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SFF vs Desktop performance

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PsichoDM

Limp Gawd
Joined
Feb 24, 2006
Messages
161
I did a search on the topic but couldn't find anything.

Is there a difference in terms of performance between a SFF and its Desktop (big tower case) counterpart? Same setup, just one is a SFF and the other is a tower.

I know (I even tested) that a laptop is on average 25-50% slower than a Desktop with the same exact hardware setup. Is something similar to be expected for a SFF?
 
PsichoDM said:
I know (I even tested) that a laptop is on average 25-50% slower than a Desktop with the same exact hardware setup. Is something similar to be expected for a SFF?
Click to expand...

Such machines do not exist. At best the only part different is the motherboard, which means a lot. At worst you end up with mobile GPU versions, SODIMM memory, etc...


SFF is different, and with eVGA's mATX SLI motherboard, a full size desktop has nothing that a SFF can't provide. :D
 
No noticeable perfomance difference between a desktop and sff that use the same chipset, ram, cpu, and gpu....
 
Dillusion said:
10$ says most of our SFF's beat other desktops 8 times out of 10.
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that is so true. lol. a friend of my mine just spend about $2000 on a new computer, while i just spend about less than $1000 for my sff and i get a better 3dmark05 score :D

EDIT: he has pretty much comparable components like mine. we both have 7800gt's but his is bfg, mine is evga. he has 4400+ x2, i have opty 165, he has 2gb of ram, i only have 1
 
Ominous Gamer said:
Such machines do not exist. At best the only part different is the motherboard, which means a lot. At worst you end up with mobile GPU versions, SODIMM memory, etc...

SFF is different, and with eVGA's mATX SLI motherboard, a full size desktop has nothing that a SFF can't provide. :D
Click to expand...

This is the truth. Indeed, I am not aware of any actual desktop video cards IN laptops - the GeForce 7800 Go is NOT the same thing as a GeForce 7800 GTX, the Mobility Radeon X1600 is NOT the same thing as a desktop Radeon X1600XT, etc.

The laptop parts are *quite* inferior just by nature of having to fit into a laptop and deal with the extremely limited cooling options a laptop offers.

SFFs have no such problems - they use desktop parts. They are, in fact, just very, very small desktops...there isn't any difference in capability.
 
The only problem I have with SFF is it has some temperature problems, especially in Shuttle type boxes.

I had to cut the side of my shuttle to fit better V-card cooler,change the exhaust fan in the back, and change the heatsink for my northbridge to get comfortable temperatures. (of course these aren't all necessary, but it sure makes the components last longer)
 
dderidex said:
This is the truth. Indeed, I am not aware of any actual desktop video cards IN laptops - the GeForce 7800 Go is NOT the same thing as a GeForce 7800 GTX, the Mobility Radeon X1600 is NOT the same thing as a desktop Radeon X1600XT, etc.

The laptop parts are *quite* inferior just by nature of having to fit into a laptop and deal with the extremely limited cooling options a laptop offers.

SFFs have no such problems - they use desktop parts. They are, in fact, just very, very small desktops...there isn't any difference in capability.
Click to expand...

ok, what I meant is that a desktop with radeon 9700 kicks ass compared to a laptop with a mobility radeon 9700.
 
PsichoDM said:
ok, what I meant is that a desktop with radeon 9700 kicks ass compared to a laptop with a mobility radeon 9700.
Click to expand...

Well mobile parts are different, theyre downclocked for laptops.
 
Dillusion said:
Well mobile parts are different, theyre downclocked for laptops.
Click to expand...
Not to mention that the mobility 9700 is not the same chip as the destop 9700. I think it's more based on the 9600 core rather than the beast that the 9700 was.
 
PsichoDM said:
ok, what I meant is that a desktop with radeon 9700 kicks ass compared to a laptop with a mobility radeon 9700.
Click to expand...

Naturally, because a desktop 9700 is a completely different chip than the mobility 9700. The mobility 9700 is a higher clocked mobility 9600 core - half the pipes and half the memory bandwidth of the desktop 9700. Literally almost nothing in common at all.

That's not something you have to worry about with SFF systems - the same card you buy for a desktop you buy for an SFF, too.
 
dderidex said:
Naturally, because a desktop 9700 is a completely different chip than the mobility 9700. The mobility 9700 is a higher clocked mobility 9600 core - half the pipes and half the memory bandwidth of the desktop 9700. Literally almost nothing in common at all.

That's not something you have to worry about with SFF systems - the same card you buy for a desktop you but for an SFF, too.
Click to expand...

fair enough. The way they called the two card models is pretty misleading though, heh. Whatever sells, I guess.
 
Well, my old 6600GT got up to 100C (not a typo) with stock cooling and a closed case. The cpu (A64 3200+) with the stock shuttle fan idled around 40C and load at 45-50C.

Yeah, the 6600GT was obviously TOO hot, so I had to cut my side to fit a Zalman VF-700 on it. Now it's on my X850XT OC'ed, it's idling at 27C and load at 50C. After changing the fan, my CPU idle is now 29C and load 35C, so as you can see, changing the cooling in SFF can make a BIG difference.
 
I've thought about going SFF, but IDK I like low temps, and do you have problems fitting some of the longer gfx cards in 'em?
Do you guys go main PC SFF? Or just your old/2nd one for shens/space?
 
I got a Shuttle because I'm in dorm right now, I take my comp home sometimes, so I wanted a small one that I can transport easily. I think if I were to build a comp now, I would still go with a SFF, since it does saves a lot of space, quiet and definitely looks much better. (Shuttles anyways)
 
aiya said:
that is so true. lol. a friend of my mine just spend about $2000 on a new computer, while i just spend about less than $1000 for my sff and i get a better 3dmark05 score :D

EDIT: he has pretty much comparable components like mine. we both have 7800gt's but his is bfg, mine is evga. he has 4400+ x2, i have opty 165, he has 2gb of ram, i only have 1
Click to expand...
That is total, utter bullshit. Something is wrong (IE drivers) if he scores less than you. It has absolutely nothing to do with yours being SFF.
 
aznpxdd said:
Well, my old 6600GT got up to 100C (not a typo) with stock cooling and a closed case. The cpu (A64 3200+) with the stock shuttle fan idled around 40C and load at 45-50C.
Click to expand...

Sounds like something wrong with the card, then - I've never had a heat problem in any of my SFFs.

Oh, sure, the temps are *somewhat* higher than a desktop with GOOD cooling....but they are still lower temps than 90% of Dell or HP PCs will ever see. And certainly perfectly stable and cool for overclocking.
 
Nah nothing was wrong with the card..6600GT just runs THAT hot, especially since it was in a Shuttle SFF, it had no room to breath. After I put a Zalman on it, the temps went down to 29 idle and 55 load.
 
PsichoDM said:
ok, what I meant is that a desktop with radeon 9700 kicks ass compared to a laptop with a mobility radeon 9700.
Click to expand...

The difference is the video cards, not the form factor of the system.

A radeon 9700 is a different beast than a mobility radeon 9700.

Laptop video is almost always gimped in comparison to desktop video, usually by at least a generation.

That isn't the case for SFF vs. desktop, as you're using the exact same video cards.

The only real reason to go fullsize is if you can't fit all your stuff in a SFF case and run it at the speed/temps you desire.
 
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