Looking to Convert from Tower to SFF

[def4106]

I spend a lot of time going back and forth with my pc now, and my full time case is just a pain to deal with so I want to try to put it in a tiny case that is portable.

My current system is:

Intel E6400 (not Oc'ed, will not OC) Stock Fan
ASRock 775 (the one that uses old DDR ram - I plan to replace this and the ram)
2 Gig DDR Ram (plan to replace this)
SoundBlaster X-FI Platinum (I like having the front bay, willing to get rid of it)
2 HDD - will re use them (SATA drives)
SeaSonic S12 PSU (430 watt.. I think its 430-500)
Nvidia 7900GT


So I'd love to just change case, mobo, and memory and leave the rest for now, is this doable and what would you recommend?

 

[AmberClad]

If your ASRock board is a regular ATX, you'll need to buy a mATX one to replace it. Everything else, as far I can tell, will be reusable:

Intel E6400 (not Oc'ed, will not OC) Stock Fan --> YES

ASRock 775 (the one that uses old DDR ram - I plan to replace this and the ram) --> NO, if it's regular ATX

2 Gig DDR Ram (plan to replace this) --> you're changing this

SoundBlaster X-FI Platinum (I like having the front bay, willing to get rid of it) --> YES (but most SSF boxes have 2x 5.25" bays at most, so keep that in mind if you need multiple optical drives)

2 HDD - will re use them (SATA drives) --> YES (most SFF boxes have space for 2-3 HDDs)

SeaSonic S12 PSU (430 watt.. I think its 430-500) --> YES (this model is actually a popular replacement for stock SFF PSUs because it can fit nicely in them)

Nvidia 7900GT --> YES (of course, the mATX board you pick needs to have PCIe x16)

 

[jpeyton]

Keep all your components and buy this case.

It's almost as small as some mATX mini-tower cases, and it accepts all your ATX components. Looks great too, and it's lightweight.

 

[def4106]

Any mobo/case/memory recommendations?

 

[AmberClad]

Here's the excerpt from the motherboard forum:

MicroATX ? Midrange
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯

1. GIGABYTE GA-G33M-DS2R

* Specs: G33 + ICH9R. 1 x VGA. PCIe x16/PCIe x4/PCIe x1/PCI: 1/1/0/2*. PATA/SATA: 1/6, RAID, Gb LAN, ALC889A, S/PDIF header only, IEEE 1394
* Overclocking: ~430MHz (E6300), > 333MHz (E4300, need DDR2-1111)
* Price: ~$138

2. abit Fatal1ty F-I90HD

* Specs: Radeon Xpress 1250 + SB600, 1 x HDMI supporting HDCP, 1 x DVI (via the included HDMI to DVI connector), PCIe x16/PCIe x1/PCI: 1/2*/1. PATA/SATA: 1/4, RAID, Gb LAN, ALC888, optical S/PDIF out, no IEEE 1394
* Overclocking: ~370MHz (E6xxx & E4300)
* Price: ~$103
* Notes: A minor problem is that the SATA1 port is blocked when GeForce 8800 GTS is inserted.

3. Foxconn G9657MA-8EKRS2H

* Specs: G965 + ICH8R, 1 x VGA, PCIe x16/PCIe x1/PCI: 1/1*/2, PATA/SATA/eSATA: 1/4/1, RAID, Gb LAN, ALC883, coaxial & optical S/PDIF outs, IEEE 1394
* Overclocking: ~320MHz (E6xxx), ~265MHz (E4300), ~290MHz (the BSEL-modded E4300)
* Price: ~$94
* Notes: The best overall microATX board

If you plan on upgrading to a dual slot video card on this board eventually, then I suggest considering the Foxconn over the other two. The board layout is more optimal for those of us who use long sound cards plus dual slot video cards (there's more room for airflow to the GPU).

If you'll be sticking with the 7900 GT for a while, then any of these three will be fine. Skott mentioned that there may be some issues with the ABIT F-I90HD, you may want to ask him for details if you're considering that one. The Gigabyte GA-G33M-DS2R is reputed to be an excellent overclocker.



As for cases, if you're more into the boxy form factor type as opposed to the mini-tower type, then you've got several options:

Qmicra (don't know much about this particular one, Skott will probably know more about it)
Ultra Microfly (seems to be a popular one lately, overall design is similar to an enhanced X-QPack)
Apevia X-QPack 2 (this is an updated version of what I have)
Chenming mATX (clone of the X-QPack)
FalconNW Fragbox (VERY pricey)
Thermaltake Lanbox (looks a bit like the Fragbox)
Silverstone Sugo (a bit small? not sure)



Memory:
The various Corsair XMS kits are very popular. There are also plenty of other slightly cheaper options too.