Slim case, oveclocked 7700K, low noise: possible?

amundsen

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Hello,

I intend to build a mini-ITX computer slim enough to be put inside a suitcase (meaning a thickness between 10 and 15cm, max. 17cm). I want an 7700K CPU overclocked to at least 4.6GHz while keeping noise emissions low (this setup will be dedicated to music). Transportation in the suitcase probably means also the exclusion of an acrylic case.

I don’t need a powerful GPU. If there’s enough room I could go with a fanless model or even go with the Intel Integrated Graphics if it’s mandatory to keep the inside of the box at low temperatures.

I’ll probably invest in a delidded CPU to lower the temperatures too.

Which case-cooling combination would you recommend? Please do also note it will be my first build.
 
If the suitcase is being taken on an airplane... then definitely air cooling.
 
I would reccomend a Dan Case
Why a dan case? CPU cooler clearence is not one of it's strong points.

Anyway:
You could try using a case with the PSU over the CPU cooler and replace it with an external brick or a hd plex to gain more clearance. Suggestions:
Lian Li PC Q21 or Lian Li PC Q20

I would avoid a GPU, if you don't need it.
 
Why a dan case? CPU cooler clearence is not one of it's strong points.

Anyway:
You could try using a case with the PSU over the CPU cooler and replace it with an external brick or a hd plex to gain more clearance. Suggestions:
Lian Li PC Q21 or Lian Li PC Q20

I would avoid a GPU, if you don't need it.

I like the Dan case because it's thin and sturdy but maybe a bit too thin for a good cooling.

The Lian Li Q20 and Q21 are nice but a bit too thick. IMHO. I was thinking also about the Ncase M1.
 
I like the Dan case because it's thin and sturdy but maybe a bit too thin for a good cooling.

The Lian Li Q20 and Q21 are nice but a bit too thick. IMHO. I was thinking also about the Ncase M1.

The Ncase is very nice and gives you the ability for good cooling. If you use a Z270 motherboard from MSI, Asrock or Gigabyte you can use a Be Quiet Dark Rock TF (not compatible with the Asus Z270 Strix). This is a large top down cooler that works really well and is very quiet, you can easily cool a 7700k with it. I was cooling my 8700k before I delidded and it worked very well.

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I recommended the dan case because it would be great for transporting. Also, there are cooling solutions available that would work. Lastly Dan is developing his own cooler for the case that should provide even better cooling although that is not available at the moment. I also have an original Ncase that I have ran water cooled for about 3 years now. Amazing case and still great for transporting albeit a bit larger then the dan case.
I own both and they have their positives and negatives for either, just depends on how small you want to go.
 
I recommended the dan case because it would be great for transporting. Also, there are cooling solutions available that would work. Lastly Dan is developing his own cooler for the case that should provide even better cooling although that is not available at the moment. I also have an original Ncase that I have ran water cooled for about 3 years now. Amazing case and still great for transporting albeit a bit larger then the dan case.
I own both and they have their positives and negatives for either, just depends on how small you want to go.

I’d opt for the Dan case immediately if I was sure I could cool it down with an overclocked CPU inside. I’ll look for example configurations.
 
I like the Dan case because it's thin and sturdy but maybe a bit too thin for a good cooling.

The Lian Li Q20 and Q21 are nice but a bit too thick. IMHO. I was thinking also about the Ncase M1.

The Lian Li cases I mentioned are around a cm thinner than the Ncase M1 and are also, like the M1 and the Dan case, produced by Lian Li (obviously), so the quality shouldn't vary a lot. That aside, the M1 should be a more straight forward building and planning experience and it would also be more future proof since it's more flexible.
 
The Lian Li cases I mentioned are around a cm thinner than the Ncase M1 and are also, like the M1 and the Dan case, produced by Lian Li (obviously), so the quality shouldn't vary a lot. That aside, the M1 should be a more straight forward building and planning experience and it would also be more future proof since it's more flexible.

You're right, they are quite slim but they do seem to have fewer cooling holes than the A4 SFX or the M1.

The final choice will probably depend on having a GPU or not. Without GPU, I think a slim case would be fine, even something like a Node 202 could be OK.

Otherwise, with a GPU, I think something a bit thicker might be mandatory, and the NCase would be a good choice even if the final price would be around 200€ with taxes and VAT - but it's still less expensive than the A4 SFX.

I might begin with a cheap slim case without GPU and then change my config if the GPU appears to be required.
 
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