Silverstone SG03-F build

Razor-BladE

Razor-BladE

Razor-BladE

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Took possession of the SG03-F case a couple of weeks ago, and wow it's even smaller than it looks from pictures/dimensions!

Just got back to uni, so once I've sorted everything else, I'll be moving everything from the Fractal Design R2 into the case. Not upgrading anything so spec is in sig (plus a Xonar DX).

Pictures will come later as this is my only computer. Hopefully everything goes smoothly!

Then I'll spend the rest of the day overclocking it properly as I've been meaning to do it since I received the chip but never really got around to it.
 
Maybe not height wise true, but quite small depth at 312mm and it's one of the smallest mATX cases I've come across. And being my first SFF build it's quite a lot smaller than midi cases.

Edit: I personally quite like the looks of it. Each to their own!

This is a right annoyance.. one of the motherboard standoffs unscrewed from the case and it tight enough that I need pliers.. guess what I don't have.. :/

So I'm texting this from my phone :( any ideas on what I can use as a makeshift pliers?
 
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Quite interested in this thread now as I've wanted to rebuild into a smaller case and sell my current Lianli ac05 to a friend. Although its a nice and quiet case I just love small cases and just fancy a change into something smaller.

I too have an SG03-F hanging around and may be using a corsair H60 on the cpu hmmm..

Its either the SG03-F or buy an SG01-f
 
FINALLY.. That took a while..

Firstly, I had to reseat the H50 so that the tubes were closest to the front of the case so that when the PSU went on, the tubes could just about come out of the side.

After putting it together, the H50 pump wasn't working so I had to take out the PSU and plug the power connector into somewhere else.
At this point I thought I'm not going to bother with a push pull configuration on the rad later on because it would have been an even tighter fit, and it's cramped as it is!
Plus I don't have another set of long screws so I couldn't even try. So I took out the Corsair fan that I put in at the beginning replacing the top fan, and put the Silverstone one back in.

May I just add, that the mesh front is quite weak and has a stupid design to taking it off, which results in it bending slightly every time you take it off.

After much twisting and turning of cables, I finally got it put together.. again.

Fortunately, everything still works and I can boot in.

Because I put the rad on the bottom fan, I couldn't use the bottom HDD space and so I had to put it on the side bit.. makes it quite noisy when loading things up as it has no noise dampeners.
Other than that it's pretty quiet.

With regards to temperature, at first it was quite cool.. and atm idles at around 40c which isn't too bad I guess, but heats up very quickly when doing things and just by using lightroom/internet, it's hit 60c.

I will be running prime in a mo, but here's some pictures first: :)

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Next to the R2

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This was my build in the R2

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And in the SG03

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(This is the only photo as the 'final' setup; photo after this is before I moved stuff about)

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Update:

Ran prime95 for just under an 1.5 hours and reached a max 72c. Going to start OCing it now.
 
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Could you not move the radiator to the top fan placement? gives you more room down below to fit your hard disk properly. and you could always add another 120mm fan at the bottom of the front to help cool the lower section of the case.
 
I don't think so, as the H50 still has a little extra size the other side of the tubes.
One maybe, might be having the tubes coming from the inner side of the case but I didn't try it.
 
Ahh I'd take a look into mine but it turns out its at my brothers and he's using it..

So I must now figure out if I want the sg03f with the SG04 side panel (As I hate the mesh on the side as its not used for me) or just get an SG04f but unsure what the noise is going to be like with the restricted airflow at the front.

Im quite excited to be getting it back into a small case :D!
 
Update:

1. Reseated the H50 as installation wasn't too smooth.
2. Changed rad to upper fan (it JUST fits).
3. Move HDD from side to bottom.
3. Do a better job of cabling.

And voila:

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It's quieter and cooler. :) Idling around 37c and have yet to test load, but was running to 68c on IBT before these changes.

Edit: Doesn't get any hotter than 63c running IBT so a nice improvement.
 
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just got one of these from the MM, interesting to see someone elses progress.
you have plenty of room left, i had to put a 240 rad into the front of mine. if you think the graphics card is getting a bit toasty, you can wedge another 120 fan under the psu/side brace.
will keep an eye on this though, saves me starting a thread!
 
When I had one (the one bluntslide has now incidentally ;) ) I had the rad in to top location, though with the tube ports on the outer edge and bending down across the surface of the rad, and back under the psu.

Also had the psu facing inward (started with it facing outward, but facing inwards helps with exhausting the warm air), and having a psu with 140mm fan really helps here - I had a hx650 first, and think it was the reason it died; switched to an ocz modxstream 600w with the 140mm fan, and it did make a difference.

Then also used the akasa pwm splitter cable and having the two front intakes on the cpu pwm header.
 
For sheer mATX power in a small space, i'm still waiting for something to come close to this case. It's really a fantastic little box and says it all that nothing has done small mATX better in four years.

Probably the nearest competitors are the NZXT Vulcan and Silverstone TJ08 but they're both a good 5L larger with a bigger footprint too.
 
Nice to see another happy Sugo owner.

Can you please check the packaging box for a small section stating revision (if the same as SG-03 box)?

For removing the front mesh I just slide a flat headed screwdriver in at the protuding plastic humps on one side to gentally prise mesh cover over the blocks. Then swing cover off like a door.

The earlier Corsair PSU (might still be the case) were meant to be have tested at 50°C, so I have mine with the fan facing inwards to cool a passive CPU cooler. And with the CPU idling in the 30's it doesn't overly warm up system.

Edit: Any chance of another face on picture with optical drive? Just to get a clear view of how optical contrasts with metal of case.
 
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Curunen said:
I had the rad in to top location, though with the tube ports on the outer edge and bending down across the surface of the rad, and back under the psu.
Click to expand...

I didn't realise until I was sorting the fans out for the last time, that they give you an extra space so you can make the top fan lower, otherwise I probably would have put the tubes at the top, but ah well, makes no difference.

Tute said:
It's really a fantastic little box and says it all that nothing has done small mATX better in four years.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I was researching for ages which case is smallest and fits my needs best, and it kept coming back to the SG03. The TJ08 would've been my second choice I think.

Bane said:
Can you please check the packaging box stating revision?

Any chance of another face on picture with optical drive?
Click to expand...

Doesn't say 'revision' but in one of the boxes it simply has 'V 1.1'. I'm guessing that stands for version.

Sure, will do in a bit.

Also had the psu facing inward..

..so I have mine with the fan facing inwards to cool a passive CPU cooler.
Click to expand...

I may try it someday but I can't be bothered opening and moving things about again :)
 
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