bikerdude on 18/4/2015 at 08:09
Whats the make/model of the case coz some of those mATX cases will only take normal and not expaned mATX mobos..
bikerdude on 18/4/2015 at 16:34
Looks like the US3 will take a mATX mobo with upto 4 pci/pcie-slots and my only issue is that the front USB slots are down the bottom corner - I can see usb sticks being kicked or cought if the PC is on the floor.
- (
http://www.silentpcreview.com/article1409-page3.html)
What are you looking for in mATX case..? as there are loads on NewEgg also never go for a silver case (its so... last season, black is where its at)
Renzatic on 18/4/2015 at 18:35
So it's pretty much what I expected: a solid case with some space limitations. I've already taken that into account building this system, so that shouldn't be much of a problem. I'm still banging my head over a radiator, but I'm thinking (
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835181010) this one should work just fine.
If it ends up not being able to do what I want it to do, I can upgrade to the next case in the lineup, the Legacy MX2. It's a proper sized case, though nearly $80-$90 more expensive.
Also, I'm thinking about going with a modular PSU, (
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139050&nm_mc=KNC-GoogleAdwords-PC&cm_mmc=KNC-GoogleAdwords-PC-_-pla-_-Power+Supplies-_-N82E16817139050&gclid=CPOYvquQ_8QCFRc2gQodQCUA7A&gclsrc=aw.ds) like this one. It's from the same lineup as the one you recommended, though only 500w. That should do me just fine though, since I'm not going to be using more than 2 SSDs (not counting my USB external backup drive), or slapping a second GPU in there. It being modular means I can keep things as nice and neat as possible in my ridiculously tiny case.
Oh, as for getting a black case, change the -S to a -B, and (
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147211) there you go. I'm gonna try and find the windowless one, though. Don't need to see my computer guts at all times. As for what I'm looking for in a case, you've pretty much seen it. Sleek, unadorned, all metal, and tiny.
heywood on 20/4/2015 at 21:51
If you're willing to go for something bigger than the Silverstone Fortress but smaller than an ATX mid-tower case, I suggest you check out the Bitfenix Prodigy mini-ITX case:
(
https://www.google.com/search?q=bitfenix+prodigy&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8) https://www.google.com/search?q=bitfenix+prodigy
I just built a new home server using this case. I had trouble finding a case that would fit on a shelf, but with enough drive bays so that I wouldn't have to use an external eSATA drive enclosure, which would be slower. I picked the Bitfenix Prodigy because it had up to 6 drive bays (5x 3.5" and one 5.25"). It's perfect for me, but it was really designed with gaming in mind. You can slide out the upper block of 3 drive bays and then a full length, double width graphics card fits perfectly. There is enough space above the CPU for a large air cooler. Or if you want to go with water cooling, it is designed to accept a full size radiator mounted to the top of the case. You can fit a 200mm low speed fan to the front of case and 140mm fan at the rear for quiet operation. It will take a normal ATX power supply, albeit limited in length to 150mm/6" if you're using a modular supply. With a non-modular supply it can go up to 160mm.
I ended up going with the Asus Z97I-Plus board instead of the ASRock and I suggest you do too, because the board layout is quite a bit better. The Asus could fit the Samsung EVO m.2 drive I wanted to use for example, while the ASRock could not. The offset CPU placement on the ASRock could also pose a problem in fitting a large air cooler. Also, it only has one chassis fan header, and the SATA connectors look like they will be hard to access without removing the graphics card.
Renzatic on 22/4/2015 at 22:38
I thought about the Prodigy. It's practically the go-to case for building a small form factor PC. But in the end, I liked the Rosewill Legacy U3 better. And yes, Biker. I am getting it in black.
I've changed one last thing before the final commitment. Instead of going with a traditional form factor SSD, I decided to up my storage to 500GB, and opted for one of those new (
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147399&cm_re=SAMSUNG_850_EVO_MZ-N5E500BW-_-20-147-399-_-Product) M.2 Blade SSDs. It gives me the exact same performance in a much smaller package that gets its power directly through the port. Which, of course, means I won't have to make room for it, or futz around with those couple extra cables.
Final Price: $1166. If everything goes as planned, I'll be ordering it this weekend.
heywood on 23/4/2015 at 10:21
Please note that SSD will not fit the ASRock board. The Samsung M.2 SSDs are 80mm and the ASRock M.2 slot only fits 30mm or 42mm.
Renzatic on 28/4/2015 at 22:16
Oh, glorious day! My computer is now ordered! I got it shipped 3-day business, so if things go well, I'll have it by Friday. :D
Grand total: $1206
Oh, and I got The Witcher 3 with it. Good way to stress test it.
