Also, just to clear up a few things I obviously left out concerning my proposed build. Here are a few notes on what I'm doing:

1) The whole upper level Heatsink / DVD plate will not be used. The entire area over the cpu and DVD Drive position will be clear.
1) The ATX PSU will be fitted along the upper vent hole area over the cpu with its exhaust facing the back panel and its intake fan over the cpu area. The Cables will be facing toward the front panel where the DVD drive might go.
2) The DVD is still an option because the cables have to go somewhere and that space is the only place they can bunch up.
3) I intend to cut and seal off the cables I dont need from the PSU plus shorten and crimp any existing connectors that are too long.
4) Since the clearance from the CPU to the intake fan of the PSU is about 1 1/4 inches, I have to make sure the Waterblock is a low profile one. I'll have to remeasure the Corsair 60. If it's too high, then I'll have to find a different one to use. Any suggestions would be most appreciated.
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U could consider the In Win Dragon Slayer. Has alot of cooling options and it will fit up to a 850w psu with no problems.

Using this case myself for my mATX build and it works really well.
Thanks, I have seen it, and it is a nice case. My goal though, is still trying to find a case that is similar in size to the in win BK623. Strictly for the purposes of trying to get an SLI setup in the smallest case size possible.
That's a good case, too. I've looked at most of the newest cases coming out as well. But I really want to stay away from Computer Bricks. Just a personal thing. I like my cases slim and small. If there can be such a thing in SLI I mean.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ScoutX View Post

That's a good case, too. I've looked at most of the newest cases coming out as well. But I really want to stay away from Computer Bricks. Just a personal thing. I like my cases slim and small. If there can be such a thing in SLI I mean.
it will be hard to do SLI with anything smaller then SG03
Quote:
Originally Posted by ScoutX View Post

I checked out available 650w PSUs from Seasonic, Silverstone, and others. Sadly, however, none of them, come with the needed Four PCI-E 6 pin connectors. The most they offer are two.
ST65F-G has two cables that end in 4 connectors. http://www.silverstonetek.com/goods_cable_define/st65f-g-cable-define.pdf

And again about the power draw. Here is 660ti tested by reputable reviewers http://hardocp.com/article/2012/10/31/galaxy_geforce_gtx_660_ti_gc_3gb_sli_review/10

They measured at load 501W from the wall. So 450W inside the PSU - which corresponds to what psyclum said at top of page. This was with an i7 @ 4.8GHz and both 660Ti cards overclocked.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ScoutX View Post

Strictly for the purposes of trying to get an SLI setup in the smallest case size possible.
you really only have 1 choice for high performance rig if small SLi is what you are looking for. the SG09/10 are the smallest SLi boxes that still offer the capability of good cooling for all components. personally i'm more partial towards TJ08-E however SG09/10 is smaller.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ScoutX View Post

Thanks for the response and info Psyclum.

I checked out available 650w PSUs from Seasonic, Silverstone, and others. Sadly, however, none of them, come with the needed Four PCI-E 6 pin connectors. The most they offer are two. But the good / not so good news is that I did find a Coolmaster GX-750 that is 150x140x86mm which will work in the case. Unfortunately it is only a mediocre PSU with so-so reviews. But since it's a 750 (initially anyway) It should be able to handle the 2 video cards, processor and 2TB HD even though its not as efficient as the better ones from Seasonic. The other issue is that there seems to be an old version of this PSU and a new one. Some stats say it has only 2 PCI-E connections and other stats say it has 4 and is SLI ready. Still trying to confirm this though.
i wouldn't just pick some random PSU. if you are looking for alternatives, look in this list

every one of the PSU's in that list is considered quality PSU and can be trusted. getting a poor PSU is a really bad 1st step towards a good build.
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