First mATX build, looking for comments

[beridel]

Hello,

This is going to be my first mATX build as well as my first SFF build. I'm currently living in France and I might potentially be moving to the US for a bit and then coming back to Europe afterwards, all within a few years. The idea is that this mATX tower would be small enough to take as a carry-on item without being without a desktop after a move and having to build a whole new one. And also, just because it would take up less space than my current SilverStone Raven ATX case.

I assembled my current build (exclusively for games and nothing else; I have my macbook along with external storage to take care of everything else) nearly 4 years ago (september 2009) and it's been working great for me since then without any need of an upgrade. The main idea for this current build is to do the same thing. Drop about 1200€ into it and not have to worry about upgrading it for a good long while. I also wanted to go for a quiet-ish build as well as one that doesn't suck up that much power. So without further ado, here's what I've come up with after a bit of research:

PSU: Intel Core i5 4570S Haswell
CASE: Silverstone Sugo SG09B
MOBO: Asus H87M-PRO
RAM: G.Skill Kit Extreme3 2 x 4 GB PC19200 Trident X CAS10
CPU HEATSINK: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO w/ thermal paste (Arctic Silver 5)
GPU: Asus Radeon HD 7950 DC2 3 GB
PSU: Silverstone Strider Gold ST65F-G - 650W w/ short cables (Silverstone SST-PP05)
HDD: Crucial M4 128 Go SATA Revision 3.0 - Version 7 mm

I should first say that the PSU wattage was chosen just on the offchance I pick up a second 7950 in the near future. I'm not even sure if crossfire 7950s is reasonble in a mATX build. I could probably save $75 going down to a 450W, although the idea of two 7950s sounds very tasty. But other than that, would do you think?

I'd be more than happy for any comments, especially if I can reduce the price by a bit.

Thanks in advance.

EDIT: Here's the updated (now mini-ITX) build after taking into account your guys' advice:

Intel Core i5 4570 | 194,95 €
Asus H87I-PLUS | 114,95 €
EDIT: Asus GeForce GTX 670 DC Mini 2GD5 | 385 €
Silverstone Graveur Slot-in - SOD02 | 59,99 €
G.Skill Value DDR3 2 x 4 Go PC12800 NT | 47,00 €
Samsung Serie 840 - 250 Go | 159,89 €
Silverstone Sugo SG05BB - 450W USB 3.0 Edition | 129,99 €
TOTAL: 1091,77€

 

[lehtv]

Just for clarification:

- Used for gaming only, with quiet operation and lowish power consumption
- Budget - 1200 €
- Buying from France - can you link to shops you're going to use?
- Not planning to OC
- what is your monitor resolution?

It doesn't make sense to me that you pick a "low power" 4570S but then contemplate on 7950 crossfire. I mean, what the...? That second 7950 would completely negate any power savings by the CPU.

Secondly, you want the PC to be quiet. Two 7950's in a small case sitting next to each other with no breathing room - that's the opposite of quiet. In addition, Asus 7950 is a triple slot card, CF with it would be impossible in an mATX case anyway.

Not yet knowing what shops you buy from, here's my idea of the build:

CPU i5-4550 or 4570
Case SG09B is decent, also take a look at Corsair 350D and Lian Li PC-A04B (aluminium, weighs less)
Mobo H77
RAM Cheapest 2x4GB 1600mhz 1.5V kit, it's just memory
Heatsink 212 Evo with standard thermal paste (AS5 is both unnecessary and overrated) but a low constant RPM fan replacement (you don't OC so this is OK, and it will be quiet at load)
GPU MSI GTX 770 Gaming
PSU 500W is fine for this build, though a Gold unit is a good idea, e.g. Seasonic G550
SSD M4 is old and slowish, and your budget should be able to handle a 250GB drive. I would buy Samsung 840 250GB

 

[beridel]

First, thanks for the quick reply!

Just for clarification:

- Used for gaming only, with quiet operation and lowish power consumption
- Budget - 1200 €
- Buying from France - can you link to shops you're going to use?
- Not planning to OC
- what is your monitor resolution?

Yep, that's all correct. The only thing I would elaborate is that my priority order is: bang for your buck > quiet >> low power consumption. I figured the low power consumption haswell would generate less heat than an 84W i5, which would help out on the "quiet" side. Is this an incorrect guess? My current monitor resolution is 1080p but I might drop the money on a 1440p monitor in a few months or a year.

It doesn't make sense to me that you pick a "low power" 4570S but then contemplate on 7950 crossfire. I mean, what the...? That second 7950 would completely negate any power savings by the CPU.

Secondly, you want the PC to be quiet. Two 7950's in a small case sitting next to each other with no breathing room - that's the opposite of quiet. In addition, Asus 7950 is a triple slot card, CF with it would be impossible in an mATX case anyway.

Ya, I agree it's a bit hypocritical but the option for crossfire seems like a decent upgrade possibility, though I told myself the same thing with my current build and I never bit the bullet. I wasn't sure if two cards would even work in such a small space, generating that much heat. Noted that a CF/SLI isn't very practical.

Not yet knowing what shops you buy from, here's my idea of the build:

CPU i5-4550 or 4570
Case SG09B is decent, also take a look at Corsair 350D and Lian Li PC-A04B (aluminium, weighs less)
Mobo H77
RAM Cheapest 2x4GB 1600mhz 1.5V kit, it's just memory
Heatsink 212 Evo with standard thermal paste (AS5 is both unnecessary and overrated) but a low constant RPM fan replacement (you don't OC so this is OK, and it will be quiet at load)
GPU MSI GTX 770 Gaming
PSU 500W is fine for this build, though a Gold unit is a good idea, e.g. Seasonic G550
SSD M4 is old and slowish, and your budget should be able to handle a 250GB drive. I would buy Samsung 840 250GB

I'd like to buy everything from materiel.net. If that's not possible, I'll be picking it up whatever spare parts I need on amazon.fr or the chinese computer street here in Paris, rue Montgallet.

If I were to get Haswell, I'd need to get a H87 mobo, no?

And as you correctly assumed, I'm not going to mess around with overclocking in a SFF.

I'll price the build you listed on materiel.net now and edit this post later.

EDIT: Here's the build:
DÉSIGNATION PRODUITS QUANTITÉ PRIX TOTAL
Intel Core i5 4570 1 194,95 €
MSI H87M-G43 1 92,99 €
Asus Radeon HD 7970 3 Go - OC (HD7970-DC2T-3GD5) 1 454,99 €
Kingston ValueRAM DDR3 8 Go PC10600 CAS 9 1 67,99 €
Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 1 30,99 €
Silverstone Sugo SG09B 1 124,99 €
Silverstone Strider Gold ST55F-G - 550W 1 119,99 €
Samsung Serie 840 - 250 Go 1 159,89 €
TOTAL: 1249.29€ + CD drive

1) The normal haswell 4570 actually costs more than the 4570S (given the faster clock I assume). Wouldn't it be better to pick up the 4570S and then downgrade the 550W PSU to a 450W?
2) I think I'm going to stick with the Sugo SG09 just because it's so much smaller than the Corsair 350D. And the Lian-Li isn't sold on materiel.net.
3) I'm also going to stick with the Silverstone PSU given that it shaves off 2 cm compared to other ATX PSUs and the SG09 looks like a tight fit.
4) Put in the 7970 directly since there was only a 30€ difference on materiel.net

What do you think?

 

[lehtv]

Yep, that's all correct. The only thing I would elaborate is that my priority order is: bang for your buck > quiet >> low power consumption. I figured the low power consumption haswell would generate less heat than an 84W i5, which would help out on the "quiet" side. Is this an incorrect guess?

Yes, given the aftermarket cooling. A 212 Evo is going to be quiet on a stock clocked CPU anyway, and if you replace the fan with a low constant RPM fan like Scythe 120mm 800RPM Slipstream, the only variable is temperature, not noise.

My current monitor resolution is 1080p but I might drop the money on a 1440p monitor in a few months or a year.

OK. A GTX 770 2GB should handle 1440p OK, but a 7970 GHz 3GB would be better. If you want the experience to be closer to 770 on 1080p though, delay that upgrade until you can buy a 50-100% faster single GPU for a price that is reasonable to you. (Given that SLI/CF is not really doable).

If I were to get Haswell, I'd need to get a H87 mobo, no?
Yeah sry about that, H87.

I'll price the build you listed on materiel.net now and edit this post later.

OK, will comment on it then

 

[beridel]

Edited earlier post with new build.

 

[Termie]

This is a good build, and in an SG09, it might just be small enough to travel with on a plane (but a mini-ITX build in an SG-05 would be much better).

I have to disagree with the choice of the 4570S. It will not lead to significantly lower temperatures, certainly not enough to lead to any change in fan noise. Just get the 4570 or 4670 (it seems you've now considering the 4570). You're giving up way to much speed with the 4570S.

Also, I have to disagree with lehtv on the other mATX cases. The Obsidian 350D is fantastic, but it would be impossible to carry it on a plane. It's nearly the size of an ATX case. The Lian-Li is also huge for an mATX case. Even if it's light, good luck fitting it in a bag.

 

[lehtv]

1) The normal haswell 4570 actually costs more than the 4570S (given the faster clock I assume). Wouldn't it be better to pick up the 4570S and then downgrade the 550W PSU to a 450W?
2) I think I'm going to stick with the Sugo SG09 just because it's so much smaller than the Corsair 350D. And the Lian-Li isn't sold on materiel.net.
3) I'm also going to stick with the Silverstone PSU given that it shaves off 2 cm compared to other ATX PSUs and the SG09 looks like a tight fit.
4) Put in the 7970 directly since there was only a 30€ difference on materiel.net

1) The difference in power consumption between the two is not big enough to matter towards the PSU choice. And I would get the fastest CPU I could reasonably afford in order to avoid any bottle necking.
2) Lian Li is sold on materiel.net
3) Not really, according to Anandtech's review of it, it will handle a 160mm long PSU fine
4) I'd still go with a dual slot card, the case is cramped enough as it is and with triple slots, you lose on of the expansion slots on a microATX board which already has few expansion slots

Intel Core i5 4570 1 194,95 €
MSI H87M-G43 1 92,99 €
Asus Radeon HD 7970 3 Go - OC (HD7970-DC2T-3GD5) 1 454,99 €
Kingston ValueRAM DDR3 8 Go PC10600 CAS 9 1 67,99 €
Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 1 30,99 €
Silverstone Sugo SG09B 1 124,99 €
Silverstone Strider Gold ST55F-G - 550W 1 119,99 €
Samsung Serie 840 - 250 Go 1 159,89 €
TOTAL: 1249.29€ + CD drive

CPU Good
Board I'd rather get Asus 92€
GPU way too much for a 7970, you can get a Sapphire 7970 for less than 400€, and a GTX 770 for 400€
RAM Haswell is designed for 1600mhz, that's 1333mhz. G.SKill 47€
Cooler since the Lian Li case is quite narrow, it won't fit a 212 Evo. 212 Evo will fit in the SG09 fine, but for Lian Li you could consider CM GeminII M4 using this fan, total 45€. Also, the aftermarket cooler may be a waste of money since you don't OC; you could try the stock cooler first and see if it's quiet enough for you
Case Lian Li PC-A04 100€ would be my pick
PSU Seasonic G550 106€. Seasonic > Enhance (Silverstone's OEM), less expensive, and 5 yr warranty (vs 3)
SSD Good

= total should be about 1150€ with the 45€ quiet CPU cooler

 

[lehtv]

Also, I have to disagree with lehtv on the other mATX cases. The Obsidian 350D is fantastic, but it would be impossible to carry it on a plane. It's nearly the size of an ATX case. The Lian-Li is also huge for an mATX case. Even if it's light, good luck fitting it in a bag.

I didn't think he'd take it along as luggage, but send it as a post package (expansion cards and hdd's removed). And I don't see how the Silverstone case fits in his luggage either

Also, OP, you could consider just taking the components overseas and buying a new case once you get there. Then you wouldn't have to be restricted to microATX necessraily, wouldn't have to worry about how you're going to move it - just pack the components in their original packagings and take with you. The only downside is you have to disassemble and rebuild a couple of times which takes a few hours

 

[Zap]

My current monitor resolution is 1080p but I might drop the money on a 1440p monitor in a few months or a year.

What games do you play?

I'm running a single GTX 670 on a 30" 2560x1600 monitor and the games that I currently play (League of Legends, Borderlands 2, Starcraft II, Natural Selection 2) work just fine with a single card. I care not about games which I'm not currently playing, so I have absolutely no need for Crossfire/SLI.

This is important because having the ability to do dual graphics will force you to spend more money initially on a more powerful PSU and higher end motherboard, without the option to go even smaller with mini ITX.

I also agree with the others in saying to not bother with the 4570S. There is a mere 19W difference in TDP. The only time anyone should ever consider a low wattage version of a desktop chip is when using it in systems with severely limited power supplies or cooling clearance, such as a Mini Box M350 case with an 80W Pico PSU.

Their site appears down for me, but SPCR reviewed low power versions of Sandy Bridge CPUs in the past and found real world power draw difference to be around 5W. Link to the review for when their site works again.

For something a lot more portable than any mATX rig, you can do a Silverstone SG05-450 with a normal wattage CPU and up to a 10" long graphics card. Even air-cooled, it will not be noisy until under load, and unless you play games with no sound, you may not notice.

 

[beridel]

I'm heading out for the evening, but I'll take a more in-depth look at this in a few hours before bed. Thanks for all the replies.

As for the portability, I would ideally like to bring it on the plane as carry-on and have no hassle rebuilding it in a new case, etc. I initially chose mATX because I wanted the portability without the stricter component size restrictions of mini-ITX, and it seemed like the SG09 was small enough. How much more would I be looking at for an equivalent mini-ITX build? I'm not asking you to price it all out (I'll do that when I get back), but ballpark figure of how much more it'd run me.

Thanks for your guys' input.

 

[lehtv]

An equivalent mini-ITX build wouldn't really be more expensive. The SG05 is reasonably priced at 130€ including a good quality 450W PSU, and you'll pay 25-30€ more for the mobo which evens it out. But that's it. If you want a DVD drive in it you have to buy a slim one which will cost a bit more than a normal one

 

[beridel]

So after reading through the above posts, I've come around on a few points:
1) I'm going to wait on 1440p and just stick with 1080p for the moment. Which means I'll be sticking with a GTX 770.
2) I'm going to go mini-ITX. It's amazing just seeing how small the mini-ITX cases really are.
3) Since no overclocking is in sight (especially with a mini-ITX build), I'm going to stick with the stock cooler and see how it works out.

So here's the build:
Intel Core i5 4570 | 194,95 €
Asus H87I-PLUS | 114,95 €
EDIT: Asus GeForce GTX 670 DC Mini 2GD5 | 385 € (to be bought on rue Montgallet, see following post)
Silverstone Graveur Slot-in - SOD02 | 59,99 €
G.Skill Value DDR3 2 x 4 Go PC12800 NT | 47,00 €
Samsung Serie 840 - 250 Go | 159,89 €
Silverstone Sugo SG05BB - 450W USB 3.0 Edition | 129,99 €
TOTAL: 1091,77€

So it's smaller and cheaper than before. I've been reading up on the SG05 and it seems the internal depth is 262 mm and the MSI GTX 770 measures in at 260 mm (source). A tight fit, but it should get in there...

What do you think?

 

[Termie]

Be very careful about the length of that video card. Perhaps Zap or someone else who has the case can confirm for you, but I wouldn't want to stick a 10-inch (260mm) video card in the SG-05. Consider using the new Asus GTX 670 Mini - it will definitely fit, and will be slightly cheaper too.

Overall, though, I agree that Mini-ITX is pretty amazing, and will suit your purposes well.

 

[beridel]

Be very careful about the length of that video card. Perhaps Zap or someone else who has the case can confirm for you, but I wouldn't want to stick a 10-inch (260mm) video card in the SG-05. Consider using the new Asus GTX 670 Mini - it will definitely fit, and will be slightly cheaper too.

That does seem reasonable. I just checked online and it seems that it's available at a few of the shops on rue Montgallet (any self respecting hardware geek should check out this place if you ever visit Paris) just 5 minutes down the street and for 25-30€ cheaper to boot. That'd put me just under 1100€ which is awesome. Updating the above post.

Thanks again for all the help. If you guys think it's a good build, I'll probably pull the trigger in a week or so. I'll try and post some pics when it's done.

Excited to try out such a small form factor

 

[Termie]

That does seem reasonable. I just checked online and it seems that it's available at a few of the shops on rue Montgallet (any self respecting hardware geek should check out this place if you ever visit Paris) just 5 minutes down the street and for 25-30€ cheaper to boot. That'd put me just under 1100€ which is awesome. Updating the above post.

Thanks again for all the help. If you guys think it's a good build, I'll probably pull the trigger in a week or so. I'll try and post some pics when it's done.

Excited to try out such a small form factor

Excellent! Sounds like a fun "rue" to check out.

You should copy and paste the new build into the original post (potentially adding it to the post, rather than deleting the original one), so people can see how your build changed based on the advice in this thread.

 

[Praxis1452]

I've done a build in an SG05 a few years ago and recently wanted a bit more power and did a mATX build in a SG09b. So we're really similar .

Anyway, SG09 wise, I agree with people on the cpu. Might as well get the k version and overclock it. You gain very little by going with the S version. In the scope of things it matters very little.

Although I don't regret building my SG05 at all, you have to think about how much power you will need. The 770 is a bit of risk space-wise in terms of it fitting 2mm is a really close cut. However, the 670 is less performance. That's probably acceptable now, but it may not be in a few years. Also if you are thinking about going 1080p+ down the road. With regards to using the stock cpu cooler in a SG05, I'd suggest against it. The cpu cooler draws air down. The SG05 configuration uses the PSU fan as the main exhaust for the cpu heat. You'll be pulling air in two different directions. It could work but it will probably be louder than you want under load. Both fans could be working harder than they need to. The SG05 PSU that comes with it is not modular. It's such a shame too but it isn't. You can just cut the cables and tape the ends if you don't need them. The cables are really waaaay too long for the case. Cable management is really a pain. The northbridge temperatures were really quite high on my lga 775 system and I hate 2x120mm's in the case. Also, make sure to get a mini-ITX mobo that has a really good onboard wi-fi. Mine never worked well and I had to buy a separate adapter anyway. In terms of storage, the 3.5" drive will block most of the airflow from the front fan as well. I know it doesn't make it any smaller, but if you have a mobo with an eSATA port you could get an external and connect it that way if you care about temperatures. I personally just used a 2.5" laptop drive for the most part and had an external for storage. It still all fit nicely in my backpack.

Best part about the SG05 was I could put it in my bag along with all the cables and accessories and take it back home on the plane. I put it under the seat too and had a suitcase for the top storage compartment. It really is tiny, but you are making a tradeoff in terms of price/performance.

I moved up the SG09 because I don't move around as much as I used to and I was excited to build a much more powerful system than I used to. I also have a 670 because I was advised by fellows on this forum that the AMD cards that I was considering were going to run too hot, and that's probably true. Close to 300W per card is really too much heat to handle at an acceptable noise level. I have the 670 now and it gets to close to 200W during furmark, but games only push it to 170W so I feel like 340W isn't so bad in the bottom provided you realize that during gaming it will be louder. You would also have to install the 2x 92mm fans in the bottom atleast.

Anyway I could say more about building things in either case if you're really interested.

 

[lehtv]

I built a rig in the SG05 about half a year ago, the graphics card used was a HIS ICE-Q X 7850 2GB. It just fit in, at 9.25" long. So yeah, a 770 won't fit.

However, another decent mini-ITX case is Cooler Master Elite 120 Advanced. It's a lot cheaper than SG05, but lacks a PSU, and it's a bit bigger in all dimensions. It will fit an ATX PSU and a graphics card of any length, so you could use both an 80+Gold unit and a GTX 770.

If you think the size (240 x 401 x 207 mm) is OK for transportation, I would definitely recommend this solution for a pure gaming rig.

 

[beridel]

You should copy and paste the new build into the original post (potentially adding it to the post, rather than deleting the original one), so people can see how your build changed based on the advice in this thread.

Done!

... The 770 is a bit of risk space-wise in terms of it fitting 2mm is a really close cut. However, the 670 is less performance. That's probably acceptable now, but it may not be in a few years. Also if you are thinking about going 1080p+ down the road.

Like I said in an earlier post, I think 1440p is a dream for the moment because it's not really reasonable to drop >500€ on a monitor just to have to resell it when I move in a year or so. So I'll be sticking to 1080p for the moment.

With regards to using the stock cpu cooler in a SG05, I'd suggest against it. The cpu cooler draws air down. The SG05 configuration uses the PSU fan as the main exhaust for the cpu heat. You'll be pulling air in two different directions. It could work but it will probably be louder than you want under load. Both fans could be working harder than they need to.

How would I be able to see (without buying) if an aftermarket cooler would fit in this build? It's true I would prefer something blowing the air in the same direction as case/PSU fan. And if things ran cooler, meaning less noise, I'd have no problem dropping ~30€ for that. I should say that this computer is going to be running in the living room, and I use a headphones when gaming so I know my fiancée would appreciate it if it was as quiet as possible.

The SG05 PSU that comes with it is not modular. It's such a shame too but it isn't. You can just cut the cables and tape the ends if you don't need them. The cables are really waaaay too long for the case. Cable management is really a pain. The northbridge temperatures were really quite high on my lga 775 system and I hate 2x120mm's in the case.

However, another decent mini-ITX case is Cooler Master Elite 120 Advanced. It's a lot cheaper than SG05, but lacks a PSU, and it's a bit bigger in all dimensions. It will fit an ATX PSU and a graphics card of any length, so you could use both an 80+Gold unit and a GTX 770.

If you think the size (240 x 401 x 207 mm) is OK for transportation, I would definitely recommend this solution for a pure gaming rig.

The Cooler Master case does look nice but it is somewhat bigger (combined ~20cm bigger) and the anandtech review didn't really sell it all that well... Following the comments of Praxis, I'm tempted to get SG-05B without a PSU, get the ST45SF-G and not have to deal with non-modular cables. I also saw that the gold PSU is rated 10 deg cooler than the bronze PSU (from Silverstone's website).

So it seems now the barebones (sans PSU) SG-05B is now the SG-05 Lite, which will run me about 40-50€ (from rue Montgallet). That with the 90€ for the ST45SF-G, is basically what I'm paying now for the SG-05B 450W edition. This seems to be a no-brainer.

What do you think? Anyone have any experience with the SG-05 Lite? And would an aftermarket cooler be worth it and how can I tell beforehand if it'll fit?

Once again, thanks everyone for your time and help.

 

[lehtv]

Looks like the SG05 Lite is the exact same case as the SG05BB I used

The SG05 build I did has an Ivy Bridge Xeon E3-1230 V2 with the stock cooler. Full load is about 80-85C, and the noise level is fine, the 120mm case fan makes some noise as well, I think it's louder than the CPU on idle.

Fitting in an aftermarket cooler can be tricky as on mini-ITX you have to take into account not only the height restriction, but also possible interference with memory slots due to the tight layout of the motherboard. I'm pretty sure most ITX boards are fine with a Scythe Shuriken.

 

[Termie]

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2328028

OP, check this other thread in which many of us are giving advice to someone else considering the SG-05. There may be a few things we missed above that are covered in that thread.

And yes, the Lite version just omits the psu, and strangely, you'll pay more for the full SG-05 than buying each part separately.

 

[Termie]

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/mini-itx-do-it-yourself-game-console,3531-7.html

Tom's Hardware has done a whole series of articles this week on mini itx gaming systems. I link to a page above showing a comparison of case sizes, but reading the whole article and perhaps the entire series would be helpful.

 

[Sheep221]

OP, your build is good but I'm not sure if it is worth to sacrifice reduced noise, better cooling and features of full-sized computer when you will be traveling with it max 2-3 times.
In comparison, carrying computer in the hand to the plane, will very likely by heavy regardless how big it will be, the GPUs, PSU and HDD are heaviest components which will remain in the rig regardless how big it is.
If you plan to travel more often get comparatively priced gaming laptop, if you plan to just move to america and back, I recommend to build full-sized desktop and pay for extra luggage and transport it in the cargo hold rather than carrying it on board.
What I mean is, from traveling perspective it won't change much for you if it will be small or not, from perspective of using the actual computer very much.
So unless you want to have small computer for the sake of it being small so it will take less space on your desk, don't build it because it won't change your travel convenience.

 

[Throckmorton]

Why don't you buy a gaming laptop?

 

[Praxis1452]

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...VjnQUfzHM-jryAHUg4D4Bw&ved=0CDEQ9QEwAA&dur=85

and

http://www.coolermaster.com/product/Detail/cooling/cpu-air-cooler/geminii.html

It'll fit a cooler upto ~82mm.

Basically I'd get some top down blower and turn the fan around. There are a couple scythe ones or some noctuas that I know of that can make this possible.

Also the front 120mm was the loudest noise in my case I think. The st45 modular has had noise complaints about its fan controller. Yeah... sadly nothing's perfect. To be honest though, if this is in your living room, you probably won't notice the noise from like 10-15 feet away.

 

[beridel]

Tom's Hardware has done a whole series of articles this week on mini itx gaming systems. I link to a page above showing a comparison of case sizes, but reading the whole article and perhaps the entire series would be helpful.

Definitely an interesting read.

So unless you want to have small computer for the sake of it being small so it will take less space on your desk, don't build it because it won't change your travel convenience.

I guess wasn't that explicit earlier, but I'd like it to be small on my desk like you said and I'd also like it to be easily transportable on a plane. And I agree it's not going to fun/easy to take it on a plane but at least it'll be doable.

Why don't you buy a gaming laptop?

I had a gaming laptop a while back, but it's just not for me. Between the extra cost of it being a laptop, the palm rest getting all sweaty and disgusting, and other little things that started to wear on me, I just gave up, sold it and built a desktop. I remember just how good it felt having a desktop again.

Like I said, I'll probably order it early in the week and I'll post some pics of the build. Thanks again for your help.