AM4 ITX for Ryzen

[cbn]

Even though it's still in my old Define R4 (plans for an Enthoo Evolv ITX are for now on hold due to airflow concerns) I'm very happy I went with the Biostar X370GTN. Has everything I need, and works beautifully. Do I feel a bit silly with an ITX board in an ATX case? Sure, at times, but at least now I won't be held back by my hardware when I find the SFF case I really want - unlike my previous ATX setup.

Have you seen the following case:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811163288

Some interesting points:

1. Despite the small desktop footprint it can accommodate up to a 13" video card. (If a short enough video card is installed, the surplus area can be used to mount either a 3.5" or 2.5" drive)

2. There is a cut-out on the back of the motherboard tray that allows access to the awkwardly placed M.2 SSD slot commonly found on the back of Mini-ITX motherboards.

3. Despite the small volume of 12 liters every PC component is directly accessible without removing other components first (other than the side panels of the case itself).

4. A carrying handle is available for this case (and the internally identical ML08):

http://www.silverstonetek.com/product.php?pid=689&area=en

Some things to keep in mind:

1. CPU cooler maximum height is 58mm. (As a point of reference the AMD FM2+ 95W Quiet cooler with the copper base was 58mm tall as is the blue fan Argon AR06 cooler shown below. However, notice how the vents make running the maximum size cooler feasible from a ventilation standpoint):

2. It uses SFX and SFX-L PSUs which are more expensive than ATX PSUs.

Some reviews:

http://www.techspot.com/review/1062-silverstone-raven-rvz02/

http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/cases/2015/10/15/silverstone-raven-rvz02-review/1

 

[cbn]

Valantar,

How tall is your AMD cooler?

Also what CPU are you using? Overclocking?

 

[masteraleph]

How do these AM4 ITX boards even make any sense, until we have AM4 Zen-based APUs? Srsly.

Having to put a video card on one of these units makes NO sense. If I want to use an USFF case, then I DONT want to put a video card in. Out of the cases that I would want to use, you literally can't fit a video card anyways. But I would love to have the computational capability of Ryzen in such a small package.

Not sure what it is that you want in a case. For mass market and small, you've got Silverstone's RVZ02 (12 liters) and Fractal Design's Node 202 (10.2 liters) in console form, both supporting video cards 300+mm in length. In the shoebox form, you've got Silverstone's SG05 (10.8 liters) supporting 9.5" and SG13 (11.5 liters) supporting 10.5". Then you move into the more esoteric ITX stuff- ncase m1, which at least is regularly available and is around 11 liters with broad gpu support, Dr Zaber Sentry (currently shipping from Indiegogo run) at about 7 liters and broad support, though with some cooling issues, Dan A4 (currently finishing up a Kickstarter round), also with broad support but some cooling issues, LZ7 (will be available from Overclockers UK in a couple of months), also 7 liters but around 180mm maximum length- all of those clock in at $200-300 for the case. Given that MSI and Gigabyte both have GTX1070s under 180mm, and that Zotac has a 1080 at 211mm and a 1080ti to follow, GPU compatibility shouldn't be too much of an issue. The above all use ATX or SFX/SFX-L PSUs; there are even smaller cases that require external power bricks but have reasonable video card compatibility if you'll accept that compromise.

 

[Glo.]

How do these AM4 ITX boards even make any sense, until we have AM4 Zen-based APUs? Srsly.

Having to put a video card on one of these units makes NO sense. If I want to use an USFF case, then I DONT want to put a video card in. Out of the cases that I would want to use, you literally can't fit a video card anyways. But I would love to have the computational capability of Ryzen in such a small package.

Have you seen Phanteks Enthoo Evolv ITX, Fractal Design Define Nano S, and Phanteks Shift cases?

That is the reason why you might want to have ITX MoBo.

 

[Valantar]

Have you seen the following case:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811163288

Some interesting points:

1. Despite the small desktop footprint it can accommodate up to a 13" video card. (If a short enough video card is installed, the surplus area can be used to mount either a 3.5" or 2.5" drive)

2. There is a cut-out on the back of the motherboard tray that allows access to the awkwardly placed M.2 SSD slot commonly found on the back of Mini-ITX motherboards.

3. Despite the small volume of 12 liters every PC component is directly accessible without removing other components first (other than the side panels of the case itself).

4. A carrying handle is available for this case (and the internally identical ML08):

http://www.silverstonetek.com/product.php?pid=689&area=en

Some things to keep in mind:

1. CPU cooler maximum height is 58mm. (As a point of reference the AMD FM2+ 95W Quiet cooler with the copper base was 58mm tall as is the blue fan Argon AR06 cooler shown below. However, notice how the vents make running the maximum size cooler feasible from a ventilation standpoint):

2. It uses SFX and SFX-L PSUs which are more expensive than ATX PSUs.

Some reviews:

http://www.techspot.com/review/1062-silverstone-raven-rvz02/

http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/cases/2015/10/15/silverstone-raven-rvz02-review/1

That won't fit my Fury X, let alone the custom water loop it's now integrated into. Otherwise, I do like the new slim SFF case trend. Lots of good designs out there.

Valantar,

How tall is your AMD cooler?

Also what CPU are you using? Overclocking?

My cooler is an EK-supremacy MX, so it's something like 20mm tall. I'm more concerned about fitting my 240mm+120mm radiators and the pump+res combo

The loop is set up to fit in an Evolv ITX with no issues, but I've heard too much bad stuff about the top and front airflow of that case recently. I'm considering the Define Nano S, but I've grown bored with my R4, so I'm looking for something with just a tad more personality. If only NZXT made a smaller S340 or H440...

 

[dmoney1980]

Gigabyte has their ITX motherboard product page up....may be close to a release (let's hope)

http://www.gigabyte.us/Motherboard/GA-AB350N-Gaming-WIFI-rev-10#kf

 

[cbn]

Stock AMD FM2+ heatsinks like the 58mm tall 95W quiet cooler will work on AM4 right?

 

[Valantar]

Stock AMD FM2+ heatsinks like the 58mm tall 95W quiet cooler will work on AM4 right?

Yep, as long as they use the clip/lever attachment method.

 

[Azuma Hazuki]

@VirtualLarry: there are a surprising number of LP video cards out there, and if you're building this for something other than gaming--my use case would basically be "tiny little Gentoo box with a ridiculous power-per-size ratio"--you can just throw a LP 1030 in and be done with it.

There's also a surprising number of competent and even beautiful mini-ITX cases. I am in love with Silverstone's Milo HTPC line, and would use one for this sort of build. InWin makes the BP655 chassis which is even smaller and can also accommodate one of those; I know because it's one of the most common cases I do customer builds in at the low and mid range.

Now I'm just waiting for the top-end 65W Ravenridge APU and a mini-STX motherboard I can stick in Silverstone's VT01B chassis...bliss!