DTX Lives! Four Double-Slot Cases For ITX Gaming Machines

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nukemaster

nukemaster

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As much as i like Fractal. I have the Define R2 and the Array would look nice(and quiet) as well, but it lacks the room for a video card once the hard drive rack is installed.

My guess is thats why it was left out. Makes a hell of a NAS system tho.
 
romulous75

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I dont see why they dont:
1. Have a handle on a rig that will be moved a lot.
2. Have a vesa mount so you can some how bolt a monitor to the side :)
 
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I have had the SG-05 (same internal dimensions as the SG-06 without the fancy front panel)for over a year now. Had buy the 450w silverstone power supply seperately. The 450w is minimum to run a card with two 6-pin pcie power connectors. My HD5850 had trouble with 300w. Running a i7 870 with DFI LP itx, 1TB WD Green. There isn't a faster Radeon that fits this case 9.5" space, but now I am looking at EVGA GTX 570 HD (9.5") as an upgrade. However I don't like giving up the 3-screen (via Eyefinity)capability. Maybe someone will release shorter version of a HD 6950/6970 like EVGA did with the GTX 570.
 
nukemaster

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By any chance did you note if the 450 watt psu is any quieter then the 300?
 
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"Yet, all of that extra size somewhat defeats the purpose of ITX"
I do not agree with this statement. Just built myself an AMD Fusion System with Lian-Li’s PC-Q08. There arent many cases that give you that much space for HDD's than this case. Currently, i have 6 HDD's in this case and the Case is still small enough to fit on my Woofer but is still under the couch table. But i have to agree with the power button being to bright. Its like a blue flashlight. The 6 screws for the sidepanels are a major pain in the ... you get the picture.
 
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emergancy exit

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where do you buy DTX motherboards? i was thinking this would be a great solution for my dads new computer all he uses a computer is for basic stuff and occasional game playing. he has a lot of animals in his house so having a small desktop would be desirable for him.

i think people who are wondering how many hard drives will fit in this case are missing the point. for 99% of the people who use these types of computers they wont be a "main computer" but more of a second computer or a portable computer for someone who goes to alot of lan parties or travels or collage kids i guess. they would use external drives or a home server for backup most likely. plus they now have 2tb single hard drives so having more then two hard rives on a computer these days is unnecessary anyways.

i hope they can make monitors more portable now. displays are still bulky these days they havent gotten much more portable in the last 10 years
 
Crashman

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[citation][nom]Emergancy exit[/nom]where do you buy DTX motherboards?[/citation]I don't think anyone makes DTX boards any longer. The cases are just used for ITX boards now, to support the extra thickness of a double-slot graphics card.
 
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emergancy exit

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after looking evrything up it seams like the motherboards for the mini ITX form factors with a pci-e slot are about $60 more then your regular small ATX board. the cases are much more expensive too. also looks like the only good option right now is intel because they have the only mini itx boards with a pcie slot and usb3 and sata 3 at the moment. the reason why i say unfortunately is that that limits your cpu to the core i3 wich i believe is an overpriced cpu and i would rather the athalonx4

anyways my point is to make the mini itx computer work RIGHT NOW your looking at about $200 more compared to a standard tower setup if you really need portability then you would pay this premium but i think most people would want this 200 dollars to either go to a more powerfull computer or like my dad save the 200 bucks and get a regular computer.

lets hope in the future this becomes more affordable and there are more affordable cases, motherbaords. and also hopefully amd will get involved so thier budget cpus will be available
 
Crashman

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[citation][nom]Emergancy exit[/nom]after looking evrything up it seams like the motherboards for the mini ITX form factors with a pci-e slot are about $60 more then your regular small ATX board. the cases are much more expensive too. also looks like the only good option right now is intel because they have the only mini itx boards with a pcie slot and usb3 and sata 3 at the moment. the reason why i say unfortunately is that that limits your cpu to the core i3 wich i believe is an overpriced cpu and i would rather the athalonx4 anyways my point is to make the mini itx computer work RIGHT NOW your looking at about $200 more compared to a standard tower setup if you really need portability then you would pay this premium but i think most people would want this 200 dollars to either go to a more powerfull computer or like my dad save the 200 bucks and get a regular computer. lets hope in the future this becomes more affordable and there are more affordable cases, motherbaords. and also hopefully amd will get involved so thier budget cpus will be available[/citation]You forgot the Core i5 and Core i7 CPUs that fit the same boards. These cases were even tested with a Core i7 CPU.
 
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emergancy exit

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toms you guys should have placed in the picture a standard office mid tower case next to the other 4 cases in this test or a coke can or something for a refernce point
 
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I would love to see a similar article about mATX. The ITX/DTX form factor is just too small for most hobbyists, IMHO.
 
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emergancy exit

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^^ most people dont SLI or crossfire and the majority of the extras that used to use the extra pci expansion slots are now replaced by USB devices. i say why make anything bigger then it HAS to be. i just hope the prices come down because if its going to cost between $100-250 more expensive then i dont hink its worth it.
 
xXDracoXx

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How legit is this for travelling?

I just got a job that involves 3-18 month missions abroad and I've been looking at gaming laptops. Those with i7's and GTX 485M's onboard cost an arm and a leg and perform at pretty much the exact same level as my 2 y.o. desktop (which cost me half as much as the laptops are going for).

Since I'll be staying in the same spot for months at a time and shipping my current full-tower isn't an option, a small PC like this appears to be an awesome compromise between a traditional gaming rig and an ultra expensive gaming laptop.

Any thoughts?

 
nukemaster

nukemaster

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if you keep the original box, i guess it would be fairly good. These systems are not overly heavy, so that helps. If you go the SG06 or SG05(i only pick these for the very small size and light weight) route, get the one with the 450 watt psu. It does not cost much more(and and can run a better video card) and comes with the inside painted black too.

The main issue many will see is that it takes some work to find a good cooler. If stock with its noise is ok for you, i think it is a good idea.

But remember, the laptop has its own screen and UPS(battery) all in a very small form factor. I guess it is more a question of what that is worth to you.
 
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emergancy exit

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what would be the best CPU cooler for the lian li case? do you think a coolermaster v6 will fit? im also wondering if the motherboard would be big enough for a thermaltake dual orb would be awesome if that cooler could be made to fit
 
Crashman

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Probably the Cooler Master H60. It's a mini liquid cooler and its radiator fits under the top fan.
 
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emergancy exit

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would i be able to keep evrything inside the case? im very concerned about the water cooler busting during transport or leaking later down the road becasue there would be no way to know until it's too late
 
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