Installation Impressions

Those who accept washed their homework earlier building a Mini-ITX gaming system volition get for an Intel Core i5 build, so we slapped one of Intel's fries onto Asrock's petty H87E-ITX/ac, a motherboard that includes just nearly everything from 802.11ac WiFi to six SATA ports -- more than can actually be used in the SG13.

Although nosotros recommend gamers get for the more than affordable Core i5, nosotros used a Core i7-4790K for testing. Cooling the 88 watt processor is NZXT's Kraken X31 airtight loop liquid cooler, which features a 120mm radiator and fan. To install the radiator and fan we had to remove the front panel and fortunately this is easy to do.

At this point nosotros should mention that the mounting hardware for the water cake needs to be attached to the motherboard before placing the motherboard into the SG13 as at that place is no rear motherboard access. Not a huge drama, but in such a compact case forgetting this stride could be a pain. We would've liked if Silverstone had been more than creative here by including a panel underneath the case that could be removed in lodge to access the underside of the motherboard.

With the water block attached and the motherboard installed we hooked up all the cables for the front console stuff then added a pair of Samsung SSDs to the top bracket. There is also room for a tertiary SSD in the bottom of the case nether where our radiator is now situated.

Again, it'southward worth noting here that if you wish to use this 2.5" mounting location you practise so before installing a radiator and limiting your admission. Those wanting to install a large three.5" hard drive along with an SSD kick drive will need to apply this bottom mounting position.

Next we installed the power supply and and so connected everything up. Silverstone recommends the Strider Plus ST50F-PB, a meaty 140mm long modular ATX ability supply with a 500w output. At $80 it isn't the cheapest 500w power supply you'll notice, but it is a high quality unit. The single 12v rail delivers 38A making information technology ideal for powering a high-end graphics carte du jour.

Additionally, Silverstone also sells a custom cable kit (product name PP05-E) for compact cases that is compatible with a keen number of modular Silverstone ability supplies. The 24-pin ATX power connector that comes with the Strider Plus ST50F-Pb measures 550mm long and that is obviously very excessive for a example that measures just 285mm deep and 181mm tall. The 24-pin ATX connector that comes with the PP05-E kit is more practical at just 350mm long, though a 100mm long cable would be ample in the SG13.

For those wondering, the PP05-Due east short cable kit costs $xxx, which is a bit rich, merely having had the pleasure of using them in the SG13 we feel they are worth the extra cost.

If the PP05-E short cable kit gets you excited then perhaps some of Silverstone's CP07 custom 500mm SATA Iii cables will tickle your fancy at $9 each. Although Silverstone recommends the CP07 cables for the SG13, we found that they are too long and would prefer the 300mm version of the CP11 blue SATA cables. Not merely are they much thinner merely the 200mm you save in length makes them far more applied in this case.

While on the subject of SATA cables, 90 degree angled SATA cables are no skillful in the SG13 as the meridian mounted 2.5" drives are positioned upside down, meaning the cables will exist aimed upwards making it impossible to put the encompass back on.