My expedition to SFF build

nice , i had assembled an air cooled rig on first attempt with SFF too, it looked all nice and neat then(with 3 ssds and 1 HDD and a gtx970)
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but am obsessed about temperatures so finally went water cooling for both CPU (H80i) and GPU (Gtx 1080 with NZXT bracket and H75), now my rig looks like a frankenstein
the GPU rad and the SFF PSU sits behind the box outside, which helped the NVME +MB temps for airflow, and obviously the GPU temps since the rad is outside behind the box
but damn it runs cool atleast
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I'm glad others are thinking of SFF builds. For years I thought t was such a waste but having realized that I now need a powerful machine with me most of the times because let's face it. Sometimes laptops just don't cut it.

Trying to figure out if an SG 13 will be able to house a 5950x/5900x + an RTX 3070/80 easily. Other option is to spend a bomb getting something through TaoBao and hoping for the best. I wonder what the rules are like in India for travelling with an AIO in carry on [ bags on a flight].
 
Cooling it could be tricky. IIRC, CPU cooler clearance in SG13 is about 65mm height only.
Yes, people on the SFFPC subreddit recommend an AIO for this case. The advantage of this case is the cost and size. Had also considered a Kevcase Ghost Clone or a Mechanic Master C26 from TaoBao but those would cost 4 times the amount.

My aim is to make the most powerful portable rig without going broke. So I'm OK making "aesthetic" sacrifices since while I would like a good looking case having a not so pretty case is ok. It's like the bottom of the lists of requirements.
 
Yes, people on the SFFPC subreddit recommend an AIO for this case. The advantage of this case is the cost and size. Had also considered a Kevcase Ghost Clone or a Mechanic Master C26 from TaoBao but those would cost 4 times the amount.

My aim is to make the most powerful portable rig without going broke. So I'm OK making "aesthetic" sacrifices since while I would like a good looking case having a not so pretty case is ok. It's like the bottom of the lists of requirements.

I have upgraded from SG13 to Kevcases Ghost Clone - Youth variant. You can ask any queries if you have on it. Please note that SFX PSU is must even with SG13. I also agree with point about SG13 - it is perfect starting point though not best looking case. Another cost saving with SG13 is no need of PCI-E extension cable.
 
Cooling it could be tricky. IIRC, CPU cooler clearance in SG13 is about 65mm height only.
With a SFX PSU Its 70 mm - I understand you can fit in a Noctua L12S with an SFX PSU

Also how did you get your hands on "Kevcases Ghost Clone - Youth variant" - I see zcases and Geeek are now shipping to india - but it would cost around 15K
 
Nice SFF build. I've been an owner of one myself for the last 2 years. Though I'd like to upgrade it to something a big more versatile. Waiting for more SFF options to come to India. Simply not worth spending extra on shipping and customs.
 
Nice build. Myself is doing similar build with 3900x and NR200 case. The only remaining thing is motherboard, which s out of stock and cannot find any used ones. LOL
 
Having the PSU outside - do you know if this is safe - anything to look out for?
yup no real issue, safety wise. had it like that before also when i was using the same case with a full size PSU, prefer the airflow with the PSU out as opposed to it in the Elite 130 case.
tho one thing i have learnt with SFF case experince, airflow and cooling is always a pain and if want better cooling you will have to think out side the box (Pun intended) ;)
 
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