New SFF, mobo and chassis. (NO XQPACKS PLEASE)

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xeefus

Limp Gawd
Joined
Nov 25, 2005
Messages
328
I'm looking for an mATX chassis without windows, with a clean front thing, the X-QPack makes me wanna throw up. The Shuttles do look nice, but I need to fit this in it:

AMD 64 3500+ + Zalman CNPS7000b-AlCu
Corsair TwinX PC4000 Platinum thing (with heatspreaders)
Gainward GeForce 6800GT with stock cooling, might change it cause it's kinda loud... I think.
One 200gig harddrive S-ATA
M-Audio 2496 PCI soundcard
One IDE DVD-Burner
Tagan 380W ATX PSU (does it fit? :\)
mATX mobo (undecided)

The mobo should not be too overclockable, just so I can use 9x250 (so my memories don't run at PC3200 speed) and a built-in GFX card wouldn't be too bad either since I have like alot of monitors :) Not that I use more than 2 of them but... Could use more.

I'd like it to be as quiet as possible, well, 20dBa or something like that...
It shouldn't be too big, and the color doesn't really matter, brushed aluminium is quite hot though. Silverstone mATX HTPC chassis are too small aren't they? They're hot :D


So, give me suggestions for both mobo and such. Also please say if I've missed something important :)
 
A shuttle can easily fit all the parts you listed, except for the heatsink, but shuttle barbones come with one anyways. If you don't want to go shuttle, then a mATX mobo in the Silverstone Sugo would probably be your best option. (Although it is a lot more expensive than the QPack)
 
Yup, shuttle or biostar ideq 330p will fit all of that without problem. Won't need the mobo/psu/hsf with either of those, either.
 
Your only real option with that full-size PSU is teh Silverstone SG01 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811163050).

I'm not sure how the 300 watt PSU would hold up, but I used an Antec ARIA cube SFF case in a recent MicroATX build, installed with an X2 3800+ and 2 GB of RAM.

If you are just looking for a nice, cool mATX case, Cooler Master has quite a few nice options (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811119088, http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811119086, http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811119089 if you haven't gotten the PSU yet).
 
Didn't wanna go shuttle, maybe said that a little unclear too. I'd like to use my heatsink since I've got a friend who uses the shuttle one, I don't like it. :p

The Sugos looked VERY nice. Thanks for the tip. Just, do you think it will fit a TAGAN 380W? Or will I need to get a new one?




EDIT: Oh, that was quite many replies without me reading them. I'll order a Sugo, if the ATX PSU fits, I fell in love- and as the topic says, I only needed a chassis and a motherboard. So, well, yes, uhm, well, the CNPS7000b will fit and such? Weeh, that thing is sweeet. And are there any installed fans on it already?
 
The Silverstone Sugo SG-01 Evolution is probably your best bet to go with for now.
 
Would you like a clear case? www.clearpc.ca

Minitowers would be best for you...we recently decided to include those as SFF :).

If not you got the Antec Aria and the new one coming out from pclab
 
Steeeeve said:
Would you like a clear case? www.clearpc.ca

Minitowers would be best for you...we recently decided to include those as SFF :).

If not you got the Antec Aria and the new one coming out from pclab
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Ewh, sorry but I hate windows :) And the Aria looked buttugly :(
 
Newegg's got a clean little micro atx for $43 the foxconn tw001-w-a300a, comes with a fortron source ps.
 
Hmm, the centurion does look nice, as always, but not sure really. The foxconn thing wasn't that beautiful really ;) Think I'm going to buy that SG01, or something, depends on if I can fit another cooler than the stock one... And the PSU ofcourse, but it does fit ATX psus from what I've heard? :)
 
Firelord said:
The Chemming CM118/Aspire X-Qpack are available sans windows btw
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Don't like the looks of the X-QPacks :\ What's a Chemming CM118? Never heard of it. Sans, does it mean without? :)
 
The chenming case is almost the same as the qpack except it has a better psu (i think)

Yes, "sans" is french for "without" :)
 
The Silverstone Sugo is twice as expensive as qpack, runs warmer, and is louder too.

I have had both so I know.

My advice is live with the QPack for now and expect something better to come along in the next 6 months to a year and move up to that.
 
PClark99 said:
The Silverstone Sugo is twice as expensive as qpack, runs warmer, and is louder too.

I have had both so I know.

My advice is live with the QPack for now and expect something better to come along in the next 6 months to a year and move up to that.
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Hmm, can't you like put more fans or something on it? :( I really love the way it looks. + I don't do OC really. I don't see how it can be louder? None of them has got any soundisolation? Or do you mean like the fans or something? :\ Do you know exact difference in temperature or something?
 
xeefus said:
Hmm, can't you like put more fans or something on it? :( I really love the way it looks. + I don't do OC really. I don't see how it can be louder? None of them has got any soundisolation? Or do you mean like the fans or something? :\ Do you know exact difference in temperature or something?
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Yes to the fans. The SG01 has much smaller fans that spin at higher RPM = noisier.

Also, it's really got terrible airflow design. Ugly as the X-QPACK is, and as expensive as the Shuttle XPCs are, at least you can put whatever you want in them without the case cooking your parts.

If you really are doing NO overclocking, though, you could probably try undervolting a few parts, run the fans on rheostats to quiet them down some, and probably get a stable enough system.

Although, honestly, don't know what the complain against the Shuttle fan system is. I have the ST20G5, and the ICE system in that - when properly applied - cools just as well as the Zalman CNPS-7000 I had. Sure, the fins are aluminum, but the heatpipes take advantage of phase change principles to deliver a LOT more cooling power than you'd expect.
 
xeefus said:
Hmm, can't you like put more fans or something on it? :( I really love the way it looks. + I don't do OC really. I don't see how it can be louder? None of them has got any soundisolation? Or do you mean like the fans or something? :\ Do you know exact difference in temperature or something?
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Temperature comparison. CPU difference of nearly 10C while gaming is nothing to sneeze at!
 
10C?!

Damn, that sucks... Is there any way you could like... replace the front of the QPack? Is it detachable (did I use the right word? you probably know what I mean anyway)
The front is the only thing that looks ugly :D As you can see I'm quite picky about looks... But crap, that SG01 is hot (literally)... And hot as in good-looking... The XQPack does fit a ... 7000B does it? The shuttles are like... uhm... SN25P has an ugly front too. :D ST20G5 looks awesome though, and there is like a new one coming soon too? I don't know much about the PSUs but they are said to be alot stronger than just 240W or whatever they're at? :)
 
smaller diameter fans running faster makes more noise as dderidex so kindly pointed out.

I had a SG-01B and it did not impress me. some marks in the finish, a wonky power button, not $150 quality at all. Less space to route cables.

I moved to Qpack and its a much easier case to work with.

I will snap some pics of the guts of my rig and get them up later to show you what I am talking about.

The SG-01 could have been better thought out thermally, thats for sure.
 
PClark99 said:
smaller diameter fans running faster makes more noise as dderidex so kindly pointed out.

I had a SG-01B and it did not impress me. some marks in the finish, a wonky power button, not $150 quality at all. Less space to route cables.

I moved to Qpack and its a much easier case to work with.

I will snap some pics of the guts of my rig and get them up later to show you what I am talking about.

The SG-01 could have been better thought out thermally, thats for sure.
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Allright.. Thanks... :)

Sigh, it's so ugly... :p Anyway, the internals are ofcourse important too.
 
bump :( anyone who knows of other cubeshaped mATX chassis? :) or is XQPack the thing right now? :eek:
 
Chemming/Aspire is the case of the moment... wish Lian Li or Coolermaster would release one like it
 
True :) I love Lian Li cases, but I'm moving around my comptuer alot... Also I'm like the weakest person on earth, I get exhausted from carrying my current computer :(:( Oh well, looks like I'll have to stand that ugly XQPack if I want something okay... I'll rip the front apart first, if it doesn't work then oh well who cares? :>
 
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