How to Downsize to Mini ITX from EATX

GMart84 · May 31, 2020

Needed to free up my Tower 900 Case for a Threadripper build for a workstation. Everything is "Mostly" in the case.

System Specs:

Asrock Z390 Phantom Gaming ITX/ac

9900K - 5.2Ghz @ 1.305 vCore

32 GB Corsair Dominator RGB @3200Mhz

EVGA RTX 2080Ti XC Ultra

2 x 240mm Corsair Thick Radiators

Corsair Pump Reservoir Combo

Silverstone 800W SFX-L PSU

The cable management stinks but I still can't believe it is all there and the clocks and temps are on near where I was getting to in the Tower 900 Case.

Fraya · June 2, 2020

looking very nice, compact and powerful system.

like you say the cable management is a little all over, but i think the only way to make it really neat is a fully custom designed and build wiring loom. / cables

I have build my last 3 builds on m-itx and yes you can achieve a powerful, quiet, and compact system. you have to choose the right case or custom build your own.

my Mars build the GPU has about 2mm clearance to the top fans, so to make things work sometimes we are working to the nearest mm.

GMart84 · June 3, 2020

@Frayia Yeah, I have some Cable Mod Custom Cables on the way to help with the lengths on the power cables and should be a little easier to force into areas where the standard ones don't. I have been amazed at the capabilities of the cooling system in this. I came from a build that had a dedicated 480 mm radiator (EKWB XE) for each the GPU and the CPU and the temps were about the same for short spurts of work and gaming. I have tested longer video conversion attempts and the temps do settle in higher by about 5 degrees than the larger build.

A few things I have been amazed with in this build so far.

1. The capabilities of the Asrock Mini ITX Phantom Gaming board is astounding. I figured with a limited VRM that the OCs on the CPU were going to be limited and while I guess they are in comparison to the Aorus Xtreme board I was using in my big build, it still hits 5.2Ghz every day on the 1.305 vCore, jumping around up around 1.32 for very very brief moments. The board is supplying great power to the CPU to the CPU and it is doing so marvelously. Now it will not do 5.3 Ghz which I have benched at before on the other board but 5.2 is good for the 9900K.

2. The Corsair Hydro X line seems really well built, I have not done any scientific measurement, but I am getting really good cooling performance with just push fans, through the thick rads. Mounting the one on the outside is a little weird but I love the fact that I was able to get two 240 mm rads for the build to work.

3. I am now in love with mini ITX builds. My big one was awesome and I loved putting it together, but the challenge of finding a way to fit power and lots of it into a Mini ITX system is something that I will do more often now.

kkpatel87 · June 3, 2020

On 5/30/2020 at 8:35 PM, GMart84 said:

-snip-

Looks alright...I like the external radiator but the gaping holes in the front makes the whole thing look unpolished. Having the cable run through the bottom cutout and the tubes through the top just adds to it. My two cents on this would be to either

fashion a coverplate with tube and wiring feedthrus/connectors.
Move the radiator/fan assembly to the rear of the case with a fabricated mounting solution. This way you can put the front panel back on and still have an external radiator.