Micro-ATX Case for a MSI GTX 970 Gaming 4G

[ArisenDrake]

Hello there,

 

My current build is a follows:

 

• CPU: Intel Core i5 2550k @ 4.2 GHz
• MB: ASUS P8Z77-V LX
• RAM: Corsair Vengeance 8GB DDR3-1600 MHz
• GPU: MSI GTX 970 Gaming 4G
• Case: 3R Systems R490
• Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 120GB, 2TB Seagate HDD
• PSU: BeQuiet Pure Power L7 530W

 

I plan to upgrade both my CPU and my Motherboard. I like small Cases (my current one is quite small, but really cheap and ugly), so I started looking into Micro-ATX Cases. The problem is that my GTX 970 would be too big too fit in the cases I found so far (Corsair 240 AIR, BitFenix Prodigy M and some more I don't remember right now). The Heatpipes are sticking out and would bend the side panel of many cases (if the would close), so it is not only the length. Can someone recommend me a case (preferrably not one costing several hundreds Euros) in which my MSI card would fit in? Or do I have to stick with standard ATX?

[the jolly roger]

that cpu is still very powerful, why upgrade it?

[GhostWindGamer]

Corsair 350D

[dadasmithywinkle]

 

Hello there,

 

My current build is a follows:

 

• CPU: Intel Core i5 2550k @ 4.2 GHz
• MB: ASUS P8Z77-V LX
• RAM: Corsair Vengeance 8GB DDR3-1600 MHz
• GPU: MSI GTX 970 Gaming 4G
• Case: 3R Systems R490
• Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 120GB, 2TB Seagate HDD
• PSU: BeQuiet Pure Power L7 530W

 

I plan to upgrade both my CPU and my Motherboard. I like small Cases (my current one is quite small, but really cheap and ugly), so I started looking into Micro-ATX Cases. The problem is that my GTX 970 would be too big too fit in the cases I found so far (Corsair 240 AIR, BitFenix Prodigy M and some more I don't remember right now). The Heatpipes are sticking out and would bend the side panel of many cases (if the would close), so it is not only the length. Can someone recommend me a case (preferrably not one costing several hundreds Euros) in which my MSI card would fit in? Or do I have to stick with standard ATX?

 

Cooler Master N200 is a great case.

[ArisenDrake]

that cpu is still very powerful, why upgrade it?

After thinking about it, you are probably right. But since I want to do some video editing, I may want to use DDR4 memory as it becomes cheaper (I will wait for Broadwell or even Skylake then I guess). And my current Motherboard got too few USB 3 ports for me.

 

BTW those quick answers surprise me.

[brob]

The MSI GTX 970 Gaming 4G is only 141 mm tall. It should easily fit in the Fractal Design Node 804 and all of the Bitfenix mATX cases based on the Prodigy chassis - Prodgy M, Phenom micro-ATX, and Colossus micro-ATX.

 

Any case that is not arced over the cpu area should allow a gpu at least as tall as the max cpu cooler height.

[ArisenDrake]

The MSI GTX 970 Gaming 4G is only 141 mm tall. It should easily fit in the Fractal Design Node 804 and all of the Bitfenix mATX cases based on the Prodigy chassis - Prodgy M, Phenom micro-ATX, and Colossus micro-ATX.

 

Any case that is not arced over the cpu area should allow a gpu at least as tall as the max cpu cooler height.

After watching some other Reviews of the Prodigy (I like the design of it, but cable management would be hard as far as I can tell) and comparing it to my current case, the GPU is not much taller than the PSU, and since the Prodigy M uses a ATX PSU, I guess it should fit.

And according to their Website I can use a 160mm high CPU cooler, so it should be ok.

As long as I don't find someone who tested it and tells me it will not fit, I will try the Prodigy M.

Thanks to everyone who tried to help me.