Silverstone SG03-F build

Razor-BladE · 17 Apr 2011 at 17:46

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.

Razor-BladE · 17 Apr 2011 at 21:56

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?

Razor-BladE · 17 Apr 2011 at 22:37

And progress continues after using my Merkur razor as pliers haha.

Razor-BladE · 18 Apr 2011 at 00:40

How have people fit a H50 in there?! It's annoying me.. The tubing gets in the way of the psu..

Razor-BladE · 18 Apr 2011 at 11:40

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:

Next to the R2

This was my build in the R2

And in the SG03

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

Update:

Ran prime95 for just under an 1.5 hours and reached a max 72c. Going to start OCing it now.

Razor-BladE · 18 Apr 2011 at 14:13

It didn't look like it would fit because there's no room at the very top of the fan as it's right against the optical drive bay.

Razor-BladE · 18 Apr 2011 at 14:49

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.

Razor-BladE · 19 Apr 2011 at 14:06

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:

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.

Razor-BladE · 19 Apr 2011 at 19:49

Nah it's running at a nice 42c. The low power consumption and temps is why I choose the 5770

Razor-BladE · 20 Apr 2011 at 22:27

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.

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.

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?

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.

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

Razor-BladE · 21 Apr 2011 at 13:12

Here ya go buddy.

Razor-BladE · 27 Apr 2011 at 14:05

Gangster said:
Looks v.nice mate Wish silverstone would put the PSU above the CD... making it a little bit taller - that psu there is the only thing stopping me buying it... would be nice to put a window there.

Thanks

Yeah, but then it wouldn't be as small as it is, which is why I bought it. Otherwise it'll become very similar to the TJ08. I was unsure of it at first but with a watercooler, and some patience the outcome's great.

I have no preference about a window, but with this case there wouldn't be much point as you'll only be seeing the PSU