# [Build Log] Antec ISK 110: Tinier than Tiny



## WiSK

Excellent! Glad it worked out with the PSU


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## KillThePancake

Nice! Makes me want to start my sff build. Why can't February come here fast enough? FFFUUUU

EDIT: Wrong month lol


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## 996gt2

Added pics


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## Zap

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *996gt2*
> 
> Added pics


Wow, very professional looking pics!


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## void

Damn it amazes me how much computing power you can squeeze into such a small form factor, I've seen 3.5" portable HDD bigger than that. 996gt2 your builds are always great with awesome photography too.


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## She loved E

killer, man... very impressive and IMO a lot cleaner execution (wire mgmt) than you're giving yourself credit for.

Any idea if there's a way to get a 200W PSU into that thing? Would be fun to hack the mesh off that panel, run a full-size cooler (Noctua, Megahalems, etc) and crank the volts.


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## ivoryg37

would this SFF be able to do any gaming since it has no GPU. Would it be able to run something along the lines of Dota 2?


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## 996gt2

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *She loved E*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> killer, man... very impressive and IMO a lot cleaner execution (wire mgmt) than you're giving yourself credit for.
> 
> Any idea if there's a way to get a 200W PSU into that thing? Would be fun to hack the mesh off that panel, run a full-size cooler (Noctua, Megahalems, etc) and crank the volts.


Yes, you can use a Pico-PSU (google it), I think they go up to 150W or perhaps 200W. And the side panel can be removed, there is no cutting required.
Quote:


> Originally Posted by *ivoryg37*
> 
> would this SFF be able to do any gaming since it has no GPU. Would it be able to run something along the lines of Dota 2?


The HD4000 graphics on the 3570K can handle quite a few games pretty decently, as long as you're not trying to play at 1080P or higher on max detail settings.


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## funfortehfun

If I wanted to use an A10-5800K with this build and I bought a 150W pico-PSU, how would I plug it in?


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## Ecstacy

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *funfortehfun*
> 
> If I wanted to use an A10-5800K with this build and I bought a 150W pico-PSU, how would I plug it in?




The external power brick connects to the motherboard power connecter which has cables for molex, sata, a 4-pin cpu.


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## funfortehfun

So the internal DC-DC converter included with the cases isn't needed?


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## Ecstacy

Yep, it's built into the motherboard header.You can take out the power supply in that case and use the extra space for cable management.


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## 996gt2

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *funfortehfun*
> 
> So the internal DC-DC converter included with the cases isn't needed?


The Pico PSU *is* a DC-DC converter, just like the one that comes with the ISK 110. If you wanted to build a system in an ISK 110 that would draw more than 90W, all you would need besides the PicoPSU is a power brick which can easily be found online.


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## akromatic

has anyone tried fitting a pico PSU in theirs?

I'm about to get myself a A10 5800k and undervolt+underclock it as the 5700 will never be available down this side of the world. I'm pretty sure my stock 80w PSU will cry the moment it gets powered on and i cant seemed to find any reference to anyone that have done a PSU swap on this


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## <({D34TH})>

Man, having this with an A10-5800K would be so cool.


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## hammadj

Anyone know if I could fit an a10-5800k in this? is there a similar case with a bigger psu?


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## akromatic

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *hammadj*
> 
> Anyone know if I could fit an a10-5800k in this? is there a similar case with a bigger psu?


no reason why a 5800k wont fit in, question is how are you going to feed the beast. no idea about similar case with bigger PSU but i guess you can always use a pico psu but i've yet to see examples of anyone doing it.

I guess i'd take it up to myself to play around when i have time to buy them


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## 996gt2

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *hammadj*
> 
> Anyone know if I could fit an a10-5800k in this? is there a similar case with a bigger psu?


There would be zero issues fitting an A10-5800K or any other CPU in here. As long as a Mini-ITX board exists for the CPU that you want to use, you're good to go.

If you wanted to install a more power-hungry CPU like the A10-5800K, you can use a 150W Pico-PSU in place of the standard 90W DC-DC converter. The Pico PSU 150W costs about $45 and will be more than sufficient even for an A10-5800K.

http://www.mini-box.com/picoPSU-150-XT


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## funfortehfun

The current selection of FM2 mini-ITX boards is... (drumroll)

1.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157340

I'd like to see more mini-ITX FM2 motherboards...please, ASUS?









Any recommendations on a good low-profile CPU cooler that would fit in this case? I know there's the Thermalright AXP-100 coming out soon.


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## 996gt2

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *funfortehfun*
> 
> The current selection of FM2 mini-ITX boards is... (drumroll)
> 1.
> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157340
> I'd like to see more mini-ITX FM2 motherboards...please, ASUS?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Any recommendations on a good low-profile CPU cooler that would fit in this case? I know there's the Thermalright AXP-100 coming out soon.


I used the stock cooler that came with the i5-3570K. I wouldn't really recommend overclocking in this case due to the size and power supply constraints, so there isn't really a huge advantage to using an aftermarket cooler.

I haven't had an AMD chip for a while, but the Intel stock cooler is actually very quiet most of the time. Load temps don't go much over about 60-65C on a 3570K which is well under the thermal limit of that chip.

Whichever cooler you use, I *highly* recommend using low profile RAM in this case. The Samsung 30nm low profile sticks are excellent and easily hit 2133 MHz on both of my systems using it.


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## funfortehfun

Last time I used an AMD stock cooler it was absolutely horrible. >.<

After lurking around for a bit I found only one good AMD-compatible CPU cooler besides the Kozuti (which is virtually out of stock everywhere): the Noctua NH-L9A. Critical to get the L9A instead of L9I, as the L9A is only compatible with AMD and vice versa for the L9I. My one complaint is the colors.


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## akromatic

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *996gt2*
> 
> There would be zero issues fitting an A10-5800K or any other CPU in here. As long as a Mini-ITX board exists for the CPU that you want to use, you're good to go.
> If you wanted to install a more power-hungry CPU like the A10-5800K, you can use a 150W Pico-PSU in place of the standard 90W DC-DC converter. The Pico PSU 150W costs about $45 and will be more than sufficient even for an A10-5800K.
> http://www.mini-box.com/picoPSU-150-XT


thats $45 without the brick, tbh i have doubt that 150w is enough. if you look at full load figures it can sometimes peak to 190w and average game load is somewhere around 120-150w. ether way all load figures are above 100w so i conclude that the 100W TDP only takes account of the CPU side of things and GPU has yet to be factored in

the A10 5700 will draw a peak of 150w and average of 100-110 during heavy loads. if cpu only load then it goes around 70-75w


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## hammadj

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *akromatic*
> 
> thats $45 without the brick, tbh i have doubt that 150w is enough. if you look at full load figures it can sometimes peak to 190w and average game load is somewhere around 120-150w. ether way all load figures are above 100w so i conclude that the 100W TDP only takes account of the CPU side of things and GPU has yet to be factored in
> the A10 5700 will draw a peak of 150w and average of 100-110 during heavy loads. if cpu only load then it goes around 70-75w


Thats exactly what I was thinking. And sorry for my previous post asking if the 5800k could "fit" >.<. It was late at night and i was at a loss for words lol. I actually was referring to PSU requirements. On topic, I really want to try this but dont want to waste money and find out it isnt possible. WOuld the stock AMD heatsink work in this case? I have a 5800k already, and it looked quite a bit builkier than the stock intel.


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## 996gt2

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *hammadj*
> 
> Quote:
> 
> 
> 
> Originally Posted by *akromatic*
> 
> thats $45 without the brick, tbh i have doubt that 150w is enough. if you look at full load figures it can sometimes peak to 190w and average game load is somewhere around 120-150w. ether way all load figures are above 100w so i conclude that the 100W TDP only takes account of the CPU side of things and GPU has yet to be factored in
> the A10 5700 will draw a peak of 150w and average of 100-110 during heavy loads. if cpu only load then it goes around 70-75w
> 
> 
> 
> Thats exactly what I was thinking. And sorry for my previous post asking if the 5800k could "fit" >.<. It was late at night and i was at a loss for words lol. I actually was referring to PSU requirements. On topic, I really want to try this but dont want to waste money and find out it isnt possible. WOuld the stock AMD heatsink work in this case? I have a 5800k already, and it looked quite a bit builkier than the stock intel.
Click to expand...

People overestimate PSU requirements all the time.

150W will be more than enough for a A10-5800K provided that it is not overclocked.

The system I built with a 3570K has been running like a champ on the stock 90W PSU. I've put the system through a gauntlet of tests, including tests like Prime95 and LinX, which put unrealistically high loads on the CPU.

I looked at several reviews of the A10-5800K.

Maximum power draw from the wall was 149W for a stock A10-5800K system subjected to *unrealistically high loads on both the CPU and GPU*. That's power draw *from the wall* for the entire system, which means the system is only using about 127.5W if you assume the PSU is 85% efficient. A PSU rated at 150W means it can deliver 150W of actual power to the components, or about 175W from the wall. In real-world use, no game would ever load the CPU and GPU as much as running Prime95 and Unigine Heaven at the same time, and so I highly doubt there would be any issues with a PicoPSU 150W and a A10-5800K.










*If you look at a more realistic scenario, like power consumption while playing Crysis, the A10-5800K system is only using 116W. Idle draw is only 35W.* Crysis is one of the most demanding games out there, and we're still well within a 150W power supply's abilities here. Again, this is *total system power consumption measured at the wall*, meaning the actual system is using only about 100W at full load.


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## InsideJob

Just to note on the pico site it does say the following
Quote:


> It can power VIA mini-ITX boards with C3 / C7 processors, P3, P4, Pentium-M, Core Duo versions and *low power AMD processors*.


Not to disagree that it wouldn't work because I do agree most people tend to over estimate PSU requirements. Without any overclocking I don't see an issue, would be nice if someone tried it out though









Edit:
Well after posting I saw you post these charts, seems as though it will be cutting it close. If my knowledge is serving me correct here you have to add the 116 and 35W from that chart together, considering their both in the same system. That would mean the Pico 150W would have to provide 100% power output at load. Not too sure if it would cut it on that processor...


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## 996gt2

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *InsideJob*
> 
> Just to note on the pico site it does say the following
> Quote:
> 
> 
> 
> It can power VIA mini-ITX boards with C3 / C7 processors, P3, P4, Pentium-M, Core Duo versions and *low power AMD processors*.
> 
> 
> 
> Not to disagree that it wouldn't work because I do agree most people tend to over estimate PSU requirements. Without any overclocking I don't see an issue, would be nice if someone tried it out though
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Edit:
> Well after posting I saw you post these charts, seems as though it will be cutting it close. If my knowledge is serving me correct here you have to add the 116 and 35W from that chart together, considering their both in the same system. That would mean the Pico 150W would have to provide 100% power output at load. Not too sure if it would cut it on that processor...
Click to expand...

You're misreading the graphs.

*The 116W is full load power draw from the wall* for the entire system.

*35W is the idle draw.* See the key on the bottom of the chart.

***I bolded "from the wall" because every review site gives power consumption from the wall, and that is more than what the system is actually using.

An easy example: a 500W power supply which is 80% efficient will be drawing 625W from the wall at 100% load. That means that the system itself is only using 500W. *PSUs are rated in terms of how much power they can deliver to the system, not how much power they draw from the wall*. Otherwise, a sketchy PSU company could make a "1000W" PSU that was 10% efficient and only provided 100W to components.

So, for the system above which is drawing 116W from the wall, the actual system is only using about 100W if you assume that the PicoPSU is 85% efficient. So even at full load, the system is well within the abilities of a PicoPSU 150W. Heck, you could probably even get away with using the stock PSU if you undervolted the A10-5800K.


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## akromatic

dont forget that the PSU is powering the ENTIRE system and not just the CPU/GPU. peak loads are not that unrealistic as well. like said it depends on the game 120-150w on average and peaks at 190w. a 150w PSU will choke abit during heavy gaming.

dont forget about capacitor aging as well as your PSU will decrease in capacity over time. your peripherals all use power as well via USB ports(0.5A per device) etc

I'll be getting a 160w pico and undervolt the 5800k


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## 996gt2

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *akromatic*
> 
> dont forget that the PSU is powering the ENTIRE system and not just the CPU/GPU. peak loads are not that unrealistic as well. like said it depends on the game 120-150w on average and peaks at 190w. a 150w PSU will choke abit during heavy gaming.
> 
> dont forget about capacitor aging as well as your PSU will decrease in capacity over time. your peripherals all use power as well via USB ports(0.5A per device) etc
> 
> I'll be getting a 160w pico and undervolt the 5800k


I'm not sure what point you're trying to make. *All of the power consumption numbers I posted are for the entire system.* Just about every review site measures power consumption for the whole system, and it is done at the wall.

The 120-150W "average" that you claim is an over-estimate. 190W is not possible unless the CPU was overclocked. Do you have sources to back up these numbers that you claim? I posted numbers from several reputable hardware review sites, and even under heavy load (Crysis) the *peak total system power consumption* was tested to be only 116W *at the wall* (meaning that actual power consumption from the whole system is only ~100W).


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## akromatic

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *996gt2*
> 
> I'm not sure what point you're trying to make. *All of the power consumption numbers I posted are for the entire system.* Just about every review site measures power consumption for the whole system, and it is done at the wall.
> The 120-150W "average" that you claim is an over-estimate. 190W is not possible unless the CPU was overclocked. Do you have sources to back up these numbers that you claim? I posted numbers from several reputable hardware review sites, and even under heavy load (Crysis) the *peak total system power consumption* was tested to be only 116W *at the wall* (meaning that actual power consumption from the whole system is only ~100W).


120-150w is not an overestimate. your crysis power figures are drawing 116w which is pretty close to 120w. its mostly GPU load as well rather then fully stressing the CPU along with it. depending on game if it is multi threaded or not and texture/resolution the draw can be upwards of 150w. CPU and GPU burn test will peak to 190w.

considering that the motherboard, ram and hdd will require around 20w the CPU does exceed its claimed 100w. an overclocked 5800k could draw around 190w during gaming

the thing is each review site has their own methodology of power draws and they vary considerable depending on method but im taking the full burn scenario as my case as that would be the worst case scenario that if a game or application is that demanding that it stresses both CPU and GPU simultaneously the PSU would cope rather then shutting down.

I've read reports of another user running stock volts on a 5700 and their 90w PSU on the ISK quits on them during heavy load and thats a 65w CPU which review sites claim 77w draw during games which obviously the other user's game is more demanding.

so like i said take the figures as a guide or what not but i wont be too confident about 150w for a 5800k. IMO ideally the 5700 would be happier with 130-150w PSU and the 5800k would like 150-200w after all it is a good idea to slightly over provision.

do note that these pico PSU use 12v plug packs and voltages drop considerable under load(according to jonnyguru) and 19v plug packs are much better and that the 12v rails on the pico only accounts for 60-70% of the power while the rest are 5v and 3.3v. for example the ISK110 90w pico has only about 60w on the 12v rail


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## akromatic

i just bought a 5800k and took some power readings, at stock clocks you still want and need to undervolt it if you are to use it with a 150w PSU. my power meter is showing that its hovering around 160w in bios screens and thats without any real load.

on the bright side if you are willing to sacrifice a fair amount of ghz you can just run the 5800k on the stock PSU bust power figures are still uncomfortably high. running 3dmark vantage shows power figures around 80-100w after dropping clocks to 2.6ghz and 3.4ghz turbo @ 1v normal load draws around 60w.

with this i can assume that even the 5700 needs a PSU swap if you want it to run optimally. other users have reported that with a 5700 on stock PSU will shut down under heavy load and requires undervolting

note that is is at the wall figures for a full system load of the bare minimal components of 1 SSD and 2 sticks of 1866mhz ram


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## 996gt2

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *akromatic*
> 
> i just bought a 5800k and took some power readings, at stock clocks you still want and need to undervolt it if you are to use it with a 150w PSU. my power meter is showing that its hovering around 160w in bios screens and thats without any real load.
> 
> on the bright side if you are willing to sacrifice a fair amount of ghz you can just run the 5800k on the stock PSU bust power figures are still uncomfortably high. running 3dmark vantage shows power figures around 80-100w after dropping clocks to 2.6ghz and 3.4ghz turbo @ 1v normal load draws around 60w.
> 
> with this i can assume that even the 5700 needs a PSU swap if you want it to run optimally. other users have reported that with a 5700 on stock PSU will shut down under heavy load and requires undervolting
> 
> note that is is at the wall figures for a full system load of the bare minimal components of 1 SSD and 2 sticks of 1866mhz ram


The easier and better alternative for those who want more CPU processing power and don't game as much is simply to get an i5-3570K like I used in the build. No aftermarket pico-PSU required. Heck, no undervolting or underclocking required even on the stock PSU







My client has been running this system for almost a month now without any issues.

I have a feeling that most people looking into a tiny system like this aren't going to be doing heavy gaming, so an Intel CPU would not only end up being much faster than an AMD chip, but cheaper as well once you factor in the cost of the Pico-PSU and power brick that is needed to run an AMD Trinity chip in this case.

And HD 4000 graphics in Ivy Bridge can certainly handle a fair bit of gaming at a medium resolution like 1280x800. For everything else, like photo or video editing, an Ivy Bridge i5/i7 would definitely be preferable over any AMD chip.


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## akromatic

actually i got it with full intention of gaming hence the decision over the i3 3225 (which I've already got a H67 board for) and it would be my main gaming/daily rig and it should perform better then my m11xR3. Idea is that i want a rig that i a fit in a tiny messenger bag that i can carry with me everywhere like a laptop

i have another ISK for an i7 3770 that would be use as a portable VM lab white box, my SG08 would be a gaming VM


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## ahmetcenk

Today i bought z77n-wifi,3570k,2x4gb gskill 1600mhz ..Gonna use a TEAM S2 120gb ssd with it (From old rig).. and i am thinking about antec isk-100...But i am not sure about the 90w psu..Will it be enough for using as htpc..?And can we change only the adapter from 90w to 120w ?


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## 996gt2

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *ahmetcenk*
> 
> Today i bought z77n-wifi,3570k,2x4gb gskill 1600mhz ..Gonna use a TEAM S2 120gb ssd with it (From old rig).. and i am thinking about antec isk-100...But i am not sure about the 90w psu..Will it be enough for using as htpc..?And can we change only the adapter from 90w to 120w ?


Mine is working fine with a 3570K, no underclocking and no undervolting.

It should be fine for you as well, but if for some reason your motherboard consumes more power than mine (it might, Z77 vs H61), you can undervolt the CPU a bit and it should be fine.

If you wanted to overclock the CPU, you can switch to a PicoPSU-120 or 150.


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## Artikbot

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *996gt2*
> 
> Mine is working fine with a 3570K, no underclocking and no undervolting.


My 80W PicoPSU is powering my A10-5700 with the IGP at 860MHz and a slight undervolt (haven't tweaked much, figure I could push the IGP even further and keep the thermal envelope), gaming without a problem. And the PicoPSU barely gets warm, with absolutely zero airflow. I'm going to put a small fan besides it just for the sake of it though.


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## ahmetcenk

Worst case scenerio will be the system not boot or shut down while running,right?İt will not fry someting i suppose







..İf it will not work out,i will order a pico psu 120 because i just get the information that z77n-wifi has no voltage control..So underclock will not be an option








http://www.overclock.net/t/1316594/gigabyte-z77n-wifi-h77n-wifi-no-voltage-control-voltage-hard-mod-info-inside


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## ahmetcenk

i5 3570k and isk 100 work like a charm..90watt and 77tdp works..








The only thing bothers me is I cant fit the stock cooler in the case because side panel of isk 100 and isk 110 is different..Rather than stock cooler i had to use akasa low profile cpu cooler ..


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## akromatic

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *ahmetcenk*
> 
> i5 3570k and isk 100 work like a charm..90watt and 77tdp works..
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The only thing bothers me is I cant fit the stock cooler in the case because side panel of isk 100 and isk 110 is different..Rather than stock cooler i had to use akasa low profile cpu cooler ..


i had mine modded to fit with stock cooler, sawed off the fan on the stock HSF then flipped the side panel mesh so the fan blows directly ontop of it.
later on i opped to replace the stock antec side fan with a 120mm slim scythe


you could try to use the xigmatec preaton as well like i've done for my A10-5800k build


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## 996gt2

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *akromatic*
> 
> Quote:
> 
> 
> 
> Originally Posted by *ahmetcenk*
> 
> i5 3570k and isk 100 work like a charm..90watt and 77tdp works..
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The only thing bothers me is I cant fit the stock cooler in the case because side panel of isk 100 and isk 110 is different..Rather than stock cooler i had to use akasa low profile cpu cooler ..
> 
> 
> 
> i had mine modded to fit with stock cooler, sawed off the fan on the stock HSF then flipped the side panel mesh so the fan blows directly ontop of it.
> later on i opped to replace the stock antec side fan with a 120mm slim scythe
> 
> 
> you could try to use the xigmatec preaton as well like i've done for my A10-5800k build
Click to expand...

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *ahmetcenk*
> 
> i5 3570k and isk 100 work like a charm..90watt and 77tdp works..
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The only thing bothers me is I cant fit the stock cooler in the case because side panel of isk 100 and isk 110 is different..Rather than stock cooler i had to use akasa low profile cpu cooler ..


That Xigmatek cooler looks quite nice!


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## gomiflo

This thread might be helpful:
http://www.overclock.net/t/1156060/ultra-slim-htpc-build-mac-mini-alternative/110

I built an AMD based machine with this case using the following parts:
Case: Antec ISK 110 with 80W power supply (80W board + 90W adapter)
CPU: A8-3870K
Mem: 1.35V Samsung 2x 4GB
Mobo: Asus F1A75-I Deluxe
SSD: Kingston SSDNow V200 64GB
CPU Cooler: Scythe Kozuti

The power supply (actually 80W on the board with a 90W power adapter--tricky!) wasn't enough to handle stock voltages, so I underclocked and undervolted it to 2GHz and -0.36250v offset.

I also have another machine with an i5-3570k (in a Silverstone SG06) with no GPU. The underclocked A8-3870K beats the i5 in Devil May Cry by a large margin for FPS.


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## molecule-eye

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *akromatic*
> 
> i just bought a 5800k and took some power readings, at stock clocks you still want and need to undervolt it if you are to use it with a 150w PSU. my power meter is showing that its hovering around 160w in bios screens and thats without any real load.


You have to be careful here as some bioses run the APU at load during post and in the bios. Numerous Asrock boards do this, including their A75 chipset mini-itx and matx boards. That 160W reading (depending on what else you're running) sounds like load to me. I would check load figures within the OS to compare.


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## OkamiITA

Nice build!
I want my next pc that small!


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## 996gt2

Quick update. After about 5 months, the system has been running great on the stock 80W PSU. Absolutely no instability of any kind.

Currently running 1 SSD, 1 internal hard drive, and 1 USB 3.0 hard drive on the system. The USB hard drive does not use an external power connector, so it's also getting power from the PSU.


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## ElevenEleven

Aww these systems are great. I'll definitely keep this in mind next time I build a system.

Something that would make the internals neater would be using all-black cables where possible, such as SATA cables. Can also use black electrical tape over PSU cables.

Love the modded side panel with the Scythe fan. Very professional looking.

I also see some 200-watt Pico PSUs, like this for instance:
http://www.mini-box.com/PW-200M-DC-DC-power-supply


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## akromatic

i guess you can always swap the cables for ones with black insulation/ sleeve them / paint them

200w is great but over kill for the ISK when they cant fit a GPU


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## akromatic

i guess you can always swap the cables for ones with black insulation/ sleeve them / paint them

200w is great but over kill for the ISK when they cant fit a GPU


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## keem

Help on building one like this...

Guys planning on building one like this. My question is which casing beside this, antek isk 110 that has *vesa mounting on a back of a monitor* , has enough power to supply a 3rd gen i7 processor and 2 2.5 hdd's?

Sorry to have ask here and not start a new thread..

Besides the casing (SFF), I would like to ask for a motherboard..which mini itx is the best for money ? I only have searched from gigabyte one, the z77 wifi?

Thanks
Christian


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## akromatic

hmm have a look at the M350 case from minibox though its recommended that you opt for the low voltage version of the i7

as for boards i'd prefer asrock ones unless you need dual nic which any USB3 to RJ45 would do. btw what is this build for?


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## keem

Thanks @ akromatic,

I will have a look at this M350. What I7 3rd gen has low voltage? thus this low voltage will have any effect in performance on the cpu?

Which asrock model do you like?

This build will be just for photo editing / designing (PS CS6, Illustrator, Lightroom)

Thanks
Christian..


----------



## akromatic

i7 with S or T suffix , they will cost slightly more then standard chips and performance difference is barely noticeable unless under extreme loads where standard chips will come out a tad faster,

i believe you can undervolt a standard i7 to achieve similar results but you do have to keep heat and power draw in mind depending on which case you choose as the M350 is designed for a 65W CPU while the ISK only has a 90W PSU (same 80W found in the ISK100)

well the board im using where i've got 3 of and recommend to everyone else is the Z77E and it has been really solid for me, i dont own the other ivy based boards but they should be about the same in terms of quality


----------



## ivoryg37

I bought the Thermalright AXP-100 thinking it fit in this case but it doesn't







. The fan touches the mesh, the only way is to remove the mesh or cut the mesh. I guess i'll just have to use the stock mesh.

I'm curious would a Richland A10-6800K would be able to ran on the stock PSU of this case Or should I just stick with Haswell. I'm trying to run games like Dota 2 on here. Nothing to extensive lol


----------



## akromatic

i highly doubt the A10 K series would run on the stock PSU without severe undervolting/clocking. besides power requirement there is cooling issues. the case isnt really designed to handle anything more than 65W TDP. haswell has a much higher TDP then ivy so you will really be taxing that PSU

with that said and you still want an A10 in your ISK you can use my build as reference


----------



## akromatic

i highly doubt the A10 K series would run on the stock PSU without severe undervolting/clocking. besides power requirement there is cooling issues. the case isnt really designed to handle anything more than 65W TDP. haswell has a much higher TDP then ivy so you will really be taxing that PSU

with that said and you still want an A10 in your ISK you can use my build as reference


----------



## Droogie

I agree. I wouldn't run an A10k on this without upgrading to a pico PSU.

Why go with the K model, anyway? You don't plan on overclocking in this case, do you?


----------



## akromatic

the issue is that consumers want k series because they think its faster and cooler to own one. so retailers rarely stock non k so its rather limited to OEMs.

I was forced to get the 5800k too when i prefer non K for its better features


----------



## ivoryg37

I finally finish building mine. I was going to use it as an HTPC but then I got a samsung TV which can read off of USB so I had no reason for building this. I was about to sell it then I figure I do something else which I stumbled upon hackintosh so I put mountain lion on mine lol.







about the same size as the mac mini with better performance. I'm running my i5-3570K @ stock with -160 offset stable for 24hrs so its a nice power saver


----------



## Calibos

I just put in an order for the ISK110. When you say the stock PSU is powering your Ivybridge i5 3570K fine which I believe has a TDP of 77W, *would I be correct to assume* that I would be fine powering a Haswell i5 4570 (84W TDP) with a Picopsu-160-XT & 200W xbox 360 powerbrick (trying to save some cash here







)

*Would I also be correct in assuming* that de-lidding that Haswell sucker would drop the temps significantly and thus not overly tax the low profile cooler I get for it.

*Would I be correct in assuming* that the Thermalright AXP100 is the best low profile cooler that closely fits in the case. Keep in mind that I don't mind cutting the mesh and fitting a fan grille to the mesh that gives a cooler with fan 5-10mm more clearance (Visualise the fan grille on the ISK100) , but I wouldn't want a cooler that stood out too far and overly affected the lines of the case so to speak. Does that open up more cooler options or merely enable the fitting of a Thermalright AXP100

My mother always told me that *Assumption was the mother of all **** ups* , so thats why I am asking you gents for confirmation


----------



## akromatic

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Calibos*
> 
> I just put in an order for the ISK110. When you say the stock PSU is powering your Ivybridge i5 3570K fine which I believe has a TDP of 77W, *would I be correct to assume* that I would be fine powering a Haswell i5 4570 (84W TDP) with a Picopsu-160-XT & 200W xbox 360 powerbrick (trying to save some cash here
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> )
> 
> *Would I also be correct in assuming* that de-lidding that Haswell sucker would drop the temps significantly and thus not overly tax the low profile cooler I get for it.
> 
> *Would I be correct in assuming* that the Thermalright AXP100 is the best low profile cooler that closely fits in the case. Keep in mind that I don't mind cutting the mesh and fitting a fan grille to the mesh that gives a cooler with fan 5-10mm more clearance (Visualise the fan grille on the ISK100) , but I wouldn't want a cooler that stood out too far and overly affected the lines of the case so to speak. Does that open up more cooler options or merely enable the fitting of a Thermalright AXP100
> 
> My mother always told me that *Assumption was the mother of all **** ups* , so thats why I am asking you gents for confirmation


1: 160XT can handle a 5800k, it can handle a haswell just fine.

2: delidding will drop load temps but is it worth it is another question. delidding or not wont change the heat output of the chip, it will only change the heat transferal capabilities over time. but for a stock chip it wont matter but for overclocking then you are looking at the wrong case. IMO you are better off undervolting for a cooler CPU

3: best idk but definitely feasible, i use a zigmatek preaton on my 5800k so if it can handle a 5800k it can handle a haswell. zigmatek is far cheaper option


----------



## Calibos

1: Cool !!









2: I won't be overclocking but I was thinking that lower load temps building up over time might mean the PWM fan stays at a lower RPM for longer mean quietness for longer. Would I be wrong on that?

3: Best IDK?? Does that TLA mean I don't know? A bit more research seems to be pointing towards it certainly being the best in terms of decibels to cooling performance. Possibly not when value is added to the equation though. The Praeton beat it on the value and slightly on the performance front but at the cost of much more noise apparently. Needless to say I guess it depends where ones priorities lie. IE Value/Performance/Noise

As I am not averse to cutting the mesh, it shows I don't mind modding things from stock. I'm wondering though after looking at side profile photo's of the heatsink, whether by very slightly bending the heatsink/heatpipes up away from the CPU block by a few mm's, I might be able to fit the supplied fan underneath the heatsink rather than on top. IE it looks like the fan is only slightly taller than the gap between the bottom of the heatsink and the CPU block. I'd probably shroud the fan/heatsink in this configuration. I'd not be averse to modding the mounting bracket and ghetto modding it a bit to make this possible. It would mean no modding to the outside of the case/mesh and thus maintaining the stock look. In fact doesn't the retaining clip attached to the heatsink indicate it actually has a tendency to naturally want to bend up in the same direction as I actually want it to?

Apparently whichever way I go, it is suggested that configuring the fan to push/pull air from the motherboard up through the heatsink fins is better than push/pulling down on the motherboard as this causes some heated air to bounce/deflect back off the motherboard and up out the top mesh again rather than out the side vents, where it is recycled by the fan. Pulling air from the motherboard up prevents this recycling.

I think its worth a punt anyway. If I find its not possible to mod the bracket and/or fit the fan underneath the heatsink then all that means is I have to cut the mesh and fit a fan grille similar to the look of the ISK100.

Thanks Akromatic


----------



## akromatic

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Calibos*
> 
> 1: Cool !!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 2: I won't be overclocking but I was thinking that lower load temps building up over time might mean the PWM fan stays at a lower RPM for longer mean quietness for longer. Would I be wrong on that?
> 
> 3: Best IDK?? Does that TLA mean I don't know? A bit more research seems to be pointing towards it certainly being the best in terms of decibels to cooling performance. Possibly not when value is added to the equation though. The Praeton beat it on the value and slightly on the performance front but at the cost of much more noise apparently. Needless to say I guess it depends where ones priorities lie. IE Value/Performance/Noise
> 
> As I am not averse to cutting the mesh, it shows I don't mind modding things from stock. I'm wondering though after looking at side profile photo's of the heatsink, whether by very slightly bending the heatsink/heatpipes up away from the CPU block by a few mm's, I might be able to fit the supplied fan underneath the heatsink rather than on top. IE it looks like the fan is only slightly taller than the gap between the bottom of the heatsink and the CPU block. I'd probably shroud the fan/heatsink in this configuration. I'd not be averse to modding the mounting bracket and ghetto modding it a bit to make this possible. It would mean no modding to the outside of the case/mesh and thus maintaining the stock look. In fact doesn't the retaining clip attached to the heatsink indicate it actually has a tendency to naturally want to bend up in the same direction as I actually want it to?
> 
> Apparently whichever way I go, it is suggested that configuring the fan to push/pull air from the motherboard up through the heatsink fins is better than push/pulling down on the motherboard as this causes some heated air to bounce/deflect back off the motherboard and up out the top mesh again rather than out the side vents, where it is recycled by the fan. Pulling air from the motherboard up prevents this recycling.
> 
> I think its worth a punt anyway. If I find its not possible to mod the bracket and/or fit the fan underneath the heatsink then all that means is I have to cut the mesh and fit a fan grille similar to the look of the ISK100.
> 
> Thanks Akromatic


2: you are not wrong but as i said delidding only helps with heat transference which mostly the heat is trapped inside the CPU. delidded or not the CPU will still output the same amount of heat and a high power CPU will still work a low profile cooler pretty hard. undervolting on the other hand reduces the heat output. IMO delidding is unnecessary for stock clocks. for quietness i'd get a better quiet fan and put up with higher but within spec temps

3: idk = i dont know. as for the preaton, the stock fan isnt bad but if fussy you can get a noctua 92mm fan that is 14mm thick and it still should be cheaper overall. I dont own the ISK110 so i dont exactly know how much extra clearance the mesh side offers in comparison to the ISK100 but i managed to keep the preaton package + a 120mm slim scythe fan in my thinner ISK100. If the extra clearance allows for a standard thickness (25mm) fan then it should offer better cooling over a slim fan. on second note a few posts above me did mention that the AXP100 didnt fit as the fan was touching the mesh so i guess its a no go unless you cut the mesh

as for actual air flow and cooling itself would depend on your selection of parts and self experimentation. in my testing i got better results pulling from mobo and exhausting it however the mesh is highly restrictive which means for the ISK110 it might not work unless you cut a hole in the mesh and fit a wire grill.

as intake however the restrictive mesh doesnt restrict it as much but heat is struggling to fit places to escape to which means you may need a few tiny 40mm exhaust fans on the top somewhere and honestly tiny fans are not good for quietness nor moving alot of air.

overall my i'm highly satisfied with the noise and cooling of my current configuration with my ISK100, its pretty much inaudible at most times until you put your ear right next to it except for heavy gaming which then gets a tad louder. however despite all the noise reduction efforts its all gone to waste due to a single platter hard drive which vibration is transmitting though the case. though my environment is very quiet most of the time and i have sensitive hearing

i think if you are willing to mod the mesh i'd say cut a 120mm hole and fit a 120mm fan slim or not like the ISK100 for the best result, anyway have fun


----------



## Calibos

For some reason I thought the S versions of the i5 did not have the igpu. Seems it does actually have the same HD4600 as all the other haswells. The 4570S is only 300mhz slower than the regular 4570 @ 2.9 ghz but with the same 3.6ghz turbo boost. Yet it has a TDP of 65W instead of 84W.

That would allow me to use the built in 90w psu given what the OP said in his opening post about his 65w ivybridge. Should make life easier for whatever cooler I decide on too I guess.

Any reason I shouldn't go for the 4570S that I haven't thought of?


----------



## akromatic

S or T means low voltage. aka lower clocks lower volts but cost more

tbh it makes more economical sense to just get a normal chip and undervolt and maybe a slight underclock to emulate the S or T chips. they both should have near if not identical heat output after undervolting

a lower voltage chip definitely allows the use of the stock 90w PSU but thats nothing a regular chip that has been undervolted cant do

catch is you do need a better board that allows voltage manipulation rather then el cheapos with no options


----------



## Calibos

The MSI H87i is the itx mobo in my basket at the moment. If its suitable, do I also need a K series 4570 in combination with it to allow undervolting/clocking?


----------



## akromatic

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Calibos*
> 
> The MSI H87i is the itx mobo in my basket at the moment. If its suitable, do I also need a K series 4570 in combination with it to allow undervolting/clocking?


you dont need a K series cpu to undervolt but you do need a better board. i'm not sure if H series boards allow voltage manipulation but i wont get that msi board. cpu socket is in the wrong position.


----------



## gbrewski

I'm about to attempt a mid to light gaming build with this case and an A10-5700 based on the writeup I read here:

https://gist.github.com/sliverstorm/4199804

However, I'm paranoid that the 80W included PSU just won't be enough to power the 5700 based on some of the stuff I've read on here. Has anyone on here run a 65W APU in this case at stock voltages? For what it's worth, I'll be running this with an SSD to save on power consumption and plan to disable my mobo's wi-fi module (MSI FM2-A75IA-E53) to lower power draw. I'm kicking myself for ordering a board that doesn't support undervolting...


----------



## akromatic

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *gbrewski*
> 
> I'm about to attempt a mid to light gaming build with this case and an A10-5700 based on the writeup I read here:
> 
> https://gist.github.com/sliverstorm/4199804
> 
> However, I'm paranoid that the 80W included PSU just won't be enough to power the 5700 based on some of the stuff I've read on here. Has anyone on here run a 65W APU in this case at stock voltages? For what it's worth, I'll be running this with an SSD to save on power consumption and plan to disable my mobo's wi-fi module (MSI FM2-A75IA-E53) to lower power draw. I'm kicking myself for ordering a board that doesn't support undervolting...


i can tell you by experience that it could work but risky. I've ran my A10 5800k with that 80w PSU after severe undervolting and underclocking to imitate the 5700. I had to drop the volts really low and clocked at 2.4ghz to keep the PSU from shutting down after 110w draw from the wall though that is with the notorious asrock board that tends to draw more power then it needs to.

typical gaming load for the 5700 depending on the game is somewhere around 90-110w. the 65W TDP of the APU doesnt seemed to account for the GPU load as it doesnt seemed to explain the higher power draws.

so sure it would power on, it could run alright depending on games but for how long till the PSU gives up i wont know considering its already over taxing it and capacitor ages over time. do note that the stock PSU only has about 60W on the 12v rails


----------



## Nexo

Really nice small build


----------



## Nexo

Where is the PSU and what is it?


----------



## gbrewski

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *akromatic*
> 
> i can tell you by experience that it could work but risky. I've ran my A10 5800k with that 80w PSU after severe undervolting and underclocking to imitate the 5700. I had to drop the volts really low and clocked at 2.4ghz to keep the PSU from shutting down after 110w draw from the wall though that is with the notorious asrock board that tends to draw more power then it needs to.
> 
> typical gaming load for the 5700 depending on the game is somewhere around 90-110w. the 65W TDP of the APU doesnt seemed to account for the GPU load as it doesnt seemed to explain the higher power draws.
> 
> so sure it would power on, it could run alright depending on games but for how long till the PSU gives up i wont know considering its already over taxing it and capacitor ages over time. do note that the stock PSU only has about 60W on the 12v rails


The more I think about it, the more I'm thinking that maybe I should invest in a PicoPSU for the extra headroom. Would this model be appropriate? Would you have a recommendation for an appropriate adapter to go with it?


----------



## akromatic

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *gbrewski*
> 
> The more I think about it, the more I'm thinking that maybe I should invest in a PicoPSU for the extra headroom. Would this model be appropriate? Would you have a recommendation for an appropriate adapter to go with it?


150w pico is a good choice, IMO 120w+ is all you need to be on the safe side and a matching or larger power brick. I got myself a 160w though which i got from minibox as a bundle


----------



## Nexo

I still can't believe how small this build was.


----------



## gbrewski

Thanks! I'll go ahead and grab the 150 and a brick, as it was the lowest power pico above 120 that seemed to have a 4-pin connector. Now what will I do with all that extra power...


----------



## Ecstacy

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *gbrewski*
> 
> Thanks! I'll go ahead and grab the 150 and a brick, as it was the lowest power pico above 120 that seemed to have a 4-pin connector. Now what will I do with all that extra power...


Overclock eet!


----------



## gomiflo

One note that I found with my build (around the A8 3870k) is that installing the Catalyst Control Center would cause the system to draw much higher power on startup as the CCC kicked in. So if I installed the CCC, I had to undervolt/underclock excessively in order to get it to boot. If I simply updated the Video driver (without installing CCC), I could run at a much higher clock/voltage pair. I'm not sure what CCC is doing at startup that causes the power spike.


----------



## akromatic

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *gomiflo*
> 
> One note that I found with my build (around the A8 3870k) is that installing the Catalyst Control Center would cause the system to draw much higher power on startup as the CCC kicked in. So if I installed the CCC, I had to undervolt/underclock excessively in order to get it to boot. If I simply updated the Video driver (without installing CCC), I could run at a much higher clock/voltage pair. I'm not sure what CCC is doing at startup that causes the power spike.


the thing is that you are using the stock crappy PSU with a 100W TDP CPU. it cant handle the power spike. i have no idea whats going on behind the CCC scene as im not experiencing it.

i know my system with stock PSU would not boot until i've undervolted/clocked it from the bios with another PSU and remained fine booting with 110W draw with stock PSU. gbrewski will be using a 150XT which has enough juice to get it running without undervolting though it would be preferred anyway to keep heat down


----------



## Calibos

Just finished my new bedroom build using the Antec ISK110 case with i5 4570S, 8gigs if ram, 60gb SSD, 250gig 5200rpm drive from old laptop. Did a few little mods to improve cooling efficiency too. Icy Diamond Tim for one thing.

Thanks for the advice I received in this thread. In the end I went for a 4570S 65w to play it safe with the OEM PSU seeing as I would be fitting a HDD as well as SSD. Given that I am coming from a D525 Atom powered Arctic MC001 mini PC and 8 year old Dell before that, the 2.9ghz 4570S is still a revelation in the bedroom.........a bit like myself really









I'd read about concerns about excessive heat on the rear mounted 2.5" drives in reviews. I was removing the HDD from the old Arctic and installing an SSD in that machine for win7 & XBMC use for my father when I realised that the HDD thermal pad and thick metal foil 'heatsink' that is fitted to every Arctic is exactly what I needed to help keep my drives cool in the ISK110. Luckily I have another 5 Arctic MC001 xbmc machines in the house (got them in February during the €99 Amazon sell off). These other machine run Openelec off USB thumb drives and so the drive enclosure thermal pads and heat foil are not used. I took 4 of the Thermal pads and 1 heat foil and covered the exposed parts of both the SSD and HDD with the pads and then adhered the foil on top. The foil is thick enough to stand when held in a corner so its not like the stuff you roast your Thanksgiving Turkey in







the foil is self adhesive and is stuck to the chassis, thus transferring heat to the chassis as well ensuring lots of surface area to absorb the heat and conduct it to the sides of the case where the CPU cooler can help move it out of the case. Last thing I did on this side was to use the dense compressible foam pad that came inside my 4570S tray box between the back of the CPU socket and the HDD mounted right behind it. This was to insulate the HDD from the heat from the back of the socket.



Here's my cable management such as it is!



Heres a fan cowling I made from some black kydex plastic I had lying around. The reason I did this was because of something I observed with another little tech ghetto mod I did for my new ASUS RT-N66U router and ISP router its bridged from. Both get very very hot so I used an old sandy bridge i5 stock cooler without heatsink that happened to fit snugly within the plastic frame of the ASUS' upright stand. Powered off a 12v phone charger, it blows right in the rear vents of the ASUS keeping it cool to the touch. I noticed that a ton of air was flung off the tips of the fan blades as there is no cowling on these fans unlike conventional PC fans. There was more than enough flow and pressure to the side of the blades to also blow in the vents of my ISP' cable modem and keep it cool too.

I figure there was a ton of wasted airflow just coming straight back out the full cover mesh top of the ISK110. The cowling forces all the air to pass through the heatsink instead.



I then made a cover with fan cutout for under the mesh from another piece if black kydex. This prevents the warm air from the heatsink from merely deflecting off the motherboard and back out the top mesh only to be recycled by the fan. The air is forced to pass other components requiring some cooling on its way out its only escape routes out the side vents.



End result before I robbed a pair of my GF's black pantyhose to use as a dust filter under the mesh











Photos of the unconventional bedroom workstation this PC is mounted to, to follow......


----------



## Calibos

Btw, I'm glad I didn't spend extra money on an aftermarket fan. The stock cooler is pretty silent under the kind of loads I'll be putting on the machine.


----------



## keem

Did you change the built in pico psu?


----------



## Calibos

No. Kept the Antec supplied PSU. Works fine with my 4570S (45W TDP). The PICO PSU's mentioned in this thread refer to something much smaller.


----------



## PcZac

I would love to see idle and load temps before and after the heatsink/vent modifications. If definitely seems like it would help, I'd just love to know how much.


----------



## Calibos

My rationale for doing that little mod was that it made sense to me given how much air I could feel coming off the sides of the blades when I was ghetto modding a cooling solution for my Asus RT-N66U router with an old i5 stock cooler.

I didn't pay much attention to detail when noting the temp difference it made. Idling low 30's before and high 20's afterwards. Didn't note the load temps as I knew I wouldn't be putting it under heavy load often. However, I didn't note the ambient temp either time unfortunately.

I would be interested myself anyway and seeing as its 5 minutes work to remove the shroud and vent panel cover, I'll try and do a proper test in the next day or so.

That said, I won't be removing the mod permanently even if I found it was making temps slightly worse because it works aesthetically as well, hiding the cramped interior and multicolored unsleeved cables.


----------



## keem

What was your motherboard?


----------



## Calibos

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *keem*
> 
> What was your motherboard?


MSI H87i

Parts are in my Sig.

Bed-Station (AKA: The M**********n-Station







)



Upgraded to a 120gb Samsung 840 SSD and 500gb Hitachi 5200rpm HDD. The reason being that a 17" Dell Vostro 1700 laptop mothballed for 3 years due to suspected mobo failure came back to life. Was buried in bottom of closet and for giggles I pressed the power button when I came across it again last week. It powered up!! Perfect excuse to upgrade the bedstation parts and put the 250gb HDD I salvaged from the Vostro originally for the bed station months ago back in, along with the 60gb Sandisk SSD I got for the bedstation. (Vostro 1700 has 2x 2.5" bays)

I also took the unused mini PCI Wireless N card from the bedstations MSI mobo and swapped it out with the old Wireless G card in the Vostro. Vostro now tricked out with 300mbps wifi, SSD and HDD. The 2 GHZ Core2Duo and Nvidia GPU in the Vostro is perfectly fine for Browsing, 1080p Youtube etc and XBMC. Gave it to another brother who was soldiering away with a dog slow 7 year old 15" AMD Turion Dell Inspiron.


----------



## keem

Question, can you replace the psu in the 110 w/ a pico psu? Will the socket of the pico psu for the power adapter fit exactly, the one that is there already in the case? Or you need to drill a new one?


----------



## akromatic

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *keem*
> 
> Question, can you replace the psu in the 110 w/ a pico psu? Will the socket of the pico psu for the power adapter fit exactly, the one that is there already in the case? Or you need to drill a new one?


yes you can use a pico in the ISK but you may need to make the hole larger depending on the pico's barrel plug


----------



## iRUSH

Just needed to subscribe so I wouldn't lose this thread


----------



## gomiflo

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *keem*
> 
> Question, can you replace the psu in the 110 w/ a pico psu? Will the socket of the pico psu for the power adapter fit exactly, the one that is there already in the case? Or you need to drill a new one?


I put a 160W pico psu in and used a file to make the hole a bit bigger.


----------



## akromatic

I'm about to attempt a external GPU mod with my ISK soon with the new bitcoin PCIe riser cards.

I'm sure performance would be crippled at 1x PCIe but it beats any onboard for sure.

I'm abit worried about running a i7 3770 at stock clocks(must be stock clocks or my OS wont boot) with its pretty old stock 80w PSU though. I'm out of budget for another pico atm as im going to use my 160XT + 200w brick to power my GPU


----------



## joelones

I'm just wondering if you have been successful in getting USB wake either via a USB keyboard and/or remote working with the Antec ISK 110? It seems to be a rather popular board for budget builds.

I'm trying to narrow down the sleep issue to the motherboard or case.

All the appropriate settings are enabled in the BIOS (ie: Resume from USB wake is set to enabled). Just not sure whether this is a power supply issue with the onboard 90W PSU that comes with the antec not supplying power to the USB bus on suspend. So I think it's PSU related.

The pc sleeps fine and only waking it via the power button works fine - just nothing via the usb bus; mce remote nor keyboard wakes it up.

Would replacing with a picopsu of high wattage help here?

mobo: H61H2-I3 (v1.0)
case: Antec ISK 110
os: windows 7 ultimate


----------



## 996gt2

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *joelones*
> 
> I'm just wondering if you have been successful in getting USB wake either via a USB keyboard and/or remote working with the Antec ISK 110? It seems to be a rather popular board for budget builds.
> 
> I'm trying to narrow down the sleep issue to the motherboard or case.
> 
> All the appropriate settings are enabled in the BIOS (ie: Resume from USB wake is set to enabled). Just not sure whether this is a power supply issue with the onboard 90W PSU that comes with the antec not supplying power to the USB bus on suspend. So I think it's PSU related.
> 
> The pc sleeps fine and only waking it via the power button works fine - just nothing via the usb bus; mce remote nor keyboard wakes it up.
> 
> Would replacing with a picopsu of high wattage help here?
> 
> mobo: H61H2-I3 (v1.0)
> case: Antec ISK 110
> os: windows 7 ultimate


Have yet to try USB wake, so I can't comment on that.

Regarding PSU, it depends on what CPU you are running. You don't need to upgrade the PSU if your CPU is 77W TDP or lower, and I don't think it would make a difference with your sleep issue.

As an update: the ISK 110 rig is still going strong 1.5 years in!


----------



## fastness

Is there any way to fit a 3.5" HDD in this isk110.

I saw the two side panels are different. The screen panel over CPU has a bump. While the other panel over HDD seems like a plain plastic panel without much holes. Is there any way to build a new HDD bracket to mount a 3.5" HDD inside this case? If that 2.5" HDD bracket can 2 hold 9mm 2.5" HDDs, we will need 16mm more in thickness to mount a 25.4mm 3.5" HDD inside this ISK110. Can we mount a screen bump at the HDD side panel, to get this 16mm?

2.5 inch: Outer measure 2.75 in × 0.275-0.59 in × 3.945 in (69.85 mm × 7-15 mm × 100 mm).
3.5 inch: Outer measure 4 in × 1 in × 5.75 in (101.6 mm × 25.4 mm × 146 mm)

I don't have this case. But I'm thinking to build a NAS with it.


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## Calibos

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *fastness*
> 
> Is there any way to fit a 3.5" HDD in this isk110.
> 
> I saw the two side panels are different. The screen panel over CPU has a bump. While the other panel over HDD seems like a plain plastic panel without much holes. Is there any way to build a new HDD bracket to mount a 3.5" HDD inside this case? If that 2.5" HDD bracket can 2 hold 9mm 2.5" HDDs, we will need 16mm more in thickness to mount a 25.4mm 3.5" HDD inside this ISK110. Can we mount a screen bump at the HDD side panel, to get this 16mm?
> 
> 2.5 inch: Outer measure 2.75 in × 0.275-0.59 in × 3.945 in (69.85 mm × 7-15 mm × 100 mm).
> 3.5 inch: Outer measure 4 in × 1 in × 5.75 in (101.6 mm × 25.4 mm × 146 mm)
> 
> I don't have this case. But I'm thinking to build a NAS with it.


No promises, but if I remember after work, I'll have a look at my own ISK110. Just looking at the case in google image search here at work, it looks like the top and bottom panels are mirror images of each other in so far as how they connect to the rest of the chassis.mSo that looks like a good start. I do recall though that while the top panel has the raised open mesh, the bottom HDD/SSD panel might have a solid faux mesh finish. In other words, if you swapped it to the other side so that you can use the raised mesh side to accommodate the 3.5" HDD on the other side, you won't be able to fit a fan and even if you could, the fan couldn't breath.. Dunno what CPU you'll be using and whether you can go passive with a heatsink.

I need to open mine up anyway to blow out the dust, so it'll be no trouble but I just might not remember to do it today


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## fastness

If the 2 side panels are swappable, I guess we can put the raised mesh panel at HDD side to make a room for a 3.5" HDD, and mount a 18cm fan over the motherboard as they did in this post.
http://techreport.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=83983&p=1141094


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## akromatic

you will have issues powering the 3.5" drive with stock PSU. mine wouldnt boot anymore with a WD black and G620 pentium

dont think that airflow would work ether with the mobo blocking most of the air, top and bottom panels can fit 40mm fan though


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## fastness

My current NAS is hooked to a kill-a-watt.. It takes ~35 watt at idle, and never reached 70 watt when fully loaded. It has a G3220 + B85 ITX + 1 WD green + 1 SSD + 2 DDR3 chips.
A HDD can takes 15 watt at most, even WD black, and usually take 5- 10 watt for a WD green.
I think that DC-ATX PSU should be OK to power my NAS.


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## hansen6

Hello,

I just ordered this case off amazon and I'm excited to build the rig soon. I was wondering if it could be possible to put an Intel G3258 chip in this and do a small overclock say about 4GHz. Would the 90W PSU that comes with the case be able to handle the minor overclock or would I be better off just getting a G3240. The rig is only intended for web browsing, microsoft office, 1080p HD video watching.

I'll also be using
Asus h81i-plus, 2 X 4gb 1600mhz ram, Crucial mx100 256gb ssd

I know I don't really need to overclock the G3258 for the purposes of the rig but it's always nice to know you are getting value for money, and it's only $9 more than the g3240 or $13 more than the G3220 where I live.


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## frack0

Congrats! You should be safe to overclock a bit, G3258 is 53W TDP add maybe another 10W for mobo etc, gives you roughly 27W of margin. The CPU may not even run at the max rating, download openHardwareMonitor to check

http://openhardwaremonitor.org/


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## hansen6

Thanks for the feedback! I'll try to remember to update this thread with my results when I get the rig running in the next month =)


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## hyp36rmax

OT... What lens are you shooting with? I love the detail.


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## iFreilicht

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *996gt2*


I don't know how high the Intel CPU cooler is, but could you not optimize the volume of that case by replacing the dented mesh with a flat one? That would shave off a few more cm² of this already microscopic build







And IMHO it would look quite a bit better.


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## hansen6

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *hansen6*
> 
> Hello,
> 
> I just ordered this case off amazon and I'm excited to build the rig soon. I was wondering if it could be possible to put an Intel G3258 chip in this and do a small overclock say about 4GHz. Would the 90W PSU that comes with the case be able to handle the minor overclock or would I be better off just getting a G3240. The rig is only intended for web browsing, microsoft office, 1080p HD video watching.
> 
> I'll also be using
> Asus h81i-plus, 2 X 4gb 1600mhz ram, Crucial mx100 256gb ssd
> 
> I know I don't really need to overclock the G3258 for the purposes of the rig but it's always nice to know you are getting value for money, and it's only $9 more than the g3240 or $13 more than the G3220 where I live.


Just wanted to update this thread, I did indeed get the Asus H81-I plus, and after updating the bios to version 2105 I was able to get a 4ghz overclock without changing the voltage. It seems the 90w psu included in the Antec ISK 110 can run an overclocked G3258 at 4GHz. Hopefully this is useful to anyone with a similar build in mind!


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## vdn20

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *gomiflo*
> 
> I put a 160W pico psu in and used a file to make the hole a bit bigger.


Just so I can be sure. With a picoPSU, you can plug it in directly, but you just have to make the hole in the case a little bigger? I'm thinking about using this for a build, but want to be sure.


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## smithydan

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *iFreilicht*
> 
> I don't know how high the Intel CPU cooler is, but could you not optimize the volume of that case by replacing the dented mesh with a flat one? That would shave off a few more cm² of this already microscopic build
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> And IMHO it would look quite a bit better.


Yes he could but that is the only place where this case exchanges air. Changing it would increase his temps significantly, especially at load.


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## frack0

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *vdn20*
> 
> Just so I can be sure. With a picoPSU, you can plug it in directly, but you just have to make the hole in the case a little bigger? I'm thinking about using this for a build, but want to be sure.


The problem is the hole(square) goes to a board mounted power jack on the internal DC-DC supply. It's not that the hole would need to be bigger, but certainly different. Why not just use the supply and brick it comes with?


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## vdn20

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *frack0*
> 
> The problem is the hole(square) goes to a board mounted power jack on the internal DC-DC supply. It's not that the hole would need to be bigger, but certainly different. Why not just use the supply and brick it comes with?


Using a PSU calculator, it say that I need a minimum of of 121, but recommend 171 watt, so I was asking about the picoPSU since I will probably have to change it with one that will provide more power

So does that mean if I make the opening bigger, I can just plug in a picoPSU?


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## gomiflo

Hello. Yes, I took out the stock PSU board from the case, including the connector with the pin. This leaves a square hole.

If you take a file to the square hole and widen it a bit, you can lodge the plastic part from the adapter in there and it holds very well. Don't take off too much at a time, and test as you go.

Then I just plugged the picoPSU into the motherboard.


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## vdn20

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *gomiflo*
> 
> Hello. Yes, I took out the stock PSU board from the case, including the connector with the pin. This leaves a square hole.
> 
> If you take a file to the square hole and widen it a bit, you can lodge the plastic part from the adapter in there and it holds very well. Don't take off too much at a time, and test as you go.
> 
> Then I just plugged the picoPSU into the motherboard.


So you took out the PSU from the case itself? What I had in mind was to change the power brick, take the brick from the picoPSU and plug it directly into case, would that work?


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## gomiflo

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *vdn20*
> 
> So you took out the PSU from the case itself? What I had in mind was to change the power brick, take the brick from the picoPSU and plug it directly into case, would that work?


Yes, I removed the PSU. I'm not sure why you want to change just the power brick. The PSU inside the case is an 80W board. Take a look at it when you open it up and you should see an 80W marking on it. Using a higher watt power brick doesn't seem like it will do anything since the included brick is 90W.

Sorry if I haven't understood what you want to do, but I don't see a reason to replace the brick without also replacing the board in the case.


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## vdn20

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *gomiflo*
> 
> Yes, I removed the PSU. I'm not sure why you want to change just the power brick. The PSU inside the case is an 80W board. Take a look at it when you open it up and you should see an 80W marking on it. Using a higher watt power brick doesn't seem like it will do anything since the included brick is 90W.
> 
> Sorry if I haven't understood what you want to do, but I don't see a reason to replace the brick without also replacing the board in the case.


Yeah, I just realized that. Is it hard to change the PSU?


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## gomiflo

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *vdn20*
> 
> Yeah, I just realized that. Is it hard to change the PSU?


It's not hard. It's just a couple of screws to take the board out, assuming your motherboard or other components are not in the way.


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## Trexxit

wanna do a lan rig to replace my 6300 and my 6770 . with the 7850k could i just set a target power draw to somethlink like 45 watts and use it like that? or will it not even start up with the 90 watt so i can change it? btw ive got 8gb of ddr3 2400mhz and a sandisk ultra 128gb ssd and a 2.5 toshiba 320 that will likely get replaced. need to keep it cheap as possible, also know anyone wanting to buy a fx 6300 and ga-78lmt-usb3 for cheap?


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## gbrewski

Just wanted to pop back in here and say that my A10 5700 build was a resounding success, but I wish I had waited for Kaveri. The A8 7600 running at 45w is basically made for this case and would run perfectly with the stock PSU (probably SSDs only though). Anyone wanna attempt a build with it so I can live vicariously through them?


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## Trexxit

I have a ssd as boot and a hdd i use for storage, think it would work?


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## Trexxit

also thinking of buying a pico psu off ebay, not pico brand, but its rated for 200 watts and the board is 20$, the power brick is gonna cost me 45 as its a 200W alienware power brick( I want to use a 7850k in here


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## gbrewski

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Trexxit*
> 
> also thinking of buying a pico psu off ebay, not pico brand, but its rated for 200 watts and the board is 20$, the power brick is gonna cost me 45 as its a 200W alienware power brick( I want to use a 7850k in here


You'll definitely need to chuck the stock PSU if you're planning to run the 7850k. I'd be more worried about heat with a part like the 7850k though. Are you planning to undervolt? Remember that you only have access to a single cpu fan for cooling, and a small one at that. The stock cooler for my 5700 didn't even fit the case, if I recall correctly, and I ended up purchasing an NH-L9a.


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## Trexxit

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *gbrewski*
> 
> You'll definitely need to chuck the stock PSU if you're planning to run the 7850k. I'd be more worried about heat with a part like the 7850k though. Are you planning to undervolt? Remember that you only have access to a single cpu fan for cooling, and a small one at that. The stock cooler for my 5700 didn't even fit the case, if I recall correctly, and I ended up purchasing an NH-L9a.


Thats what i was thinking of doing some one on pcpp did that and at load it rad 48 degrees C . not bad, but found a 180W power brick, and the reviews that i can find on those tiny psus seem to be good. think 180W will support the cpu 2x4gb ddr3 2400 mhz ram ,a ssd and a 2.5 hdd? dont forget the integrated wifi card and such.


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## wholeeo

One of my favorite cases to have worked with. I just had to want an HTPC with a full size video card, I rarely play games on the HTPC







, perhaps the 970 will change that.


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## akromatic

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Trexxit*
> 
> also thinking of buying a pico psu off ebay, not pico brand, but its rated for 200 watts and the board is 20$, the power brick is gonna cost me 45 as its a 200W alienware power brick( I want to use a 7850k in here


already done

i didnt bother undervolting, left it at stock 95W with the xigmatek preaton cooler

180w would easily support the system with 2 sticks of ram, wifi, SSD + HDD etc


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## Amph

how do you plug it, i see no standard schuko


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## Trexxit

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *gbrewski*
> 
> You'll definitely need to chuck the stock PSU if you're planning to run the 7850k. I'd be more worried about heat with a part like the 7850k though. Are you planning to undervolt? Remember that you only have access to a single cpu fan for cooling, and a small one at that. The stock cooler for my 5700 didn't even fit the case, if I recall correctly, and I ended up purchasing an NH-L9a.


Did you have any problems with BSOD or anything related to power?


----------



## gbrewski

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Trexxit*
> 
> Did you have any problems with BSOD or anything related to power?


I didn't want to chance it, so I ended up purchasing a pico PSU, I believe at 120W. I mentioned the specifics earlier in the thread. I don't think the 5700 could safely run at 80W, which is why I'd recommend the 45W 7600 instead. It seems like the perfect part for this box.


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## Amph

can you use a notebook powersupply with this?


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## Trexxit

Depends on the connector for it. If im not mistaken this takes a 5.5x2.5 jack maybe a 5.5x2.1 but dont quote me.You might be able to find it via google


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## namex2

hi

What do you think of the power supply. Is it worth buying?
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/DC-12V-Pico-ATX-switch-PSU-Car-Auto-MINI-ITX-ATX-Power-Supply-120W/836368113.html


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## Trexxit

Could a 2.5 ssd be taped or velcroed to the side when you remove the default psu for a pico psu? the drive is 2.65 tall sitting on it's side and the case is a little over 3 inches tall. So could it be done with a ssd?


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## ozlay

now to find an ultra low profile pcie based ssd to use in this case


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## Liquored

any ssd would work. if you really wanted to save space, take the guts out of the ssd case, just be sure to properly protect the ssd card itself. youll have an ESD bag from your parts. can slip it into it and then tape it closed to the sata cable. if you really wanted to save space and keep it from touching any metal

or just keep it In the original case and mount the ssd behind the motherboard (ie between the side panel of the case under the mobo it has 2 locations for 2.5" SSD and HDD already)


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## wholeeo

Almost purchased this case again the other day during an Amazon sale. They had it up for $53. No need for it but would have been nice to have it just in case for that price.


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## hagoun

Hi there,

Do you know the inner celarance available in that case ?


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