SilverStone Sugo SG08 Mini-ITX Case Review
by Dustin Sklavos on May 13, 2013 12:01 AM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
- Mini ITX
- SilverStone
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Introducing the SilverStone Sugo SG08
We've been looking at a lot of smaller enclosures lately, but some of you have pointed out, and probably correctly, that these Micro-ATX towers still aren't particularly small. They're smaller than the full ATX and super ATX monsters we've reviewed and certainly you could fit about thirty of them inside Corsair's gargantuan Obsidian 900D, but what if you want to go smaller? The BitFenix Prodigy is a popular option, but it's also on the large side for a Mini-ITX build.
As it turns out, SilverStone takes their small form factor designs pretty seriously. The Sugo SG09 we reviewed is a Micro-ATX case with roughly the same volume as the Prodigy, but how small can we go without sacrificing too much performance? The Sugo SG05 was a good start, but for those of you looking for a little more horsepower, the enclosure we have on tap today may be the way to go.
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The SilverStone Sugo SG08 is deeper than the SG05, but it also has superior performance potential. Those of you who've been paying attention may notice the top-mounted fan as being similar to Thermaltake's design in the Armor A30, but SilverStone is opting for an intake here instead. Since liquid cooling and tower coolers aren't really an option in the SG08, SilverStone has to take slightly more drastic measures, resulting in a very different design from the more basic SG05. If you have performance Mini-ITX on the brain, the SG08 could be promising indeed.
| SilverStone Sugo SG08 Specifications | ||
| Motherboard Form Factor | Mini-ITX | |
| Drive Bays | External | 1x Slimline ODD |
| Internal | 2x 2.5", 1x 3.5" | |
| Cooling | Front | - |
| Rear | - | |
| Top | 180mm intake fan | |
| Side | - | |
| Bottom | - | |
| Expansion Slots | 2 | |
| I/O Port | 2x USB 3.0, 1x Headphone, 1x Mic | |
| Power Supply Size | SFX | |
| Clearances | HSF | 117mm |
| PSU | N/A | |
| GPU | 12" / 305mm | |
| Dimensions |
8.8" x 13.9" x 7.5" 222mm x 351mm x 190mm |
|
| Weight | 13.23 lbs / 6 kg | |
| Special Features |
USB 3.0 Dual-speed 180mm intake fan Adjustable fan duct for GPU 600W 80 Plus Bronze PSU included |
|
| Price | $199 | |
I'll admit I was a little taken aback by the price tag on the Sugo SG08, but try to keep in mind that you're getting a solid 600-watt power supply specially designed for the enclosure with it. I won't say it's impossible for you to run into the limits of this PSU in an enclosure like the SG08, just keep in mind that you'd have to overclock the absolute daylights out of your CPU and put in an AMD Radeon HD 7990 just to get close.
When you get to an enclosure this small, though, you're definitely going to be making some sacrifices. Storage space is at a premium, but more enterprising users may opt to use an adapter to turn the 3.5" bay into a dual 2.5" bay, giving you space for four 2.5" drives. The slimline optical bay might have been a bigger deal in years past, but the larger PC industry has been gradually migrating to these drives, and a slimline DVD burner can be had for around $20 now. Honestly the worst thing about this bay could very well just be the freakishly tiny screws.
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flemeister - Monday, May 13, 2013 - link
Yes, the Asus P8Z77-I Deluxe fits with no issues. The VRM daughterboard only covers the bottom half of the ventilation holes on the closest side panel.I'm using an SG07 (identical to the SG08 apart from the front fascia), and have managed to cram a buttload of goodies inside it, with some modding: http://www.silentpcreview.com/forums/viewtopic.php...
ven - Monday, May 13, 2013 - link
Nice build.HardwareDufus - Monday, May 13, 2013 - link
Yes,I am using this board with an i7-3770k overclocked to 4.2Ghz. Using HD4000 for graphics...
I wish they had designed the cage to support 2 2.5" drives right below the 5.25 slim dvd... Instead of the clumsy 1 3.5" & 1 2.5" cages. My only gripe.
HardwareDufus - Monday, May 13, 2013 - link
I should add.. I have the SG05BB... not the SG08flemeister - Tuesday, May 14, 2013 - link
If one of those two 2.5" drives is a SSD, then check if you've got a little space above the optical drive: http://oi48.tinypic.com/10fuuyp.jpgThat's in an SG07, but the SG05 might have that space too.
HardwareDufus - Friday, May 17, 2013 - link
The SG05 is much tighter above the Slim 5.25 bay than the SG07.Personally, I'd like to see a mini-ITX that doesn't permit anything other than 1 slim DVD 5.25 and 2 2.5" HDD/SDD drives. Scratch the FULL length PCI-x cars too.... (does anyone really expect to be able to cool a monster DUAL GPU video card in a mini-ITX case and still be quiet?). Also just support for the SFX Power Supplies.
JDG1980 - Monday, May 13, 2013 - link
It's interesting to note that Silverstone's biggest design wins - not just this case but the Fortress FT02 and Temjin TJ08 - all have one thing in common, the 180mm 'air penetrator' intake fan(s). I wonder how much of the performance we're seeing is due specifically to those fans. Few other cases have a 180mm input, but NZXT's upcoming H630 has two front 200mm intakes that might be able to be modified for the Silverstone fans. I suspect that would provide excellent performance.Dustin Sklavos - Monday, May 13, 2013 - link
I don't think it's the 180mm AP so much as where it's positioned. In each of the cases you mentioned it's blowing almost directly onto the CPU.creed3020 - Tuesday, May 14, 2013 - link
Don't forget the AP technology though. This fan is pushing air down in a column, e.g. ||| and not a cone /// \\. Re-test with a traditional 180mm fan and the thermals won't be as impressive. Likely the thermals will still be competitive but not the same figures you're seeing now which are excellent.I do own a 120mm AP and use it on a Samuel 17 heatsink in my HTPC. Works wonder and with a LNA it works wonders for temps and acoustics.
extide - Monday, May 13, 2013 - link
If any of you guys are interested in this case, but perhaps want to do things like watercool, or use a large/dual slot GPU, etc, then you will probably be interested in the NCase M1. http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?p=1039867428Check it out, it is a case designed by the community in that forum link and will go into production in the next few months. They already have a few prototype cases made and they looks AWESOME.
To the editors, will you guys be reviewing the NCASE M1?
Thanks!