Small Form Factor Buyers’ Guide
by Zach Throckmorton on May 25, 2011 10:30 AM ESTClosing Thoughts
Our last buyers’ guide focused on nettops with small footprints, low power consumption, and relatively impotent computing capabilities. This guide conveys a fuller range of SFF system abilities, from inexpensive general computers to high-powered, higher-priced gaming rigs. There really are a wealth of options for smaller computers if you’re willing to give them a shot.
I’ve been a long time SFF enthusiast, and the evolution of this niche market has been intriguing. When I started building computers a decade ago, the SFF system didn’t really even exist, aside from homebrewed rigs that required extensive user modification. There was an SFF fad in around 2004 where Shuttle and other companies started making proprietary designs with custom cases, motherboards, and power supplies, but reliability proved suspect (just ask Jarred about his SFF experiences). Today, system builders now have a large selection of SFF cases, mini-ITX motherboards, low-power CPUs, and 2.5” HDDs/SSDs that really open the door to anyone interested in a smaller system.
Of course, you don’t have to go that small if you don’t want to. The micro-ATX form factor is one step up from mini-ITX and offers quite a bit more in the way of expansion options. The cases and motherboards are larger, but with the added size come fewer restrictions on components and cooling, and mATX cases can be easier to work with if you’re willing to increase your system’s footprint.
If you’re interested in other ideas or help, be sure to check out our SFF sub-forum, where there’s plenty of discussion on mini-ITX components. If you have any questions or comments, our comments section is available as always. What experiences—good and bad—have you had with mini-ITX? Do you feel mini-ITX is preferable, or is the added flexibility of micro-ATX better? Perhaps you feel both are too limiting and that mid-towers are still the best overall choice for long-term reliability. Let us know what type of system size you prefer and why, and we’ll look to address those markets with future buyers’ guides.
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Gigantopithecus - Wednesday, May 25, 2011 - link
"Should" being the operative word - in my experience, up-plugging is hit and miss - more hit than miss, but still enough misses that I'm hesitant to recommend doing so without strong qualifications and very specific card/board pairings (none of which are appropriate for this guide).medi01 - Wednesday, May 25, 2011 - link
Very strange choice of components in general.fujii13 - Wednesday, May 25, 2011 - link
Some of us aren't looking to have a separate HTCP from our NAS and/or server and would prefer it to be all in one box. I'm currently running Windows 7 as my head, but have Remote Desktop hacked to allow multiple simultaneous logins and the second login is doing all of my downloading/renaming/organizing of my media mostly automatically without disturbing the login that's running on my KURO. Unfortunately I'm stuck with a crappy USB 2.0 enclosure and have no way to upgrade.What options do we have for SFF computers that also house 4 hard drives?
jrs77 - Wednesday, May 25, 2011 - link
The statement, that an Sugo 05 is noisier because of the plastics etc is totally wrong. Additionally the new version of the case gets shipped with a 450W PSU instead of the 300W one allowing for more decent hardware.My current rig: Sugo 05-450, i5-760@stock, GTX 460, 4GB DDR3-1333, 120GB SSD, 500GB 2.5" HDD. The CPU-cooler is a Prolimatech Samuel 17 with an 120mm Akasa Apache PWM. The fan in the front is a Scythe S-Flex 800 and the PSU is turned upside-down and draws air from the top-grill in the cover.
Or you can use a Corsair H60 to cool the CPU and get rid of a second 120mm fan there to reduce noise even more.
There's nothing noisy about this case... nothing at all and it is the smallest case you'll find to house a full setup... 11 litres... and you can even put a 6850 or similar into the case with ease.
The LianLi Q8 is overrated there!
Gigantopithecus - Wednesday, May 25, 2011 - link
Don't get me wrong - I really like the Sugo 05 - but I simply disagree with you in regards to its noisiness and overall build quality. I think both the Sugo 05 and Q8 are excellent cases - I simply prefer the Lian Li when the budget permits.floobit - Wednesday, May 25, 2011 - link
This comment is one vote for encouraging Anandtech to have higher writing standards. This article has a conversational style, and generally lacks professionalism. I want to be able to forward articles like this to professional peers without fear of seeming uneducated by association. This sentence is especially cogent:"Second, because they are small, they are also less massive." (p. 1).
Thank you.
Darknite39 - Wednesday, May 25, 2011 - link
I don't necessarily view a slightly conversational article in a negative light, but that ridiculous sentence caused me to do a double-take.Gigantopithecus - Wednesday, May 25, 2011 - link
You're welcome.How often have you heard people complain about their mid and full-size towers simply weighing too much? When describing the advantages of a SFF, I think it's worth explicitly stating that smaller systems weigh less than larger systems. In my experience customers and friends, especially older individuals, often really appreciate having a computer that is physically easy to manage.
As for the rest of your criticism, the point of the guides I've written for Anandtech is to detail a selection of components that work well together to perform a specific task. It is not to give detailed technical specifications of individual components (other articles on this site often do that). My guides are starting points for readers interested in researching different types of computers with suggestions for builds. My writing style reflects how I speak with my customers, friends, and colleagues about PCs, so I'm at a loss when you state that this article "generally lacks professionalism."
Mr Perfect - Thursday, May 26, 2011 - link
It looks like Zach is using "massive" to refer to weight, with that odd sentence boiling down to "Second, because they are small, they are also less heavy.". I know AT has some international writers, so it's worth pointing out that in the States, massive is used to describe volume. The sentence reads to us as "Second, because they are small, they are also less big.". You can see the confusion.cjs150 - Wednesday, May 25, 2011 - link
If you want an HTPC that will allow you to rip Blu-rays at 100 fps then fine go with intel i3/i5 but if all you want in an HTPC is stream, play blu-rays, rips some music, watch TV then the suggestions from Anandtech are just plain wrong.A simple HTPC should be built along following lines
1. Passive Zacate board (ASus do one)
2. 4 Mb low voltage memory.
3. 64g SSD
4. 2.5" HD but in a silence box (Scythe do a nice one)
5. Case is tricky - check out the cases from Wesana. New company to me and look rather nice - totally fanless is possible with something like Morex 3500 but it is a bit plasticky
6. Power supply. Pico-ITX is the way to go, but they really need to produce 24 pin version in less than 150 W, this is a company that needs to refresh its product a bit