My Tiny ITX Gaming PC got SO MUCH BETTER !

[@HardwareCanucks]

Here's the link to the Bracket's STL File. Making this open to the community! ENJOY - bit.ly/STLBRACKET

[@tobiasthelen6979]

Close the space above the power adapters (were aren't fans) to create a vacuum to really suck out the hot air and have a bigger chimney effect in the case. 👌🏼

[@trowawayacc]

We need a sentry 3. What happened to dr saber?

[@Shingo2611]

Thanks for the great video, I am very interested in improving the thermals on my Zaber clone. I own the HZMod XQ69. I would like to know if I can use your file to make a compatible bracket so it can fit my case? Thank you!

[@SefirothVsCloud]

What material did you use to print it? Thanks

[@edberg091]

Do you have the original parametric file? I need to edit this since my printer is too small.

[@agokulk]

For the fan wires cable management, one of the solution is desoldering the wires and resoldering into parallel single channel wires, also maybe with the use of tiny spot welding tool. Learnt from one of the videos from DIY Perks channel

[@HardwareCanucks]

Good tip!

[@Dcheck]

@@HardwareCanucks For the 2 bottom fans that didn't' fit because of the power cables, could you get a 180 degree adapter for the power cables from Amazon/Ebay, and run them on top of the gpu backplate? I did that with my previous build because it was pushing up against the side panel.

[@BruceWayne-vh6kh]

@@Dcheck hey I’m a couple months late, but could you send me a link to which adapters? I recently got my hands on this case and want to modify it the most I dan

[@BruceWayne-vh6kh]

*can

[@alexandermccomb6444]

I love the problems small builds like this create and the solutions and projects to make things work!

[@HardwareCanucks]

It was a fun one! But frustrating too!

[@perdomot]

Mike has quickly become my fave HWC reviewer because of projects just like this. Most tech KZbinrs end up sounding like sales people for the tech companies showing off their latest stuff. Finding fun was too tweak your system and improve things is a real classic way of doing stuff and I hope we keep seeing more videos like this in the new year. Happy holidays guys!

[@HardwareCanucks]

Thanks so much! Really appreciate the kind comments. ♥️

[@VTJasmine69]

Watching PC vids while prepping for my brothers PC to arrive for christmas so I can set it all up for him :D still wish I could afford to get him a better GPU (1660ti) but it should hold him well enough!

[@birdwithgun9940]

Mate your cracked, what a good brother

[@VTJasmine69]

@@birdwithgun9940 no worries! He’s getting a little spoiled this Christmas 😁 his old laptop is really heading to the grave rapidly and he needs something before that happens! Here’s to hoping prices drop and he can upgrade in a couple years

[@grantbaxter3669]

The 1660 Ti is still an awesome card for 1080 and 1440 and the games themselves are just as much fun at those resolutions. He will be STOKED!

[@VTJasmine69]

@@grantbaxter3669 I’m excited to see! He’s been in that phase where he’s just trying to copy his older brother (me!) and he’s been SOOO invested in tinkering with computers and it’s about time he gets one of his own! And yes! The 1660ti should hold him well for a good while!

[@earnistse4899]

How much did that one cost

[@markmitra6671]

Just a theory. the CPU temp lowered together with the GPU temp because the case now has negative air pressure since you are chucking a higher volume of air outside of the case, thus making the CPU fan somewhat a vacuum for the ambient air to flow into to try and balance the air pressure.

[@ra1nmaker001]

no, it was just undervolted

[@fungalcoffee]

I always love to see ssf builds with clever mods, really makes things interesting

[@jonsenkiw]

Love the 3D printing approach to solve your problems. Low cost and fun. Go from design to tangible object in the same day.

[@beefwantko7269]

totally so low cost, just need the a 300 dollar 3d printer for a piece that large, and then 6 noctua 40m fans that cost 16 dollars a piece, plus the time and software to develop the model for the 3d mounting bracket.. lets say thats a 400 dollar upgrade minimum... kinda sad to see that he benchmarked it against a 3rd gen ryzen as well, instead of a 5600x which would have been a much more comparable test. I saw 60 fps jumps an was like holly shit, but then realized.. not trolling just saying... and I agree it is actaully really cool and im very jeleous of the entire build.

[@matasa7463]

@@beefwantko7269 You can use a public printer at your local library. Mine has one and you only need to pay for the filaments. Noctua fans will be expensive but you're paying for that performance and low noise edge. It's pretty incredible that he got a lower peak noise after the mod, than what was the constant noise level from pre-mod!

[@N0N0111]

"DIY Perks" is getting jealous guys 😁 These detailed projects are so cool.

[@SirChocula]

3D Printing - oh man, this could literally breath new life into soooo many older cases with a solid front panel by replacing it with a plastic mesh for higher airflow. My Phanteks Evolv surely would love a 3d printed mesh front panel replacement!!!

[@Owenzzz777]

Love the 3D printed brackets! One thing that’s been on my mind for a while is a radiator offset bracket from Lian Li O11 mini cases. Officially they don’t support radiator mounted on top if you have an ATX motherboard, but they do fit, just needs to be offset to the side of the case a little bit. I think a 3D printed bracket is perfect for that

[@hebie666]

Eh if you have 1 guess, Id just drill holes into strips of steel, say like 4 for a 240/280 that have holes that line up with old hole positions and new position and just cut the screws back to fit once theyre in, if youre just shifting it away from the mobo slightly this is way less complicated. Even a pair of sheers for cutting sheet metal and maybe a file and/or a couple bucks worth of sandpaper would suffice for making this. I own a 3d printer too btw and would still just use steel. EDIT: actually youd just make 3 strips because obviously middle one could be double width and do where the fans meet.

[@irradiatedbean2375]

Done it, it’s soo tight. Ram clearance is a real challenge

[@hebie666]

@@irradiatedbean2375 yeah if it's blocking the ram personally I'm not a big believer in that aesthetically speaking but in like a dual AIO build or some loops I can see why you'd want that.

[@Owenzzz777]

@@hebie666 I’ve thought about that actually. The problem with sheet metal is they’re too thin, and the offset is not that big, so the screws will go through the sheet metal and interfere with the radiator. A thicker metal strip will probably work, but I don’t have tools to make counter sink.

[@ericwright8592]

I had a 1080ti in my Zaber Sentry for a while. I had 4x 40mm nocutas on the side as well. Additionally, I put thin rubber weatherstripping foam around the perimeter of the face of the GPU to seal the gpu fans to the case panel. Your GPU fans become high pressure case fans at that point, and it guarantees your gpu can only draw in fresh outside air. Give it a try. Its the same idea behind the Noctua foam stack

[@kcramthun6]

I want the Sentry so bad. Such a lovely case. Console cases got so much bigger lately.

[@bradley3549]

There is a decent knockoff available from China. Still not cheap, but at least you can buy it.

[@blairlohnes8103]

I've used those 40mm fans on so many projects, they are great!

[@TheGameBench]

It's definitely helping the CPU because it's basically a convection oven in there. Not enough airflow, so it's just circulating hot air with not much finding it's way out of the case. The Node 202 could definitely use something like this.

[@bradley3549]

Absolutely. I'm more surprised that this is at all surprising than I am that it happened.

[@mnap1595]

Having built in a Fractal Design Node 202 (nearly identical to the case you show) and worked VERY hard to get temps under control, I can tell you that there were two improvements that had a far more significant impact than a series of 40mm fans (I tried this). First, and most importantly, add ventilation to the GPU "chamber" portion of the case adjacent to the backplate of the GPU as well as to the front of the case (I drilled holes into the case, but there are other options, depending on tools and ability). That done, I removed the GPU fan shroud and mounted two 120mm fans (15mm or 25mm thick, depending) as intake into the GPU chamber. Second, a proper CPU heatsink with the fan able to pull in fresh air only (i.e. non-recirculating). Since both of these portions of the PC exist on the same side of the case, I just modified the panel on that side. This was far cheaper, quieter, cable-less, and cooler than the 40mm Noctua option, with no need to undervolt or throttle anywhere. End of day, these cases are poorly designed for systems that generate any measurable heat. It's why other cases came into existence and other forms remain more dominant. For example, I abandoned that build for a XTIA XProto and would never look back.

[@HardwareCanucks]

Yeah....the Node is a very different beast, that's for sure!

[@mnap1595]

@@HardwareCanucks Apologies if my comment felt trollish, that was not my intention. Ultimately, the case design is flawed if one wants to put a reasonable gaming rig inside. From my own testing, while a series of 40mm Noctuas do improve performance a little, those other two changes I mentioned have a significantly more measurable improvement. If you have the tools and ability to do so, I'd encourage you to give it a try!

[@l3xx000]

This was awesome, thanks for walking through your thought process, and I like the challenges you have overcome with 3D printing and the tiny build aspects too!

[@PhilipChou]

Love the 3d print tinkering and optimization of the fan speeds. Real PCMR stuff right here.

[@davideloi9176]

You are great. Period. I like the passion when you talk about your ideas and projects. Great ideas, very clean work, very refined and precise. You are an artisan in 2021.

[@nktslp3650]

"Huge fan", 300 hours. You gotta pump those numbers up bro ! Nicely done !

[@AshySenpai]

Dude. I copied this exact build and it has been amazing! I travel for work and it’s been the perfect workstation for the software we use and the gaming performance is insane! The portability is life changing.This is exactly what I always wanted in a PC for my deployments, finally getting rid of my work laptop!

[@johnking7162]

I want to build one. When you play games, is it noisy?

[@AshySenpai]

@@johnking7162 a little. Dealing with some thermal throttling at the moment but that's because I play warzone at 4k 144hz

[@aetikkorpo6233]

Man i love Small Form Builds. Amazing work!

[@nottommythao]

Extremely niche upgrade... But also very entertaining. Great build!

[@fmulleady]

What an awesome customisation and build!

[@suit1337]

Just a quick note on the Decibel scale- it is logarithmic with different bases for loudness, sound pressure and intensity - 4 dB is indeed a lot for every 10 dB the loudness doubles, 4 dB is roughly 1,3 times louder for every 6 dB the sound pressure doubles - 4 dB is 1,5 times more sound pressure for every 3 dB the intensity doubles - 4 dB is 2,5 times more intense

[@poeticsilence047]

I like these videos. I feel like it shows a little more of your personality and frame of thinking, instead of promoting another product, though that is how you guys work.

[@saxoferm]

I love itx builds....my first was on z390 in a cm elite 130 with a 2080ti...right now I'm building an emulation pc using an apu on a b450 in a Chopin case.

[@HardwareCanucks]

Chopin is a pretty sweet little guy.

[@matasa7463]

This is so interesting! More brilliant little mods please!

[@gamehawk55]

Tech tip for those type of "ribboned" power supply cables....Peel each wire apart so they're all separate and then bundle them back together with some zip ties or velcro tape. Makes them infinitely easier to work with and you can get much cleaner looking runs.

[@oldmanian]

Another great video with Mike. Loved it and the bracket. Enjoy the holidays!!

[@paolopandas2103]

Would like to see more mods and tweaks to PC cases. Love your channel.

[@HardwareCanucks]

Thanks! Stay tuned.

[@eaaeeeea]

The results look great!

[@prince3121]

These projects are so cool. It shows what can be achieved on a budget. Merry Christmas to you and the Hardware Canucks Team and a Happy New Year!

[@David-ym2vk]

Having a 3D printer is a game changer for people that are tech savvy and like to tinker.

[@perdomot]

I got the 590 version of this mobo earlier on this year and love it. Good choice.

[@jackofa11traits29]

so cute. such tiny fans...i am intrigue to build one...dang...

[@VIVlt]

such a nice build. never seen fans so small :D

[@bigfil1981]

Such a cool little build ❤️

[@traaaaan]

I got one of these little fans and zip tied it over my asrock x570 pro4's vrms. I'm running a 5900x and it's been rock solid.

[@seyahtan24]

This is similar to my setup. I have this case and a 5600x. At stock it runs really HOT due to the case airflow, size and cooler limitations. I bought a noctua fan duct kit and I did an undervolt - 0.10 offset and curve optimizer all cores - 30. Runs absolutely cooler now for the same performance. Idle temp was 50C to 60C, now it's 40C mostly. Gaming was at 75C to 90C, now it's 60C mostly. Also gonna try the same thing from the video but with 2 fans only. I need it to remove any trapped hot air inside the case.

[@MohamedGhaiti]

Hi did you try combining the noctua fan duct and the mod from this video? Any feedback ?

[@bongkem2723]

this is a sick build !!! all thoses tiny fans inside a tiny case =)))

[@biobreaker5009]

You managed to cool a 3090 in an itx form factor. You, sir, are a monster

[@eclipse9304]

If the fans are creating a direction for hot air to flow out of the case, it makes sense that they would reduce the heat bleeding into the CPU area.

[@wololo10]

The meshlicious with the top 90mm fan and back 2x60mm fans with 3D printed supports is awesome in thermals

[@JohanH1990]

Well made, compliments and thanks for sharing!

[@hyp36rmax]

This is great thank you for the STL file.

[@HardwareCanucks]

You're welcome!

[@ArturoTabera]

My name is Mike and 6 Noctua fans+bracket are a fortune for me. Lol!

[@sabbar12]

7:52 you can by 180 degree powerplugs for the gpu. not sure if it will fit in this case tho since its so flat

[@ole7736]

Well done!

[@Apollo-Computers]

I've not seen that case before, I like it. I have always wanted to build a teeny tiny water cooled pc with the highest end parts you can buy. Maybe put in quick disconnects in the desk with giant rads hidden under the desk. Also want to do a build where you can't see any tubing at all.

[@amirmukhsin]

8:37 The front right leg of the case is so close to the edge of the table had me holding my breath the whole time.

[@HardwareCanucks]

Fun fact. The build is almost 16lbs and that weight on the rubber feet means it isn't moving anywhere!

[@DavidMateos56]

Cool (pun intended) update! Maybe you can get your hands on some ultra low profile pcie power cables and clear enough space to install the other 2 fans.

[@bear532]

I 3D printed a cpu cooler fan duct for my cougar ITX build and it dropped temps by 5-6 degrees while also completely stabilizing them. CPU maxes at 79C under a 1 hour full load running at 115W.

[@kiwimonster3647]

These fans look cute

[@HardwareCanucks]

They're quiet too. :)

[@huguberhart]

Super cool management of a great ITX build. To help routing the cables, maybe you could go the way of solid core wires? I would imagine that wires placed and folded still in a tight case would make it easier? Creating them would be a humonguos challenge tho?

[@rossmpostpro]

DDR5 maturing? Eh, what? Love the content as always Mike.

[@knightsljx]

12:25 exhausting the hot GPU air directly is probably preventing the hot air from recirculating inside the case

[@just.jules.973]

Great job mate 👍

[@caml1720]

Nice! I bought a 3d printed bracket for 2 60mm noctuas to help exhaust one side of the GPU in my meshlicious, and I was also surprised by how noisy they are at full speed. Still tinkering with the fan curve now

[@michaelthompson9798]

8:10 is that the “intro music” from “Hoosier Hardware” in the background hmmm 🤔

[@michaelthompson9798]

Killer setup you have Mike 🥰🤩🤯👍. Hope you had a wonderful Christmas 🎄🎄🎄🎅🤶. I personally have 3x ITX pc builds. 1x in a Skyreach mini S4 case, a N-Case M1 & Cooler Master NR200 (original case). I love all of them ❤🥰. I would love to get a Dr Zaber case to add to my collection 🥳🥰👍🤩

[@archief1]

Those noctuas are hilarious

[@FAB1150]

Oh, that case looks like a portal sentry turret!

[@Deletistjerk]

I would undervolt GPU as well. I shaved off 10 degrees. It’s much less noise.

[@wolfgangchristl9978]

nice little build. Asrock always did good ITX motherboards, I should look into building one.

[@shaunhall6834]

I understand about supporting your local business, but when it comes to PC's and electronics. I do things a little differently and shop at Microcenter and have my local PC/IT repair shop build my rig. This way I get the best of both worlds and shop at a company I like doing business with.

[@Sarj_ent]

That is really neat. Would you ever consider cutting the middle section out of the top cover so you could fit five fans instead of four?

[@itsdeonlol]

Happy holidays Mike to you & your family!

[@HardwareCanucks]

You too!

[@dookiemane]

love it. love the case and mod although i cant bring myself to pay that much for that case. ive wanted it for years. great vid

[@djvidual8288]

Hey, great video Mike!

[@Aerobrake]

I am going to build a 3080Ti FE and a 13700K powered by a V1100 SFX and will be put inside a fractal design ridge! similar journey but mine has started December 29 2022. I just have (in order) the 13700K, Fractal Design Ridge (Black), V1100 SFX Platinum left to get. I can't wait to start building!

[@carson5757]

Getting some 180 degree power connectors would fix your clearance issue.

[@HardwareCanucks]

sadly I couldn't find any that would solve it.

[@usmanshah8395]

Brilliant build and love the mod. HNY

[@AdrianLi123]

Awesome video man! I have the almost identical case and configs. Try getting the official Silverstone ITX cable set which is a bit softer and shorter. I also shortened them even more myself. Also consider getting a 5cm PCI-E Gen4 riser cable too.

[@mordecaiepsilon]

The temperature difference for the GPU looks insignificant, but the heat removal is probably substantial if your clock speeds are higher

[@Walhor]

You can get some pcie power adapters that are rotated, maybe that could make room for the last two fans?

[@TheJAMF]

With so little room, you might want to create a 3D shroud outsiders the case and use 4 or 5 80mm fans, as (with the B-roll flip-flop ping top and bottom) it is apparently possible to have the GPU on top. Might be a cool experiment and you probably have easy access to those fans.

[@skilatchitheking]

Try mounting the little fans on the external side. They should all fit.

[@HardwareCanucks]

Yeah...but so ugly! And the fan mounts don't align with the holes!

[@markguzmics]

1:05 You gotta pump those numbers up, those are rookie numbers...

[@gonzoguy2424]

Lol I literally came here to say that.

[@HardwareCanucks]

LOL. Running the channel, doing on-cams, a kid on the way and renovations means that's A LOT of gameplay....in my life. ;) - Mike

[@gonzoguy2424]

@@HardwareCanucks i get it. I respect the grind dude and love the channel!

[@ufsteropolstero6014]

Why don't you DIY custom length cables?

[@RitianRenaldi]

could you guys consider updating the list of all the video gear you use? like Dimitri doesn't use A7III anymore but A7SIII and Eber use Fuji XT-4 if I'm not mistaken

[@ewancook]

1:02 Those are rookie numbers!

[@HardwareCanucks]

You didn't see my original Warhammer time played. ;)

[@joethomson8491]

Merry Xmas guys and all the best when it comes 🥂🎉😜👍🏻😂

[@zefrogi]

You too!

[@HardwareCanucks]

Same to you!

[@monchiabbad]

Create a fan bracket to place six fans on the outside of the case at the same edge, with a second bracket to cover the fans.

[@adamwilliams3597]

Thank you for reminding me why I don't do small form factor builds

[@N0N0111]

10:26 Underclock the CPU - GPU and overclock the RAM to SUPER MAX speeds with ULTRA LOW latency.

[@demofighter]

Built my dad a node 202 PC this year, I think this fan mod might work in that case. Guess he's getting an upgrade next year :D

[@nelsonr.9450]

Thx for this video, I had an idea like that, I'm trying to make my own sff case, one thing I want to do is to make all the fans from the components facing all the same side (bringing air from under the case, maybe with a hole under it, to bring a lot of air and less dust!

[@2355marc]

Also a theory, not sure if you can rotate the cpu heatsink but give that a try if possible, the air channels are blocked off on the left and right side so it's possible the air just isn't moving through the heatsink properly.

[@woeichyuanleong924]

you can try to use 180 Degree Angled Turning Connector for the 2 x 8pins for the GPU, it will give you the clearance to complete the entire row of fans

[@bradley3549]

There isn't much room behind a GPU in this case.

[@deijlite]

Could you not add 180 degree PCIE power adaptors to the 3090 and be able to fit the additional 2 Noctua fans in the bracket?

[@HardwareCanucks]

Nope. I dimensioned it and I'd still be missing 2mm unless there's 90 degree adapters that are slimmer than the ones I was able to find.

[@deijlite]

@@HardwareCanucks Those damn mm's!!! Thanks for the reply.

[@vladikostek]

@@deijlite Aren't their comparable fans that aren't as thick? I remember reading that these noctua's are a few mm thicker than most of that size. Could buy you those extra 2mm...

[@tehhaldiniho]

i have always admired ITX. they just look so sleek but i just dont want to deal with the extra £££ you end up paying and noise is a huge factor for me.. so i just stick to the smallest mid towers but that build is gorgeous and the added fans and that cpu cooler airflow director thing are such clever ideas. maybe if i was rich =D

[@korezako3930]

ITX Rules! Really wish to downsize my NR200 to under 10L case some time later.

[@HasanBabasi]

Yeah! magnets!

[@JC-wt1rt]

Hello, what type of GPU is that? Trying to see if mine would fit with this setup

[@soren777]

Was just looking through all your old videos and yall didn't do a 2021 best case of the year video, how come ?

[@nates9105]

Yes, reducing the total heat inside the case from either CPU or GPU will significantly reduce overall temps of both. It's why I like water cooled GPUs with air cooled CPUs. Air cooling is consistent but GPUs put a lot of heat in immediate surroundings. So water cooled GPU with radiator enables heat to be transported away from surrounding area, therefore creating cooler temps.

[@rocketracer111]

I did this too. I can approve this.

[@mikeymaiku]

@@rocketracer111 just do the tri-stellar approach. 3 seperate chambers in a massive footpront for itx builds

[@nates9105]

@@mikeymaiku Oh wow! Thanks for introducing me to a very interesting case design! Might consider that for a future build! .... oh wait it's discontinued :(

[@eTiMaGo]

This is just the kind of case hacking that brings me back to the late 90s :)

[@alexsiniov]

I advise to use xflow alphacool radiators, they are superb quality and solve a lot of piping problems in tiny cases. also they don't restrict waterflow as U type radiators do

[@TheHeavik]

This case reminds me Portal turrets with that red led on the power button