Building a SFF on a Maximus IV GENE-Z & NXZT Vulcan

Q

QuadDragon

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jun 26, 2007
Messages
250
Hey gang,
I am going to build a new system on the Asus Maximus IV Gene-Z in a Vulcan NXZT case.
I chose the case because I lan game often and need a SFF case with a handle. If anyone else has a SFF case with a handle with decent airflow suggestions please post here.
Else I just wanted to know If everything I have will fit in this case? As always suggestions and comments are welcome.


NZXT Crafted Series Vulcan Black Steel / Plastic Gaming mATX Computer Case
Item #: N82E16811146065
$69.99

Seagate Barracuda XT ST33000651AS 3TB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
Item #: N82E16822148736
$214.99

ASUS ENGTX590/3DIS/3GD5 GeForce GTX 590 (Fermi) 3072MB 768-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
Item #: N82E16814121436
$749.99
1

ENERMAX REVOLUTION85+ ERV1020EWT 1020W (Peak 1120W) ATX12V / EPS12V v2.92 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS SILVER Certified ...
Item #: N82E16817194081
$209.99


Mushkin Enhanced Redline 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 2133 (PC3 17000) Desktop Memory Model 996996
Item #: N82E16820226199
$129.99

ASUS Maximus IV Gene-Z 1155 Intel Z68 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard
Item #: Unknown Price Estimated.
$259.99

Intel Core i7-2600K Sandy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I72600K
Item #: N82E16819115070
$314.99

COOLER MASTER Intel Core i5 compatible GeminII S RR-CCH-PBU1-GP 120mm Sleeve CPU Cooler
Item #: N82E16835103046
$39.99

LITE-ON Black 12X Blu-ray Burner with Blu-ray 3D feature SATA IHBS112-29 - OEM
Item #: N82E16827106346
$114.99


OCZ Agility 3 AGT3-25SAT3-60G 2.5" 60GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
Item #: N82E16820227725
$129.99

Subtotal: $2,234.90
 
And there isnt much advantage for a i7 2600k over the i5 2500k, unless you need the hyperthreading ability the extra $100 doesnt gain you anything.
 
ToastyBread said:
Unless you're dedicated to a mATX build (and Z68, though I believe Z68 mini ITX boards are coming out soon), might want to consider the Lian Li TU-200 too.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/4403/computex-2011-the-suitcase-from-lian-li
Click to expand...

Good looking case, ill have to look into that one. I have always been a fan of Lian Li.
I am dedicated to a Matx board with the Asus Gene Z because of the board features.

The SRT will probably be a big plus for gaming..

I am not sure the transcoding feather will make much difference.

The onboard XFI - 2 will make a big difference. I just don't see them releasing onboard sound of this quality on a mitx form factor. My main sound setup at home is through a receiver and I need a sound card that will do at least Dolby Digital Live.

The new UEFI looks like it might help reduce some boot times as well, although I rarely turn off the system.

I wanted to go with the 590 for the 6990 for a dual video card solution on one board to save weight. Weight and size / awkwardness is the whole reason for building this SFF gaming rig.

As for Hyper Threading this is a feature that I want as well. Some games do take advantage of this. and I often have 10 to 15 windows open at a time when I'm multitasking. Although I can't say money is not an issue, the extra 100 bucks for the unlocked processor and the hyper threading sounds like a deal to me. I probably will go for a mild overclock.

What I'm worried about is if the CPU cooler I have chosen will work with the ram. Will it cover one ram slot or 2, will it be too high. I know that I will probably have to move one of the top fans.

Speaking of fitting the video card is 305mm from what I looked up, I think it should fit the case.

Also will the powersupply that Ive chosen be too long? Can I go with less of a powersupply to reduce weight?
 
I have that case and your powersupply and video card shouldn't be a problem. I'm not sure exactly how that cooler will fit but I have a rather large noctua cooler in mine and I changed out the top fan and put in 2 15mm scythe fans to make it fit. For the ram, I'd suggest something without very tall heatsinks and maybe even put it in before installing the cooler.
 
Joe S said:
I have that case and your powersupply and video card shouldn't be a problem. I'm not sure exactly how that cooler will fit but I have a rather large noctua cooler in mine and I changed out the top fan and put in 2 15mm scythe fans to make it fit. For the ram, I'd suggest something without very tall heatsinks and maybe even put it in before installing the cooler.
Click to expand...

Also considering the Noctua NH-C14. Is this the heatsink your using?

Anyone know how this heatsink fits this case? and what ram clearences are?
 
I'm actually using the Noctua NH-C12P SE14, for the C14 you will likely need either slim or no fans on top. Also, putting pretty much any aftermarket cooler and large video card in this case won't let you put the large 200mm optional fan on the door. This didn't bother me though. Also, is that PSU you picked modular? If not, you'll totally want a modular PSU for this case. The cable management is decent but it was definitely a stretch and squeeze to get the 4pin CPU power to the top left corner of my MSI board.
 
I been thinking of using this case for a family member. She likes cases with a big fan on the side. And it comes with a handle. Being that it'll be a non-overclocking cpu it wont need a aftermarket hsf. However I do like using one and the H50 is my current fav.

Now here is where using the hydro coolers run into problems with this case. People would prefer to put them on the rear exhaust but its a 92mm hole. CoolIT makes a 92mm unit but its not stocked anywhere because its a custom only order. meaning you have to special order it directly from CoolIT. Ok, cant use that. I did read that a guy used a 80mm/92mm to 120mm adapter with a CoolIT 120mm hydro cooler so I was thinking that might work with this case as well. Problem is no one has seemed to try it. I'm debating wether to buy a H50 just to test the idea. The adapter is only $3-$4 so no great loss there but I really dont want to buy a H50 on a budget build just to test the theory. Especially when the build doesn't require a H50. Its an interesting idea though.

Here is the adapter. Its sold at several places. Just using Amazon as one example of pricing.

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Nexus-80mm-92mm-120mm-Converter/dp/B002C7IQ1O?"]Amazon.com: Nexus 80mm or 92mm Fan Slot to 120mm Fan Converter: Electronics@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/312kOSFWPEL.@@AMEPARAM@@312kOSFWPEL[/ame]
 
Joe S said:
I'm actually using the Noctua NH-C12P SE14, for the C14 you will likely need either slim or no fans on top. Also, putting pretty much any aftermarket cooler and large video card in this case won't let you put the large 200mm optional fan on the door. This didn't bother me though. Also, is that PSU you picked modular? If not, you'll totally want a modular PSU for this case. The cable management is decent but it was definitely a stretch and squeeze to get the 4pin CPU power to the top left corner of my MSI board.
Click to expand...

Yes the Power supply is Modular. I hadn't even planed on using the 200mm fan that takes about 30 mm of clearence away from the side. It looks like Frostytech says the NH-C14 is 130mm tall and Newegg says 140mm tall or 160mm I am not sure which number is which on the newegg site. Frostytech also says that its 1000 grams while newegg has it at 700. Again I am not sure which site is more accurate. Either way the Coolermaster Gemini II S looks to be 88mm tall. Any idea of how much clearence the case has for coolers without the side fan?


Skott said:
I been thinking of using this case for a family member. She likes cases with a big fan on the side. And it comes with a handle. Being that it'll be a non-overclocking cpu it wont need a aftermarket hsf. However I do like using one and the H50 is my current fav.

Now here is where using the hydro coolers run into problems with this case. People would prefer to put them on the rear exhaust but its a 92mm hole. CoolIT makes a 92mm unit but its not stocked anywhere because its a custom only order. meaning you have to special order it directly from CoolIT. Ok, cant use that. I did read that a guy used a 80mm/92mm to 120mm adapter with a CoolIT 120mm hydro cooler so I was thinking that might work with this case as well. Problem is no one has seemed to try it. I'm debating wether to buy a H50 just to test the idea. The adapter is only $3-$4 so no great loss there but I really dont want to buy a H50 on a budget build just to test the theory. Especially when the build doesn't require a H50. Its an interesting idea though.

Here is the adapter. Its sold at several places. Just using Amazon as one example of pricing.

Amazon.com: Nexus 80mm or 92mm Fan Slot to 120mm Fan Converter: Electronics
Click to expand...

To be honest the NH-C14 will get you good if not better performance in the Vulcan as the H50. It weighs 200 grams more than the H50 too, however the H50 means messy cable management and mounting it on the back with the adapter, I am not sure its worth the trouble. Air cooling in this case seems to be the way to go.
 
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QuadDragon said:
Yes the Power supply is Modular. I hadn't even planed on using the 200mm fan that takes about 30 mm of clearence away from the side. It looks like Frostytech says the NH-C14 is 130mm tall and Newegg says 140mm tall or 160mm I am not sure which number is which on the newegg site. Frostytech also says that its 1000 grams while newegg has it at 700. Again I am not sure which site is more accurate. Either way the Coolermaster Gemini II S looks to be 88mm tall. Any idea of how much clearence the case has for coolers without the side fan?




To be honest the NH-C14 will get you good if not better performance in the Vulcan as the H50. It weighs 200 grams more than the H50 too, however the H50 means messy cable management and mounting it on the back with the adapter, I am not sure its worth the trouble. Air cooling in this case seems to be the way to go.
Click to expand...

I agree the traditional hsf is probably a better way to go especially if you want to keep all the drive cages and the 200mm side fan . Anyway, the adapter was something I had been looking into lately so I thought I'd throw it out there as a thought and suggestion. Do we know how tall of a hsf this case will take when using the 200mm side fan?
 
No idea mate, but I think I will email NZXT and see if I can get some answers for both of us.
 
QuadDragon said:
Good looking case, ill have to look into that one. I have always been a fan of Lian Li.
I am dedicated to a Matx board with the Asus Gene Z because of the board features.

The SRT will probably be a big plus for gaming..

I am not sure the transcoding feather will make much difference.

The onboard XFI - 2 will make a big difference. I just don't see them releasing onboard sound of this quality on a mitx form factor. My main sound setup at home is through a receiver and I need a sound card that will do at least Dolby Digital Live.

The new UEFI looks like it might help reduce some boot times as well, although I rarely turn off the system.

I wanted to go with the 590 for the 6990 for a dual video card solution on one board to save weight. Weight and size / awkwardness is the whole reason for building this SFF gaming rig.

As for Hyper Threading this is a feature that I want as well. Some games do take advantage of this. and I often have 10 to 15 windows open at a time when I'm multitasking. Although I can't say money is not an issue, the extra 100 bucks for the unlocked processor and the hyper threading sounds like a deal to me. I probably will go for a mild overclock. ?
Click to expand...
The reason I brought up the mITX part was largely because that Lian Li case is mITX-only.

Just to comment on a few of the above:

* SRT will help, but honestly given how much you're sinking into your system, you might as well pay a little extra, get a slightly larger SSD, and just actually install your OS and apps to it (while using the HDD as a storage/media drive). SRT essentially allows those who may have an older SSD lying around or not enough money to buy a larger-capacity SSD, to get some of the benefits of having an SSD at a reduced cost. For low-budget systems, I think it can be great. Given how much you're dropping on the system, spend the extra $50-70 over the Agility 3 60GB's cost and get an 80 or 120 GB drive.

* Transcoding may not help, but you can use the built-in circuitry that allows the integrated GPU to be used to drive a second or third display. This can be helpful in small-format systems because driving a second display off a dedicated graphics card often results in a decently-large idle and load temperature increase on the GPU (my GPU's temperature goes up 20%+ for example just for driving a second display when idle). You can thus connect a second display to the integrated GPU and help to keep your system that much cooler.

* I'd do some reviews of prior ROG motherboards and see what they have to say about the X-Fi 2. I used a Rampage II Gene in my prior system which had an X-Fi included and honestly I haven't really missed it while gaming, listening to music or watching movies. Maybe ASUS has improved their implementation though (personally I wish they'd use their XONAR audiocard instead of the X-Fi 2, but that's just me).

* UEFI can help boot times, but I'd say 70%+ of all LGA 1055 motherboards are shipping with it, so it's not a feature exclusive to Z68 or ROG motherboards.

* With regards to hyper-threading and gaming, what games take advantage of it? I know of games that are multi-core enabled, but I've yet to see any game that truly takes advantage of more than 2-4 cores (and in benchmarks I've seen, it's usually mostly 2 or 3). Given the Quad Core nature of both the i5 2500K and the i7 2600K, I guess I'm not sure of how much use Hyper-Threading will be.

It definitely can help with professional apps, but it just seems dubious for gaming.
 
Here's some Vulcan info I have found...

Okay, after reading a lengthy Vulcan thread over at overclock.net last two days I learned some things. There is a 92mm Hydro Cooler available for the Vulcan. It looks much like the Corsair H50 but has a 92mm rad that will fit the back Vulcan's 92mm port. The model is the Asetek 545LC. Apparently Asetek is the company that makes all the hydro coolers for Corsair, Antec., etc., Anyway if you go to their website and contact their sales people via email and tell them you want to buy their cooler they will sell you one if you are in the USA. Cost is $70 and shipping costs $10. Pricey but worth it if you want to use something other than a 120mm Hydro Cooler in the lower front fan intake of the case. One guy over at Overclock.net has already done this very recently and the word is just now getting out.

Also there is a person on ebay that is selling the exact same unit for $75. He had 5 of them in stock earlier when I last looked. Just do a search for the Asetek 545LC and you should find it. I ran across it by happenstance when Googling the Asetek 545LC. If you want to buy a prebuilt Vulcan case, in varying color choices, with the 92mm Hydro Cooler IBUYPOWER.com sells them in their Lan Warrior series. Unfortunately you have to buy an entire build. Far as I know. Their prices are reasonable but a person can DIY build it cheaper obviously. Btw, they also have the new ASUS Maximus Gene-Z Z68 mobo for sale in their builds now.

If you want an additional orange 120mm top fan for your Vulcan, NZXT will send you one free after you contact them and show them your order invoice. Also I learned Antec's Big Boy 200mm fan will also directly fit onto the Vulcan's side panel without any modding. So in case you want a 200mm fan other than NZXT's 190mm fan (its not a true 200mm fan) you can get it but its like $30 I hear. It screws straight on into the existing holes. This is confirmed to work.

The thread at Overclock.net is full of very good Vulcan info showing ideas, mods, parts, and everything you can think of concerning the the Vulcan case. Be forewarned that the thread is over 115 pages long. 117 pages I think last I looked.
http://www.overclock.net/small-form-factor-systems/774308-official-nzxt-vulcan-owners-club.html
 
Skott said:
Apparently Asetek is the company that makes all the hydro coolers for Corsair, Antec.
Click to expand...

They make the Antecs, and the Corsair H50 and H70. AFAIK Corsair dumped Asetek and Coolit makes the new Corsair H60 (plus any future units that I don't know about).
 
Zap said:
They make the Antecs, and the Corsair H50 and H70. AFAIK Corsair dumped Asetek and Coolit makes the new Corsair H60 (plus any future units that I don't know about).
Click to expand...

I also sent an email into CoolIT asking where I can buy their C92 (92mm) unit. I hope to hear from them this coming week.
 
QuadDragon said:
Seagate Barracuda XT ST33000651AS 3TB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
Item #: N82E16822148736
$214.99
Click to expand...

Do you really need this much space? As a gamer, you really should go for an SSD, you can find SSDs of decent size (128GB), which would be great for just a SFF LAN gaming rig, within the $200 range.

QuadDragon said:
ASUS ENGTX590/3DIS/3GD5 GeForce GTX 590 (Fermi) 3072MB 768-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
Item #: N82E16814121436
$749.99
Click to expand...

These run hot. In a small gaming case such as this, you really want to look at other options or else your build is going to overheat and really bog your gaming performance down. Unless you have some sort of extreme water cooling setup in mind? I recommend a cooler, sufficient GTX 560ti or HD6950.

QuadDragon said:
ENERMAX REVOLUTION85+ ERV1020EWT 1020W (Peak 1120W) ATX12V / EPS12V v2.92 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS SILVER Certified ...
Item #: N82E16817194081
$209.99
Click to expand...

Since you won't be needing this much power if you do make the more sufficient changes to save yourself money and gain cooler temps, thus better performance, find yourself a cheaper, 600W 80+ Certified PSU.

QuadDragon said:
Mushkin Enhanced Redline 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 2133 (PC3 17000) Desktop Memory Model 996996
Item #: N82E16820226199
$129.999
Click to expand...

It's up to you, but, do you really think that you'll need 8GB for a small gaming LAN build? Look for some Cas 6 DDR3 4GB (2x2GB) kits instead for a snappier experience.

QuadDragon said:
ASUS Maximus IV Gene-Z 1155 Intel Z68 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard
Item #: Unknown Price Estimated.
$259.99
Click to expand...

Now, I know that you want to base your build around this board, but, is it really necessary? Especially if you're not going to be overclocking (and really you shouldn't be in a smaller case with less cooling options, that is, other than a fully-detailed water cooling setup). Just find yourself a nice, cheap 1155 board with good reviews that fit whatever criteria you need (USB 3.0, Sata 6GB/s, P67 if you truly want to overclock, etc). Save yourself some money, man!

QuadDragon said:
Intel Core i7-2600K Sandy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I72600K
Item #: N82E16819115070
$314.99
Click to expand...

Save money, go with the i5 2500K. Heck, go with a SB dual core with HT, it'll do equally the same with gaming.

QuadDragon said:
LITE-ON Black 12X Blu-ray Burner with Blu-ray 3D feature SATA IHBS112-29 - OEM
Item #: N82E16827106346
$114.99
Click to expand...

Ok, plan on watching Blu Rays on your SFF gaming build?

QuadDragon said:
OCZ Agility 3 AGT3-25SAT3-60G 2.5" 60GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
Item #: N82E16820227725
$129.99
Click to expand...

Now we're getting somewhere! Look for a larger size, though such as a 128GB and you should be able to fit a good amount of games on here.

QuadDragon said:
Subtotal: $2,234.90
Click to expand...

Not even necessary. You should easily be able to trim $1,000 to $1,500 off this build and still be able to have adequate performance on the battlefield!

Extra notes:
Do you need headphones? Sennheiser HD201 is probably the best QUALITY value headphone that I can think of ($20!).

What about a monitor? Great deal right here, 1080p, only $120! FREE SHIPPING!

Alright, so, I have an addiction and that addiction is building SFF rigs that meet your needs and cost you less money. What can I say?
 
Skott said:
I also sent an email into CoolIT asking where I can buy their C92 (92mm) unit. I hope to hear from them this coming week.
Click to expand...

I think they build it for you. Not sure. If you don't hear back, LMK. I know someone who works there and who can probably get you an answer one way or another. Can't ask him right now, though, because he just left on vacation for the next two weeks or so.
 
As for the GTX590 the average heat output is about the same as the 6970/GTX580. Now what size monitor do you plan to use for gaming?? That is a big deciding factor on what GPU to go with...
 
AthlonXP said:
As for the GTX590 the average heat output is about the same as the 6970/GTX580. Now what size monitor do you plan to use for gaming?? That is a big deciding factor on what GPU to go with...
Click to expand...

Will be used to Drive my Samsung UN55C8000 3d TV. Only one atm but when I lan game its used to drive a 30 inch Sun monitor doing 1920 x 1200.
 
Well The new setup is built, Ill be glad to post specs / pictures if anyone is interested.
 
Yes, you must post pics. :D

Edit: Btw, I never did hear back from CoolIt. I'm guessing they don't sell to individuals or answer emails. LOL
 
Well here as I promised are some pictures. There not too bad quality. If anyone wants a pic of something in particular looking for clearances etc please feel free to PM me.

http://s212.photobucket.com/albums/cc285/Quaddragon/Noctua 1/?albumview=slideshow

The specs are as follows.

1 NZXT Vulcan Mini ATX case

1 Asus Maximus IV Gene-Z

1 2x4gb Muskin redline 2133 ram

1 Asus 590 GTX

1 Enermax Revolution 1020 85+ powersupply.

1 Intel 2600K

1 Noctua NH-C14 dual 140mm fans.

1 Liteon Bluray Burner.

1 Xfi titanium Fatality Edition - only in there for DDL / DTS encoding because im using an Onkyo 5.1 reciever.

2 Scythe 12mm 120mm fans for the top.

1 OCZ 120 Vertex 3

1 Segate Barracuda 3TB

I must say it was a labor of love but a pain in the ass to cram ass this into a micro atx case lol. As always all critiques are welcome.
 
Looks pretty good, cable management is tough in the vulcan but you might be able to improve it a bit. What kind of temps are you getting?
 
Joe S said:
Looks pretty good, cable management is tough in the vulcan but you might be able to improve it a bit. What kind of temps are you getting?
Click to expand...

There's no room to improve anything cable management wise with that massive 1kilo power supply in there.
Anyhow i'm not having any problems with temps. MB is around 31 Cel and CPU is around the same idle. Haven't looked at it under load yet, but Id say its not too much more. CPU actualy says 22 but thats because its scaled it back to no usage while idle.
 
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