this post was submitted on 23 Jan 2024
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Small Form Factor PC

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The original was posted on /r/sffpc by /u/5741354110059687423 on 2024-01-22 17:55:14+00:00.


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Boring Prologue

After a decade since building my first PC in high school, I've decided to build another and get back into PC gaming and do some light editing. I figured it would be a good way to stay connected with long distance friends.

The initial idea behind this build was supposed to be a $500 dogshit, play-on-medium-settings, Facebook Marketplace plus stuff I had around, hodgepodge build. Then I decided that a micro-ATX form factor would be a better use of my desk space. Then I decided that Mini-ITX would be an even better use of my desk space. I ultimately ramped up my budget, as one does, and used my big boy income to settle on a build that I have self-respect for. I did get lucky on sourcing a few of the parts but that just enabled me to spend more on the aesthetics.

I picked the Hyte Revolt 3 mainly because of handle but also for the rest of the form factor and style. Prior to this build, I searched online and found a good amount of resources from other builds. I wanted to share mine here as another resource for anyone else that may consider this case. Most people chose to cool theirs with an AIO. I opted to keep it simple and try out the stock cooler for now. An aftermarket cooler will certainly be the next upgrade.

The Build

As far as components go, I got a pretty good deal on the 5600x on eBay, brand new in box for $120. Then I picked up a RTX 3060 brand new in box from some guy on Facebook Marketplace for $200. The RAM was another Facebook find for $25. The PSU was bought on eBay for $100 as a sealed but damaged box. I looked up some unboxing video of the PSU to see if the damage in the eBay listing would have had direct impact to the PSU but it was evident that the PSU would be fine. Still a slight gamble for some moderate savings but hey it worked out. I installed a pair of old 256GB SSDs to be used in RAID0 for large programs, games, and other large files that I don't concern myself with the safety/speed of. The case, mobo, 2TB SSD, and fans were purchased on Amazon.

These parts will be used to run two 1080p 24" 60Hz monitors.

It took me about 3-4 collective hours to build and tidy up this PC to the way I wanted. The IO ports facing downward is something new to me. There is an access hole for the front ports and power button to enter through. You can see in the picture that I opted to route some of these cables through the third, unused GPU slot. The wires travel up the front of the case, around the GPU. This kept the space above the bottom of the motherboard a bit cleaner. This may not be an option if you are installing a larger, 3-fan GPU. This is also dependent on the motherboard layout.

Honestly, most of my time went into shoving the wires beside the empty and available space for the PSU and the unused 3.5" drive bay. I highly recommend getting a modular PSU for this if you have it in your budget. The PSU fan is oriented to face inward to accommodate the way that the wires are organized. There is slight concern for the power cable going into the GPU given the dramatic bend, but I've since written off the concern since it's a static position.

I have set both case fans as an intake fan. Contrary to some other builds, all magnetic filter screen inserts are left in place. I considered removing the exhaust side (rear) but I didn't want to find a place to store it. The CPU is left at stock settings. At idle, it sits around 55C and reaches 86C while playing Battlefield V on ultra. I haven't really paid much attention to the GPU since it never went over 70C at load whenever I'd glance at it. Like I've mentioned, the stock CPU cooler will be eventually replaced. I don't see myself needing to install the 80mm fan(s) above the GPU because this build is very mid-range. Others attempting to push the space to the limits may see otherwise. Definitely review Hyte's webpage for the Revolt 3's GPU size limitations.

To wrap things up, I'm quite content with the build. The parts are admittedly a bit dated but they work fine with the monitors that I have. I haven't had the experience of using 1440p, high refresh rate monitors so I can be blissfully ignorant over what I am missing for the sake of saving my money lol. With that, I feel this will be sufficient for my needs over the next 4~ years before making my way to new components.

I'm probably missing some details but this post is already quite long for no reason. I'd love to try to answer any other questions for anyone looking at this case. Thanks for reading!

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