I am planning to build a SFF PC in the future

[Cristatus]

I was wonder, what are the main advantages of build an SFF PC? Disadvantages? Why would someone make an SFF PC? Where would I find parts for it?

Future ~ couple of years (just picked up a new laptop). Still going to research on it for a while.

 

[erwos]

What do you mean by SFF? Are you including mATX setups in that term, or only Shuttle-esque setups?

SFF and mATX are two similar, but different things.

-Erwos

 

[Cristatus]

Hmm...I just did some more research and found the mATX is basically the same thing as an ATX setup, but with lesser things, but I might actually be consider the SFF approach.

According to my research (through Wikipedia) I have found the mATX is basically in between SFF and ATX. SFF is more like a shoebox design, but a bit more height.

What architectures allow gaming? That is the more important question for me. I do realise that if I will be gaming on SFF then it will be more noisier.

Also, where do I find parts for both configurations (mATX and SFF) (I maybe be building more than one computer for the future: mine is definitely going to be gaming oriented, but there are going to be at least another two (for sister, and the other for my parents) that will not need any gaming parts whatsoever).

 

[Away]

The main advantage of a SFF setup is the small amount of space it takes. It is perfect for someone with limited desk space. The main disadvantage is heat. I personally wouldn't want to run to many high end components in one without improving the airflow in some way. If you are considering buying a SFF there are a couple routes you can go. Brands like Shuttle make boxes with the motherboard built in. All you would have to buy is the processor, memory, and a video card (if the onboard wasn't good enough). Another option to consider is to buy a case like the Antec Aria. It is a SFF box, but it will fit any mATX motherboard. This gives you a bit more control over your system and what you put in it. A great place to shop for components is Newegg. They carry several Shuttle type boxes and the Antec Aria as well. Hope this helps in your build.

 

[erwos]

Originally posted by: AwayIt is a SFF box, but it will fit any mATX motherboard.

It is NOT a SFF case. By definition, if it fits a mATX board, it's a mATX case.

I'll expound on this more later in the day.

-Erwos

 

[idea]

Advantages:

Better looking on your desk
Smaller footprint
Relatively portable
They are simple. Who the hell needs 4 external drives and 5 internal drives? 8 fans running? Blue LEDs all over the place? You don't need that crap. 1-2 externals and 1-2 internals are all you need these days.

And my favorite...

They are quiet.

 

[Saint Nick]

I love my mATX Aspire X-QPack setup. its quiet, i don't have a million lights everywhere, one fan, one optical, two hard disks... its perfect. its portable. cost me about 750 bucks with my own parts, mostly bought here on AT of course!

 

[Cristatus]

Does newegg.com do internation shipping though?

 

[Ripvanwinkle]

 

[Ripvanwinkle]

jndietz is on the money. my SN95G5 v1, good OCZ mem, 6600GT runs like a clock, atomic clock. The V1' came with exiting problems other than overclocking that gave me more fun over the long haul. I shut it down once a week just to see if it still boots! Next year I too will will replace the AMD 3000 with an X2 4400 and buy a X-QPack for a new plaything. Good memory is the most important buy for any machine!

Real reply..........

 

[thesaint2004]

I have a 3.2 Extreme edition, an x800xt AIW, two 160gb hd's, and a dvd burner in mine and it runs fine. I have a shuttle sb61g2r.

 

[ShellGuy]

Hey saint bet that gets nice and toasty inside. Will G.

 

[dionx]

i love my shuttle computer over any ATX case i've ever had. everything is just more effieciently packed in a shuttle case whereas in an atx case you have to organize your wires to make it look nice and get the airflow desired. i don't really care about OC'ing as i used to therefore heat isnt an issue for me. i'd rather pay for a higher clocked CPU and get it to work from the start, rather than tinkering with OC'ing and wasting my time. the few more dollars i spent for the CPU is worth more than the time i would waste OC'ing.

plus the shuttle case is far quiter using only two fans: powersupply/cpu and video card. as far as harddrives go, i use a 74GB Raptor for speed, and use external Western Digitals for storage. i don't do disc-to-disc burning therefore a DVD burner is all i need.