Hey, thanks for all the advice so far, I think I’ve narrowed down what I want a little bit more, but the CPU cooler and GPU sizes are confusing me.
Wondering if anyone has any example builds or tips they can share with this broad criteria…
- Case = Fractal Terra
- GPU = rx 7800 xt (but open to suggestions)
- CPU = Ryzen 7 7800X3D
- CPU Cooler = Noctua L12Sx77
Essentially I am wanting a good mid-range build for games like Civ 6/7 and Anno. I don’t want the CPU fan right next to the case because I’ve heard it adds noise, so I was looking at the L12Sx77. But I’m struggling to understand what size GPU I can use with this type of configuration.
Looks like a solid build there. The Terra, like a few sandwich cases, has an adjustable spine in the centre allowing a variety of GPU widths/slots on one side and CPU cooler height on the other. See the attached snipped of the manual.
Therefore, you have up to some combination of space for each component. With your L12s77, you’ll need to fit the fan under the heatsink as the Terra has a max CPU height of 77mm, leaving you either 43mm (just over 2 slots) for a GPU under 131mm or 33mm (just over 1.5 slots) wide for your GPU, with a max length regardless of 322mm. Checking different SKUs for the 7800XT as an example (TechPowerup is a good place, see here: https://www.techpowerup.com/gpu-specs/radeon-rx-7800-xt.c3839), if you look at different SKUs you will be able to see they come in all different dimensions, so some might fit into the Terra and others might not.
It might be wise to choose a shorter CPU cooler (like the AXP90-x53FC) to allow for wider GPUs, especially as it’ll be right up against the side of the case which you’ve said you want to avoid.
Thank you for the reply! Incredibly helpful and I’ve been referencing it all day during my research.
I’m looking at using just the L12S which should get me to position 2 on spine configuration (70mm).
But honestly where I’m struggling… I can’t find a RX 7800 XT that’s under 50mm width!
Do I just need to look for a different GPU at this point?
I want to stick with AMD due to wanting to use Linux and knowing drivers can sometimes be iffy.
For context, no budget restrictions (I’ll save up if I need to) but I need the SFF because it needs to be connected to my TV in the living room. It’ll primarily be for games like Civilization 7 (smooth end game), so I don’t need top of the range GPU, but I do want 4K/60FPS if I can.
I think you’re right on not being able to find a dual slot 7800XT, the original OEM versions (which tend to be the cheapest but also the least flashy/most compact bar specific SFF variants) are long sold out now. It can certainly be a struggle to find smaller GPUs these days, with many third party beefed up cooling solutions requiring at least 3 slots. This is where the CPU cooler is often the point of compromise, but it’s not impossible to find more narrow GPUs.
Another option could be the 9070 / 9070XT which is a step up from the 7800XT, I chose the Powercolor Reaper model myself due to only being 2 slots wide so I would have room to play with in my T1 case. I believe the GPU market is still pretty dire assuming you’re in the US, so it could be quite the task to even hunt one down for a reasonable price/close to MSRP unfortunately. There are plenty of 9800X3D/Terra builds on the SFF sub, so it might be worth reading through a few of the threads to get an idea of build considerations, temps, etc from those users, here’s an example: https://www.reddit.com/r/sffpc/comments/1j68leo/yet_another_fractal_terra_9800x3d_9070_xt/