Skylake SG13B-Q Build

G

Gucci

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Oct 2, 2015
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Hello All,

Just started my Skylake Mini ITX build last night.

Components (And Comments):


Case: Silverstone SG13B-Q


Great little case with room apparently for everything, just make sure you settle on what liquid cooler/PSU you want and go from there as I don't think low profile air coolers can really compete if you are looking for both great cooling and low noise.

My one gripe about the case is that the power/reset cables are not soldered well/strongly, my power cable snapped off of the front panel connection by just letting gravity bend the cable down......I have to solder it back on tonight.



Motherboard: Asus Z170i Pro Gaming

Awesome MB, everything I need, not much I don't (wifi lol).



CPU: I7-6700K


To be seen.



Cooler: Corsair H75


So far the build quality is great, mounting the back plate to the MB was a bit worrying as it seemed loose however when you mount the sink over the CPU it tightens that up. Looks great and I chose this over the other 120mm and 140mm models because it has a thin radiator(25mm) while also being push/pull, which gives the airflow I want in such a small case.

I wanted to swap out the fans for 2 x Noctuas however I will see how the noise/vibration is on these stock corsair ones first.



Ram: G.Skill RipJaws V DDR4 3200 16gb (2 X 8)


Lower profile than some, not a crazy price point either like the corsair platinum line.
The LEDs on the corsair platinum aren't really needed I think, plus they are very tall and may cause clearance issues with some components?



PSU: Cooler Master V650


Chosen because of the 140mm length, makes cable management so much easier, good reviews also so we will see.



HD1: Samsung M.2 950 Pro 256GB (Incoming)

OS + main programs, cant wait to see it in action.


HD2: Samsung 850 EVO SATA III 250GB

Secondary drive, using as primary atm.



GPU:


Awaiting either Pascal or Arctic Islands in a few months, the integrated GPU on the I7 (HD 530) is comparable to decent mobile 9 series nvidia GPUs with the faster Ram and will do for now). Plus, new gen should be a bit better with power, so the possibility to have a really high powered but generally cool running/low draw enthusiast GPU is there.

650 watts may be enough for the pascal titan/dual gpu, who knows.





Progress:


Have components on board currently, have to solder the power connector that snapped off from front panel and test!


Pictures will be incoming from different stages.
 
*Update*


Soldered the front panel power switch back on.

Got all components in and successfully booted up/installed windows.

That being said....I did not like how cramped everything was in the SG13.

The PSU cables and CPU cooler tunes were in place but very tight, I dont like the pressure on the liquid cooler tubes as I have heard that over time it can cause the adhesive/connection to separate and possibly leak....and keep in mind this is without a GPU, which means even less cable management space....

I came to the realization that unless I am OK with how cramped and tight everything was that the Silverstone SG13 case is not ideal for a current gaming build, BUT, when smaller SFX PSUs are available along with possibly slimmer liquid coolers, it will be doable in a reasonable way without the problems I had.

I researched Mini-ITX cases that were a bit bigger than the SG13 but also with a similar price-point.

-CoolerMaster Elite 110/120

-Thermaltake Core V1


Looking at the styles, it was obvious I could either choose more of the same (more case length instead of a bit of height) and be forced to have the PSU sitting above the main board...or be OK with the taller case and have the PSU be bottom mounted as is the case with the TK Core V1.


I cannot explain to you difference in the build quality and ease of setup.......Whereas the Silverstone SG13 was cheap and built cheap (cabling/soldering was utter crap...) the Thermaltake Core V1 was cheap AND VERY HIGH QUALITY, the paneling was done properly, with thicker and better soldered cables.

Having the PSU on the bottom means you have room to manage everything you need in a gaming PC with the current state of higher-end components size-wise while not worrying about airflow/cable management issues above the main board.

The bottom part of the V1 case is a micro managers dream, cables can be routed from the front or either side, also, the space they give for HDDs/SSDs is roomy enough that if you use 2.5s 1 or two, you have even more cable routing space.

Again the case is all quality, it cost only 5$ more than the SG13 did the extra touches, thoughtfulness and quality are what you expect from 100-200$ cases.

Plus, all the side panels are inter changable, I can have the windowed portion on either side or on top.

Pics will definitely be incoming shortly, sorry I have been consumed by work, but will definitely document the build quality and size differences between the two.
 
I really like the V1 and would probably choose that for my next build if I was not waiting on the A4.
 
That looks like an awesome case, if you have a build that would work with a low profile air cooler why not?

I wish they made more cases with external power adapters like that, its always hidden away anyways if the cord is long enough and removes a huge part of the space needed.
 
The Thermaltake Core V1 looks like a nice case, but it is HUGE. Totally different size class from the SG13. Not bad for a file server loaded to the max with all the big 3.5" drives that you could fit.

I have a Corsair H60 in my new SG13. The tubes are crazy thick, but they aren't stressed in any way.

I hot glued the power and reset wires first thing after I unboxed it, thanks to all the warnings in the forums.
 
It is huge compared to the SG13, for sure.

My cooler is about 75mm thick (two fans + rad in push/pull)

Plus my PSU (V650 is 150mm long, the max that the SG recommended, needless to say, my tubes were stressed lol, maybe 25-35 more mm would have made a big difference.

I really wanted the H75 though for the push/pull when overclocking and also the slightly larger atx psu (smaller format ATX) means a larger fan so, I think generally a bit more quiet.

I was considering Silverstones 600w gold sfx PSU but the reviews were not very good so I went with the smaller ATX.
 
I am running with a 140mm deep ATX PSU, although the length didn't really matter for my H60's tubing.

My waterblock's tubing attachments face the video card and both are tilted toward the rear of the case. The tubes curve back towards the rear, then turn around toward the front of the case, and are between the case panel and PSU.

Maybe the waterblock tubing swivels for the H75 don't turn as much as on the H60, that would make a difference.
 
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The H60 is okish with my v650, the tube still push the PSU up a bit.
 
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