rvz02 RVZ02 Build Plans

[Serath]

Sooo, looks like I finally start to get closer to buying the mini-ITX build that I've been wanting for a while now. I just love these slim cases a lot for their looks and they seem very practical.

 

So, what I have to throw in already:

• Intel i7 6700K
• Corsair Vengeance LPX Red, 2,133 Mhz, 2 x 8 GiB
• MSI GTX 980 Ti 6GD5 (Reference model)
• OCZ Vertex 3 120 GB
• Samsung 850 Evo 500 GB

And the parts that I'll be getting:

• Silverstone Raven RVZ02 (Not the windowed one) or Silverstone Milo ML8 (Haven't decided yet which one)
• Corsair SF600
• Silverstone Argon AR06 CPU cooler
• Asus Z170I Pro Gaming

Later on I might buy another i7-6700K and the same memory, this is with the intention to let de Mini-ITX run as a server at home with no dedicated graphics card, and when there's a LAN party coming up, just plug the GPU into it and take it with me with more ease than my aging Antec Ninehundred can offer.

 

So, I only have two questions, first is with the limited options for PSUs, will I hit that 600 Watt limit easily on GPU overclocks or will it be plenty? And second, I read another builder actually recommend an open style cooler, because, and I'm just quoting: "It creates positive pressure in the case." But, isn't the card still in too deep to do this? Wouldn't a Blower cooler work better in this case? (Even though it likely creates negative pressure, which I guess makes the case suck in cool air into the side vents.) Also, sneaking in a third question, what are people's experiences so far with a 980 Ti or Titan X in this tiny case, did they get close to throttling heat or did they still have room for some overclocking?

[ShaithEatery]

I don't have this exact case, but I do have the bigger brother of it being the FTZ01.  I've got a blower style cooler on the GPU I have in there (EVGA GTX 680, used parts from my main rig after I upgraded), and of course that works fine.  However, I could absolutely see a non-blower style working just fine in a case like this especially if both fan spots are being used right above the GPU.  I figure that if you have a card with a 0 rpm mode like an Asus Strix card, the air feeding directly from those fans onto the GPU would work out perfectly and keep the fans on the GPU from having to work nearly as hard.  With a blower style cooler, really only the fan that is more aligned with the blower cooler's intake would need to be populated with a fan as that's the only spot the GPU is pulling air in from.  If I ever upgrade the 2x Strix 980s in my main rig, I fully plan on using one of them as a replacement for the 680 and I don't expect to have any temp issues.

 

As far as PSU goes, I'd say 600w would be plenty for mild overclocks as both the 980ti and the 6700k are not overly power hungry.  I opted for the 500w SFX-L psu in my itx rig and while I'm not overclocking my 680 or the old 2700k in there, I rarely ever notice the PSU fan needing to kick in, so I figure it's plenty.

 

EDIT: just glanced at the RVZ02 specs and realized that it really doesn't have any case fans at all, so all of the air is brought in via CPU fan and GPU fan, so my bad on the fan recommendations there.  Either way, I still can't imagine blower or non-blower style GPU coolers being that dramatic of a difference, though a non-blower style will probably have to have its fans kick in more often than not to actually bring air into the system.

[Serath]

4 hours ago, ShaithEatery said:

EDIT: just glanced at the RVZ02 specs and realized that it really doesn't have any case fans at all, so all of the air is brought in via CPU fan and GPU fan, so my bad on the fan recommendations there.  Either way, I still can't imagine blower or non-blower style GPU coolers being that dramatic of a difference, though a non-blower style will probably have to have its fans kick in more often than not to actually bring air into the system.

He he, was reading and felt the need to reply, but then saw you noticed, no worries. Yeah, the RVZ02 sacrificed any case fans for being extra flat.

 

I assume a Blower would allow to create negative pressure and suck air in through the sides, or so I hope, I guess only real world test can tell, sadly these real world tests require either spending the money already or finding someone with the same setup, but I think it's far less common in this form factor.

[ShaithEatery]

I will say though that I can imagine a blower style cooler would be much more noisy in this case as it has to work much harder to bring fresh air into the case compared to non-blower style cards with multiple open fans on them.  Don't know how much you're concerned about noise, but just thought i'd bring it up.

[Serath]

Just now, ShaithEatery said:

I will say though that I can imagine a blower style cooler would be much more noisy in this case as it has to work much harder to bring fresh air into the case compared to non-blower style cards with multiple open fans on them.  Don't know how much you're concerned about noise, but just thought i'd bring it up.

It's a bit mixed, the system will actually run without dGPU when at home, the GPU will be in my main rig and the Mini-ITX will serve as a server (no pun intended), when a LAN Party comes up, the dGPU will be taken out of my main rig and put into the ITX so I don't have to hauling a heavy mid-tower with me. (Antec Ninehundreds are heavy!) So I suppose at LAN Parties, noise isn't too much of a concern. But I'll need to see, maybe I'll love the small size and stick to it.

 

Thing is, I first had an Asus Strix GTX 980 Ti OC Edition, which I traded for a MSI GTX 980 Ti 6GD5. (Hope people won't kill me for this, heard many looking for a Strix and they aren't too common.) I don't think the Strix would've fit anyway, I had the Reference model and the Strix next to each other and the Strix is just... So... Massive...