SFF Case for mini-ITX GPU/MB

[Boil]

Ok I changed my mind and ended up grabbing an Asus Geforce ITX 970 card and after power measurements with my Core i7-4790K + motherboard I am on the fence but will probably grab an SFX-450W (due to the better capacitors being used) over the 600W.

Asus must have done something special with their ITX 970 as it uses very little energy compared to other models I've tested. The entire system while playing 64 player BF4 only consumes 210-215W at the wall which was frankly unexpected. This was using an SFX-L 500W Silverstone (which I'm using in my Silverstone Fortress FTZ01 build with a 390 for my Freesync fix).

Anyways, I'll likely grab the 450W Gold and then swap the flat cables from the 500L for the Osmi build. I really want the Platinum 700W SFX-L but it won't be released until January at the earliest (I emailed Silverstone and they responded yesterday) and it's kind of unnecessary for the Osmi due to the amount of heat it can handle.

So hopefully I'll have a build log for you guys in a few weeks. I agree with the power button move, makes more sense over the power supply area.

Boil:

Few questions if you don't mind.

Why did you replace the fan?

Where did you get that carbon fiber? I think I want to do the same as you did with the power button move and cover up the back. Looks amazing, great job.

Also, I'll be removing my GPU bracket as well (same card) )instead of damaging and bending parts unless I get brave with a metal filer (which I have ready) to fit in the Asus but really want to add dust filters.

Any ideas as to how to add a custom filter to the back of the GPU?

How are your GPU temps on average?


Edit:

The reason I'm so adamant about dust filters is I want to use this as a 24x7x365 Media Centre / Steam Box and I deplore dust buildup. Dust just unnecessarily ruins components, adds heat and wears fans out prematurely so if it can be prevented at all I will. I have dust filters on my Fortress and it's great. Positive pressure cases should all be protected.

Go back thru the previous page, you are asking the wrong person!

VIRUS_RIP is the one you need to question, his was the post I was responding to…

VIRUS_RIPs Build

I would guess he has replaced his fan for the same reason I plan to replace the fan, more air movement. He has the Noctua Industrial model, I am looking towards the Noctua Redux line. Still more air movement & less noise (according to the specs on Newegg) than the stock BeQuiet! model…

The carbon fiber vinyl is a 3M product…

For filters, check with DEMCifilter, they have a program where you order custom filters and if they fit right (you are the one measuring & letting DEMCifilter know what to make) and you provide good pics of them installed, they will reimburse you for the original cost of the custom filters…

Now, the Osmi is, correct me if I am wrong anyone, a Negative Pressure system, as the chassis fan up top is designed to exhaust air upwards.

The two main sources of air INTAKE are the bottom vents & the vents between the motherboard and the PSU. These are where your filters are needed. If you are going to go Positive Pressure (as VIRUS_RIP has done above), hen you only really need worry about a filter between the chassis fan & the top grate.

One thing to think about though, especially with a chassis this small, is the restrictions that filters are going to place on your airflow. I, personally, will stay Negative Pressure with the chassis fan exhausting air out the top of the unit as intended and will forgo filters. It is not that hard to remove the outer skin once every few weeks and hit the insides with a few blasts from an air can.

I am glad you mentioned the better caps in the 450w PSU, as I am now actually looking (meaning, it is in my cart on Newegg) towards that for my build at some point. I will save the forthcoming 700w Platinum Silverstone & the 600w Corsair for another day. And the 450w model is about 30 bucks or so cheaper than the 600w model!

As for cables, I have thought of having custom cables made, just the right length and all that. But that is another 100 bucks or so, for three VERY short cables. I like the fact that the 450w PSU has the 'bag of snakes' cables, rather than the flat ones. I will plan on using some of the extra 100 bucks I would save by NOT ordering custom cables (sorry IceModz) and just getting the tools & materials to shorten the 'bag of snakes' cables. I do not plan on sleeving them, I actually think the 'single sleeve around the cable wire bundle' method would be a bit more streamlined for the tight confines of this chassis, rather than the flat-ribbon style the other PSUs have. I COULD just use the cables as they are, but cramming a 300mm 24-pin cable & two 400mm 8-pin cables into the chassis will remove almost ALL of the remaining spaces for air to move about the chassis, whether they are flat-ribbon or thick bundles…

This is what I have decided on for my future Osmi build, parts-wise…

Noctua NF-P14s-1500 PWM 140mm 1500 RPM 25.8 dBA 4-pin SSO

SILVERSTONE ST45SF-G 450W SFX12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Full Modular Active PFC Power Supply

GIGABYTE GA-H170N-WIFI (rev. 1.0) LGA 1151 Intel H170 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Mini ITX Intel Motherboard

Intel Core i5-6500 6M Skylake Quad-Core 3.2 GHz LGA 1151 65W BX80662I56500 Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 530

Crucial Ballistix Sport 16GB (2 x 8GB) 288-Pin DDR4 SDRAM DDR4 2400 (PC4 19200) Desktop Memory Model BLS2K8G4D240FSA

SAMSUNG 950 PRO M.2 256GB PCI-Express 3.0 x4 Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) MZ-V5P256BW

ASUS GeForce GTX 970 GTX970-DCMOC-4GD5 4GB 256-Bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

There is also a Noctua NH-L9i CPU cooler sitting in my cart, but that is a placeholder for the forthcoming Cryorig C7 CPU cooler which I plan on using…

Noctua chassis fan for more air & less noise…

450w PSU because I do not really need more than that for this build…

H-series motherboard because I do not plan on overclocking at all…

Non K-series CPU because of above & 65w rather than 95w, so less to cool…

16GB of RAM because better than 8GB & cheaper than 32GB…

950 Pro, because faster! Yes, I could save another 100 bucks by going with a SATA M.2, but the idea of taking a newer tech (the whole M.2 form factor / PCIe 3.0 x4 interface thing) and regulating it to the slower 'old' SATA standard just seems wrong to me. And, because FASTER…!!!

GTX 970 ITX, because it is either that or the R9 Nano; and the Nano is not supported for Hackintosh builds yet…

Anyway, THAT is my planned Osmi build, thoughts from anyone…?!?

 

[Boil]

So…

Kinda quiet in here…

Anyone who has an Osmi build with a M.2 system drive (SATA or NVMe), any reports on temps & any throttling issues…?!? Especially anyone running a M.2 system drive that is located on the backside of the motherboard…

THANKS…!!! ;^p

 

[Noddy Jnr]

Running an m.2 on the backside of the motherboard. Not experiencing any temp issues. Have not stress tested it tho. So, when I have time, I'll have a look. But I can 't see any issues. Internal temps are fine.

 

[XcPNehVYlE4A3C]

it has been quiet here.... me personaly im still waiting on better skylake compatibility with OSX to do my OSMI build. NVME still seems really early and i dont want to get an AHCI m.2 ssd and have it feel outdated in a year or 2.

Also finally bought some wire crimpers to do custom shorty PSU cables. with the m.2 removing the need for 1 sata and 1 power cable and the custom PSU cables it should be super clean.

not sure how long i can wait though! might have to just move one of my builds into the OSMI and buy another one later....

 

[Boil]

I am also waiting on solid Skylake compatibility in OS X for my build. That is one of the reasons I have specced out the parts I have, I feel these will be some of the more common parts used in mini ITX Hackintosh builds & will see issues ironed out sooner than other parts…

I would REALLY rather have the Asus Maximus VIII Impact motherboard, an Intel 750 Series 400GB NVMe 2.5" SSD, and an Asus R9 Nano stuffed into the Osmi chassis…!

Who knows, maybe by the time I actually get all my ducks in a row to build a new system in an Osmi chassis, my preferred parts will be working without TO much hacking about…!

 

[Boil]

OS X on Skylake

AWESOME…!!! With the exception of needing to swap out the WiFi card, looks like my parts list should work just fine for making a Hackintosh!

Noctua NF-P14s-1500 PWM 140mm 1500 RPM 25.8 dBA 4-pin SSO

SILVERSTONE ST45SF-G 450W SFX12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Full Modular Active PFC Power Supply

I feel that, with the way the cables are done on the 450w PSU, they should be easy enough to tuck away about the chassis; up & wrap around fan for CPU power, main bulk of Motherboard power cable secured to front chassis wall (when 3.5" HDD would go), and GPU cable under GPU & back up to connect. I can see how they would go in my mind's eye…

I would only be using the three cables to the left in the above pic (the CPU Power & GPU Power cables are lying on top of each other in said pic), the SATA & Molex/Floppy Power cables will not be needed…

So I will at this point plan to NOT modify the cables at all, just practice proper cable routing/management to get them tucked away!

GIGABYTE GA-H170N-WIFI (rev. 1.0) LGA 1151 Intel H170 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Mini ITX Intel Motherboard

Intel Core i5-6500 6M Skylake Quad-Core 3.2 GHz LGA 1151 65W BX80662I56500 Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 530

CRYORIG C7 - 47mm tall, SFF Mini ITX CPU Heatsink

Crucial Ballistix Sport 16GB (2 x 8GB) 288-Pin DDR4 SDRAM DDR4 2400 (PC4 19200) Desktop Memory Model BLS2K8G4D240FSA

SAMSUNG 950 PRO M.2 256GB PCI-Express 3.0 x4 Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) MZ-V5P256BW

ASUS GeForce GTX 970 GTX970-DCMOC-4GD5 4GB 256-Bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

Now I guess I need to get busy on acquiring said parts!

I do believe the Osmi chassis (I am planning on going with the black outer housing) will make an excellent Hackintosh platform!

 

[pixelblue]

It says the Osmi is all aluminum, is that accurate? Looks like it has some plastic, just curious. Was considering this case from Abee: http://www.abee.co.jp/Product/CASE/AS_Enclosure/RS07/index.html
But the Osmi appears to fit the same components in less space.

 

[iFreilicht]

Except for less HDDs and being limited to ITX GPUs and less CPU cooler space, it does indeed fit the same components.
Don't know about the aluminium,Gtek will have to answer that himself.

 

[Boil]

Looks to me like most of it is aluminum, excepting the fan grill, that might be plastic…?

 

[killerfromsky]

Except for less HDDs and being limited to ITX GPUs and less CPU cooler space, it does indeed fit the same components.
Don't know about the aluminium,Gtek will have to answer that himself.

I'm rather sure it also fits ATX psu's. It seems like it's a great alternative to the SG03 mini, with IMO a better PSU placement, and even better looks. I also think it will be more silent.
And you can remove the HDD cage and allow for bigger sized CPU coolers. Also no constraints for graphics card height!
Only problem is no ventilation for the graphics card?

 

[iFreilicht]

I'm rather sure it also fits ATX psu's. It seems like it's a great alternative to the SG03 mini, with IMO a better PSU placement, and even better looks. I also think it will be more silent.
And you can remove the HDD cage and allow for bigger sized CPU coolers. Also no constraints for graphics card height!
Only problem is no ventilation for the graphics card?

I guess the idea for GPU ventilation is that there is a bit of space between the GPU fans and the side panel which allows the GPU to draw in air from the bottom. Not sure how well that actually works, but it is a rather nice looking case, no doubts about that.

 

[Boil]

Well, looks like no 950 Pro for me at this time. OS X does not support third-party NVMe solutions yet, so I will be looking at the OEM Samsung SM951 (AHCI version) for my system drive at this time. The speed is close to the NVMe & much faster than SATA, so still a good thing…

SAMSUNG SM951 M.2 256GB PCI-Express 3.0 Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) - OEM

Gonna switch from the Gigabyte board to the ASRock Fatal1ty Z170 Gaming-ITX/ac motherboard. This MB has the proper WiFi card already in place, so no buying a different WiFi card & swapping it out like I would need to do for the Gigabyte board.

ASRock Gaming Z170 Gaming-ITX/ac LGA 1151 Intel Z170 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.1 USB 3.0 Mini ITX Intel Motherboard

And I am still hoping the Corsair SF600 SFX PSU will be shipping, with all & any issues worked out beforehand, by the time I am ready to start my Osmi build-up…!

[ramblemode]

I feel the hot set-up for this chassis would be:

Corsair SF600 SFX PSU (600 watts of power, SFX so more room for airflow, & larger fan on the PSU which will hopefully be quieter than the Silverstone offerings)
Cryorig C7 CPU cooler (perfect fit for ITX motherboards, good cooling that can only be better with non-K CPUs, not two-tone poop colored)
Asus Maximus VIII Impact mini ITX motherboard (vertically oriented I/O panel with a very clean layout, lack of garish colors on the audio ports, U.2 connector for VERY FAST system drive)
Intel 750 series NVMe 2.5" SDD (available in 400GB/800GB/1.2TB models, clean cabling included, VERY FAST)
Asus Radeon R9 Nano ITX GPU (best available ITX format GPU at this time)

The above would make me want for a custom back panel, with ALL the ports cut out of a single panel; no I/O shield, no GPU PCI brackets… Just a single panel with the proper cutouts & labeling… Would look pretty sweet…!

[/ramblemode}

 

[pixelblue]

There's some GPU ventilation, at least in the sense that it vents directly out the top and has the 120mm fan on top to pull air out. It is about the same size as the FT03 mini, maybe larger at 429mm. Nearly as tall as some ATX cases(!) which is why I prefer the Osmi. I only brought up the Abee case since it's aesthetically similar, and kind of a cool option since it supports full ATX psus and longer cards

 

[Boil]

It's like Christmas is coming or something!

As I may have mentioned before, I want to build up a sweet Hackintosh with this chassis, but my desired parts list was not compatible with OS X as of yet…

Well, seems the planets are slowly aligning for my (preferred) build!

NVMe for OS X

This will allow me to use a NVMe device as a boot/system drive! YAY!!!

Intel 750 Series 2.5" 400GB PCI-Express 3.0 x4 NVMe SSD

Also, the Asus Maximus VIII Impact motherboard now has support in OS X! Double YAY!!!

(Okay, WiFi is still a no-go, but the Ethernet is faster anyway)

Now, if we could only get support for the Asus Radeon R9 Nano GPU, my build would be perfect! At least until the next-gen GPUs come out…

But with the Asus 970 ITX GPU, I can save my money for a next-gen GPU…

And I am still waiting on that Corsair SF600 SFX PSU to ship! I would go with the 450w Silverstone right now, but would like the extra wattage of the Corsair model for the aforementioned next-gen GPU, and the larger fan cannot hurt?

 

[trollolol]

hey guys,

I think I will order my Osmi Case after Christmas, but before I'll do that, I got 2 questions:

I read about SFX-L PSU's may not fit. I've got a Silverstone SX500-LG 500W Gold SFX-L anyone tryed a build with it?

my GPU is a EVGA GeForce GTX 960 Superclocked, 4096 MB GDDR5 with a lengh of 172,72mm and a high of 111,15 mm. Does it fit?

Thanks for your experiences!

 

[Boil]

hey guys,

I think I will order my Osmi Case after Christmas, but before I'll do that, I got 2 questions:

I read about SFX-L PSU's may not fit. I've got a Silverstone SX500-LG 500W Gold SFX-L anyone tryed a build with it?

my GPU is a EVGA GeForce GTX 960 Superclocked, 4096 MB GDDR5 with a lengh of 172,72mm and a high of 111,15 mm. Does it fit?

Thanks for your experiences!

SFX-L is 130mm deep, whereas SFX is 100mm deep. The issue with the L variant is space for the cables & connectors, especially if one has a drive mounted on the front wall of the chassis.

I want to say 170mm is the maximum length for the GPU, but there is a cutout where the GPU is that might give just a tiny bit more room. I don't really know, maybe it is somewhere in the thread? I HAVE read it all, but I cannot recall a defined GPU length…

 

[ZeroDiscipline]

Should be a fun build.Sorry for hijacking the thread

This tin lunchbox measures 190Wx170HX105D mm

I'm waiting for the HD Plex 250 watter I ordered and I may buy a broadwell cpu and a gtx 970 mini-preferably Galax.

 

[pixelblue]

I think you may be able crowdfund a company specializing in vintage lunchbox computer cases for hipsters.

Should be a fun build.Sorry for hijacking the thread

This tin lunchbox measures 190Wx170HX105D mm

I'm waiting for the HD Plex 250 watter I ordered and I may buy a broadwell cpu and a gtx 970 mini-preferably Galax.

 

[ZeroDiscipline]

LoL! I think This will be cool for kids too? This thing is so flimsy though.
I wish they'd make it a little tougher and used a thicker metal. Oh well, It's $11.
A novelty build for a novelty item.

Here's a slightly bigger box - my 5 yr old used it already for school..
with a modded raidmax atomic for size comp.

 

[Boil]

To take the thread BACK on track…

Any progress on design changes to the HG Computers Osmi chassis?

Looking at the issues brought up in regards to GPU & PSU fitments, especially the PSU situation.

Standard SFX/SFX-L has a six hole arrangement for securing screws; the forthcoming Corsair SF600 has a three hole arrangement, where the (current version of the) Osmi has a four hole arrangement. There is also the need for proper clearance on the edges of the PSU opening for connecting the power cable itself.

The same comes to mind for the GPU. There are the issues of the PCI bracket fitting properly, and the issue of the video cable connectors not having sufficient clearance to be used without placing undue stress on either the cable, connector or card.

I really want to order one of these chassis' SOON, but I do not want to have to cut up the chassis to make it work with industry-standard parts…

 

[case1]

To take the thread BACK on track…

Any progress on design changes to the HG Computers Osmi chassis?

Looking at the issues brought up in regards to GPU & PSU fitments, especially the PSU situation.

Standard SFX/SFX-L has a six hole arrangement for securing screws; the forthcoming Corsair SF600 has a three hole arrangement, where the (current version of the) Osmi has a four hole arrangement. There is also the need for proper clearance on the edges of the PSU opening for connecting the power cable itself.

The same comes to mind for the GPU. There are the issues of the PCI bracket fitting properly, and the issue of the video cable connectors not having sufficient clearance to be used without placing undue stress on either the cable, connector or card.

I really want to order one of these chassis' SOON, but I do not want to have to cut up the chassis to make it work with industry-standard parts…

Good point. I noticed a new batch is being readied for the end of January - I presume this is without any revisions.

Are we likely to get any revised versions of the chassis (similar to how Ncase M1 has moved onto v5) - that would probably help me pull the trigger on this case - otherwise I may just look to pull the trigger on the Ncase M1 or wait a bit for the A4 SFX (though I wish this came with dust filters like the Ncase M1).

 

[eutholevonik]

To take the thread BACK on track…

Any progress on design changes to the HG Computers Osmi chassis?

Looking at the issues brought up in regards to GPU & PSU fitments, especially the PSU situation.

Standard SFX/SFX-L has a six hole arrangement for securing screws; the forthcoming Corsair SF600 has a three hole arrangement, where the (current version of the) Osmi has a four hole arrangement. There is also the need for proper clearance on the edges of the PSU opening for connecting the power cable itself.

The same comes to mind for the GPU. There are the issues of the PCI bracket fitting properly, and the issue of the video cable connectors not having sufficient clearance to be used without placing undue stress on either the cable, connector or card.

I really want to order one of these chassis' SOON, but I do not want to have to cut up the chassis to make it work with industry-standard parts…

I just got done watching Tek Syndicate's coverage at the corsair booth at ces. With the models of the SF600 they had there, the back now has a six hole arrangement instead of three.

 

[Boil]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNGBZln8RMM&feature=youtu.be&t=204

Excited about the Japanese capacitors, the 92mm fan, AND the 450w version…!!!

Gotta watch the video again, look at the mounting holes… Still have concern about the power plug area, that might still conflict with the Osmi chassis…

Okay, looks like the SF450/SF600 will fit fine in regards to the power plug area, but the actual power switch on the PSU might be a problem…

 

[Ooops]

Hello everybody,

First of all, I would like to apologize about my “French accent”

Then, I’m looking for this case since a while, and as we are now “in the end of january” (date of the next batch), I would know if Peter could give us some news, especially about his (almost) last post :

Thank you Noddy Jnr for sharing your build and feedback. We are working with new manufacturer and some B2B customers on fixing all the issues for new revision.

Nice dog by the way

No need to give news about the dog.

 

[Best8845]

gtek,If I place an order today, how long is the wait time? Is it the latest revision with the GPU slot fix?

For anyone who has one, does it come with blank plate to cover the GPU slot if one doesn't use a graphic card?

How much room there is between the fan and the edge of the motherboard, trying to get Maximus VIII Impact in there with a riser power board, will it fit?

 

[fminus]

Any updates to the case? I tried to message them on facebook and got nothing..