This is probably the best video I've seen on this case regarding conveying information to the viewer. I am upgrading my main gaming PC and realized that I could easily turn those old parts into a HTPC. I've wanted to make one for a while and now that I've moved into my own home, it seems like the time. This case is gonna fit perfectly into my media stand with some room on all sides for cooling.
DUDE! LOVE the outlines that make it super clear what components you're talking about! Once I saw it, I thought "how come no other tech channel does that???
Nice vid, thanks for explaining the 2nd PCI slot thing. It was one of the things putting me off thinking it will be impossible to get a decent mobo that had a full speed pci-e on the '2nd slot'. Ends up, it was just confusing wording thanks to Silverstone and the fact its actually the 1st mobo slot in reality makes things much easier. Cheers.
Thank You. I purchased several components you recommend based on these instructions for the Grandia11. MSI P240, fans, GPU 180 degree power adapter, Crucial P3 Plus 4tb
Really enjoyed this series. Had actually built a very similar Silverstone/MSI non-RGB gaming HTPC setup prior to you releasing it: Case: Silverstone GD11 Mobo: MSI PRO Z690-A WIFI CPU: i7 12700K Cooler: MSI MAG CoreLiquid P240 AIO GPU: 4090 FE RAM: G.Skill DDR5-6400 PSU: MSI MPG A1000G PCIE5 1000W Storage: MSI M480 Gen4 NVMe 2TB Fan setup: Front (240mm AIO intake with tubes on the left), Left (two 120mm Silverstone intake fans), Right (one 120mm Silverstone exhaust fan and PSU intake fan), Rear (two 80mm Noctua NF-A8 exhaust fans) Two points: - I was able to fit two of the included 120mm Silverstone fans to intake on the left side of the case, just folded the underlying cables gently inward to fit - The MSI AIO can fit with the tubes on the left so they are lower and theoretically pump less air to the CPU plate, just needs a little machining of the crossbar to accommodate the radiator in this orientation, or to tighten screws less tightly and allow less ideal fitment of the case top panel
Very cool! Did you need any kind of adapter for the 4090 FE video card? I looked it up, - 137mm tall vs 140mm of the card I'm using. Was there just enough space? The MSI card is 20mm longer. Given the AIO performance is acceptable, I'm inclined just to leave it where it is. I am curious if the CPU benchmarks would improve with the tubes down, though.
@@takeofftechnical I did not- the 12VHP cable from my PSU seated well and was flexible enough to have a gentle bend and close routing over the narrow front-rear cross bar with the lid closed. But yes it was close. if much taller/tighter fit I wouldn’t feel comfortable smashing the panel closed. And yes totally a theoretical benefit since the pump is actually in the radiator for the MSI AIO but I’d say worth trying if you have a need to remount your cpu cooler in the near future.
Did you have issues plugging in fan headers? MSI seems to like to put SYS_FAN1 thru SYS_FAN4 all the way on the back left edge of the mobo, which would be right under the rear 120mm position in this case.
Very interesting build. I have ordered some new AMD parts, and are considering using this cabinet for the setup. As of now, I have the SilverStone Grandia GD08. And Ryzen 1600x, GTX 1080 ti. So I'm pretty happy with that case. Lots of fans in GD08, and possibility for Blu-Ray player.
I haven't done a build in the GD08, so I can't offer any comparison advice. What drew me to the GD11 is the capacity for a long GPU and the support for a 240mm AIO CPU cooler. Best of luck with your build!
I got some tips from building a high end gaming PC in this case. #1.Remove the top case brace as it is not really needed. 2# go for the Arctic freezer 240 AIO as it has a much thicker radiator to absorb those CPU temps if using something like a i7 or higher, but don't use the included Arctic fans as they are not the best and are loud. 3# once brace is removed u can shuffle the Rad over to the left a little which allows for a full size 120mm exhaust fan on the right side, this is very important as it's your main exhaust for case heat. #4 Pick an ATX motherboard that does not have the USB 3 header at the bottom of the board most modern boards have them on the side anyhow, it's a little tight but u can fit two full size 120mm fans on the left side as intakes even over the front header ports. #5 With being a living room HTPC Gaming PC go with 5x BeQuiet Silent wings 4 120mm PWM 1600rpm fans so it's nice and quiet along with 2x Pure wings 2 80mm rear exhaust fans. #6 get an ATX 3 Bequiet or similar PSU with a pcie 5 power cable so u can easily install something like a RTX 4080. #7 go for a motherboard with plenty of NVME ports as these drives are so cheap now, and u don't want to take up space or hear mechanical hard drives spinning. And also u dont really want to fit or take up space with the 3.5" bays. It's been a lot of trail and error but my build is 14700K/RTX 4080 with 6 nvme Drives for the ultimate 4K Home gaming & PLEX server in one. :)
Did you flip the two 120mm fans to function as exhaust? Otherwise the Artic Freezer fans will be working against those, effectively creating a weird "push push" configuration around the AOI, which cannot be optimal 🤔
3:30 If only this case had 3rd fan opening on front, the you could use that fan to push more fresh air for the GPU. For extra points, SilverStone could have provided a plastic shroud to direct air from that (missing 3rd fan position) to the GPU only.
I managed to fit 2 Arctic 120mm on the left, with space enough for the front header. The Gigabyte G-connector did not fit though. Thanks for your previous build video, it helped me during my own build
Am about to do a case swap to my new GD11 and plan is to largely follow the same as you've done here. Only difference is I don't have a rad. Plan is to pull from front and the GPU side and exhaust back and PSU side. Don't have a thin fan so will have to see how that goes and I think I'll get away with 2 120s on the GPU side but will see how it pans out!
Without a rad, I would be tempted to use the baffle (included with the case) at the PSU side fan location. My thinking would be to reduce turbulence on the front-to-back airflow that runs through the CPU air cooler. Of course only benchmarks and experiments will definitively answer baffle vs exhaust vs intake at that side location, but my first guess is baffle! Enjoy the new case!
@@takeofftechnical i'm assuming you mean the plate that doubles as a 3.5" disk holder. Either that or I'm missing something! TBH anything I do will be better than what I currently have where the existing silverstone case I have only has 2 exhausts and no intake.
No, the baffle is a piece of plastic shaped like a dust filter. SilverStone provides both a dust filter and a baffle for that fan location. If you install a fan as an intake there, use the dust filter. If you install a fan as an exhaust there, use neither. If using no fan, use the baffle. With 2 front intake fans and 2 GPU side intake fans, the case will be pressure positive. The baffle in that setup will prevent air from escaping the empty fan location and keep it moving toward the back of the case.
@@takeofftechnical ah yeah not I have you. Yeah that’s how I have it. Didn’t add an exhaust on the PSU side as I realised it would be too close to the in really. So I have 4 ins and the two outs and a lot of positive pressure. It looks so nice 👌
@@takeofftechnical incidentally my build is all done now, despite the UK heatwave my thermals are better than ever and the build is so much neater than it was. I needed a usb 3 adapter to give me a USB type E connection but outside of that all great.
I just discovered this case an I love it. I own a beefy Fractal HTPC case that is impossible to upgrade to water-cooling. With new AI tricks for videos available for Nvidia i can see the need for a beefier card beside gaming. I can also see the potential of going for a water-cooled 4070 (Ti) which has shorter PCB and then using a Dremel to make room for 360mm radiator hack job 😎😎😎
I've been really happy with this case and the 240mm rad cooling on the 5950x. I am curious how a 360mm rad would work out, so let me know if you try it! If my rad gives out, my next cooling system will be the NH-D12L [amzn.to/3UJ3JDd]. There's only 1mm difference between that air cooler and the maximum height allowed by the case, and I'm curious if it fits. I would also love to know how the air cool compares to the water cool!
@@takeofftechnical Maybe to avoid hacking it would be even better to put in 2x 240mm rads. And have 2 loops. One in a standard location for CPU and on the GPU side. If one uses smaller motherboard there looks to be enough room (5-6cm) to the internal USB headers. GPU thickness would be non issue since it is small under a waterblock.
I think the play to water cool the GPU is one 240mm rad and a single custom loop that services the CPU and GPU. The challenge would be to keep the single rad cool with enough airflow. Maybe with the right mobo another pair of fans would fit on the other side of the rad. It sounds like a fun build!
@@takeofftechnical Yes. Sounds like fun. The correct way to aproach this is firsts get the case and measure for the rads and fans. Then fit in everything else.😁😁
I can confirm a 4090fe fits in this case. You just have to buy a U shaped power adapter so you can plug in the 16 pin cable. CY adapter I think was the brand name
Cool! I hope you are loving it. Be careful with the 4090 and those adapters, though. CableMod makes the recommended adapter in my circles, but it's being recalled as of December for melting. Notice: cablemod.com/adapterrecall/ I have not worked with the 4090. My colleagues that fit it have chosen to use a case with more clearance until a safer adapter is established. I would recommend doing the same. If I absolutely had to have it, I personally would try an aluminum adapter like this one: amzn.to/3UbcuYs. That being said, knowing that NVIDIA doesn't cover this issue under warranty due to the 3rd party adapter, I really advise against it.
Nice to see that you have the same "Windows like" dust logo :D Actually the first PCIe slot on your MB is there, it is where a NVMe can go into. If you do not use it, you can even get an NVMe to PCIe adapter, if it is a real NVMe M2 slot (and not just for SATA). As for air....putting it in a rack seems really tricky. The side clearance is bit narrow and depending on how far you are away from the wall air circulation might be hindered a bit (as far as I remember those old Dells like the one in the bottom, they do not help for circulationbut do output quite some heat). Not to mention that this beautiful case should not be in a server rack but in a HiFi rack :D Those front panel adapters are really an oversight by Silverstone....kind of weird there are not at least some 90 degrees angled adapters. Looks like my plan of adding a radiator there will not work :D BTW...does your USB-C in the front work ? Seems the tolerances in my case are a bit off, connector did not properly stay in, had to rework it a bit. Thanks for documenting your journey :D
Good point on the PCIe! It is a NVMe M2 slot, so the graphics card is electronically in the 2nd position. The manual for my motherboard lists the graphics card as "PCI_E1", though, so I've been considering it the "first" slot. That said, the presence of the NVMe in that location is a good indicator the motherboard will line up properly. I hadn't put that together - thanks for sharing! My USB-C is a little suspect. I use it to transfer recordings off my phone, and I've been blaming Microsoft and Apple not working well together - a usual story in my lab. Perhaps a closer look is warranted...
@@takeofftechnical On mine the USB-C was a bit wiggly and the connector did not slot in properly. Reworked the holes holding the socket on daughterboard a bit so that the USB-C comes a bit more to the front, but maybe I was a bit too careful and only did about 1mm diameter more. It is a bit better now, but not as good as when the plastic cover is removed, Maybe try it without the cover, if it fits better it is the same issue. As for the PCIe...if it is not a card that get hot, maybe get an extender. There are a few for mining rigs, you could then put the card in the "real" first slot. half hight card would prolly leave some space under it, but should fit.
and looks like I was wrong about the first PCIe slot....mATX and ITX boards seem to to line up the GPU slot to the real first slot event though some have the NVMe betweeen it and the CPU.
I would be curious if pc part picker would flag that as a problem for those motherboards. It's certainly important. If the GPU lines up with case slot #1 then longer cards won't clear the radiator.
Can we use the side fan location (from the GPU side) to mount another radiator for the GPU using one of those Graphic Card that comes with the AIO liquid cooling from the factory??
I don’t think so, no. I tried searching for those and most of what I see has the tubes located on the top of the video card where there’s no clearance with the top of the case.
Both the XFX I was using and the 3080 I replaced it with are 323mm long. The case manual states 340mm as the length limit of a GPU. I believe the manual to be accurate.
I built this case this week but I didn't do a water cooled CPU. I did 5 120mm fans and 2 80mm fans. I am running a MSI Compact Ventus RTX 3090 GPU. I choose to use the BeQuiet fans in the system and a BeQuiet CPU cooler that has a BeQuiet fan as well. I am using this for a MadVR Video Processor for my home theater. The problem I am running into is the fans on the 3090 get SO LOUD while watching a movie. I know I have a problem with fan outtake but thought I would ask for opinions on this threas. I have all the 120mm fans being intake and the 2 80mm in the back as outtake. I know I need more outtake but here is the problem I see. the 2 front 120mm fans suck air in ad the 1 120mm next to it also sucks air in. The 2 120mm fans infront of the GPU is sucking air in as well and I did this because the 3 fans on the GPU are intake and I assumed it would want cooler air hitting the GPY. So the question at hand is this, is there a better way without having air blowing out of the front of the case?
Definitely keep the front fans intake. The front of the case is a filter, and you don't want to blow dust into the wrong side of it. Honestly I would try removing the fan on the PSU side of the case -- use the baffle instead. This will reduce both the overall pressure imbalance and the turbulence within the case. The video card fans may have options in the BIOS or NVIDIA control panel. Set it to "Normal" or "Quiet" performance modes. The BIOS should have some fan curves for the system fans that you can also tune. Do you have the case in a home theater cabinet? Does it have sufficient airflow? At the end of the day, if the intakes are pulling hot air in, the PC will run hot and the fans will run faster and louder. You might consider installing powered fans to the cabinet and/or opening the doors (if any) when running the PC.
@@takeofftechnical Thanks for responding. What baffle you referring to? No it’s on a shelf that is open in the back of the room. I can use Afterburner to create a curve for the fans which I’m toying with now.
SilverStone provides a plastic baffle in the box the GD11 comes in. It snaps into the PSU fan location- sealing it off so air won’t escape out the side. This preserves the direction of front-to-back airflow over the cpu. HTH
I'm doing a similar build with the Grandia 11 Case. I don't have all my components yet, but was wondering why the AIO radiator tubes are required to be on the power supply side? Do they interfere with the GPU if the radiator tubes are on the GPU side? Thanks for the Video.
I decide to buy this case to fit my new rx6700 xt. I have a question about the additional fan for the gpu. Do you try to put the fan for the extraction of the air? The airflow in this way became neutral whit the same air in input and out put. What do y think about this solution? Tnx again 😉
While neutral pressure inside a case is ideal, I consider it a secondary goal to controlling the direction of airflow. Using a case fan as an exhaust on the GPU side will move air the opposite direction of the fans integrated with the video card. I think it’s better to run both case fans as intakes to control the airflow direction towards the GPU. This also agrees with running the slim fan on the other side as an exhaust, which leaves two well-defined intake to exhaust directions: front to back and GPU-side to PSU-side. You could experiment and benchmark to get a more concrete answer, though. Good luck with your build!
Thanks! I have the parts linked in the description. Here's the one for the GPU plug inverter again: amzn.to/3QYT5WQ. Make sure you review the product photos - one of them is quite helpful to determine if you need the standard or reverse type. I've been using this rig heavily for several weeks now, and these plugs have worked flawlessly!
can a Noctua nh d15s fit inside here? Was looking for something like the coolermaster haf xb evo case, and this one was the only comparable one but it seems like it has considerably less height
No, the Noctua NH-D15S will not fit. The NH-D12L [ amzn.to/47fDfyO ] would be the biggest Noctua air cooler that should fit the SilverStone GD11. You could also try the NH-U9S [ amzn.to/3DMfGjz ] with the optional 2nd fan [ amzn.to/45bRcMx ]. I haven't tried the NH-D12L but I have used the NH-U9S with the 2nd fan on a different build with good results.
There's no case-alignment specification that I can find for motherboard PCIe slots. I looked at the manual and photos when I bought my kit. I visually estimated the positions by starting on the edge of the motherboard and counting spaces. That's not fool-proof, because it can be hard to tell if spacing is double-width, triple-width or between. It did, however, work for me.
So you can't just use any ATX motherboard for that case? If not, then I'm out of luck cause I want to swap my components from one case to one of these, but I don't want to be buying a whole new motherboard for this case
Take a look at the case you already have. Does it have 7 PCI slots? Does the graphics card start at the 2nd one? If yes then your ATX motherboard should fit the case.
@@takeofftechnical yes it does, I must have been mistaken then. I haven't plugged anything in for a while and forgot so I thought wrong. Thank you for that
Soooo? Basically, You can use most motherboards, you don't need one the uses the second pci-e slot? Cause don't all motherboards use the first pci-e slot?
No; motherboards vary. The mobo manual will callout which slot to use for a video card. This slot is typically marked with "x16" to indicate it uses all 16 PCIe lanes and "75W" to indicate the PCIe device can draw the maximum slot power of 75 watts. The GPU slot may or may not lineup at the 2nd blank on the GD11.
Hi mate I’m looking at doing the same build and with a 4070ti card and a capture card for video processing I seen some of the comments of the first video you did and my concern is the air flow how are the temperatures now? As if I put a capture card in will it block the flow of air to the gpu?
With the configuration in this video, my CPU and GPU temps are fair. I have been experimenting with different fan curves in the BIOS. My Time Spy benchmark is currently "Great", and I've spent a few hours on ultimate 1080P gaming with zero issues. I think the size and the position of your capture card will be key. With my motherboard, using PCIe slot 2 causes PCIe slot 1 to run at x8 lanes instead of x16. That's why I first put my x4 NIC in PCIe slot 4. As mentioned, however, losing that intake fan was not ok. My new x1 NIC at PCI slot 3 has zero affect on the cooling performance. If your capture card is x1 use slot 3 and you are golden. If not, you may be better off using slot 2 and running with the reduced bandwidth of x8. Two other considerations - first, NVIDIA GeForce Experience (bundled with drivers) can record games, so you may not need the capture card if you are trying to get the output of the 4070 Ti. Second, there are USB capture devices, like the HD60 X [amzn.to/3kxucW8] that eliminate the concern altogether. If you don't already have the capture card consider that instead!
It is technically possible, yes. However, the front of the case acts as a filter for the intake air. If you reverse the fans you will be exhausting through this filter, and dust will build up and be trapped inside of the front panel. Even if you observe a favorable result initially, I would doubt this configuration would remain that way for long.
Wow, the 80mm side fan on the GPU side is not ideal. Currently planning my own GD11 build. Only got some of the components so far. But isn't that a pretty common spot for the from panel headers? Would a 120 mm slim fan fit?
No, a slim 120mm won't fit. Honestly the 80 + 120 combination has been enough to keep the RTX 3080 running normally. I started this build using all Noctua fans, because I didn't want to skimp on cooling with a high-end rig. I'm glad I hung onto the MSI 120mm fans from the AIO, however. Although a few dB louder, it has higher airflow and pressure than the Noctuas I used on the radiator instead. By using the MSI fan on the side, I compensate a bit for the 80mm. It fits great, too. I didn't find it for sale separately, otherwise I would have made a point to recommend one there!
I looked it up, and I believe it will fit. The specs on that mobo are impressive! I wish I had the budget to build out another system to try it out. Best of luck with your build!
I was wondering if I could fit a gigabyte 4080 aero (150mm height). But I think I better go for the founders edition. That only had 137mm of height and I should be able to for it.
The manual for the GD11 has a "Component Restrictions" section and lists GPU height maximum as 151mm. The MSI card I'm using is 140mm in height. YMMV. If you decide on a Founder's Edition, be sure to have a plan for the power connections. The FE cards have a different connector, and the low-clearance adapters I have linked in this video won't be compatible. Good luck with your upgrade!
Even at that height you will get into trouble with the power connector, you will need the angled adapter from Cablemod (dont think anyone else is offering something for the new Nvidia power connectors and really would not risk some cheap chinese knockoffs with those cards).
...upon further investigation, even the founders edition will not fit. even the lowest adapter for the power needs a 15,5 mm clearance. An A6000 Ada will fit fine though :D
@@andreaswolter9620 i would fit a founders edition by using a Corsair 12vhpwr cable that is more flexible. A reddit user shower me that he managed to get a safe bent that only added 9mm height measured from the PCB. It's done by bending half the individual wires up towards the CPU and the rest in the opposite direction. Quite clever actually. Since the height added is measured from the PCB, it should also work for bigger cards as the PCB size is the same. Only problem for the gigabyte aero is that according to my calculations, there is only 1mm between the GPU and top panel. Not enough you route the cables. Only possibility I see there would be somehow melting a path into the plastic shroud or taking the shroud of and routing the cable inside. But then I'd be worried that the cable heats up too much as it could touch the heatsink this way. Also I was wondering if the smaller gap between GPU and top case panel would be better or worse for thermals. Is the founders edition kind of a blower card blowing the air out the back?
If your card’s width agrees with your motherboard slot spacing, then I suppose it would physically be possible. Of course you would need a large PSU, so that’s another clearance to check. I doubt you will get acceptable heat dissipation. It’s also likely your motherboard will drop the PCIe lanes from x16 to x8 for a dual GFX card installation. If you are trying to bridge the cards (NVLink?), then I would question if you wouldn’t get the same or better performance from a single card. If you are mining or rendering 8 displays or something like that, then I would recommend finding a different case with better cooling.
I believe it will. The GD11 manual says the GPU can be no longer than 340mm and no taller than 151mm. That card is 330mm x 140mm, so it will clear. The Asrock specs state the card has 3x 8-pin power connectors. You should be able to use the same kind of 180 degree adapters linked in the description. Unfortunately Asrock doesn’t have an image showing the power sockets, so I can’t tell if you need the standard or reverse type variant of that adapter. Good luck with your build!
I've done builds in both, and I prefer the GD11. The GD09 is less money and a bit easier to build. However, it is also less capable. That case cannot fit an AIO, and the CPU air cooler has a lower maximum height than the GD11. Moreover, the GD11 can support longer graphics cards than the GD09.
@@takeofftechnical Yeah the GD09 AIO compability is an issue but what I dont understand is, why dind't they make the GD11 case able to fit 360 AIO? I know it would prohibit long GPU's but its just wierd to me. Also the bottom fan being blocked by mobo seems like a major oversight aswell. The GD11 dosent feel like an upgrade but just a different version with its own issues aswell :/
Based on some other comments, I think getting a 360 AIO into the case is possible with minimal cuts. However, without the additional 120mm intake fan, I wonder if it actually cools the CPU any better. I thought about doing a video to try it, but frankly I just don't have the budget. Moreover, my GPU occupies that space. I have been quite tempted, though, to swap out my 240mm AIO for the biggest air cooler I can fit. I have a high-end chip in this case, and I suspect the 240 AIO can be bested. I agree that the GD11 comes with compromises, too. That said, a full-sized mobo in a HTPC case with these CPU and GPU clearances is why I bought it.
DO you not have any issues with plugging fan headers in on the left side of the mobo? Seems like my MSI x570 Tomahawk has similar locations, which would be right under the 120mm fan. The USB and I/O plugs location getting a 80mm fan option is OK I guess but they should have just made the case a couple mm wider. IF you put in the slim fan on the GPU side of the case will it clear those cables?
I tried my slim fan initially to see if it was easier, but it was worse. Of the fans I had, the MSI fan from the radiator kit seemed to fit the best. It was a delicate operation to get everything plugged in, but no cables were stressed to make the fit.
@@takeofftechnical so it really came down to the edge profile of the fan then? I'd love to order this case but the fact that this happens (and the price, and the really silly lack of 2.5" drive mounting without the cage) makes me really hesitate to even try because I think I'd just be returning it. Did you have any issue with the fan header plugs at the left/rear of the case where you have the 120mm fan?
Yes, the slim fan does not have the concave region where the fan wires can fit on the mobo headers. The shape of the MSI fan allowed more clearance than the Noctuas. You might be happier with the GD09. The PSU is on the other side, which makes the connections easier. There are 2 versions of that case, one with USB-C on the front panel amzn.to/3N6br89 and one without amzn.to/3CcFuVf. Both versions are less expensive than the GD11. I have done a GD09 build. It's lower cost, but less capable. You won't be able to liquid cool. I used an ATX mobo with the Noctua NH-U9S amzn.to/3WGcwXv air cooler and extra fan amzn.to/3OMeaET. My temps with a 3950x processor were overall pretty good. The GD11 will also fit a larger graphics card, so be sure to reference the specs when deciding which way to go.
@@takeofftechnical thanks. Yes I currently have the GD09 with a 3080 using right angled connectors (as you did) and a 5600X with a Noctua NH-U9S, and the lack of front intakes bugs me a lot so I was excited to only recently notice that this case was release :)
Ah, I see. In that case (pun intended), love the one you're with! I wouldn't swap out the case unless you are trying to solve a temp throttle or are upgrading another component that doesn't fit. If you do decide to make the swap, theoretically you could upgrade to the NH-D12L amzn.to/45J4Bg0. (The GD11 specs say max cooler height is 146mm and the NH-D12L is 145mm.) The scientist in me just wants to put the best air cooling up against that 240mm rad to see which configuration cools the chip better.
This is probably the best video I've seen on this case regarding conveying information to the viewer. I am upgrading my main gaming PC and realized that I could easily turn those old parts into a HTPC. I've wanted to make one for a while and now that I've moved into my own home, it seems like the time. This case is gonna fit perfectly into my media stand with some room on all sides for cooling.
DUDE! LOVE the outlines that make it super clear what components you're talking about!
Once I saw it, I thought "how come no other tech channel does that???
Thanks, that’s great feedback!
Nice vid, thanks for explaining the 2nd PCI slot thing. It was one of the things putting me off thinking it will be impossible to get a decent mobo that had a full speed pci-e on the '2nd slot'. Ends up, it was just confusing wording thanks to Silverstone and the fact its actually the 1st mobo slot in reality makes things much easier. Cheers.
Glad it helped!
Thank You. I purchased several components you recommend based on these instructions for the Grandia11. MSI P240, fans, GPU 180 degree power adapter, Crucial P3 Plus 4tb
Awesome - best of luck with your build! I use this rig daily, and I really like it.
Really enjoyed this series. Had actually built a very similar Silverstone/MSI non-RGB gaming HTPC setup prior to you releasing it:
Case: Silverstone GD11
Mobo: MSI PRO Z690-A WIFI
CPU: i7 12700K
Cooler: MSI MAG CoreLiquid P240 AIO
GPU: 4090 FE
RAM: G.Skill DDR5-6400
PSU: MSI MPG A1000G PCIE5 1000W
Storage: MSI M480 Gen4 NVMe 2TB
Fan setup: Front (240mm AIO intake with tubes on the left), Left (two 120mm Silverstone intake fans), Right (one 120mm Silverstone exhaust fan and PSU intake fan), Rear (two 80mm Noctua NF-A8 exhaust fans)
Two points:
- I was able to fit two of the included 120mm
Silverstone fans to intake on the left side of the case, just folded the underlying cables gently inward to fit
- The MSI AIO can fit with the tubes on the left so they are lower and theoretically pump less air to the CPU plate, just needs a little machining of the crossbar to accommodate the radiator in this orientation, or to tighten screws less tightly and allow less ideal fitment of the case top panel
Very cool! Did you need any kind of adapter for the 4090 FE video card? I looked it up, - 137mm tall vs 140mm of the card I'm using. Was there just enough space?
The MSI card is 20mm longer. Given the AIO performance is acceptable, I'm inclined just to leave it where it is. I am curious if the CPU benchmarks would improve with the tubes down, though.
@@takeofftechnical I did not- the 12VHP cable from my PSU seated well and was flexible enough to have a gentle bend and close routing over the narrow front-rear cross bar with the lid closed. But yes it was close. if much taller/tighter fit I wouldn’t feel comfortable smashing the panel closed.
And yes totally a theoretical benefit since the pump is actually in the radiator for the MSI AIO but I’d say worth trying if you have a need to remount your cpu cooler in the near future.
Did you have issues plugging in fan headers? MSI seems to like to put SYS_FAN1 thru SYS_FAN4 all the way on the back left edge of the mobo, which would be right under the rear 120mm position in this case.
Thanks this video helped my build a lot
Glad to hear it!
Very interesting build. I have ordered some new AMD parts, and are considering using this cabinet for the setup. As of now, I have the SilverStone Grandia GD08. And Ryzen 1600x, GTX 1080 ti. So I'm pretty happy with that case. Lots of fans in GD08, and possibility for Blu-Ray player.
I haven't done a build in the GD08, so I can't offer any comparison advice. What drew me to the GD11 is the capacity for a long GPU and the support for a 240mm AIO CPU cooler. Best of luck with your build!
Thanks 🙂
I got some tips from building a high end gaming PC in this case. #1.Remove the top case brace as it is not really needed. 2# go for the Arctic freezer 240 AIO as it has a much thicker radiator to absorb those CPU temps if using something like a i7 or higher, but don't use the included Arctic fans as they are not the best and are loud. 3# once brace is removed u can shuffle the Rad over to the left a little which allows for a full size 120mm exhaust fan on the right side, this is very important as it's your main exhaust for case heat. #4 Pick an ATX motherboard that does not have the USB 3 header at the bottom of the board most modern boards have them on the side anyhow, it's a little tight but u can fit two full size 120mm fans on the left side as intakes even over the front header ports. #5 With being a living room HTPC Gaming PC go with 5x BeQuiet Silent wings 4 120mm PWM 1600rpm fans so it's nice and quiet along with 2x Pure wings 2 80mm rear exhaust fans. #6 get an ATX 3 Bequiet or similar PSU with a pcie 5 power cable so u can easily install something like a RTX 4080. #7 go for a motherboard with plenty of NVME ports as these drives are so cheap now, and u don't want to take up space or hear mechanical hard drives spinning. And also u dont really want to fit or take up space with the 3.5" bays. It's been a lot of trail and error but my build is 14700K/RTX 4080 with 6 nvme Drives for the ultimate 4K Home gaming & PLEX server in one. :)
I'm glad your build worked out! 6 NVMe drives is a lot!
Did you flip the two 120mm fans to function as exhaust? Otherwise the Artic Freezer fans will be working against those, effectively creating a weird "push push" configuration around the AOI, which cannot be optimal 🤔
3:30 If only this case had 3rd fan opening on front, the you could use that fan to push more fresh air for the GPU. For extra points, SilverStone could have provided a plastic shroud to direct air from that (missing 3rd fan position) to the GPU only.
It would be nice if there was a 3rd fan on the front!
11:15 It seems that it would be better idea to use mATX board with required integrated networking with this case.
The side cooling would be better with mATX. I think these HTPC builds are all about compromises, because everything is a tradeoff.
I managed to fit 2 Arctic 120mm on the left, with space enough for the front header. The Gigabyte G-connector did not fit though. Thanks for your previous build video, it helped me during my own build
I’m glad to hear that. I hope you enjoy your new rig!
Am about to do a case swap to my new GD11 and plan is to largely follow the same as you've done here. Only difference is I don't have a rad. Plan is to pull from front and the GPU side and exhaust back and PSU side. Don't have a thin fan so will have to see how that goes and I think I'll get away with 2 120s on the GPU side but will see how it pans out!
Without a rad, I would be tempted to use the baffle (included with the case) at the PSU side fan location. My thinking would be to reduce turbulence on the front-to-back airflow that runs through the CPU air cooler. Of course only benchmarks and experiments will definitively answer baffle vs exhaust vs intake at that side location, but my first guess is baffle! Enjoy the new case!
@@takeofftechnical i'm assuming you mean the plate that doubles as a 3.5" disk holder. Either that or I'm missing something!
TBH anything I do will be better than what I currently have where the existing silverstone case I have only has 2 exhausts and no intake.
No, the baffle is a piece of plastic shaped like a dust filter. SilverStone provides both a dust filter and a baffle for that fan location. If you install a fan as an intake there, use the dust filter. If you install a fan as an exhaust there, use neither. If using no fan, use the baffle.
With 2 front intake fans and 2 GPU side intake fans, the case will be pressure positive. The baffle in that setup will prevent air from escaping the empty fan location and keep it moving toward the back of the case.
@@takeofftechnical ah yeah not I have you. Yeah that’s how I have it. Didn’t add an exhaust on the PSU side as I realised it would be too close to the in really. So I have 4 ins and the two outs and a lot of positive pressure. It looks so nice 👌
@@takeofftechnical incidentally my build is all done now, despite the UK heatwave my thermals are better than ever and the build is so much neater than it was. I needed a usb 3 adapter to give me a USB type E connection but outside of that all great.
I just discovered this case an I love it.
I own a beefy Fractal HTPC case that is impossible to upgrade to water-cooling.
With new AI tricks for videos available for Nvidia i can see the need for a beefier card beside gaming.
I can also see the potential of going for a water-cooled 4070 (Ti) which has shorter PCB and then using a Dremel to make room for 360mm radiator hack job 😎😎😎
I've been really happy with this case and the 240mm rad cooling on the 5950x. I am curious how a 360mm rad would work out, so let me know if you try it!
If my rad gives out, my next cooling system will be the NH-D12L [amzn.to/3UJ3JDd]. There's only 1mm difference between that air cooler and the maximum height allowed by the case, and I'm curious if it fits. I would also love to know how the air cool compares to the water cool!
@@takeofftechnical
Maybe to avoid hacking it would be even better to put in 2x 240mm rads. And have 2 loops.
One in a standard location for CPU and on the GPU side.
If one uses smaller motherboard there looks to be enough room (5-6cm) to the internal USB headers.
GPU thickness would be non issue since it is small under a waterblock.
I think the play to water cool the GPU is one 240mm rad and a single custom loop that services the CPU and GPU. The challenge would be to keep the single rad cool with enough airflow. Maybe with the right mobo another pair of fans would fit on the other side of the rad. It sounds like a fun build!
@@takeofftechnical
Yes.
Sounds like fun.
The correct way to aproach this is firsts get the case and measure for the rads and fans.
Then fit in everything else.😁😁
I can confirm a 4090fe fits in this case. You just have to buy a U shaped power adapter so you can plug in the 16 pin cable. CY adapter I think was the brand name
Cool! I hope you are loving it. Be careful with the 4090 and those adapters, though. CableMod makes the recommended adapter in my circles, but it's being recalled as of December for melting. Notice: cablemod.com/adapterrecall/
I have not worked with the 4090. My colleagues that fit it have chosen to use a case with more clearance until a safer adapter is established. I would recommend doing the same. If I absolutely had to have it, I personally would try an aluminum adapter like this one: amzn.to/3UbcuYs. That being said, knowing that NVIDIA doesn't cover this issue under warranty due to the 3rd party adapter, I really advise against it.
Yeah that's the one have..I tested 580 watts through that adapter with a laser thermometer and it was fine
Nice to see that you have the same "Windows like" dust logo :D
Actually the first PCIe slot on your MB is there, it is where a NVMe can go into. If you do not use it, you can even get an NVMe to PCIe adapter, if it is a real NVMe M2 slot (and not just for SATA).
As for air....putting it in a rack seems really tricky. The side clearance is bit narrow and depending on how far you are away from the wall air circulation might be hindered a bit (as far as I remember those old Dells like the one in the bottom, they do not help for circulationbut do output quite some heat).
Not to mention that this beautiful case should not be in a server rack but in a HiFi rack :D
Those front panel adapters are really an oversight by Silverstone....kind of weird there are not at least some 90 degrees angled adapters. Looks like my plan of adding a radiator there will not work :D
BTW...does your USB-C in the front work ? Seems the tolerances in my case are a bit off, connector did not properly stay in, had to rework it a bit.
Thanks for documenting your journey :D
Good point on the PCIe! It is a NVMe M2 slot, so the graphics card is electronically in the 2nd position. The manual for my motherboard lists the graphics card as "PCI_E1", though, so I've been considering it the "first" slot. That said, the presence of the NVMe in that location is a good indicator the motherboard will line up properly. I hadn't put that together - thanks for sharing!
My USB-C is a little suspect. I use it to transfer recordings off my phone, and I've been blaming Microsoft and Apple not working well together - a usual story in my lab. Perhaps a closer look is warranted...
@@takeofftechnical On mine the USB-C was a bit wiggly and the connector did not slot in properly. Reworked the holes holding the socket on daughterboard a bit so that the USB-C comes a bit more to the front, but maybe I was a bit too careful and only did about 1mm diameter more. It is a bit better now, but not as good as when the plastic cover is removed, Maybe try it without the cover, if it fits better it is the same issue.
As for the PCIe...if it is not a card that get hot, maybe get an extender. There are a few for mining rigs, you could then put the card in the "real" first slot. half hight card would prolly leave some space under it, but should fit.
and looks like I was wrong about the first PCIe slot....mATX and ITX boards seem to to line up the GPU slot to the real first slot event though some have the NVMe betweeen it and the CPU.
I would be curious if pc part picker would flag that as a problem for those motherboards. It's certainly important. If the GPU lines up with case slot #1 then longer cards won't clear the radiator.
almost all the motherboards i'm looking at have the first pci-e slot in ATX position 2.
Seems this is pretty much standard?
How is the cooling/temps on the build mainly how are the noctua 80mm are they loud.
I believe the cooling works well. I’ve used the 80mm Noctuas on a few builds and they are awesome!
Can we use the side fan location (from the GPU side) to mount another radiator for the GPU using one of those Graphic Card that comes with the AIO liquid cooling from the factory??
I don’t think so, no. I tried searching for those and most of what I see has the tubes located on the top of the video card where there’s no clearance with the top of the case.
@@takeofftechnical nice catch. Haven't thought about that one.
Is the length on that card 34cm too??? The XFX???
Both the XFX I was using and the 3080 I replaced it with are 323mm long. The case manual states 340mm as the length limit of a GPU. I believe the manual to be accurate.
I built this case this week but I didn't do a water cooled CPU. I did 5 120mm fans and 2 80mm fans. I am running a MSI Compact Ventus RTX 3090 GPU. I choose to use the BeQuiet fans in the system and a BeQuiet CPU cooler that has a BeQuiet fan as well. I am using this for a MadVR Video Processor for my home theater. The problem I am running into is the fans on the 3090 get SO LOUD while watching a movie. I know I have a problem with fan outtake but thought I would ask for opinions on this threas. I have all the 120mm fans being intake and the 2 80mm in the back as outtake. I know I need more outtake but here is the problem I see. the 2 front 120mm fans suck air in ad the 1 120mm next to it also sucks air in. The 2 120mm fans infront of the GPU is sucking air in as well and I did this because the 3 fans on the GPU are intake and I assumed it would want cooler air hitting the GPY. So the question at hand is this, is there a better way without having air blowing out of the front of the case?
Definitely keep the front fans intake. The front of the case is a filter, and you don't want to blow dust into the wrong side of it. Honestly I would try removing the fan on the PSU side of the case -- use the baffle instead. This will reduce both the overall pressure imbalance and the turbulence within the case.
The video card fans may have options in the BIOS or NVIDIA control panel. Set it to "Normal" or "Quiet" performance modes. The BIOS should have some fan curves for the system fans that you can also tune.
Do you have the case in a home theater cabinet? Does it have sufficient airflow? At the end of the day, if the intakes are pulling hot air in, the PC will run hot and the fans will run faster and louder. You might consider installing powered fans to the cabinet and/or opening the doors (if any) when running the PC.
@@takeofftechnical Thanks for responding. What baffle you referring to? No it’s on a shelf that is open in the back of the room. I can use Afterburner to create a curve for the fans which I’m toying with now.
SilverStone provides a plastic baffle in the box the GD11 comes in. It snaps into the PSU fan location- sealing it off so air won’t escape out the side. This preserves the direction of front-to-back airflow over the cpu. HTH
I'm doing a similar build with the Grandia 11 Case. I don't have all my components yet, but was wondering why the AIO radiator tubes are required to be on the power supply side? Do they interfere with the GPU if the radiator tubes are on the GPU side? Thanks for the Video.
That is correct. In addition to the GPU interference, the case support bar that runs front-to-back will also not fit. Best of luck with your build!
I decide to buy this case to fit my new rx6700 xt. I have a question about the additional fan for the gpu. Do you try to put the fan for the extraction of the air? The airflow in this way became neutral whit the same air in input and out put. What do y think about this solution? Tnx again 😉
While neutral pressure inside a case is ideal, I consider it a secondary goal to controlling the direction of airflow. Using a case fan as an exhaust on the GPU side will move air the opposite direction of the fans integrated with the video card. I think it’s better to run both case fans as intakes to control the airflow direction towards the GPU. This also agrees with running the slim fan on the other side as an exhaust, which leaves two well-defined intake to exhaust directions: front to back and GPU-side to PSU-side. You could experiment and benchmark to get a more concrete answer, though.
Good luck with your build!
Hello! Nice video!I have a gd06. Could you link the gpu plug inverter? I will have the same problem whit my next gpu. Tnx a lot!
Thanks! I have the parts linked in the description. Here's the one for the GPU plug inverter again: amzn.to/3QYT5WQ. Make sure you review the product photos - one of them is quite helpful to determine if you need the standard or reverse type. I've been using this rig heavily for several weeks now, and these plugs have worked flawlessly!
@@takeofftechnical thanks!!!
can a Noctua nh d15s fit inside here? Was looking for something like the coolermaster haf xb evo case, and this one was the only comparable one but it seems like it has considerably less height
No, the Noctua NH-D15S will not fit. The NH-D12L [ amzn.to/47fDfyO ] would be the biggest Noctua air cooler that should fit the SilverStone GD11. You could also try the NH-U9S [ amzn.to/3DMfGjz ] with the optional 2nd fan [ amzn.to/45bRcMx ]. I haven't tried the NH-D12L but I have used the NH-U9S with the 2nd fan on a different build with good results.
What should I check/look for when looking for a motherboard with the compatible pci-e location.
There's no case-alignment specification that I can find for motherboard PCIe slots. I looked at the manual and photos when I bought my kit. I visually estimated the positions by starting on the edge of the motherboard and counting spaces. That's not fool-proof, because it can be hard to tell if spacing is double-width, triple-width or between. It did, however, work for me.
So you can't just use any ATX motherboard for that case? If not, then I'm out of luck cause I want to swap my components from one case to one of these, but I don't want to be buying a whole new motherboard for this case
Take a look at the case you already have. Does it have 7 PCI slots? Does the graphics card start at the 2nd one? If yes then your ATX motherboard should fit the case.
@@takeofftechnical yes it does, I must have been mistaken then. I haven't plugged anything in for a while and forgot so I thought wrong. Thank you for that
Soooo? Basically, You can use most motherboards, you don't need one the uses the second pci-e slot? Cause don't all motherboards use the first pci-e slot?
No; motherboards vary. The mobo manual will callout which slot to use for a video card. This slot is typically marked with "x16" to indicate it uses all 16 PCIe lanes and "75W" to indicate the PCIe device can draw the maximum slot power of 75 watts. The GPU slot may or may not lineup at the 2nd blank on the GD11.
Hi mate I’m looking at doing the same build and with a 4070ti card and a capture card for video processing I seen some of the comments of the first video you did and my concern is the air flow how are the temperatures now?
As if I put a capture card in will it block the flow of air to the gpu?
With the configuration in this video, my CPU and GPU temps are fair. I have been experimenting with different fan curves in the BIOS. My Time Spy benchmark is currently "Great", and I've spent a few hours on ultimate 1080P gaming with zero issues.
I think the size and the position of your capture card will be key. With my motherboard, using PCIe slot 2 causes PCIe slot 1 to run at x8 lanes instead of x16. That's why I first put my x4 NIC in PCIe slot 4. As mentioned, however, losing that intake fan was not ok. My new x1 NIC at PCI slot 3 has zero affect on the cooling performance. If your capture card is x1 use slot 3 and you are golden. If not, you may be better off using slot 2 and running with the reduced bandwidth of x8.
Two other considerations - first, NVIDIA GeForce Experience (bundled with drivers) can record games, so you may not need the capture card if you are trying to get the output of the 4070 Ti. Second, there are USB capture devices, like the HD60 X [amzn.to/3kxucW8] that eliminate the concern altogether. If you don't already have the capture card consider that instead!
Can the fans on the front be swapped to exhaust?
It is technically possible, yes. However, the front of the case acts as a filter for the intake air. If you reverse the fans you will be exhausting through this filter, and dust will build up and be trapped inside of the front panel. Even if you observe a favorable result initially, I would doubt this configuration would remain that way for long.
Wow, the 80mm side fan on the GPU side is not ideal.
Currently planning my own GD11 build. Only got some of the components so far. But isn't that a pretty common spot for the from panel headers?
Would a 120 mm slim fan fit?
No, a slim 120mm won't fit. Honestly the 80 + 120 combination has been enough to keep the RTX 3080 running normally.
I started this build using all Noctua fans, because I didn't want to skimp on cooling with a high-end rig. I'm glad I hung onto the MSI 120mm fans from the AIO, however. Although a few dB louder, it has higher airflow and pressure than the Noctuas I used on the radiator instead. By using the MSI fan on the side, I compensate a bit for the 80mm. It fits great, too. I didn't find it for sale separately, otherwise I would have made a point to recommend one there!
"Funny" thing is, even the manual only states that the fan will interfere with the 7th PCIe slot and the USB headers, but nothing about the rest.
Can you fit the ASUS ProArt Z790-Creator WiFi 6E LGA 1700
Motherboard in this case?
I looked it up, and I believe it will fit. The specs on that mobo are impressive! I wish I had the budget to build out another system to try it out. Best of luck with your build!
@@takeofftechnical kick ass! Thank you finding out and for the luck in the build!
I was wondering if I could fit a gigabyte 4080 aero (150mm height).
But I think I better go for the founders edition. That only had 137mm of height and I should be able to for it.
The manual for the GD11 has a "Component Restrictions" section and lists GPU height maximum as 151mm. The MSI card I'm using is 140mm in height. YMMV. If you decide on a Founder's Edition, be sure to have a plan for the power connections. The FE cards have a different connector, and the low-clearance adapters I have linked in this video won't be compatible. Good luck with your upgrade!
Even at that height you will get into trouble with the power connector, you will need the angled adapter from Cablemod (dont think anyone else is offering something for the new Nvidia power connectors and really would not risk some cheap chinese knockoffs with those cards).
...upon further investigation, even the founders edition will not fit. even the lowest adapter for the power needs a 15,5 mm clearance. An A6000 Ada will fit fine though :D
@@andreaswolter9620 i would fit a founders edition by using a Corsair 12vhpwr cable that is more flexible.
A reddit user shower me that he managed to get a safe bent that only added 9mm height measured from the PCB. It's done by bending half the individual wires up towards the CPU and the rest in the opposite direction. Quite clever actually.
Since the height added is measured from the PCB, it should also work for bigger cards as the PCB size is the same. Only problem for the gigabyte aero is that according to my calculations, there is only 1mm between the GPU and top panel. Not enough you route the cables. Only possibility I see there would be somehow melting a path into the plastic shroud or taking the shroud of and routing the cable inside. But then I'd be worried that the cable heats up too much as it could touch the heatsink this way.
Also I was wondering if the smaller gap between GPU and top case panel would be better or worse for thermals.
Is the founders edition kind of a blower card blowing the air out the back?
@@takeofftechnical i made it work. 4080 FE is inside and 2x 120mm fan on the left side. Just squeezed the front panel cables to fit the 2nd fan.
Can I fit TWO Gigabyte GeForce RTX 3090 ??
If your card’s width agrees with your motherboard slot spacing, then I suppose it would physically be possible. Of course you would need a large PSU, so that’s another clearance to check.
I doubt you will get acceptable heat dissipation. It’s also likely your motherboard will drop the PCIe lanes from x16 to x8 for a dual GFX card installation. If you are trying to bridge the cards (NVLink?), then I would question if you wouldn’t get the same or better performance from a single card. If you are mining or rendering 8 displays or something like that, then I would recommend finding a different case with better cooling.
Will it fix a 7900xtx asrock phantom gpu?
I believe it will. The GD11 manual says the GPU can be no longer than 340mm and no taller than 151mm. That card is 330mm x 140mm, so it will clear. The Asrock specs state the card has 3x 8-pin power connectors. You should be able to use the same kind of 180 degree adapters linked in the description. Unfortunately Asrock doesn’t have an image showing the power sockets, so I can’t tell if you need the standard or reverse type variant of that adapter. Good luck with your build!
Wow it seems that the GD11 is much worse than the GD09
I've done builds in both, and I prefer the GD11. The GD09 is less money and a bit easier to build. However, it is also less capable. That case cannot fit an AIO, and the CPU air cooler has a lower maximum height than the GD11. Moreover, the GD11 can support longer graphics cards than the GD09.
@@takeofftechnical Yeah the GD09 AIO compability is an issue but what I dont understand is, why dind't they make the GD11 case able to fit 360 AIO? I know it would prohibit long GPU's but its just wierd to me. Also the bottom fan being blocked by mobo seems like a major oversight aswell. The GD11 dosent feel like an upgrade but just a different version with its own issues aswell :/
Based on some other comments, I think getting a 360 AIO into the case is possible with minimal cuts. However, without the additional 120mm intake fan, I wonder if it actually cools the CPU any better. I thought about doing a video to try it, but frankly I just don't have the budget. Moreover, my GPU occupies that space. I have been quite tempted, though, to swap out my 240mm AIO for the biggest air cooler I can fit. I have a high-end chip in this case, and I suspect the 240 AIO can be bested.
I agree that the GD11 comes with compromises, too. That said, a full-sized mobo in a HTPC case with these CPU and GPU clearances is why I bought it.
Nice vid, stop sighing! 🤣
Haha. Did my wife put you up to making that comment?
First
Day one
DO you not have any issues with plugging fan headers in on the left side of the mobo? Seems like my MSI x570 Tomahawk has similar locations, which would be right under the 120mm fan. The USB and I/O plugs location getting a 80mm fan option is OK I guess but they should have just made the case a couple mm wider. IF you put in the slim fan on the GPU side of the case will it clear those cables?
I tried my slim fan initially to see if it was easier, but it was worse. Of the fans I had, the MSI fan from the radiator kit seemed to fit the best. It was a delicate operation to get everything plugged in, but no cables were stressed to make the fit.
@@takeofftechnical so it really came down to the edge profile of the fan then? I'd love to order this case but the fact that this happens (and the price, and the really silly lack of 2.5" drive mounting without the cage) makes me really hesitate to even try because I think I'd just be returning it. Did you have any issue with the fan header plugs at the left/rear of the case where you have the 120mm fan?
Yes, the slim fan does not have the concave region where the fan wires can fit on the mobo headers. The shape of the MSI fan allowed more clearance than the Noctuas.
You might be happier with the GD09. The PSU is on the other side, which makes the connections easier. There are 2 versions of that case, one with USB-C on the front panel amzn.to/3N6br89 and one without amzn.to/3CcFuVf. Both versions are less expensive than the GD11.
I have done a GD09 build. It's lower cost, but less capable. You won't be able to liquid cool. I used an ATX mobo with the Noctua NH-U9S amzn.to/3WGcwXv air cooler and extra fan amzn.to/3OMeaET. My temps with a 3950x processor were overall pretty good. The GD11 will also fit a larger graphics card, so be sure to reference the specs when deciding which way to go.
@@takeofftechnical thanks. Yes I currently have the GD09 with a 3080 using right angled connectors (as you did) and a 5600X with a Noctua NH-U9S, and the lack of front intakes bugs me a lot so I was excited to only recently notice that this case was release :)
Ah, I see. In that case (pun intended), love the one you're with! I wouldn't swap out the case unless you are trying to solve a temp throttle or are upgrading another component that doesn't fit.
If you do decide to make the swap, theoretically you could upgrade to the NH-D12L amzn.to/45J4Bg0. (The GD11 specs say max cooler height is 146mm and the NH-D12L is 145mm.) The scientist in me just wants to put the best air cooling up against that 240mm rad to see which configuration cools the chip better.