Smallest, most portable system that will take a full size graphics card

[ZachOfAllTrades]

I'll keep it short: I've been searching for the past couple of months and it looks like the SG05 remains the smallest case to take a full size card (6850 is the card in question since it's what I already have). I'm traveling for work and want something that I could package up for my next contract. I love the various VESA mounted solutions that have been coming about lately, but the lack of dedicated graphics is a deal breaker. Already tried a laptop, it's not doing it for me...

SGO5 is a bit too bulky to just bolt to the back of a monitor, so I'm thinking about making something to integrate it where it acts as the base of a stand maybe. I was actually inspired by this, which is pretty much the ultimate of what I'm trying to accomplish: http://revision3.com/tbhs/hak5
Skip to about 3 min in for the build if you've never seen it before.

Any thoughts?

 

[piasabird]

No Such Thing.

 

[sm625]

You cant get smaller than the SG05. It is simply not possible. The dimensions of a full size video card set 2 out of 3 of the dimensions. You simply cannot go smaller than that. And the width of an ITX motherboard sets the 3rd dimension. You cannot reduce that dimension either. So you have 3 set dimensions therefore you have a cube of an absolute minimum size. You can reduce maybe half an inch per side but that is obviously negligible.

 

[wirednuts]

thats ultimate? i dont mean to hate but that wood box seemed bulky and a little crude

i think piasabird might be right though. for what you want, youll probably have to build a case. sheet metal would be the way to go though... or aluminum with rivets. but if you dont have a shop with a brake, forget about it.

 

[wirednuts]

You cant get smaller than the SG05. It is simply not possible. The dimensions of a full size video card set 2 out of 3 of the dimensions. You simply cannot go smaller than that. And the width of an ITX motherboard sets the 3rd dimension. You cannot reduce that dimension either. So you have 3 set dimensions therefore you have a cube of an absolute minimum size. You can reduce maybe half an inch per side but that is obviously negligible.

i dont think you can successfully use pcie extension cards either. like the flexible ribbon kind... i think the rf interference is too high for video cards...

 

[TheStu]

i dont think you can successfully use pcie extension cards either. like the flexible ribbon kind... i think the rf interference is too high for video cards...

No you can do it, that's how the Alienware x51 (i think is the name, their little tower) works. There's is a card rather than a cable, but same principle

 

[ZachOfAllTrades]

Hmm so I was sorta drunk and tired when I posted that. Sorry about that :-/ and I didn't mean the fact that the rig in the video was crude and made of wood made it ultimate, but its the only attempt I could find at a full power gaming rig that just had to be unfolded and turned on. At any rate, I don't move it daily so I've basically decided an sg05 is my best bet and ill instead devise a case that protects pc, monitor, and peripherals that I can carry like a suitcase. I would have to build something either way.

 

[jaqie]

if they still make them, the shuttle xpc series supports full size dual slot video cards and is mini itx like in size. I used to have one back in the athlon barton days, and my best friend got herself a core2 quad based one a few years ago and put an hd3870 x2 in it.

 

[Johnmcl7]

No you can do it, that's how the Alienware x51 (i think is the name, their little tower) works. There's is a card rather than a cable, but same principle

That's the correct model and it does have the graphics card mounted at 90 degrees to make for a pretty compact case. I've not found anything similar available as just a case as I fancied making a compact gaming system but all the available cases mount the card at 90 degrees which significantly increases the size of the case. The cost of the X51 seems completely ludicrous - a basic i5 with an Nvidia GT 640 and 1TB hard drive is £650 and an i7 version with the 660 and 2TB drive is over a grand.

John

 

[piasabird]

There are some cases that have a Ribbon or PCIE riser but then you have a problem with cooling and a power supply large enough to power a motherbord and gaming video card. I think I saw an article a while back with a narrow retail setup but it costs like $3,000 and the CPU GPU had water cooling or somthing like that. Then you have to cram in all the wires.

Here is a teaser?

http://hi-techdaily.blogspot.com/2013/03/asrock-shows-new-mini-itx-gaming-system.html

 

[Madpacket]

Yeah grab an X51 and call it a day.

 

[Chime]

The M3A2 (it's a few threads down on this forum) is 6-8 weeks away from prototypes going out, but you can fit a 450 watt SFX PSU in it and a 12.25" GPU. It's about the same size as an x51/xbox 360.