I have the PC-Q08 running for a couple of weeks now. Sound and heat production is OKE at idle, but sounds like an airplane while gaming The problem I hope some of you guys can help me with is the aftermarket cooling question. The case is cool, but I detected the CPU and GPU fans (both stock) to be noisy. The casefans I will replace with Scythe fans, the powerunit is Be Quiet L8 and is close to silent idle and at load.

My setup is; Asus P8H77-I, Intel I5-3450, 128SSD and Asus HD7870 DirectCUII.

For the CPU, I understand that the normal choice (Shuriken big2) will interfere with the PCI-E slot which I use with a HD7870.
Now I am thinking of replacing the CPU cooler with the Noctua NH-L9i, which I think is pretty expensive, but receives a good review here on SPCR and a very good review here http://www.rwlabs.com/article.php?cat=&id=744

Am I missing good alternatives here?

The most noise comes from the HD7870. The directCUII cooler is silent at idle, but when you start gaming it will surprise you with vacuumcleaner like noises. The space from the bottom to the HD7870 is limited though, so I can imagine that not every cooler will fit, or will work optimal due to the small space between the "floor" and the fan.

[Edit] in the meantime I found this valueble topic: viewtopic.php?f=20&t=65338, dont know how it was even possible to overlook it However, the VGA musashi cooler he mentions is not available anymore in the NL, and he has the P8Z mobo of asus which has a more smart CPU placement. [/Edit]

What are your experiences? Tips and advices are more than welcome

I meant to tell you earlier that you can fit bigger CPU coolers in that case. iirc, a Scythe Samurai ZZ -- which is a better performer than the Noctua you mention -- was used in our Q08 review and our SFF filserver/gamer build guide.

The cooler on that Asus board is indeed noisy at high CPU load. An Arctic Cooling Accelero S1 with a low profile fan would probably fit. That fan would could even be mounted on the bottom panel grill.

I used NH-L12 in my PC-Q08, but with your board it is a no-go.

I have an PC08 that i build a year ago, but i didnt use a standard PSU, but from the time i was investigating on the cases, i stumble on a nice thread that might be useful to you,

Mini ITX H67 Silent Gaming System

In there you will find lots of photos and specially how tight it is inside with standard PSU, and how he fits a Thermalright AXP-140, this is imo the best you will be able to fit on it, although there are newones like Noctua or the newest from thermalright being a little less tall, still i think the AXP140 is a good bet, you will also need no so tall memory (not low profile, just no so tall heatsinks). Remember also to check the mobo socket placement, as not all have it the same way nor the same location or disposition on a mini itx mobo (some have the socket in the middle others on top, and most common this days above the PCIe 16x). Btw i have also AXP140 (not in the PC08), that i paired with Noiseblocker NB-BlackSilentPro PK-1 140mm x 25mm Ultra Quiet Fan - 700 RPM - 9 dBA, its very quiet setup, and the xeon e 1230 is cool even in tanscoding (you can check my server build below for temps).

@MikeC, sorry, every post needed to be approved, so by the time the first one posted, I allready found some other info which I wanted to add more info and the topic was removed for approval again
I came by the S1, but weird enough it is not for sale at any Webshop atm, if I can believe Tweakers.net site, but the large shops I normally order with don't have it.

Concerning the CPU coolers also the backplate of the H77 can be a hassle. The AXP looks very nice, but I have doubts whether the small space between the fan and the PSU will effect the cooling capacity. That cannot be good? Otherwise it is a nice option, besides the rather high pricing. The CPU is not very hot (Ivy Bridge, low TDP) so the AXP could be considered overkill. The space between the AXP and the GPU in the PCI-E slot is VERY tight, but the positioning of CPU of the H77 is identical to the H67, so if it fits there, it should fit here.

Only the first 2. This is usually enough to establish whether you're a spammer -- one of the many procedures taken to keep spam out... which has generally worked quite well the last couple years.

Ah only the first two! That is great.

For the Samurai ZZ (revB.) I have doubts whether it will have sufficient space under the PSU for optimal cooling. I found a french site (http://forum.hardware.fr/hfr/Hardware/m ... 3868_1.htm) where it turns out that the Prolimatech Samual 17 also fits well, not interfering with GFX and it has more space to the PSU left. Downside is that in NL it costs approx 50 euro, where the Samurai ZZ is only 30. While I am not going to OC very much (the mobo does not support much OC), the question is whether it is optimal to invest this amount of money in a top of the bill cpu cooling unit.

For the GFX I am still considering the Accelero S1 but it's not very good available here in the NL. Needs to be postordered probably. I have red some nice topics about its impressive cooling capacity, so it is definitely going to be that one.

Forgot to say: the AXP-140 is not available in the NL atm..

The AXP-140 is officially EOL and not even listed on the german version of Thermalright's homepage.

Samuel17 or closed loop watercooling is the way to go, as far as i have read through the builds all over the net. Scythe Shuriken B could also work out well, but loses out to the Samuel in thermal performance. Scythe Kozuti and the Noctua NH-L12 with 92mm Fan only could probably work too.

Closed loop is not really possible, because there is not enough space for fan and 12cm radiator on top because of the PSU (unless you will use a thin fan) and on the front you have only a 14cm fan spot - you would have to get a 14->12cm adapter.

NH-L12 is not good for P8H77-I due the socket location, it would block the PCI-E slot.

http://www.overclock.net/t/1224295/pc-q08-and-h60

It does fit. But if it runs quiet... i don't know.

For CPU the final decision has been made It will be the Prolimatech Samuel 17. Good performance, nice space left to the PSU. I will install a slim Slipstream 120mm fan on it. Pictures will follow.

For the GPU I am now considering the MK-13 or even the not yet in NL available MK-26 instead of the Accelero S1. The MK-13 is not officially compatible with the HD7870, but i think that with minor adjustments it will do (on the small heatsinks on mem/power chips). The MK-26 got a great review here, but the review also says it takes up to 4 slots, which will make the bottom of the case pretty crowded.

http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1523097&page=44 here is a guy who got to fit the MK-13 in a PC-Q11

Installed the Samuel 17 today (see attachment). Installation very easy, no backplate problems with the P8H77-I. PCI-E fits nice, cooler overlaps with the RAM very neat. I put the Slim Slip Stream on it, but maybe I will put a more silent 25mm model on it.

Conclusion is mainly that the CPU cooler made more noise than I thought. System in IDLE is allready more silent than it was. I expect the Accelero S1 Plus later this week, keep you posted

Received the Accelero S1 plus! Nice package. Installation of the heatsink is very easy. Instructions are clear; check size and distance to connector, this gives you the positioning of the connectors.

I dont have a clue about the adhesive compount for the mem and mosfet heatsinks though. I started with reading the review here and here they say that they fell off immediatly, because of the inpatience. However, I have been VERY patient, following every step of the instruction; putting full packages in a small plastic box, keep mixing them voor 5 minutes, apply within 15 mins. Give pressure for 10 secs (i gave a bit more just in case), let it dry for 5 hours (i took 10 hours).

No effect at ALL! It does not even dry, even in the plastic box the compount is still liquid. I had to saw 1 mosfet piece in two, they fell off immediatly when turning the GPU around. Mem keeps sticking for now, but it dont think it will hold on for long. It annoys me that with such a decent product they deliver this bad working crap.

Anyhow, I dont think I am at risk. With the stock cooler there are no heatsinks on the mosfets and mem and I have it actively cooled, but it leaves a weird feeling about the product.

But! Temps are great; idle allmost at room temp (21 with roomtemp 18). With stock it was about 26-27. With 1 hour of FarCry3 the max is 67 degrees, used to be 77. I have a 12mm Slipstream 800rpm installed on it.

Only thing I am not really satisfied with is the CPU temp. At stress the temp is allmost equal as the (offcourse much much noisier) Intel Stock cooler: approx 68. I would have expected with this larger body and 120mm fan, it would be at least around 60.

Part 2/3 of the pictures

Part 3/3

Tips on the build are more than welcome!

How big a difference in height is there between the graphics card and heatsink+fan? I'm looking at heatsinks and the Samuel 17 might be the one for me.