Best single GPU for ITX.

[Teej]

I'm hoping to get a bit of help here, it's been a while sense I visited the LTT site, I watch every video but haven't had the time to post here.

I'm building a mini ITX into a long enough case to handle ANY gpu out there even the 295x2, though I may need dual PSU for that. The PSU the case will hold is sfx formfactor so I'll use a silverstone 600watt psu for that, but I may have to add another sfx psu elsewhere in the case internals, I'm unsure at the moment so I was hoping you guys could help me out with the GPU choice.

So I've looked into many options and have decided I'll be going with one of these two:

• EVGA GTX 980 Superclocked
• XFX R9 295x2

That's it that all I've managed to find, I want the best single PCI dual slot (or single slot) GPU I can get for under $700.

Also when I say single slot I use that term loosely, I will have to mod the I/O to make the single slot+blank plate into a dual slot, so I guess the thinner the GPU the better, if its possible to take the shroud off to get as close to one slot as possible, like liquid cooling a 980 I'm down with that, and while I'm talking about after market liquid cooling a GPU keep in mind if it makes sense for me to spend an extra $150 down the line for a water block I can do that. So I could do a dual slot card and later water cool it to get it closer in thickness to single slot just for airflow reason(and the side panel will be tight) its a strange build that will involve some case modding to get a beast GPU in but that's fine, if I go crazy I may just get a PCI extender and move the GPU all together, so do with that info what you want, in the current config closer to single slot as it can be the better off it is.

I know the 290 was a bit hot and wont have much room for the GPU to intake/exhaust air directly below the card so the 295x2 may not be great considering heat but it seems to be a better buy ATM then the 980 Superclock, though that could be entirely wrong. Also I know the 300 series cards are sometime soon so should I wait get a 295x2 a 980 or some other card. Thanks for everyone's time, and I hope this thread can help others in the same situation, sorry if this has been answered elsewhere I was unable to find it.

• i7-4790k
• Asus Impact vii
• Vengeance Pro 2x8GB (1866)
• SX-600G (x2 possibly!!!)

---also if someone as a good idea for an extreamly low profile CPU cooler I'm open to that, but will be liquid cooling it, prob use the stock cooler for 2 months then get a waterblock for that, I have a pump, rad, res, all the stuff for a loop.

 

Thanks, Teej

[Aniallation]

Yeah 295X2 won't be a great idea to run off a 600W power supply. I would rather go for the GTX 980.

[ThyFeared]

Yeah 295X2 won't be a great idea to run off a 600W power supply. I would rather go for the GTX 980.

I second this. That 600W will choke.

[Teej]

Yea Aniallation I know this, sorry if I wasn't specific, I would be able to do dual SFX 600watt PSUs to give the 295x2 a dedicated PSU, so don't let that make the decision please. I am leaning to the 980 though...but again remember the small amount of space between the bottom of the gpu and the case, so cooling could be an issue with the core being cooled with air.

[Teej]

I second this. That 600W will choke.

 

Yea Aniallation I know this, sorry if I wasn't specific, I would be able to do dual SFX 600watt PSUs to give the 295x2 a dedicated PSU, so don't let that make the decision please. I am leaning to the 980 though...but again remember the small amount of space between the bottom of the gpu and the case, so cooling could be an issue with the core being cooled with air.

Sorry people 2 600Watt PSUs for a total of 1200 for the system. Main concern is heat disipation.

[AMICLG]

I second this. That 600W will choke.

More like die, it needs at least 28A alone from the 12 rail that the PCI-E connectors are on, you'd need at minimum a nice 80+ Gold 800 watt but you wont be OCing at all and running no more that one HDD.

 

Sorry people 2 600Watt PSUs for a total of 1200 for the system. Main concern is heat disipation.

Why, if you don't mind my asking? You could spend less and just get a SeaSonic 1050w.

[Teej]

More like die, it needs at least 28A alone from the 12 rail that the PCI-E connectors are on, you'd need at minimum a nice 80+ Gold 800 watt but you wont be OCing at all and running no more that one HDD.

 

Why, if you don't mind my asking? You could spend less and just get a SeaSonic 1050w.

SFX formfactor PSU mount, and I could just put another SFX in the case elsewhere. Do you know of a higher watt SFX formfactor PSU?

[AMICLG]

SFX formfactor PSU mount, and I could just put another SFX in the case elsewhere. Do you know of a higher watt SFX formfactor PSU?

Makes sense, the SilverStone 80+ Gold 600w is highest I know of, you'll need a relay on the second PSU so at turns on with the rest of the system. Like this.

[Teej]

Makes sense, the SilverStone 80+ Gold 600w is highest I know of, you'll need a relay on the second PSU so at turns on with the rest of the system. Like this.

Yup thanks, I've got a dual female to single male PSU cable that does the same job, so now that thats out of the way and the PSU isn't a prob what do people think about the 295x2 vs the 980, I'm just pulling for the 295x2 cause something about having the 2 GPUs in one and its liquid cooled already, not that I wouldn't be willing to slap an ek waterblock on the 980.---at which point it wouild be much thinner and 100% liquid cooled, so grr I just don't know hard decishion at this point, help me please lol.

[AMICLG]

Yup thanks, I've got a dual female to single male PSU cable that does the same job, so now that thats out of the way and the PSU isn't a prob what do people think about the 295x2 vs the 980, I'm just pulling for the 295x2 cause something about having the 2 GPUs in one and its liquid cooled already, not that I wouldn't be willing to slap an ek waterblock on the 980.---at which point it wouild be much thinner and 100% liquid cooled, so grr I just don't know hard decishion at this point, help me please lol.

The 295x2 is a much better bang for your buck, and per core is only a little bit slower for games that don't support Crossfire but it's a power hungry card that needs a nuclear reactor to power it . Just something to think about; is when you put a block on the 295X2 it's single slot due to the I/O which might be helpful in a small form-factor build. The GTX 980 is nice because it doesn't put out that much heat (not that the 295X2 does either due to the AIO) and uses much less power and you get some cool nVidia technologies like the shield and shadow play. So in the end it comes down to shear performance at the price of power requirements or slower but less power and more software technologies.

[Teej]

Well I think you have answered the question raging in my head with the simple line SHEAR PERFORMANCE vs SLOWER lol I'll buy a nuclear reactor if I have to no prob, but you brought up an interesting point can you really get the 295x2 down to a "single" slot, is there an after market liquid cooler for it somewhere? I looked at a teardown and because the pumps are on the GPU blocks and it has a fan cooling the PWR delivery and ram even with out the shroud it is kinda thick, not to mention partually air cooled, where with an EK block on the 980 its one slot thin, with just the I/O demanding a small space for the DVI output, which could be cut out of the back. Is the FPS differance for AAA titles and Indi games that different between them?

 

 

-------EDIT-----

Wow as werid as it is EK makes waterblocks for an alreay liquid cooled gpu, that being said it makes it one slot no hastle and 100% liquid cooled, I'm in thanks for everyones help, hope this thread can help others. I would say the 295x2 is a better choice in my situation but if anyone cares about the power bill, the noise, the shear size, or would rather have the software options the green team offers your choice may be different, this is basically my LAN system so I'm not concerned with it being RED. Thanks for your help AdamIsaacLang, as well as the others for there comments, this thing will be a single slot dual GPU for mini ITX when I'm done with it.

Thanks, Teej