[SOLVED] Will my old HTPC case work for new gaming build?

[monge89]

I'm planning a new gaming build with Ryzen 5600x and RTX 3070. I have an old Silverstone ATX home theater style case, and I'm wondering if it has sufficient cooling for those parts. It's more than 10 years old, and I don't know the model number. It's the type of HTPC case that sits horizontally (not a tower case). It's full-size ATX, so it has decent air flow. It has 2 built-in case fans and a couple ventilation grills. Will this case overheat if I use it for the new build?

 

[Archaic59]

I'm planning a new gaming build with Ryzen 5600x and RTX 3070. I have an old Silverstone ATX home theater style case, and I'm wondering if it has sufficient cooling for those parts. It's more than 10 years old, and I don't know the model number. It's the type of HTPC case that sits horizontally (not a tower case). It's full-size ATX, so it has decent air flow. It has 2 built-in case fans and a couple ventilation grills. Will this case overheat if I use it for the new build?

Really need the model number of the Silverstone case to answer your question. There should be a sticker or metal badge or something on the back of the case with this information.

 

[monge89]

Really need the model number of the Silverstone case to answer your question. There should be a sticker or metal badge or something on the back of the case with this information.

Thanks @Archaic59. Found the model number, it's the Silverstone LC17 HTPC case.

 

[Archaic59]

Thanks @Archaic59. Found the model number, it's the Silverstone LC17 HTPC case.

It's a big case for HTPC. I don't see a problem with cooling. If you had to you could replace the case fans with higher RPM models to move more air but it may not be necessary. As CPU and GPU power has increased, efficiency has also increased, meaning less heat from high powered components than before.

The only thing you'll have to determine is if a 3070 will fit lengthwise so get out a measuring tape to see how much room you have to work with. Measure from the back of the case directly across the PCIe slot until you hit an obstruction. You can look up any GPU on pcpartpicker.com and gets its details for power requirements and its dimensions.

Question: In the power supply bay is that a fan grill on the side of the case? That would be handy for a new PSU since it could draw cool air from outside the case. I noticed the PSU mounts turned on its side.

 

[monge89]

It's a big case for HTPC. I don't see a problem with cooling. If you had to you could replace the case fans with higher RPM models to move more air but it may not be necessary. As CPU and GPU power has increased, efficiency has also increased, meaning less heat from high powered components than before.

The only thing you'll have to determine is if a 3070 will fit lengthwise so get out a measuring tape to see how much room you have to work with. Measure from the back of the case directly across the PCIe slot until you hit an obstruction. You can look up any GPU on pcpartpicker.com and gets its details for power requirements and its dimensions.

Question: In the power supply bay is that a fan grill on the side of the case? That would be handy for a new PSU since it could draw cool air from outside the case. I noticed the PSU mounts turned on its side.

I opened up the case. There are actually 2 fan grills in the power supply bay, one on each side of the back right corner where it's located. I also measured the clearance for the GPU. It's 10.5 inches if there are no hard drives installed in the SATA bays, or 9 inches with a hard drive installed. Since I plan on using at least one hard drive to store my movie collection, it looks like I'll have 9" for the GPU with this case. Hopefully that will be enough. Thanks!

 

[Archaic59]

I opened up the case. There are actually 2 fan grills in the power supply bay, one on each side of the back right corner where it's located. I also measured the clearance for the GPU. It's 10.5 inches if there are no hard drives installed in the SATA bays, or 9 inches with a hard drive installed. Since I plan on using at least one hard drive to store my movie collection, it looks like I'll have 9" for the GPU with this case. Hopefully that will be enough. Thanks!

You could always use an external drive to store your movies. This has the added benefit of allowing you to take your movies with you if you wanted to.
https://www.amazon.com/External-Solid-State-Drives/b?node=3015429011

 

[monge89]

You could always use an external drive to store your movies. This has the added benefit of allowing you to take your movies with you if you wanted to.
https://www.amazon.com/External-Solid-State-Drives/b?node=3015429011

I may go with an external drive for media storage. There are a few reasons why I prefer the internal option. The main one is that the movies are currently on 3 old 3.5" internal drives from the old HTPC. I don't know if the data on them is still good, as they've been out of use for years. But they've been kept in a cool, dry storage space so I'm hoping they're still good. So the issue is, even if I get an external drive I'll need to figure out how to transfer the data from the old drives to the new one. I could do it with an external enclosure, but it would just be easier if I could install them in the case's bays. I also want to minimize the number of external peripherals, as space is limited in my media center.