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GPU Length issues

E

Exile20

Member
Is it just me or are other people getting problems with GPU lengths?

I have like 8.5 inch max for clearance for my case and if it powers from the end and not the side then it is even worst.

So no R9 280x for me.
 
B

bomblord1

Banned
I have a full sized case my current 6870 stretches about 3/4s back I can't imagine something that would be too long to fit in it. What does your case look like?
 
SerTapTap

SerTapTap

Member
Need a big card, get a big case. Part of why I decided screw it and bought a HAF X. Won't need to upgrade the case for years no matter how crazy I get with builds. I think the case is an oft underappreciated part of a build. If you're going to ever change parts or open it up it really pays off to have a nice case.
 
S

Seanspeed

Banned
Removable drive cages help a lot with this.

Otherwise, having a smaller case can be somewhat limiting, for sure. You may save on space, but it tends to come with limited parts options as well.
 
E

Exile20

Member
bomblord1 said:
I have a full sized case my current 6870 barely stretches about 3/4s back I can't imagine something that would be too long to fit in it. What does your case look like?
Click to expand...

I have the Inspiron 3847 I7, 16 gb. I know I know about buying premade but it was really cheap.

Didn't think about GPU length until I stumbled in a forum with people with the same issue. Didn't buy a GPU in so long.
 
Y

Yuuichi

Member
Seanspeed said:
Removable drive cages help a lot with this.

Otherwise, having a smaller case can be somewhat limiting, for sure. You may save on space, but it tends to come with limited parts options as well.
Click to expand...

Yup. My current build is a micro itx, and while the form factor is great, space is super limited inside and it happens to have been the hardest build I've ever done.
 
B

bomblord1

Banned
Exile20 said:
I have the Inspiron 3847 I7, 16 gb. I know I know about buying premade but it was really cheap.

Didn't think about GPU length until I stumbled in a forum with people with the same issue. Didn't buy a GPU in so long.
Click to expand...

Oh yea that case is almost half the size of mine lol. Sorry to hear that OP can your PSU even handle an r9 280x? I don't think the PSU's on that desktop line can even be taken out of the case.
 
K

Kinthalis

Banned
The issue tends to arise with earlier case designs and older GPU's.

Today's GPU's tend to be shorter and modern small form factor cases use risers and other structural tricks to fit in full sized GPU's in tiny form factors.

My fave right now (though the new verison is coming out soon!):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NE-Tk5uzDA0

Console size, yet fits a GTX 980 in there.
 
M

Mupod

Member
TUSR said:
The problem here is your case size.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I got sick of worrying about it and got a haf x. I can put anything in there, although the 3-slot Matrix 580 I had was so big I had to remove some of the plastic duct/vent nonsense the case came with.
 
SerTapTap

SerTapTap

Member
Mupod said:
Yeah, I got sick of worrying about it and got a haf x. I can put anything in there, although the 3-slot Matrix 580 I had was so big I had to remove some of the plastic duct/vent nonsense the case came with.
Click to expand...

Isn't that an optional part for cooling a single GPU? Was a massive pain in the ass (unlike everything else in the case) so I never bothered with it. Some of the optional stuff was definitely optional for a reason.
 
jfoul

jfoul

Member
Keep in mind card measurements include the full length of the PCI bracket. It only shaves off around a half inch, but it's something. Gigabyte and Asus make a nice mini GTX 970
 
S

Super Rookie

Member
Not just length but width too, had to re-adjust my motherboard and PSU when I bought my two 980s, they juuust about fit now.

And I have a massive case too :/
 
S

Starviper

Member
Mid-size//Full-size ATX FTW; I built a MicroATX a few times, while they don't take up much room they can be difficult if you want a dedicated GPU in there.
 
E

Exile20

Member
Sir TapTap said:
Need a big card, get a big case. Part of why I decided screw it and bought a HAF X. Won't need to upgrade the case for years no matter how crazy I get with builds. I think the case is an oft underappreciated part of a build. If you're going to ever change parts or open it up it really pays off to have a nice case.
Click to expand...

That shit is a monster, Damn.
 
W

wildfire

Banned
Sir TapTap said:
Need a big card, get a big case. Part of why I decided screw it and bought a HAF X. Won't need to upgrade the case for years no matter how crazy I get with builds. I think the case is an oft underappreciated part of a build. If you're going to ever change parts or open it up it really pays off to have a nice case.
Click to expand...

Don't follow this advice guys. Ever since itx became popular case manufacturers have been convinced to make a chassis that can fit full length graphics cards but you actually need to do some research since this is just a thing going on for 2 years and most cases sold to this day are based on 5 year old conventions.
 
T

Tyreny

Member
Can't say I've had any issues in the length department.

Though I keep spending money every few years to keep my performance rock solid.
 
SerTapTap

SerTapTap

Member
wildfire said:
Don't follow this advice guys. Ever since itx became popular case manufacturers have been convinced to make a chassis that can fit full length graphics cards but you actually need to do some research since this is just a thing going on for 2 years and most cases sold to this day are based on 5 year old conventions.
Click to expand...

Card length isn't the only reason to get a big case. They're easier to work in in general, they fit more cards should you need them, they fit bigger motherboards, more fans, larger fans (larger fans are quieter for moving the same quantity of air per second), easier to set up water cooling or large heatsinks, better airflow. Unless it is impossible to use a large case I strongly recommend them for any stationary build.
 
HTK

HTK

Banned
B-yiSDgUAAAWV-4.jpg:large


I just removed optical drive cage and moved up one of my HDD cases up and took the other one completely out. Plenty of airflow and the GPU fits with plenty of room to spare.
 
P

protomouse

Member
The Zotac GTX 970 I used for my girlfriend's rig is surprisingly compact. It's an 8-inch card.

rnvd3fn.png
Click to expand...

Tear everything out that you don't need. Dealing with prebuilt machines kind of sucks, because they tend to have stuff bolted on. One of the side panels on my girlfriend's old PC was bolted shut. Thanks, Medion.

Luckily, we were starting fresh:
DSC_0388.jpg
Click to expand...

This thing gives 14-inch clearance, and costs about 40 bucks. You can remove all drive cages and just stick an SSD to the back wall.
 
W

wildfire

Banned
Sir TapTap said:
Card length isn't the only reason to get a big case. They're easier to work in in general, they fit more cards should you need them, they fit bigger motherboards, more fans, larger fans (larger fans are quieter for moving the same quantity of air per second), easier to set up water cooling or large heatsinks, better airflow. Unless it is impossible to use a large case I strongly recommend them for any stationary build.
Click to expand...

Sure with a bigger case you will get better cooling but that wasn't what rankled me. You just said you can only fit big cards in big cases which is patently wrong. Also considering how energy efficient Intel and Nvidia have been getting lately people can stop worrying about overheating their cards at stock settings these days. If you're overclocking and not watercooling in a compact case that's another matter.
 
B

belmonkey

Member
I got a pre-built Dell PC and the Radeon 5830 could just barely squeeze in itself, but there was no space left for the 6-pins to go in. The drive bays were unfortunately non-removeable. I ended up just getting a half-sized 750 ti and that fits very easily, even if I did need power connectors.
 
F

fardeenah

Banned
i had this problem when buying my graphic card, in the end i had to buy a sapphire radeon R9 270X it fits just enough, could not buy the toxic edition because it was too long
 
Z

zer0das

Banned
I had this issue back in 2011 or so when I got my new computer. Decided I'd get a case that can accommodate a 9.5 inch GPU or so, and just be satisfied with that.
 
HTK

HTK

Banned
People always say its easy to put a rig together, well it is to certain degree but a lot of people make a lot of mistakes today.
 
J

jwhit28

Member
HTK said:
People always say its easy to put a rig together, well it is to certain degree but a lot of people make a lot of mistakes today.
Click to expand...

It only takes one trip to the I need a PC thread. Almost all the cases they recommend have removable drive bays. How many people will use more than one 3.5" and one 2.5" drive?
 
J

joeblow

Member
I'm in the same boat. I have an Antec 300 case, which has served my 6970 card well. But now that I want to upgrade (maybe a cool, quiet Tri-X 290) I see I chose poorly years ago with the case.

So yesterday my Black Pearl Fractal case arrived. It was on sale at Newegg. That will address the card length issue while providing a relatively quiet experience.
 
HTK

HTK

Banned
jwhit28 said:
It only takes one trip to the I need a PC thread. Almost all the cases they recommend have removable drive bays. How many people will use more than one 3.5" and one 2.5" drive?
Click to expand...

I'm aware of that, information is everywhere but some simply don't dig deep enough to break everything down.
 
B

-bakalhau-

Member
I got a full tower case back in 2009 because I wanted to be able to buy any graphic card. Anyone owned a GTX 280/285 here? Namely the 285 BFG branded card? That thing was an absolute beast in size. It was enormous. When I got a 660ti I realized just how big the 285 was... It was nearly a third shorter and the 660 is still a big piece of hardware.

But I really do understand why people get smaller cases, in the end my case is a beast and sometimes feels too big, really.
 
N

Nymerio

Member
Not a length issue but a height issue. I had to get a new card because I wanted a compact case with a mini-itx board. There wasn't enough space for a 3 slot card
cBj1LTf.png
 
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