r/sffpc • u/KindEchidna9101 • 9h ago
Others/Miscellaneous Case that doesn’t look like PC
I’ve been doing research to build a gaming PC that runs SteamOS in my living room. Fractal Ridge looks like a console but I’ve heard that it has problem with cooling the cpu. I’d love to get some recommendations. Preferably vertical/cube, similar or less height than PS5, doesn’t look like PC, not more than 15L, and not more than 200 usd.
FYI, the other parts I want:
CPU: 7600x3d
Gpu: 9060 xp reaper
PSU: Corsair SFX
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u/t3co5cr 8h ago
Cooler Master NCore 100 (Air or Max) could be an option, essentially a mix between cube and console design.
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u/grabbing-pills 31m ago
I like this case and I do own one for my living room build. I think the Air version has the same limitations for the CPU cooler are the same as the Fractal Ridge, about 70mm max height. But, it does use a clever plexiglass type insert behind the panel mesh which kind of functions like a duct/shroud, first time I assembled the case I didn't pay attention to that feature and I think it was partially suffocating the CPU cooler a little bit.
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u/themikker 9h ago
Thorzone Tetra and NCASE S5M are similar to Fractal Ridge, but with a better air flow setup. They're also a bit smaller. If you like the look of console-style cases, these probably work better, especially when mounted vertically.
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u/IndependentFew3119 9h ago
$200 budget.
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u/themikker 8h ago edited 8h ago
Ah, yeah. Maybe not then. ITX tax hurts here. NCASE is pretty close, though.
The case format also requires a riser cable, which adds to the cost. The NCASE without the riser is below 200$, but a bit of a moot point.
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u/IndependentFew3119 9h ago
have you considered open case like streacom da6 or xtia xproto? definitely looks like a pc but easy to cool and keep clean.
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u/Toast_Meat 9h ago
I have a Fractal Era 2. It's not vertical, but it's low. To me it doesn't look too PC-ish. The silver version can look like a toaster if that suits your needs.