Atom Bomb: PC-Q07 Idea—Should I Try It?

stateofjermaine

[H]ard|Gawd
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Jul 22, 2009
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Ever since I found this site, I have been itching to build a tiny PC with decent-to-good gaming capabilities. I was :thankfully: advised not to attempt it on my first build, and I have stayed away ever since. But now the itch is back, doggone it! That said, I have been slowly sketching a mental picture, and waiting on the stars to align. Then, finally, opportunity knocked. My sisters want a cute little PC—for some general use, obviously, but really—for the sole purpose of playing DiRT 2. They are insane about this game!

EDIT: They will be playing on a 22" monitor, at 1680x1050 resolution.

I'm thinking of this build, and I hope the [H]SFF faithful will steer me in the right direction.

UPDATE 7/7/10 8:11AM: Heh, I guess it's goodbye to the PC-Q07.

CASE Silverstone SG05 - 99.99
I think I'm sold. But I'll still have to wait for their new 450W PSU, which might be a long wait, it appears.

CPU Core i3-530 - 124.99
I didn't really want to go Intel for this build, but I think the 530 will perform well without overclocking, and it was really my cheapest option if I wanted this.

MOBO GIGABYTE H55N-USB3 Mini ITX Board - 104.99
I have considered several boards in months past, but I feel like this represents the first real heavyweight entry to the Mini ITX fray. I am hoping for reliability, here.

PSU Silverstone SFX 450W - 49.99
I guess I'll have to twiddle my thumbs until availability improves.

GPU EVGA GTX 460 - 219.99
Lower heat output, smaller PCB—I think we have a winner.

HDD 500GB Seagate Momentus XT 2.5" - 129.99
It's not quite an SSD, but it's feisty. And I'd rather have the storage space, I think.

OD Panasonic Slim Slot DVD Drive - 99.00
I used this cool little slot-load drive solution for an earlier build, and I just love it.

RAM 4GB G.SKILL DDR3 - 98.99
Yeah, nothing to say about this, I guess.

COOL TO BE DETERMINED
Researching this as we speak.
 
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Case - Looks like you've already decided. ;) Have you thought about the Q08 though? I think it's a little bigger but it has a fan inside.

CPU - That's fine. A very good dual core.

Mobo - Arguably the best M-ITX motherboard so far.

PSU - That's fine. Seasonic has announced a fanless modular 400 and 460 watt PSU if you are willing to wait. A PSU with a fan may be favorable though since you can turn the PSU around and use the PSU fan as a vent (something the case is missing).

GPU - The 5770 is fine. The Zalman isn't that good as a cooler and you'll be voiding your warranty replacing the cooler. I recommend getting a Vapor-X 5770 with the $40 instead. It's probably quieter and cooler than the Zalman. This review says that the Zalman is actually hotter than the reference cooler, the only advantage being less noise.

HDD - An SSD will be much faster. The Momentus XT is one of the fastest, if not the fastest, HDD made to date. It has the advantage of price and capacity though. It depends on what you want.

OP - Most SSDs are the same size as a 2.5" drive.

RAM - Nothing to say.

HSF - The Scythe Big Shuriken is the cooler of choice for many SFF builds. You'll be fine with it, especially cooling that tiny i3. :)
 
Thanks for the helpful feedback! One note on the video card. I'd love to go with a Vapor-X (heck, a better brand, even), but you'll note the comment about dual slot cards and the Lian Li case. The GPU will have to be single-slot, and PowerColor seems to be the only company making a single-slot 5770 on a short enough PCB to fit. I don't imagine the case could handle the heat from a more powerful GPU, anyway. The only reservation I have regarding the XT drive is that it's mechanical. If I drill out the HD cage to make some breathing room for the video card, I will have to mount my HD under the optical drive. An SSD would just be a matter of securing it well, but I figure a mechanical drive would present noise issues. I've never worked with a 2.5" drive, but I'd imagine the issue is similar.

EDIT: Oh, and regarding the reviews on the Zalman, I was disappointed to only find two, really. The one you posted, and this one. As you can see, polar opposites. So, I'm going to err on the side of hating the PowerColor cooler, I think.
 
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That 5770 is single slot? I was under the impression that a single slot would not have cooling extending beyond the thickness of the slot cover.

If so, I might have steered my friend wrong in choosing a card for his Q07 build :eek:
 
O damn, completely forgot about the single slot limitation. The Powercolor and Zalman will be the way to go since the Powercolor card is the cheapest card out there.
 
Yeah that's one limitation of the Q07. How about the Q11 that is coming out soon? It is similar but a little larger, and has two slots.
 
Thanks, everyone. I'm not much of a modder, but upon closer inspection, I think I could either punch or drill some holes in the optical drive adapter for mounting the XT. It takes screws in the side and the bottom, so I could secure it to one side, and then from underneath (or just from underneath, I guess), and use some sound dampeners I have left over from other builds (from my Lian Li V351, or possibly from my Antec Mini P). I think that should work! Here's how I'm visualizing the space under the optical drive, although obviously I'm not using the dual drive adapter. It just allows us to see inside better. Does this raise any flags for anyone?
 
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Couple things you might want to look into. Does the Shurken fit H55 boards? The socket is very close to the PCIe and RAM slots. Also, if it does mount on the board, would it fit inside the Q07 since the PSU is so close to the board? I built a Q07 system for my niece with a Zotac 9300 and E5300. The temps got pretty warm inside even though I didn't put in a discreet graphics card. With stock Intel cooler, idle was around 40C and Load was 50-60C. This is with the PSU fan facing the CPU too. The Q07 is a nice looking case but I wouldn't recommend it for any type of gaming system. The Q08 would be better.
 
Oops! Thanks for the heads up on the Shuriken. Don't think there's any chance of fitting it with a full height graphics card. Might have to look elsewhere. Yeah, I have heard opinions across the board about gaming with it, from, "It's surprisingly cool," to "It's not surprisingly warm." I am trying to take all opinions into account, tho, and I do appreciate it. Also, I have seen the Q08, and it does look to be a better solution, logistics-wise, but it's just so large! I'd just as well go with a Micro ATX build and be done with the whole idea if it came to that.
 
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For heatsinks we know the AXP 140 works.

Otherwise I only think the Prolimatech Samuel 17
 
ok So from someone who built a PC-Q07 with a Intel DH57JG, i3-530, Corsair 400wx, Dual SSD's in raid 0 & a 5750..

For the GPU the powercolor is it. No extra heatsink. The VF950 will not fit on the 5750 PCB. Also the reason that powercolor 5770 is recomended is not because its single slot. its because it uses a 5750 PCB so its short enough to fit. Modding a q07 to allow dual slot has been done many times before.

Get a standard optical drive & Dont waste your money on that converter when all your trying to fit is 2x 2.5" drives. They will mount to the bottom of the case just fine, you just have to remove the 3.5" drive mount (has to be done for any video cooler anyhow). Then you can get 3 screws in each drive using existing holes in the bottom of the case (between the 2.5" & 3.5" mounting holes & the vents in the front & the back). With the case closed there is nothing visible as being out of the stock location as the screws that you would be running through the vents are completely under the case. & if you don't mind simply drilling your own holes to mount them then you can get it looking very symmetrical inside as well.

As for a cooler dont bother changing. Atleast not from the start. I Had ordered a Big Shuriken (unfortunitly the 1st here to try it) thinking that I would need more, but what I eventually found out is that there was NO heat issues with the stock cooler & I never ever heard it over the GPU cooler anyhow. The q07 even though it doesn't have any of its own active cooling is a very cool running case for the size simply due to design (at least with the PSU pulling the hot air from around the CPU). If you have any other specific questions feel free to PM me.
 
Great info, bastage. You were actually my primary inspiration, so thanks for dropping in!

Yeah, I was aware of the shorter PCB thing on the PowerColor (I mentioned that I'd rather get another brand), just in explaining why NOT the Vapor-X, I felt the primary offender was the dual slot. I guess for hardcore modders, that's no problem, but punching/drilling a hole is about my limit, I think! I hate a messy mod, and I don't know enough to do it nicely.

The optical drive I was going to get regardless, so it's no waste, to my mind. I've got one in my Mini P, and I love it. Quiet, slick, and not as obtrusive in appearance as a standard optical. The mounting the SSD idea was just a bonus.

I'll take your advice on the cooler, and hold off. That may, indeed, be a waste of money if temps are as good as you say, since I won't be OC'ing. Lots of good info, bastage. Thanks very much!
 
I really would go with a slightly larger case and get a faster dual slot card. I think the lack of fans will come back to haunt you in the long run (higher failure rates and the like).
 
Well, I'm open to suggestions, silent-circuit. With Silverstone releasing their 450W SFX power supply—with sleeved cables(!)—maybe some more options (i.e. cases with craptastic built-in SFX PSU's) could be considered. :D

Did you have any specific cases in mind?
 
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I think its the PC-q11 or something like that that is only slightly larger then the q07 that should allow a normal length 5770. But beyond that any of the silverstone's or the q08 are too deep IMHO.. I eventually ended up selling off my whole build 1 part at a time & went to a mATX now (with a 5830). If I have to ahve the depth then there is no reason for me to deal with the confined spaces of a ITX.

This being said if that 5770 will work for ya then go for your build as you listed above. It will be a solid little performer. Just be patient & be aware that you will be paying some RMA fee's before its all said & done if you want to try hardware that hasnt been tested.
 
I think it's the PC-Q11 or something like that that is only slightly larger then the Q07 that should allow a normal length 5770. But beyond that any of the Silverstones or the Q08 are too deep IMHO . . . I eventually ended up selling off my whole build 1 part at a time & went to a mATX now (with a 5830). If I have to have the depth then there is no reason for me to deal with the confined spaces of a ITX.
I feel the same way about ITX builds. I don't want an overlarge footprint to go along with cramped cooling and power restrictions. Where is the payoff!? :D

I may just sit on this build for a little while, and see how the ITX climate changes in the coming weeks.
 
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You can get pretty damn small with mATX, and it's a much more flexible platform, with generally much more robust cooling.
 
I don't mind looking around for myself, silent-circuit, but I was hoping you had some favorite cases in mind (either Mini ITX or Micro ATX). I've been under the impression, lately, that the SG05 is fairly untouched in the "small, gaming" Mini ITX arena, while Micro ATX is pretty chock full of options.
 
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Think of the SG05 as a Q07 that's laying on it's side with better cooling and graphic card options. :)
 
You know, come to think of it—the SG05 is not THAT big. Heh, I just made a little SG05 mock-up here on my desk. It's kinda cute, actually. It's got the same footprint as a sheet of copier paper. Hmm, I will have to consider this.
 
You know, come to think of it—the SG05 is not THAT big. Heh, I just made a little SG05 mock-up here on my desk. It's kinda cute, actually. It's got the same footprint as a sheet of copier paper. Hmm, I will have to consider this.

Haha, it does take up the same space as a piece of paper now that you mention it. I never noticed, but ya, it's pretty tiny. Fits beside my receiver on my TV stand. :)

If you have all the dimensions you can compare the sizes using http://www.sizeasy.com/
 
Hey Kazei, what are your thoughts on the build quality? I know the front bezel is plastic—versus aluminum on the SG06—and there seems to be a noticeable "bend" in the cover just in front of the front bezel (at least in photos and reviews I've seen). I've read that some people think it's a little flimsy. Are these things a nuisance at all? Or maybe they're a non-factor?

I much prefer the look of the SG05 to the 06, despite these observations, bytheway. :D
 
I don't mind the plastic. I think the front looks nice. I really hate the look of the SG06 though. Looks like an 80's electronic device of some sort. I prefer the fan grill on the SG05 since I'm using an LED fan.

I'm not sure what "bend' you're referring to. I haven't noticed any. Do you have a pic?
 
GPU EVGA GTX 470 - 329.99
Considering the GTX 470, here, due to the top PCI-E placement. Thinking, thinking.

Not worth considering IMO: The GTX 470 does run hotter and uses more power than most cards in that price range which makes it less than ideal to use with a ITX setup.
 
Not worth considering IMO: The GTX 470 does run hotter and uses more power than most cards in that price range which makes it less than ideal to use with a ITX setup.
Hmm, so would you recommend an ATI card? A 5830/50, then? As I understand it, space limitations (i.e. length-wise) make installing the bigger 5800's very unpleasant. Hence, the preference for the top placement power.
 
That is not bending, it's a badly closed case nothing else. It's very well built and not flimsy at all, I have 2 and sold 5
 
Hmm, so would you recommend an ATI card? A 5830/50, then? As I understand it, space limitations (i.e. length-wise) make installing the bigger 5800's very unpleasant. Hence, the preference for the top placement power.

Yes I would recommend an ATI card in this case. I understand the top placement power advantage. But that one advantage is outweighed by the two disadvantages of increased heat and power usage IMO.
 
Yes I would recommend an ATI card in this case. I understand the top placement power advantage. But that one advantage is outweighed by the two disadvantages of increased heat and power usage IMO.
Good point about the power usage. I'd forgotten about that. I'm so antsy to try an NVIDIA setup, I guess it's clouding my judgment, now! :p
 
That's a pretty bad bend in that pic. I don't have that whether I close the lid properly or not so it's nothing to worry about.
 
I woke up this morning and looked at my mock-up, again. It really is a lot like a tipped Q07. I think I'm sold, Kazei. :D
 
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