SilverStone Sugo SG05: The Mini-ITX Standard Bearer
by Dustin Sklavos on August 19, 2012 12:01 AM EST- Posted in
- SilverStone
- Mini ITX
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
- HTPC
Noise and Thermal Testing, Dedicated GPUs
It's funny, when we put together the revised testbeds, the Zotac GeForce GTS 450 Eco was chosen because it employed a single-slot cooler and would be indicative of the kind of video card most HTPCs would use. Yet many modern Mini-ITX cases (and even comparatively old standards like the SG05) include two expansion slots. The solution? Test the case with the GTS 450 and our standard ATX testbed card, the ASUS GeForce GTX 560 Ti! That's exactly what I've done here with the SilverStone Sugo SG05.
CPU temperatures are still pretty solid and consistent with the SG05, even when we include the GTX 560 Ti with its 170-watt TDP. Note that idle thermals actually increase a little with the GTS 450; I suspect this is at least partly due to the way the 560 Ti directs airflow directly at the CPU by effectively blocking the front of the video card off completely from the rest of the system.
The SG05 again produces moderate temperatures for both the GTX 560 Ti and the GTS 450. In fact, impressively enough the GTX 560 Ti's temperatures are roughly on par with many ATX cases; the ventilation on the side of the SG05 definitely seems to be doing its job.
Unfortunately, SSD temperatures are where things get a bit sticky with the GTX 560 Ti. Because of the way it blocks off the side vent coupled with the heat it generates, airflow around the drive bay winds up being fairly minimal. Heat gets trapped between the video card and the drive bay, just like it does in Cooler Master's enclosure.
The CPU fan also seems to be working a bit harder, though ~2% is essentially within the margin of error. SilverStone's FT03 Mini has a superior airflow design for the CPU, no way around it. It shares the same basic chassis as the Sugo SG05, but enjoys a beefy 140mm Air Penetrator intake fan.
Once again fan speed falls in line, though I'm keen to point out the GTX 560 Ti's fan speed in the SG05 is actually comparable to some of our best ATX form factor case results. That extensive ventilation pays big dividends for SilverStone.
The noise results bear out one of my main theories of case design, too: smart airflow design can do wonders for keeping noise levels low. By being a bit more closed off, Cooler Master's design actually increases the amount of noise generated since the fans have to work harder. The SG05 is by no means quiet, but it's not spectacularly loud either. I'm not sure you could really make a case this small that runs much quieter; at that point you really need to start cherry picking components.
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Chaitanya - Sunday, August 19, 2012 - link
Could you do a comparative review of the some of the mini-ITX cases(thermaltake, coolermaster, silverstone, lian-li and bitfenix) available in market? as most of these cases look similar on the outside(except for the bitfenix one) I am interested to know how they stack up against each other in terms of usability and cooling performance.n13L5 - Sunday, August 26, 2012 - link
yes, would be nice.As far as I know, there isn't a better form factor + cooling concept case than the SG05 and its sucessors.
So, why haven't I bought one?
Cause Silverstone doesn't give them a nice build quality. Its iron, its got sharp edges inside and the plastic front had a crummy fit.
By far the greatest annoyance is, that Silverstone forces you into a crappy, non-modular PSU! Why oh why would you ever use a non-modular PSU in a tiny case where you want to avoid extra wires obstructing airflow???
A few years back, I went so far as posting the measurements and concept to Lian Li's support site, asking them to please make a form factor like that, so that we could finally have a high quality, slightly elongated version of the SG05...
wahaha686 - Saturday, September 8, 2012 - link
n13L5,I share your frustration towards the build quality of the SG05 and have plans to address the demand for an aluminum alternative to the SG05 (Kickstarter + batch custom order :p).
I'm interested in knowing 1) what Lian Li told you, 2) how serious you are about getting a new mini-itx case.
Let me know
sean.crees - Tuesday, September 18, 2012 - link
Modular PSU's take up more space because of the connector to the PSU chassis. When space is a premium, an extra inch or so can make a big difference in such a small enclosure. Plus it's easier (cheaper) to get higher effeciency in a PSU that is non modular due to resistive losses from extra inter connects. Not saying it cannot be done (obviously it can), but it would make the PSU more expensive, and the case it comes with more expensive.Personally i prefer steel enclosures. The weight difference is negligible once you load it up with electronics, but the steel panels resonate sound less than aluminum panels. Plus steel is cheaper. I know a lot of people in the silent PC field who HATE aluminum enclosures with a passion for this very reason and refuse to buy them. So while making it aluminum might make some buy it, it will make others not buy it, and in the end only result in a more expensive overall product.
Now i do agree a nicer (aluminum) front panel instead of plastic would be nice. Wouldn't affect sound quality since it would have steel behind it, and should only increase cost slightly, but make it look much more professional.
You have to remember, nothing is ever going to be perfect for everyone, and so they have to make compromises hoping to appeal to the widest possible group of potential customers. For the last 5 years or so, the SG05 has been the standard all other ITX enclosures are compared to, so i think the compromises Silverstone has made were the right ones.
wahaha686 - Monday, December 31, 2012 - link
n13L5,If you are still looking for an alternative to the SG05, I started a project with the help of Lian Li and SilverStone to build an alternative to the SG05.
The information can be found here:
http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1717132
gandergray - Friday, February 8, 2013 - link
wahaha686:The NCase M1 is impressive. I hope you are able to achieve a production run. I'll support a funding effort.
Zhelus - Monday, August 12, 2013 - link
holy mother of god i just stumbled upon the meeting of the ncase m1 teamtechexperience - Thursday, September 12, 2013 - link
and now I, too, bear witness on this union. Can't believe I stumbled upon this after all these years.457R4LDR34DKN07 - Sunday, August 19, 2012 - link
I sprung for the sg08 and z77, design is very similar and due to the 130mm fan needed a right angle slimline SATA power adapter.krumme - Sunday, August 19, 2012 - link
Thank you Dustin for another excellent review.I like the appriciative style for the product and the consumer oriented approach instead of a hysterical or hidden angry style.
Mini itx cases is an interesting product at the moment. Ib and 28nm gpu iis one thing, but performance on many other components is just not interesting anymore. Who gives about 400Mb/s ssd og 550Mb/s or 60 or 90 iops, in an workload only a minority uses very seldom.
One of the forum members have a powercolor 7550 running inside a sg05, forum is down for maintenance now, so no link.
I am very interested in this case, but would like to get noise down. Can i just fit silverstones own 12mm low noise fan instead? or what else is needed?
Any chance silverstone will upgrade to the gold standard ps?
If this can be a message to silverstone reps, can we have a lower noise, higher efficiency deluxe version ? :) - i mean its pretty cheap as it is, you got all the other parts in house come on !