LadyGeek wrote: ↑Tue Oct 12, 2021 8:52 pm
lazydavid - Give your son the responsibility for ensuring the parts fit in that fancy
Torrent case. It's not trivial and will require some thought. Welcome to system engineering.
As I've documented throughout the thread, everything I do is tracked in a spreadsheet. Group the areas - mechanical, electrical, thermal, technical notes, website pricing, etc.
Be sure to include links directly to the manufacturer's specifications.
AMD Ryzen™ 7 5800X, for example. Don't depend on other websites for that information. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Layout the case specifications for each component - CPU cooler height (which one?), GPU card length, Power Supply dimensions (which one?), etc. It comes in very handy, as one of my GPU card selections missed fitting by 1 mm. What did I do? Get a 15 mm slim case fan.
Yes, the responsibility is his, however I've subtly helped along the way--every case I've pointed out to him to take a look at, which led him to ultimately deciding on the Torrent, has been a large one where fitment will be much less of an issue. The C in Meshify C stands for "Compact", which as you've found means you need to be a touch more careful.
Not nearly as fiddly as a Micro ITX of course, but definitely requiring more planning than in a full-size case.
LadyGeek wrote: ↑Tue Oct 12, 2021 8:52 pmFor the RAM, don't push things. The maximum memory frequency for the 5800X is 3200 MHz (find it in the spec for yourself), so use the 3200 MHz RAM in the QVL. Every RAM manufacturer has a motherboard compatibility checker. Use that to start, then confirm directly on the AMD Qualified Vendor List - which your son should also download. RAM issues can be insidious and painful to figure out - as we both well know. Keep it simple for him.
Pretty much every Ryzen will run reliably at an IFCLK of 1800, and some will run as high as 2000. He doesn't want to push it too far, but does want to push it a bit just like I did with my 3600X, and the performance sweet spot for Ryzen has been with 3600Mhz RAM for several generations now. We've got our eyes on a couple of 2x16GB "Made for Ryzen" PC3600 kits with solid timings that we are expecting to be added to the QVL.
LadyGeek wrote: ↑Tue Oct 12, 2021 8:52 pm
Is he interested in showing off the RGB? Cable layout is important.
He hasn't decided yet. There are standard and RGB (fans) versions of the case, he's not sure which way he wants to go. I did ask if he decided not to go the RGB route if he'd want to do a white case and PS so it still looks a bit interesting, but he ultimately felt that would limit him in the GPU category to the small handful of custom cards that come in white so that the aesthetic would match. But cable routing will be important regardless.
The Torrent is pretty good for that overall, with the excepting of not having a lot of room for slack at the bottom of the panel-side. Most excess slack has to go in the PSU compartment, which fortunately is quite roomy. But passthroughs and retention straps abound, making it pretty easy to keep the main compartment tidy.
LadyGeek wrote: ↑Tue Oct 12, 2021 8:52 pmIf he finds something won't fit and he needs to change the case, that's fine. It's a lesson well learned - that's why you do this on paper before you make the purchase. Be sure to include cost as one of the trade-offs.
As noted above, I don't expect that to be an issue due to the size of it, but if it is I would probably buy it from him to replace the ancient Antec P180 (which I bought in 2004) that my PC is in if something didn't work out. But to put things in perspective, there's enough length in there for an Alphacool Monsta radiator (85mm thick) and the stock fans (38mm thick) without coming anywhere near the motherboard, and still leaving 338mm for the GPU. "Full length" is 312 mm, and the longest GPU I've ever personally seen was 307mm. And of course he's not water cooling, so the clearance is actually 423mm, or ~150mm more than any card he's likely to choose.
Likewise, the largest CPU cooler he'd possibly choose is the Noctua NH-D15 Chromax (the NH-U12A is more likely now that it also coming in black), which is 160mm tall, and the case has 188mm of clearance. But yes, he'll get to figure all this out for himself.