Stylish gaming system

[Jake_UK]

Of two equally good-looking cases, the smaller one will be less intrusive and so 'fit' better. The prodigy just isn't special enough IMO to warrant the extra level of (unnecessary) intrusion a case of that size causes.

[Jake_UK]

Well... I've had a while to ponder this now and, whilst checking prices and component physical sizes I've come to another set of conclusions!

Having got fed up with trying to find a gfx card that fits the Shuttle, exhausts through the rear, isn't too noisy AND gives good price/performance I went back to some of the other case options!

On looking at more pics, videos and reviews I'm really not sure why I discounted the Node 304 in the first place - it looks an awesome minimalist-styled case, I don't want an ODD and with it's absence there's loads of space for gfx cards and CPU coolers and good airflow through.

My general needs haven't changed but given I've now bought a 2560x1440 27" monitor I figure it's probably worth looking at some slightly better gfx options to try and make use of that and, as the case gives better cooling options than most, (sensible) overclocking is on the agenda. As before, if it really makes sense in a bang for buck of future gaming performance I'd also be able to throw a bit more into the budget. I have two SSD instead of just one as I'm moving one from the HTPC to replace it with a 7mm unit, otherwise I'd just have a bigger SSD and partition it.

Anyway, below is what I've got so far and I'd really appreciate people's input. One question is that there seems to be a bewildering array of 660ti and 670 cards about now. I'm not sure whether I wouldn't be better with, say, a stock speed 670 with good cooling and OC it myself given the better ventilation cooling options the 304 allows...?

Fractal Design Node 304 £69.67
Asus P8Z77-I DELUXE £142.96
Ocz 60GB SSD (for dual OS's) £0 - moving from HTPC
SanDisk 128GB SSD (Games & Apps) £66.38
i5-3570K OEM £168.18
Thermalright True Spirit 120 Rev. A heatsink/fan £25.16
MSI GeForce GTX 660 Ti TwinFrozr III / OC 3GB GDDR5 £239.99
8GB (2x4GB) Corsair Memory XMS3 DDR3 1600 MHz CAS 9 £39.50
Corsair CP-9020047-UK CX 500W £45.00

P&P £6.77
TOTAL £803.61

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

A blower cooler would work better with a cube case like the Node304 at least from my experience of owning a few similar ones. I would probably look at this GTX670:

http://www.scan.co.uk/products/2gb-e...1344-dp-dl-dvi

It uses the GTX680 PCB cooler.

Using a non-blower cooler means the hot exhaust is recirculated within the case,leading to higher temperatures. The graphics card is sort of trapped in the side of the case. With the blower cooler,it will be noisier but the hot exhaust is vented out of the case.

Also,this PSU is shorter and uses a ball bearing fan:

http://www.novatech.co.uk/products/c...paign=products

[Jake_UK]

Thanks Cat. For spending that extra budget I was indeed looking at the EVGA 670 FTW... but the Sig2 version for better cooling (just a few quid more) as the Hexus review found cooling to be something of a limiting factor in OC. I guess then you think either of these FTW are better bets than the standard EVGA 670 (and then OC myself)? Price difference certainly isn't huge.

I've not used one before but I liked the idea of the modular PSU and what that meant for less cable clutter in the case.

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

Thanks Cat. For spending that extra budget I was indeed looking at the EVGA 670 FTW... but the Sig2 version for better cooling (just a few quid more) as the Hexus review found cooling to be something of a limiting factor in OC. I guess then you think either of these FTW are better bets than the standard EVGA 670 (and then OC myself)? Price difference certainly isn't huge.

I've not used one before but I liked the idea of the modular PSU and what that meant for less cable clutter in the case.

That other version does not use a blower cooler though. With the Node304 it means heat is trapped in the case,whereas with the blower type cooler it exits the case. Blower type coolers are more useful for cases such as the Node304. OTH,with the Bitfenix Prodigy this is not as big an issue as it is essentially like a normal ATX case but smaller,with regards to graphics card cooling.

That Corsair PSU you listed has the code for the non-modular version. However,for SFF PC usage I tend to prefer PSUs which use ball bearing fans.

This PSU is made by Enhance and is fully modular:

http://www.scan.co.uk/products/600w-...-fan-atx-v23-p

This is the only review I have seen of it:

http://power.zol.com.cn/267/2678781.html

This PSU is not fully modular but gets great reviews:

http://www.scan.co.uk/products/550w-...et-fan-atx-psu

[Jake_UK]

Thanks again - I'll look at those PSUs.

I read this thread about the Sig2 which is why I think it exhausts out the back.

One other question: Am I better off performance-wise with the XMS3 RAM listed (link) or this stuff which is what I put in the HTPC IIRC?

[Jake_UK]

So, I had a hunt around on PSUs. I found someone with the EVGA 670 FTW in this case who was using a Silverstone Strider Plus ST50F-P 500W which only just fits:



The Silverstone is 150 x 86 x 140 mm (WxHxD) as is the Corsair whilst the Seasonic is 150 x 86 x 160 mm (WxHxD). What I'm not clear on is which direction on the PSU is 'Depth'. From the way the PSU lies in this review I'm afraid that it might be the 'wrong' direction. It is a much better PSU though from the two reviews I read.

EDIT: Have also found a pic of a Node 304 with a Corsair HX650 which measures 150 x 86 x 160 mm (WxHxD). The gfx card here is an MSI 660ti PE.

[Jake_UK]

It seems one way the problem can be overcome is by throwing money at it and going for the SilverStone Strider Gold 550W Full Modular.

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

There is this PSU too:

http://www.scan.co.uk/products/450w-...r-80-plus-gold

The thing is with the Sig2,due to the shroud it might semi-vent some hot air,but the shroud is mesh too mean hot air is probably vented into the case too.

With the GD05 you have 120MM fans blowing across the case it seems which removes any hot air:

http://ksstudios.com/wp-content/gallery/gd05/gd05-2.jpg

The Node304 does not have this for the graphics card zone.

[Willzzz]

You might actually find that a non modular PSU fits more easily:
http://www.scan.co.uk/products/500w-...an-atx-v23-psu

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

That FSP is only 140MM long - good spot. It is the same length as the XFX PRO 550W, although for some reason Scan has the wrong picture and dimensions in the description.

Having said that FSP made Silverstone 450W is pretty tiny considering its specifications. FSP do seem to have a knack for decent quality small PSUs,as I use a FSP made 500W PSU,which is a bit smaller than a flexATX but is 80+ bronze rated too.

[Jake_UK]

The thing is with the Sig2,due to the shroud it might semi-vent some hot air,but the shroud is mesh too mean hot air is probably vented into the case too.

Yeah, looking at few pics and unboxing videos it's clear that it's not sealed in the same way the FTW version is.

Any thoughts on the RAM question? I'm wondering whether it isn't better to get low profile anyway to reduce the chances of conflicts with the CPU heatsink.