- Jan 7, 2007
- 4,009
- 1,511
- 136
Since questions about SFF builds with slightly higher spec'ed parts seem to come up in the forums every couple of months or so, I decided to post a little chronicle of my particular build. If this helps anyone or keeps people from posting the same questions over and over again, then I'll be satisfied.
The BrundleFLY. (because it's that fucked up)
Purpose: gaming and general browsing [I have a separate machine for work and big tasks]
Objective: cram some fairly nice components into a small form factor case and overclock the crap out of a budget/midrange CPU.
Parts:
case: Ultra Microfly with 400W PSU
cpu: Intel E4300 allendale 1.8 GHz.
cooler: Noctua NH-U12F & NF-S12 fan
M/B: Asus P5E-VM HDMI
ram: Corsair xms2 ddr2-800 2 x 2Gb
HD: Western Digital 160 pata (leftover, would have bought a sata if didn't already have this)
video: BFG 8800 GTS g92 512
dvd: Emprex 16x DL dvd RW
misc: Rosewill ide to sata converter, Thermalright HR05 IFX, Arctic Cooling 80mm fluid bearing fan.
Tools:
assorted philips screwdrivers
medical forceps
assorted Dremel type rotary tools
cutting disks, grinding tip, buffing wheel
masking tape
table clamp
eye protection (seriously, this is absolutely necessary)
Prep:
There are a ton of Microfly/Xqpack reviews out there so I won't bother with the details of basic assembly or pics of that stuff, and wiil focus on the modifications needed for better cooling. First some background on SFF cubes.
-The primary limitations of most of the SFF cubes out now is that they tend to be designed on the outdated assumption that the user is going for a HTPC or low noise general-use system with a uATX motherboard and no overclocking (the new shuttle with the P35 chipset is probably the exception). They therefore assume the use of an Intel stock cpu heatsink or low profile orb/flower type cooler. (Neither of which allows for the 50-80% low noise overclocks now common with good heatpipe heatsinks.) As a result they use removable motherboard trays for user convenience during assembly. Unfortunately this generally precludes the use of a tower H/S as the opening on the rear panel of the case is rarely larger than 75mm tall. There is a partial logic to this design as some previous cases located the PSU above the CPU to aid in exhausting the heated air. The Microfly/Xqpack/Chenming was one of the few designs to put the PSU over the PCI slots and put a 120mm exhaust fan by the CPU. This clears up a lot of space above the cpu socket area, certainly enough for a tower H/S.-
At the time that I decided to undertake this little adventure, I had the Noctua NH-U12F and a Thermalright Ultra-90. I also intended to get a TR Ultima90 for my work rig. This gave me 3 possible H/S to use with the Microfly. (note: all this was theoretical as I had not yet purchased a microfly case. Anyone considering attempting something similar to this should do a little prep work/research before commiting to buying anything.) Examining pics of the case and the m/b while mounted, I determined that the crossbeam support/spar located over the cpu socket area would block any tower and especialy one with a 25mm thick fan attached. So there would be some cutting involved.(no big deal, aluminum is soft enough) The location of the full size ATX standard PSU also limits the possible mounting orientations of a tower H/S. Assuming you cut the crossbeam, the maximum length & width for any H/S becomes roughly 150mm x 100mm.
http://img183.imageshack.us/im...480/flyoverheadrk9.jpg
(note: depending on where the cpu socket is located on whichever M/B you use, you may have to make larger cuts or entirely remove the crossbeam.)
http://img183.imageshack.us/im...lysocketoffsetsgn3.jpg
NH-U12F______126mm x 95mm(70+25) with fan [155mm tall]
Ultra-90______102mm x 75mm(50+25) with fan [147mm tall]
Ultima-90_____115mm x 80mm(55+25) with fan [139mm tall]
(note: the Ultima wire fan clips are designed to fit over the whole fan, and not the inside open post like the TRUE120. This will add another 4-5 mm to the overall width and length. It's even more than that if you consider the arc as the clips swing out while mounting the fan. This was the main reason I eventually went with the noctua.)
So all three will fit, but since I was going for the gusto and the grande overclock it's the Noctua that's going in. (in retrospect the Ultra-90 might have been a better choice as it would require cutting a good bit less of the crossbeam and HD cage. Additionally, I might have been able to point the sink blowing towards the 120mm rear exhaust.)
The Dirty Work:
After purchasing all the components, a few issues cropped up. The northbridge H/S on the Asus P5E-VM was disturbingly wobbly. One of the spring pins was way weaker than the other. Since I had had some OC problems on my ga965p dsr3 (n/b sink was hot enough to cook an egg) I ordered a TR HR05 ifx from Jabtech ~$22. I would have been happy with the older HR05 at $15 from Sidewinder, but I didn't trust the older style spring pins and they were out of the $5 bolt thru kit [~15+5].
http://img363.imageshack.us/my...mage=flycutmarkku8.jpg
At the time the NH-U12F was in my work rig, so I did the test fitting/sizing with the Ultima 90. With the fan clipped in and the H/S roughly in place on the board, I marked out the sections of the side crossbeam to be cut (note the "roughly" means no mounting brackets or screws, just sitting on top of the plastic cover of the cpu socket). A test mount of the HR05 showed that the center crossbeam would prevent it from fitting. So it would have to go as well. A 40min session with the rotary tool cleared away the offending sections. The aluminum is about as soft as I thought it would be, with the exception of the die stamped cutouts in the crossbeam and the edges which are rolled back and rounded. (For safety's sake, please wear full eye protection. I had 5 cutting disks shatter and sharp pieces fly all over the place. You can see the ding on one of the crossbeams. Also, aluminum filings if they get into your eye will cut your sclera to shreds and is a guaranteed trip to the emergency room. Unlike steel filings, they can't be pulled out with a magnet.) Some touches with the grinding cone tip on the rotary took off the sharp edges and the buffing disc makes them almost smooth.
After transplanting the NH-U12F out of the work rig and getting the mounting brackets on the Asus, "roughly" came back to bite me in the ass. In trying to save the rear screw threading of the HD cage, I hadn't cut enough to fit the Noctua. So back to the cutting board. (I was generally planning on not using the cage since this was going to be a single drive build, but "just in case" I was going to chop it.) A dremel tool with the flexible extension shaft will make the overall job much easier. I have a $40 Black&Decker variable speed with massive torque for the big stuff, and a $20 nikota with flex shaft from Kragen for the tighter angles. Using larger cutting discs can help too. I used a table clamp when cutting the HD cage, if you don't have access to one then cutting it while mounted on the case frame may be your only alternative. Just be sure to keep the cutting disc at a perpendicular to the surface, angling it could make it snag on the two aluminum surfaces and shatter the disc.
The final cuts.
http://img391.imageshack.us/my...?image=flycuts2ce0.jpg
Assembly:
With two parts that are taller than the rear panel opening(NH-U12F and HR05), there is a specific order in which all the parts have to go in. Mount the CPU cooler backplate/brackets and the screws for the N/B cooler on the M/B (you can hold them in place with the thumbscrews/thumbnuts? while sliding the M/B tray into the case.) The bare M/B goes in the tray and the tray slides in the case. Apply TIM to the N/B and mount the HR05. Apply TIM to CPU sink and place on top. This leaves you very little room to manuever the CPU H/S spring loaded retaining screw on the N/B side of the 775 socket. I used a set of medical foreceps(giant tweezers) to position the screw while I pressed down from the top with the screwdriver. You can reach in with the tweezers from the DIMM slots side just under the HD cage area. (I would not want to attempt this with any cooler that requires a 4 screw bolt-thru mounting. Fortunately the Ultima90 and UH12F only use two screws) Tighten down the CPU H/S and take a break. The toughest part is over.
http://img391.imageshack.us/my.php?image=flyifxlg3.jpg
http://img237.imageshack.us/my...?image=flynoct1kr2.jpg
http://img237.imageshack.us/my...?image=flynoct2tp0.jpg
Mount the CPU fan. I have the option of going with a pull or push orientation. While a "push" would send some air towards the HR05, I opted for a "pull" because I didn't want to heat up the video card or add any more heat load to the PSU which would suck up most of that air. By pulling, the heated air stays by the cpu area and can be drawn away by the 120mm exhaust fan (might as well let it do its job.) If necessary I can switch it to a "push" easily.
The RAM goes in easily enough, just make sure you line up the notch beforehand. Since the P5E VM has IGP, it's possible to do a quick post and BIOS check now. A quick power on, and all's good. (Amberclad: I installed another pair of Corsair dimms for a total of 4 populated slots. No problems in the board posting or recognizing 6GB.)
From here the only major component left is the video card. Lowering the card in from the top isn't too troublesome, but getting it in the pci-e x16 slot was a little delicate If you have a slot with a spring loaded retention tab, you may want to get another pair of hands to assist. (note: the 8800GTS 512 is generally the same length as the 8800GT. The Microfly has roughly 3.5 inches of clearance past the edge of the M/B. Mounting longer cards like a 8800GTX should not be a problem unless it has the PEG plugs on the top edge like the 9800GX2. Some people have been reporting that the Microfly couldn't fit the longer cards. (I had actually planned on using the Gigabyte 8800GT with zalman830 due to it's 4 phase power filtering being cooler, but the ends of its heat pipes would have intruded into the psu fan grille. Long is OK, tall is BAD.) All assembly done with the PSU removed in case I didn't mention it. (note: a dual slot card like the GTS 512 blocks at least 2 if not 4 of the 6 P5E-VM sata ports. You might get some back if you use 90 degree connector cables. A single slot card would probably give you all 6 to work with. The only upside is the GTS exhausts most of its hot air directly out of the case.)
http://img366.imageshack.us/my.php?image=flybfgsc3.jpg
http://img186.imageshack.us/my.php?image=flytop1vg3.jpg
http://img186.imageshack.us/my.php?image=flytop2ap7.jpg
test
Overclocking:
-coming
Edit 4/3/2008: assembly process added.
Edit 4/5/2008: prep pics and cleaning up some formatting
The BrundleFLY. (because it's that fucked up)
Purpose: gaming and general browsing [I have a separate machine for work and big tasks]
Objective: cram some fairly nice components into a small form factor case and overclock the crap out of a budget/midrange CPU.
Parts:
case: Ultra Microfly with 400W PSU
cpu: Intel E4300 allendale 1.8 GHz.
cooler: Noctua NH-U12F & NF-S12 fan
M/B: Asus P5E-VM HDMI
ram: Corsair xms2 ddr2-800 2 x 2Gb
HD: Western Digital 160 pata (leftover, would have bought a sata if didn't already have this)
video: BFG 8800 GTS g92 512
dvd: Emprex 16x DL dvd RW
misc: Rosewill ide to sata converter, Thermalright HR05 IFX, Arctic Cooling 80mm fluid bearing fan.
Tools:
assorted philips screwdrivers
medical forceps
assorted Dremel type rotary tools
cutting disks, grinding tip, buffing wheel
masking tape
table clamp
eye protection (seriously, this is absolutely necessary)
Prep:
There are a ton of Microfly/Xqpack reviews out there so I won't bother with the details of basic assembly or pics of that stuff, and wiil focus on the modifications needed for better cooling. First some background on SFF cubes.
-The primary limitations of most of the SFF cubes out now is that they tend to be designed on the outdated assumption that the user is going for a HTPC or low noise general-use system with a uATX motherboard and no overclocking (the new shuttle with the P35 chipset is probably the exception). They therefore assume the use of an Intel stock cpu heatsink or low profile orb/flower type cooler. (Neither of which allows for the 50-80% low noise overclocks now common with good heatpipe heatsinks.) As a result they use removable motherboard trays for user convenience during assembly. Unfortunately this generally precludes the use of a tower H/S as the opening on the rear panel of the case is rarely larger than 75mm tall. There is a partial logic to this design as some previous cases located the PSU above the CPU to aid in exhausting the heated air. The Microfly/Xqpack/Chenming was one of the few designs to put the PSU over the PCI slots and put a 120mm exhaust fan by the CPU. This clears up a lot of space above the cpu socket area, certainly enough for a tower H/S.-
At the time that I decided to undertake this little adventure, I had the Noctua NH-U12F and a Thermalright Ultra-90. I also intended to get a TR Ultima90 for my work rig. This gave me 3 possible H/S to use with the Microfly. (note: all this was theoretical as I had not yet purchased a microfly case. Anyone considering attempting something similar to this should do a little prep work/research before commiting to buying anything.) Examining pics of the case and the m/b while mounted, I determined that the crossbeam support/spar located over the cpu socket area would block any tower and especialy one with a 25mm thick fan attached. So there would be some cutting involved.(no big deal, aluminum is soft enough) The location of the full size ATX standard PSU also limits the possible mounting orientations of a tower H/S. Assuming you cut the crossbeam, the maximum length & width for any H/S becomes roughly 150mm x 100mm.
http://img183.imageshack.us/im...480/flyoverheadrk9.jpg
(note: depending on where the cpu socket is located on whichever M/B you use, you may have to make larger cuts or entirely remove the crossbeam.)
http://img183.imageshack.us/im...lysocketoffsetsgn3.jpg
NH-U12F______126mm x 95mm(70+25) with fan [155mm tall]
Ultra-90______102mm x 75mm(50+25) with fan [147mm tall]
Ultima-90_____115mm x 80mm(55+25) with fan [139mm tall]
(note: the Ultima wire fan clips are designed to fit over the whole fan, and not the inside open post like the TRUE120. This will add another 4-5 mm to the overall width and length. It's even more than that if you consider the arc as the clips swing out while mounting the fan. This was the main reason I eventually went with the noctua.)
So all three will fit, but since I was going for the gusto and the grande overclock it's the Noctua that's going in. (in retrospect the Ultra-90 might have been a better choice as it would require cutting a good bit less of the crossbeam and HD cage. Additionally, I might have been able to point the sink blowing towards the 120mm rear exhaust.)
The Dirty Work:
After purchasing all the components, a few issues cropped up. The northbridge H/S on the Asus P5E-VM was disturbingly wobbly. One of the spring pins was way weaker than the other. Since I had had some OC problems on my ga965p dsr3 (n/b sink was hot enough to cook an egg) I ordered a TR HR05 ifx from Jabtech ~$22. I would have been happy with the older HR05 at $15 from Sidewinder, but I didn't trust the older style spring pins and they were out of the $5 bolt thru kit [~15+5].
http://img363.imageshack.us/my...mage=flycutmarkku8.jpg
At the time the NH-U12F was in my work rig, so I did the test fitting/sizing with the Ultima 90. With the fan clipped in and the H/S roughly in place on the board, I marked out the sections of the side crossbeam to be cut (note the "roughly" means no mounting brackets or screws, just sitting on top of the plastic cover of the cpu socket). A test mount of the HR05 showed that the center crossbeam would prevent it from fitting. So it would have to go as well. A 40min session with the rotary tool cleared away the offending sections. The aluminum is about as soft as I thought it would be, with the exception of the die stamped cutouts in the crossbeam and the edges which are rolled back and rounded. (For safety's sake, please wear full eye protection. I had 5 cutting disks shatter and sharp pieces fly all over the place. You can see the ding on one of the crossbeams. Also, aluminum filings if they get into your eye will cut your sclera to shreds and is a guaranteed trip to the emergency room. Unlike steel filings, they can't be pulled out with a magnet.) Some touches with the grinding cone tip on the rotary took off the sharp edges and the buffing disc makes them almost smooth.
After transplanting the NH-U12F out of the work rig and getting the mounting brackets on the Asus, "roughly" came back to bite me in the ass. In trying to save the rear screw threading of the HD cage, I hadn't cut enough to fit the Noctua. So back to the cutting board. (I was generally planning on not using the cage since this was going to be a single drive build, but "just in case" I was going to chop it.) A dremel tool with the flexible extension shaft will make the overall job much easier. I have a $40 Black&Decker variable speed with massive torque for the big stuff, and a $20 nikota with flex shaft from Kragen for the tighter angles. Using larger cutting discs can help too. I used a table clamp when cutting the HD cage, if you don't have access to one then cutting it while mounted on the case frame may be your only alternative. Just be sure to keep the cutting disc at a perpendicular to the surface, angling it could make it snag on the two aluminum surfaces and shatter the disc.
The final cuts.
http://img391.imageshack.us/my...?image=flycuts2ce0.jpg
Assembly:
With two parts that are taller than the rear panel opening(NH-U12F and HR05), there is a specific order in which all the parts have to go in. Mount the CPU cooler backplate/brackets and the screws for the N/B cooler on the M/B (you can hold them in place with the thumbscrews/thumbnuts? while sliding the M/B tray into the case.) The bare M/B goes in the tray and the tray slides in the case. Apply TIM to the N/B and mount the HR05. Apply TIM to CPU sink and place on top. This leaves you very little room to manuever the CPU H/S spring loaded retaining screw on the N/B side of the 775 socket. I used a set of medical foreceps(giant tweezers) to position the screw while I pressed down from the top with the screwdriver. You can reach in with the tweezers from the DIMM slots side just under the HD cage area. (I would not want to attempt this with any cooler that requires a 4 screw bolt-thru mounting. Fortunately the Ultima90 and UH12F only use two screws) Tighten down the CPU H/S and take a break. The toughest part is over.
http://img391.imageshack.us/my.php?image=flyifxlg3.jpg
http://img237.imageshack.us/my...?image=flynoct1kr2.jpg
http://img237.imageshack.us/my...?image=flynoct2tp0.jpg
Mount the CPU fan. I have the option of going with a pull or push orientation. While a "push" would send some air towards the HR05, I opted for a "pull" because I didn't want to heat up the video card or add any more heat load to the PSU which would suck up most of that air. By pulling, the heated air stays by the cpu area and can be drawn away by the 120mm exhaust fan (might as well let it do its job.) If necessary I can switch it to a "push" easily.
The RAM goes in easily enough, just make sure you line up the notch beforehand. Since the P5E VM has IGP, it's possible to do a quick post and BIOS check now. A quick power on, and all's good. (Amberclad: I installed another pair of Corsair dimms for a total of 4 populated slots. No problems in the board posting or recognizing 6GB.)
From here the only major component left is the video card. Lowering the card in from the top isn't too troublesome, but getting it in the pci-e x16 slot was a little delicate If you have a slot with a spring loaded retention tab, you may want to get another pair of hands to assist. (note: the 8800GTS 512 is generally the same length as the 8800GT. The Microfly has roughly 3.5 inches of clearance past the edge of the M/B. Mounting longer cards like a 8800GTX should not be a problem unless it has the PEG plugs on the top edge like the 9800GX2. Some people have been reporting that the Microfly couldn't fit the longer cards. (I had actually planned on using the Gigabyte 8800GT with zalman830 due to it's 4 phase power filtering being cooler, but the ends of its heat pipes would have intruded into the psu fan grille. Long is OK, tall is BAD.) All assembly done with the PSU removed in case I didn't mention it. (note: a dual slot card like the GTS 512 blocks at least 2 if not 4 of the 6 P5E-VM sata ports. You might get some back if you use 90 degree connector cables. A single slot card would probably give you all 6 to work with. The only upside is the GTS exhausts most of its hot air directly out of the case.)
http://img366.imageshack.us/my.php?image=flybfgsc3.jpg
http://img186.imageshack.us/my.php?image=flytop1vg3.jpg
http://img186.imageshack.us/my.php?image=flytop2ap7.jpg
test
Overclocking:
-coming
Edit 4/3/2008: assembly process added.
Edit 4/5/2008: prep pics and cleaning up some formatting
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