Small form factor gaming - build log and support forum for new builders

[AusWolf]

I just got an ML-09B last week but I really regret not getting the more flexible sleeved cables for the SFX power supply. It's a nice case for it's size. Previously I tried some generic 4L case from ebay but the 1U PSU got wasn't modular so the cables were in the way for the side slot that I wanted to use for an ejectable SATA bay and finding a new modular 1U that I was comfortable with didn't pan out yet.

Post some pictures I'd like to see.

I've finally got around to this - sorry for the delay.

Here's the internals of my bedroom HTPC in a Silverstone ML-09B (it could use with a bit of dusting):

What you see here is a Core i7-4765T, which is a 35 W 4c/8t Haswell CPU (2.6-3 GHz), passively cooled by an Arctic-branded chunk of aluminium.
The motherboard is an MSi H81 something, it has 8 GB RAM and an Asus GT 1030 which is also passively cooled.
The power supply is a be quiet! 300 W something-something SFX, and there's also a 512 GB SATA SSD in here somewhere.
The only moving parts are the PSU fan, and two slim 8 cm Akasa case fans (seen above the GPU), which are super quiet, before anyone asks.
It also has a USB WiFi antenna and a BT dongle sticking out of its back (to be controlled with a BT mouse from bed).

The only possible upgrade would be swapping the 1030 with something like a 1650, but prices are still so high that it's not worth it.
I've also considered replacing the whole system with a 5700G, but its iGPU isn't really faster than the 1030, so that's probably not worth it, either.

 

[A Computer Guy]

Getting a little creative with the dremel I was able to fit that 4060 with the Noctua fans. In the picture below I haven't secured the fans yet because I'm trying to decide on the airflow pattern.

Unfortunately the side panel doesn't provide any good overlap with the side exhaust for the card making airflow a PITA.

Right now I have the fans oriented input toward the ports and output at the other end to make sure heat doesn't stay chambered in the GPU area.

I did a benchmark here https://www.techpowerup.com/forums/...enchmark-post-your-scores.284408/post-5142894 and need to experiment a little to find the best fan orientation.

That thing with the yellow sticky note is an ejectable SSD.

 

[AusWolf]

Getting a little creative with the dremel I was able to fit that 4060 with the Noctua fans. In the picture below I haven't secured the fans yet because I'm trying to decide on the airflow pattern.

Unfortunately the side panel doesn't provide any good overlap with the side exhaust for the card making airflow a PITA.

Right now I have the fans oriented input toward the ports and output at the other end to make sure heat doesn't stay chambered in the GPU area.

I did a benchmark here https://www.techpowerup.com/forums/...enchmark-post-your-scores.284408/post-5142894 and need to experiment a little to find the best fan orientation.

That thing with the yellow sticky note is an ejectable SSD.

View attachment 322002

View attachment 322003

Wow, I couldn't have done that with normal size fans! I bought those slim ones specifically to be able to fit any LP GPU in there. Nice job anyway!

 

[A Computer Guy]

Wow, I couldn't have done that with normal size fans! I bought those slim ones specifically to be able to fit any LP GPU in there. Nice job anyway!

I would note even if you remove the I/O the LP GPU with the shroud will not fit unless you also remove the I/O mounting bracket.

I would like to control the fans via the GPU but I don't know if they make a cable for that or if the GPU will power those Noctua fans properly.

 

[AusWolf]

I would note even if you remove the I/O the LP GPU with the shroud will not fit unless you also remove the I/O mounting bracket.

I would like to control the fans via the GPU but I don't know if they make a cable for that or if the GPU will power those Noctua fans properly.

Could you use the GPU shroud without the case fans? I guess you wouldn't even need them that way anyway.

 

[A Computer Guy]

Could you use the GPU shroud without the case fans? I guess you wouldn't even need them that way anyway.

I didn't try to remove the I/O bracket but if it's removable the whole card should fit without modification with the loss of the top I/O of course. You could mitigate the I/O loss by using the expansion slot on the back with a dual USB3.0 connector provided your CPU heatsink and fan are short enough. If your skilled enough you might be able to make holes into the CD slot cover and remount the io there instead.

 

[A Computer Guy]

Some more info regarding the ML-09B. I was testing the Noctua fan orientation and 4060LP GPU thermals today.

Silverstone really put this case at a disadvantage for GPU cooling by not having vents extend into the gpu area from the top and bottom of the case.

Running everything at stock with the case standing vertically and the fan positions starting with 1 from the front of the case, I ran GPUz render test for 10 minutes for each test allowing a cooldown periods in between. The dual 80mm fan speeds were controlled by a noctua NA-FC1 and I adjusted the speed to a comfortable noise setting. Sadly I had no way of measuring the fan speed.

Test 1
Fan1: exhaust
Fan2: intake
GPUTemp Avg: 48 Max: 83
HotSpot Avg: 56 Max: 96
Thermal Throttle was indicated 30 to 60 sec near the end of the test
Could feel some heat being put into case (rear).

Test 2
Fan1: intake
Fan2: intake
GPUTemp Avg: 50 Max: 79
HotSpot Avg: 58 Max: 90
Thermal Throttle was NOT indicated
Could feel maximum heat being put into case. Top panel fan exhaust is needed!

Test 3
Fan1: exhaust
Fan2: exhaust
GPUTemp Avg: 67 Max: 86
HotSpot Avg: 77 Max: 98
Thermal Throttle was indicated 2 to 3 min near the end of the test
Could feel no heat being put into case.

Test 4
Fan1: intake
Fan2: exhaust
GPUTemp Avg: 75 Max: 87
HotSpot Avg: 85 Max: 100
Thermal Throttle was indicated 5 min into the test
Could feel light heat being put into case (front).

 

[tabascosauz]

Some more info regarding the ML-09B. I was testing the Noctua fan orientation and 4060LP GPU thermals today.

Silverstone really put this case at a disadvantage for GPU cooling by not having vents extend into the gpu area from the top and bottom of the case.

Running everything at stock with the case standing vertically and the fan positions starting with 1 from the front of the case, I ran GPUz render test for 10 minutes for each test allowing a cooldown periods in between. The dual 80mm fan speeds were controlled by a noctua NA-FC1 and I adjusted the speed to a comfortable noise setting. Sadly I had no way of measuring the fan speed.

Test 1
Fan1: exhaust
Fan2: intake
GPUTemp Avg: 48 Max: 83
HotSpot Avg: 56 Max: 96
Thermal Throttle was indicated 30 to 60 sec near the end of the test
Could feel some heat being put into case (rear).

Test 2
Fan1: intake
Fan2: intake
GPUTemp Avg: 50 Max: 79
HotSpot Avg: 58 Max: 90
Thermal Throttle was NOT indicated
Could feel maximum heat being put into case. Top panel fan exhaust is needed!

Test 3
Fan1: exhaust
Fan2: exhaust
GPUTemp Avg: 67 Max: 86
HotSpot Avg: 77 Max: 98
Thermal Throttle was indicated 2 to 3 min near the end of the test
Could feel no heat being put into case.

Test 4
Fan1: intake
Fan2: exhaust
GPUTemp Avg: 75 Max: 87
HotSpot Avg: 85 Max: 100
Thermal Throttle was indicated 5 min into the test
Could feel light heat being put into case (front).

Ouch!

At 4-7L you really have 2 options; have good directional airflow that goes *through* the case (in and out), or make the case vented literally everywhere and hope for the best. Most Silverstone cases are outdated designs from more than a decade ago, not designed with cooling in mind.

Higher TDP of 4060 also isn't helping there.

I'm not sure the "average" temps are useful at all here; you can run any badly throttling GPU at low 3D load and say that average temps are low, won't mean much. If edge temp is reaching 83°C, you will technically "throttle" through GPU Boost.

Exhaust setup may overtake the others if you deshroud, but if you don't, nothing will come close to intake.

 

[A Computer Guy]

For a weekend warrior project I've been working on downgrading an old midtower DELL Core i5-4590 to a SFF case that will fit on the shelf instead of having it on the floor.

Picked up an ITX GIGABYTE GA-H97N-WIFI motherboard for $28 on e-bay and a $50 3.8L case. I wasn't too keen on the 1U PSU's on ebay so I opted to get something 80 plus certified on Amazon , a Silverstone 350w Flex ATX.
I was hoping I could reuse the CPU heatsink from the DELL but the backplate needed larger mounting holes in the PCB! They were about 1mm too big so I had to resort to getting a new cooler as well. I guess DELL really hates the concept of standards and interchangeable parts even when it comes to CPU cooling.

Found out the hard way I made a big mistake of not getting a modular PSU so I had to remove the front I/O because there was just too much cable in the way. Not a big deal since it wasn't going to be used anyway but here you can see just how much it matters to get fully modular cabling. The main power cable was really the hardest one to tackle. After some unsuccessful attempts to get everything to fit without causing it to crunch into the fan I ended up binding the power cable as tightly as I could with zip ties to keep it out of the way.

Then because there is no keying on the case I ended up installing the support plate upside down at first and then I had to correct the SSD mounting twice to get a compatible orientation.

Finally I get everything together put it in the room turn it out to test all the connections but UEFI/BIOS reset because the CMOS battery died.
Pulled the PC apart again to find the battery replacement was going to be a bit harder than I anticipated.
So I tried to ghetto mod a replacement since I had the needed batteries on hand and some electrical tape.
Managed to break the contact plates off the old battery without destroying them. Flattened them with a special pliers I have for doing that.
Then taped it all back together with the new battery and some TG Shield to cover the tops of the exposed contacts.
I had some double sided sticky tape but it was too old and didn't stick anymore so I had to use some velcro squares instead.

Here it is on the right (3.8L), next to the larger ML-09B (7L) on the left.

This little 3.8L ITX case was interesting but it's only at it's best with a modular PSU with minimal cabling and a low profile cooler. Otherwise that I/O will get in the way and block everything and it's impossible to get it back in later if you have any obstructions too close to the screws that hold it. Also a 2.5in drive isn't ideal, M.2 is they way to go if you can and then avoid using the support/mounting plate because it becomes a barrier to the CPU fan airflow.

Ouch!

At 4-7L you really have 2 options; have good directional airflow that goes *through* the case (in and out), or make the case vented literally everywhere and hope for the best.

I think on top of that too is good placement of the cooler to the vented panel. The best SFF cases seem have the GPU or CPU cooler or RAD as close as possible to get that fresh air or expel it out.

Most Silverstone cases are outdated designs from more than a decade ago, not designed with cooling in mind.

I'm thinking of drilling holes at this point but I need the right tools for that. With the orientation of the heatsink fins all it needs is some opening on each side of the GPU to vent it out and then an intake push will work perfectly.

Higher TDP of 4060 also isn't helping there.

I'm not sure the "average" temps are useful at all here; you can run any badly throttling GPU at low 3D load and say that average temps are low, won't mean much. If edge temp is reaching 83°C, you will technically "throttle" through GPU Boost.

Exhaust setup may overtake the others if you deshroud, but if you don't, nothing will come close to intake.

It is deshrouded but there is too much of a gap I think between the heatsink and the fan as I'm mounting the fans to the case. I have to close that gap with something to make the air flow more effective but also possibly re-shrouding half the heatsink to get the air to enter one half and work it's way across as it's pulled out by the fan. I haven't gotten into 3d printing yet it would be very useful for solving these problems.

 

[tabascosauz]

I think on top of that too is good placement of the cooler to the vented panel. The best SFF cases seem have the GPU or CPU cooler or RAD as close as possible to get that fresh air or expel it out.

I'm thinking of drilling holes at this point but I need the right tools for that. With the orientation of the heatsink fins all it needs is some opening on each side of the GPU to vent it out and then an intake push will work perfectly.

It is deshrouded but there is too much of a gap I think between the heatsink and the fan as I'm mounting the fans to the case. I have to close that gap with something to make the air flow more effective but also possibly re-shrouding half the heatsink to get the air to enter one half and work it's way across as it's pulled out by the fan. I haven't gotten into 3d printing yet it would be very useful for solving these problems.

There are lots of AliExpress SFF cases of all sizes, you don't have to pay out the ass for better quality. The SFF Master List spreadsheet can help you navigate. If you don't already have tools, I really do not see the appeal in spending more to modify what is a cheap quality, outdated SECC steel Silverstone case. If you had a SG08 at least, that would be an example of unique build quality worth keeping alive.

How much of a gap? Could try some foam

I mean, you already knew that the 4060LP is hard to work with. There is a reason why the A2000 and A4000 are blowers. Cramped cases with godawful airflow will only work well with blowers.

 

[A Computer Guy]

There are lots of AliExpress SFF cases of all sizes, you don't have to pay out the ass for better quality. The SFF Master List spreadsheet can help you navigate. If you don't already have tools, I really do not see the appeal in spending more to modify what is a cheap quality, outdated SECC steel Silverstone case. If you had a SG08 at least, that would be an example of unique build quality worth keeping alive.

How much of a gap? Could try some foam

Yea some thin foam should do it. I can give it a try during the week.

 

[AusWolf]

For a weekend warrior project I've been working on downgrading an old midtower DELL Core i5-4590 to a SFF case that will fit on the shelf instead of having it on the floor.

Picked up an ITX GIGABYTE GA-H97N-WIFI motherboard for $28 on e-bay and a $50 3.8L case. I wasn't too keen on the 1U PSU's on ebay so I opted to get something 80 plus certified on Amazon , a Silverstone 350w Flex ATX.
I was hoping I could reuse the CPU heatsink from the DELL but the backplate needed larger mounting holes in the PCB! They were about 1mm too big so I had to resort to getting a new cooler as well. I guess DELL really hates the concept of standards and interchangeable parts even when it comes to CPU cooling.

Found out the hard way I made a big mistake of not getting a modular PSU so I had to remove the front I/O because there was just too much cable in the way. Not a big deal since it wasn't going to be used anyway but here you can see just how much it matters to get fully modular cabling. The main power cable was really the hardest one to tackle. After some unsuccessful attempts to get everything to fit without causing it to crunch into the fan I ended up binding the power cable as tightly as I could with zip ties to keep it out of the way.

View attachment 322326View attachment 322327

Then because there is no keying on the case I ended up installing the support plate upside down at first and then I had to correct the SSD mounting twice to get a compatible orientation.

View attachment 322328View attachment 322329

Finally I get everything together put it in the room turn it out to test all the connections but UEFI/BIOS reset because the CMOS battery died.
Pulled the PC apart again to find the battery replacement was going to be a bit harder than I anticipated.
So I tried to ghetto mod a replacement since I had the needed batteries on hand and some electrical tape.
Managed to break the contact plates off the old battery without destroying them. Flattened them with a special pliers I have for doing that.
Then taped it all back together with the new battery and some TG Shield to cover the tops of the exposed contacts.
I had some double sided sticky tape but it was too old and didn't stick anymore so I had to use some velcro squares instead.
View attachment 322330View attachment 322331View attachment 322332View attachment 322333
View attachment 322345

Here it is on the right (3.8L), next to the larger ML-09B (7L) on the left.

View attachment 322347

This little 3.8L ITX case was interesting but it's only at it's best with a modular PSU with minimal cabling and a low profile cooler. Otherwise that I/O will get in the way and block everything and it's impossible to get it back in later if you have any obstructions too close to the screws that hold it. Also a 2.5in drive isn't ideal, M.2 is they way to go if you can and then avoid using the support/mounting plate because it becomes a barrier to the CPU fan airflow.


I think on top of that too is good placement of the cooler to the vented panel. The best SFF cases seem have the GPU or CPU cooler or RAD as close as possible to get that fresh air or expel it out.

I'm thinking of drilling holes at this point but I need the right tools for that. With the orientation of the heatsink fins all it needs is some opening on each side of the GPU to vent it out and then an intake push will work perfectly.

It is deshrouded but there is too much of a gap I think between the heatsink and the fan as I'm mounting the fans to the case. I have to close that gap with something to make the air flow more effective but also possibly re-shrouding half the heatsink to get the air to enter one half and work it's way across as it's pulled out by the fan. I haven't gotten into 3d printing yet it would be very useful for solving these problems.

Wow, that's smaller than my smallest ever build! And it's Dell, too! Congrats!

To be honest, the proprietary parts are the exact reason why I didn't go with a Dell prebuilt on my above build. But then, I made a mistake, too. Maybe you can see in the picture that the PSU only has a single 4-pin CPU power cable, which is fine for this build, but doesn't make a potential upgrade ideal.

 

[A Computer Guy]

Wow, that's smaller than my smallest ever build! And it's Dell, too! Congrats!

Well now it's only a CPU and SATA cable from a Dell remaining. Good thing the CPU wasn't Dell locked.

To be honest, the proprietary parts are the exact reason why I didn't go with a Dell prebuilt on my above build. But then, I made a mistake, too. Maybe you can see in the picture that the PSU only has a single 4-pin CPU power cable, which is fine for this build, but doesn't make a potential upgrade ideal.

I typically don't get Dells for myself but I snagged one for free from work recycling many years ago. For PC's the best way to recycle is to repurpose and reuse.

 

[Fokker]

I took my older hardware, grabbed a new motherboard and PSU, and stuffed it in a Hyte Revolt 3. It's now a VR/portable computer.
6700K, Z170 mini-ITX, 16GB DDR4 3200, 512GB 950 Pro, 1080Ti, 500GB 850 Evo.

 

[A Computer Guy]

Some more info regarding the ML-09B. I was testing the Noctua fan orientation and 4060LP GPU thermals today.

Silverstone really put this case at a disadvantage for GPU cooling by not having vents extend into the gpu area from the top and bottom of the case.

Running everything at stock with the case standing vertically and the fan positions starting with 1 from the front of the case, I ran GPUz render test for 10 minutes for each test allowing a cooldown periods in between. The dual 80mm fan speeds were controlled by a noctua NA-FC1 and I adjusted the speed to a comfortable noise setting. Sadly I had no way of measuring the fan speed.

Test 1
Fan1: exhaust
Fan2: intake
GPUTemp Avg: 48 Max: 83
HotSpot Avg: 56 Max: 96
Thermal Throttle was indicated 30 to 60 sec near the end of the test
Could feel some heat being put into case (rear).

Test 2
Fan1: intake
Fan2: intake
GPUTemp Avg: 50 Max: 79
HotSpot Avg: 58 Max: 90
Thermal Throttle was NOT indicated
Could feel maximum heat being put into case. Top panel fan exhaust is needed!

Test 3
Fan1: exhaust
Fan2: exhaust
GPUTemp Avg: 67 Max: 86
HotSpot Avg: 77 Max: 98
Thermal Throttle was indicated 2 to 3 min near the end of the test
Could feel no heat being put into case.

Test 4
Fan1: intake
Fan2: exhaust
GPUTemp Avg: 75 Max: 87
HotSpot Avg: 85 Max: 100
Thermal Throttle was indicated 5 min into the test
Could feel light heat being put into case (front).

Update: I made a custom gasket out of cardboard and got some better results. The gasket is sandwiched between the fans and the GPU heatsink.

Test 5 (custom gasket)
Fan1: exhaust
Fan2: exhaust
GPUTemp Avg: 66c Max: 76c
HotSpot Avg: 75c Max: 87c
Thermal Throttle was NOT indicated

From Test #3 I shaved off about 10c on max temps!

Now I have to find a non-flammable material to make a new gasket.

(edit)

Not really having any better materials on hand I decided to wrap the cardboard in metal duct tape for now.
After some research online even though the fire point of cardboard is around 258c and ignition point 427c I feel a bit better with it wrapped in aluminium.
In this process I managed to compress the cardboard a bit unevenly so I cut up an old plastic desk protector to get the thickness back to somewhere between 2-3mm.
The plastic side faces the noctua fans so not to face the brunt of the heat and melt.

Test 6 (custom gasket w/ case panel removed)
In this config the GPU gets one side with full access to fresh air.
Fan1: exhaust
Fan2: exhaust
GPUTemp Avg: 59c Max: 64c
HotSpot Avg: 70c Max: 74c
Thermal Throttle was NOT indicated

Next test going to try drilling some vent holes in the case for the GPU.

 

[Hyderz]

i had a sff back in 2014 as a secondary pc... it was fun to build in.. but at time i had to sell it because you know life.. needs money
after going 011-D im like... over big towers... i have my eye on thermaltake 200 chassis.. for my next rig until something catches my eye
but its not gonna happen until 2025/6

 

[A Computer Guy]

Update: I made a custom gasket out of cardboard and got some better results. The gasket is sandwiched between the fans and the GPU heatsink.



View attachment 325675

Test 5 (custom gasket)
Fan1: exhaust
Fan2: exhaust
GPUTemp Avg: 66c Max: 76c
HotSpot Avg: 75c Max: 87c
Thermal Throttle was NOT indicated

From Test #3 I shaved off about 10c on max temps!

Now I have to find a non-flammable material to make a new gasket.

(edit)

Not really having any better materials on hand I decided to wrap the cardboard in metal duct tape for now.
After some research online even though the fire point of cardboard is around 258c and ignition point 427c I feel a bit better with it wrapped in aluminium.
In this process I managed to compress the cardboard a bit unevenly so I cut up an old plastic desk protector to get the thickness back to somewhere between 2-3mm.
The plastic side faces the noctua fans so not to face the brunt of the heat and melt.

View attachment 325689View attachment 325690

Test 6 (custom gasket w/ case panel removed)
In this config the GPU gets one side with full access to fresh air.
Fan1: exhaust
Fan2: exhaust
GPUTemp Avg: 59c Max: 64c
HotSpot Avg: 70c Max: 74c
Thermal Throttle was NOT indicated

Next test going to try drilling some vent holes in the case for the GPU.

Holes drilled on the case side using a portable drill. As you can see one hole is not like the others. It was my first drill test and the rpm wasn't correct. I managed to mangle it so badly I just had to make the hole bigger after fixing the drill speed. By the time I did the top row I changed up my technique a bit and switched to my Dremel to deburr the holes in a less extreme fashion where in the first row I just used the next drill size up.

I included my kids matchbox car for scale.

The gasket is right above the top holes forcing airflow to go though the heatsink.

On the plus side the bigger hole there allows me to get a small flathead screwdriver in there to allow me short the clear CMOS jumper from the back side of the motherboard when needed.

Test 7 still both fans as exhaust. The holes on the case side are just below the fan gasket forcing the air to go through the heatsink.
It seems my new results are just about on par with the test with the case panel removed.
My room is a bit cooler due to the winter so test 7 results look a little better than test 6.
Next time I need to make sure to record ambient room temperature.

Summary:

Test 3 (no gasket, case panel closed)
GPUTemp Max: 86c HotSpot Max: 98c
Test 5 (custom gasket, case panel closed)
GPUTemp Max: 76c HotSpot Max: 87c
Test 6 (custom gasket, case panel removed)
GPUTemp Max: 64c HotSpot Max: 74c
Test 7 (custom gasket, case panel closed & new vent holes on one side)
GPUTemp Max: 61c HotSpot Max: 70c

I think I'm done with mods for now. Time to take if for a spin with some games.

 

[67Elco]

How difficult do you think it would be to cable manage something like this and appear respectable? https://www.newegg.com/p/2AM-05FJ-00010?Item=9SIBDHXK4X4738

 

[AusWolf]

How difficult do you think it would be to cable manage something like this and appear respectable? https://www.newegg.com/p/2AM-05FJ-00010?Item=9SIBDHXK4X4738

Not very, considering it's an open testbench. You basically have infinite room to move your cables around, unlike in a closed case.

 

[67Elco]

Not very, considering it's an open testbench. You basically have infinite room to move your cables around, unlike in a closed case.

It looks clean in the images, but if you zoom in you will notice that the only output that is plugged into the psu is the mb power cable. I guess they have the 24-pin stashed between the mb and gpu lol.

 

[AusWolf]

It looks clean in the images, but if you zoom in you will notice that the only output that is plugged into the psu is the mb power cable. I guess they have the 24-pin stashed between the mb and gpu lol.

I still think it's much easier to manage than some of the builds you see posted above.

 

[Fokker]

It looks clean in the images, but if you zoom in you will notice that the only output that is plugged into the psu is the mb power cable. I guess they have the 24-pin stashed between the mb and gpu lol.

Relatively easy judging by the photos from the manufacturer's site: https://www.ocpcgaming.com/mini

 

[67Elco]

Relatively easy judging by the photos from the manufacturer's site: https://www.ocpcgaming.com/mini

Yeah, in those images they actually connected both ends lol. I'm considering one for a 8700G build sans a gpu when they become available next month.

 

[tabascosauz]

How difficult do you think it would be to cable manage something like this and appear respectable? https://www.newegg.com/p/2AM-05FJ-00010?Item=9SIBDHXK4X4738

It's not that hard, but generic stock PSU cables will only get you so far.

APU makes it trivial; the stuff coming from the rear I/O is more of a pain. With APU-only you should really be using something picoPSU like an HDPlex. No cables, just plug it into the 24-pin and connect a single cable for EPS. I do it for my 5700G/A2000 box in the L5, and also for the other APU build that is sitting unused on the openbenchtable.

If you want it to look really good and as a permanent installation (ie. Motif Monument), need custom cables in appropriate lengths.

Low effort but at least with sleeved (stock) cables:

 

[67Elco]

It's not that hard, but generic stock PSU cables will only get you so far.

APU makes it trivial; the stuff coming from the rear I/O is more of a pain. With APU-only you should really be using something picoPSU like an HDPlex. No cables, just plug it into the 24-pin and connect a single cable for EPS. I do it for my 5700G/A2000 box in the L5, and also for the other APU build that is sitting unused on the openbenchtable.

If you want it to look really good and as a permanent installation (ie. Motif Monument), need custom cables in appropriate lengths.

Low effort but at least with sleeved (stock) cables:

View attachment 328864View attachment 328863

I have a Corsair full set from a previous build, but they may end up being a tad too long for something like this. Who does custom length sleeved cables?