Question micro atx z790

[knght990]

What are your recommendations for a z790 micro atx motherboard? Or would you recommend going with a z690?

I'm parting out a new system. Right now I think it is going into a O11D-Mini with a water cooling loop for the CPU and GPU. The case is for a limited space area under a sloped ceiling.

I intend to use a 12900k processor but wouldn't mind going to a 13900k w 128 gigs of ram if I can.

This will be a daily use computer. It's most intensive task will be rendering 1440p video with Rush or Premiere. There will be some gaming, STO, Diablo, COH, I might try BF2042. I have a ASUS Dual 3070 with a full water plate and a 970 M.2 that will go in the system.

It looks like I need to use an mATX or ITX board so I can place a 360 rad at the top of the case. The ITX boards appear to be limited to 96 gigs of ram.

Boards I've been looking at are the ASUS ROG Strix Z790 ITX and ASUS Prime Z790 mATX.

Any help is appreciated.

This will be a Win11 pro system.

 

[Tech Junky]

https://pcpartpicker.com/products/motherboard/#c=162&f=7

Seeing as though there's 2 in stock options it should be an easy decision. I would go for the ASRock though if you can find it for sale somewhere, which wasn't hard to do w/ google with results ~$170

There's a mix of both DDR 4/5 though to pick from.

Any reason for sticking with a small build and cramming all of that into it? I'm rebuilding right now and just found an oddball case to use that's $100 and will fit even a EATX board inside and only weighs 12#.

Home

Description

www.ceptagon.com

 

[knght990]

The space the computer will go is triangular under a sloped roof/ceiling.

I currently have an air cooled Fractal Meshify 2 lying on it's side in the spot, but it can't shed the heat under-load despite 9 140 mm fans in a positive pressure setup.

The O11D-Mini just barely fits. I couldn't find another case that would let me water cool both the CPU and GPU and fit into the space. I was considering the Phanteks Evolv Shift XL but it appear to only support a CPU block pump and I can't see how I could attach water to the GPU.

Also dust is a big issue and I couldn't see any easy way to protect against dust on the small Fractal case.

 

[Tech Junky]

Meshify 2

I've got one of these in use right now which is why I'm switching to the Ceptagon for my revised build going all flash NAS.

The ceptagon will fit a 240 rad in it from the looks of it on the bottom. Could probably squeeze a 120mm up top or if you're creative a 240.

GPU would be my primary concern for the LC approach and keep the CPU on AC. The GPU will put out way more heat than the CPU. That's what's keeping the M2 hot.

Dist..... yeah, that's going to impede air flow w/ tighter screens in place. There are compact models of FD's though that drop in size by 25%. When I was running mATX though the Node 804 worked well for keeping things chilly since it segregates the MOBO and drives with a partition between them and still allows using tons of fans. It's a CUBE though which might not fit where you want to put it.

I've run a couple of different Phanteks though as well in the past and they're alright but, kind of clunky for size.

Either way it sounds like you're in for a custom loop vs something preconfigured to make this fit w/ limited radiator positions.

 

[knght990]

Custom soft tube loop is the plan since it is my first water build too.

The space available is the biggest driver right now. I looked at the node 304, but it exhausts from the rear and that part of the case will be against a wall or in the triangular space behind it which will trap the heat. The only two exhaust directions available are toward my desk where the Meshify exhausts now or upward. The best intake locations are underneath the case because it is on a wire rack or from in front. I figure I will save the near wall area for the PSU to intake/exhaust.

This room doesn't move heat very well either, when my current tower sheds heat, the air gets stuck in a hot bubble around my desk. I tried a 16 inch box fan pointed at my desk to exchange the air but it isn't very effective. This is the only room I have, so it can't go into any other space. I'm hoping by exhausting upward the heat will rise up the slope and exchange better.

I also have to be careful not to trip the breaker which happens when my 3080 ramps up and my window a/c ramps up to cool the heat from my 3080.

 

[Tech Junky]

The Node line has room for fans on the bottom. The 804 has room for 2 that I zip tied to the bottom plate. 2 on the front for each side and 2 on top of the CPU side along with another for exhaust in the back.

The mesh 2 has tons of spots as well if you drop to 120's.

There's a HAF EVO box that's mesh on all sides basically that might allow for quicker cooling if you can get the room temp down w/ the AC.

Switching your fans might help too. I use the Arctic PWM/PST series with a combo of P12/P14 sizes and they work well. They're more directed airflow to force air through the system than a typical case fan. Relatively cheap too at ~$40 for 5 packs on Amazon.

Another thing I use is a graphite pad instead of paste on my systems and it keeps the temps steady vs what you see w/ pastes. I see good results on my laptops with them keeping the GPU under 70C usually and on laptops it doesn't really matter what you do on the CPU side as they will hit throttle temps no matter the substance you use. The server though under full load w/ a pad usually keeps the CPU under 60C at full 125W load.

Some others mention sealing up their cases with foam to get better air flow from front to back. Converting to LC though is apples to oranges when it comes to fans and air. Then you have to start thinking more like a mechanic and selecting optimal fluid mixes for optimal heat transfer. If the pump is moving it too quickly then it's ineffective at transferring the heat through the rad and the same goes for too slow.

 

[KennethByram]

The Node line has room for fans on the bottom. The 804 has room for 2 that I zip tied to the bottom plate. 2 on the front for each side and 2 on top of the CPU side along with another for exhaust in the back.

The mesh 2 has tons of spots as well if you drop to 120's.

There's a HAF EVO box that's mesh on all sides basically that might allow for quicker cooling if you can get the room temp down w/ the AC.

Switching your fans might help too. I use the Arctic PWM/PST series with a combo of P12/P14 sizes and they work well. They're more directed airflow to force air through the system than a typical case fan. Relatively cheap too at ~$40 for 5 packs on Amazon.

Another thing I use is a graphite pad instead of paste on my systems and it keeps the temps steady vs what you see w/ pastes. I see good results on my laptops with them keeping the GPU under 70C usually and on laptops it doesn't really matter what you do on the CPU side as they will hit throttle temps no matter the substance you use. The server though under full load w/ a pad usually keeps the CPU under 60C at full 125W load.

Some others mention sealing up their cases with foam to get better air flow from front to back. Converting to LC though is apples to oranges when it comes to fans and air. Then you have to start thinking more like a mechanic and selecting optimal fluid mixes for optimal heat transfer. If the pump is moving it too quickly then it's ineffective at transferring the heat through the rad and the same goes for too slow.






Any update? Certainly, go with a Z690 micro ATX like ASUS ROG Strix Z690M or Gigabyte Z690M. Best for your tasks. As you are about to engage in a busy schedule, I would like to suggest something for you if you are a student in school or college. I also utilize this life hack to save time. the secret is this https://www.topessaywriting.org/pay-for-research-paper website, I highly recommend this website as it has been a valuable resource for me. Writing research papers is no longer a daunting task, as all I need to do is visit the site, hire a writer, and then simply relax.

Any update?

 

[Tech Junky]

@knght990 scratch the ceptagon. That thing is flimsy if you're moving it around. The front panel didn't seem to stay on the case as it's just some push pins that snap onto the case. I sent it back already and switched to the FD Torrent instead. The torrent is interesting as it has 180's on the front and room for a couple of 140's on the bottom or move the 180 to the bottom for a radiator on the front. It's still 25% smaller than the mesh2. The other option I was looking at is the mesh2 compact.

I think maybe moving the case lower though might get you some cooler air when thinking about cold air being heavier.

 

[knght990]

I did some measuring, the Mesh2 Compact might just fit. I will have to make a mockup and see.
The Node 804 would work probably. A North or a Focus 2 might work as well. I don't think the Terra is an option due to dust.
Can you think of any other cases I could look at or phrases I could search? I'm not doing a good job finding them on my own.

I added images of the space so you get a better idea.

Sadly, I don't have anywhere else the computer can go. I'm living a 1200 sq ft life in a 350 sq ft room.

 

[Tech Junky]

Sadly, I don't have anywhere else the computer can go. I'm living a 1200 sq ft life in a 350 sq ft room.

I get that. I wish I could find a more condensed ATX case myself w/ using all NVME drives for Raid and a card for network there should be a better way.

So, the one thing that comes to mind looking at the photo is spinning the case or changing the fans to intake on the bottom, front, back, and exhaust out the top grill. Being in a corner is the biggest hurdle for air flow here. I can see why it's not cooling as efficiently.

Or exhaust the bottom and intake the other 3 as that might actually force the GPU to cool down and not heat soak the CPU.

For other options it's a mix of HAF high airflow. Looking for the 180mm cases like the torrent for more robust fans. There's a couple of HAF cases though that have 240mm fans as well. The problem then would be the dust factor if you're reluctant to clean it monthly or every so often.

Another option might be propping the glass panel at 45 degrees to allow natural heat exhaust to occur. This would mess with the air dynamics though but, if it drops the temps significantly it might be worth it.

The other option if you weren't using a GPU or maybe even w/ one in a horizontal mount maybe go the HTPC method. Silver Stone makes quite a few options. I considered them but, it would mean a different cooler and fans than what I have on hand. All the little stuff adds up though..

 

[knght990]

The Mesh2 I have is intake front and bottom w 6x 140mm fans. The top and rear is exhaust w 4x 140mm fans. I managed to wedge them all in. The only reason rear is exhaust is for the cpu cooler. I should have oriented it toward the top of the case.
I've been considering turning two of the top fan to intake because they blow cold under load and only the rear most top fan blows hot. I think because it is on it's side I'm wasting intake air by exhausting it before it mixes w the hot gpu air. I could water cool this setup which would control heat flow better but a case more suited to the area just makes sense.

I figured it would work because the previous full size cooler master was oriented the same and had no issues. I did not take into account the previous setup had a 970 hawk and the new card is a 3080 which generates a lot more heat.

 

[Tech Junky]

Yeah, it doesn't make much sense and all conventions go out the window when you go lateral with a case. I have mine setup the same way minus the GPU/s at this point.

Just flip the fans inside the case to what makes more sense. Remove the exhaust fan if you want since you should have enough pressure from the CPU blowing out the back. I would intake front/top and exhaust back/bottom at this point just to see if it mitigates the heat better with being pushed into a corner and all.

These dases don't really do positive or negative pressure unless you start sealing them up around the periphery,.

That's one thing I noticed about the Torrent is they have some fan wings to narrow the front intake if you decide to not use the 180's and put 120/140's in the front to get more pressure from closing off the air leaks around the frame of the fans. Also, have a closed top it is one less side that will leak air.

I've played around with fan positions on a few cases though to optimize the temps and it's not always straight forward to get better results. I've tried different fan makers as well from Noctua to my current Arctic's. They all do the same thing but range in cost severely sometimes. The 180's are about $30/ea though and will be swapped for whatever I have when they die. That's non sense to pay that much for case fans.

If the front/top intake doesn't work well then I would try the bottom/front as intakes and exhaust from the top. Ultimately though if the temps don't go where you want them then it's LC primarily on the GPU since that's the source of cooking the PC. That alone should bring things more into line where you're not constantly throttling under load. Switching from a paste to pads on both might help as well.

If you have an angle grinder you could always bend it to your will and customize things even further. There's also "bench" cases that are totally open concept with nothing enclosed other than a pane of glass usually on one side to keep fingers out of fans/electronics while powered on.

 

[knght990]

I was looking at the NZXT H5 Flow as well, which seems like it would fit with dual rads intake front and exhaust top and also take regular ATX motherboard.

The Mesh2 in it's current layout temps:	CPU	GPU
Idle Standard Fan Curve	41	48
Idle Fans Running Full	38	42
Port Royal Stand Fan	54	79
Port Royal Full Fan	48	76
Time Spy Stree Std Fan	58	79
Time Spy Stress Full Fan	50	75
Ambient Room Temp	23
Ambient Room Temp Post Stress Test (15min elapse)	27	​

I think the fans work, though I'm not getting enough air to the GPU. I originally wanted to get this GPU with the AIO 240 rad but it was hard to come by.
During the summer it sucks because I have to turn off my window A/C to put this GPU under load or risk popping the 15amp room breaker.
I'm pretty sure a top exhaust that actually points up will get most of the heat away from my desk. Though I may end up missing it during the winter.

I like the idea of using a single 360 rad in the top exhaust as well which is why I'm hung up on the O11D-Mini for now. It will also reduce my filter cleaning to 1.

 

[Tech Junky]

360 or not you'll still want fans in other places for redundancy in case the rad fans fail. If they fail and you don't catch them that's a lot of heat to deal with.

 

[knght990]

I would think the extra fans would increase the overall volume of air that passes through the case as well as be redundant for failures.
The O11-Mini plan is a 360 rad 3x 120mm fan in the top exhaust, 1x 120 mil intake at the back, and 3x 120mm intake at the bottom.

 

[igor_kavinski]

During the summer it sucks because I have to turn off my window A/C to put this GPU under load or risk popping the 15amp room breaker.

Wouldn't it be better long term to sell your current GPU and get a 4070 Ti with lower heat output and lower power consumption?

 

[knght990]

Wouldn't it be better long term to sell your current GPU and get a 4070 Ti with lower heat output and lower power consumption?

I don't sell stuff anymore, it never works out for me.
Plus, I'm an EVGA fan. I waited a year for stock on this card. Like the EVGA 970 I had, I will probably keep it until it is obsolete.

 

[igor_kavinski]

I don't sell stuff anymore, it never works out for me.

Then try your hand at undervolting the card or power limit it slightly. Not every game needs the GPU burning max power.