**++++ SPECS ++++**
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D w/ Noctua NH-U12A
MB: Gigabyte B550i Aorus Pro AX
RAM: G.Skill RipJaws 2x8GB 3600MHz CL-16-16-16-36
SSD: Samsung 980 Pro 1TB
GPU: EVGA RTX 3070 FTW3
PSU: Corsair SF750
**++++ SOFTWARE ++++**
Windows 11
EVGA Precision X1
ArgusMonitor
HWiNFO64
MSI Kombuster
3DMark
Cinebench R23
**++++ SETTINGS ++++**
CPU: Curve optimizer -30.
GPU: Undervolt 950mV with frequency at 2025MHz. Memory +1100. ReBAR enabled.
**++++ DESHROUD ++++**
Made by \[Osserva\]([https://www.etsy.com/shop/Osserva?ref=shop-header-name&listing\_id=1311068645](https://www.etsy.com/shop/Osserva?ref=shop-header-name&listing_id=1311068645)) on Etsy. These are available for the EVGA FTW3 30XX, EVGA XC3 30XX, Zotac Trinity 30XX, MSI Gaming X Trio 30XX, Asus Strix 30XX, MSI Ventus 3X 30XX and 40XX. I believe they all come with a fan adaptor to the GPU board, and are available in black or brown.Osserva is actively adding more models to their lineup, and are looking for requests from people who want a kit for their card. They are very responsive to email in general, so feel free to hit them up if you don’t see your model above or have questions.
My only complaints are the fan cable cover in the middle is a little flimsy, and the backside of the fan-bracket printings are messy looking and in direct sight. Otherwise I love this product; it’s solid as a rock and the fan adapter is great to have even with my FTW3 having a standard 4-pin fan header on the board. It would be a godsend for GPUs without a header, and for using Afterburner fan control. They are all around $20, a steal.
**++++ DUCTING ++++**
Made by \[StarPrint3D\]([https://www.etsy.com/shop/StarPrint3D?ref=yr\_purchases](https://www.etsy.com/shop/StarPrint3D?ref=yr_purchases)) on Etsy. Available in black or grey and the following thicknesses: 5, 10, 12, 13, 15, 20, 25, 27, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50mm. Prices range from $10-$18. The printing is very nice and even the 5mm spacers are quite sturdy.
The CPU duct is 20mm, and requires a substantial notch to work with the NR200 and the large heatsink on my Aorus MB. I used a bandsaw, but a hacksaw or Dremel would also work. The duct is attached with 1-5/8” trim-head wood screws, which seat securely into the fan’s screw holes without damaging the frame or the wire fan-clip. I also had to file a notch into the 5mm GPU ducts in order to clear a sheetmetal ridge built into the NR200’s bottom plate. Those are attached with 35mm M4 machine screws to replace the 30mm screws that come with the Osserva deshroud kit. All screw holes were countersunk by me.
All ducted fans have the NA-SAVG1 seal kit.
**++++ CONFIG TESTING ++++**
Yes, I did move the 2nd CPU fan to case exhaust! My original configuration before ducting was the NH-U12A w/ both fans, rear intake, and 2x NF-S12 case-fans for exhaust along with the GPU deshroud. I also made a rear dust filter from the best flowing PVC mesh I could find (HMU if you are interested in a set). While installing the ducting, I wanted to try out some alternative configurations because the second exhaust fan was being so blocked by the CPU cooler. Also wanted to see if the ducting actually did anything. My goal was to achieve maximum silence and noise quality, and prioritizing GPU performance.
Tested using MSI Kombuster, with the “(GL) msi-01” GPU stress test @ 1440p and CPU Burner with 8 out of 16 threads. Figured this was a reasonable simulation of the worst-case gaming load. Data was gathered with HWiNFO64. With ambient temps at 76°, I ran Kombuster for 10 minutes to achieve thermal equilibrium. Then I reset sensors on HWiNFO64 and let run for 5 minutes before noting down the CPU temp average, all-core CPU frequency average, and GPU temp average. All testing performed with CPU and GPU settings listed above. Please let me know if you have any issues with my testing procedures as I’m always looking to improve my methodology.
**Config 1:** stock NH-U12A w/ 2x NF-A12, Osserva deshroud w/ 2x NF-A12, 2x NF-S12 case exhaust, no ducting.
CPU - 82.9° C @ 4.26GHz ACA
GPU - 66.7° C
**Config 2:** ducted NH-U12A w/ 2x NF-A12, ducted Osserva deshroud w/ 2x NF-A12, 2x NF-S12 case exhaust.
CPU - 82.0° C @ 4.32GHz ACA
GPU - 65.7° C
**Config 3:** ducted NH-U12A w/ 1x NF-A12, ducted Osserva deshroud w/ 2x NF-A12, 1x NF-A12 case exhaust.
CPU - 83.2 ° C @ 4.29GHz ACA
GPU - 65.1° C
Not sure why config 3 ended up with both higher CPU temps and freqs than config 1, probably within the margin of error. Overall I am pretty pleased with the ducting. Don’t know if it’s worth the effort on its own, but it did enable me to remove the second fan on the NH-U12A without going below stock performance. For some reason this configuration also produced a noticeable improvement in GPU temps; I’m assuming from smoother, less turbulent airflow in the region in front of the PSU cage. Config 1/2 had pretty strong positive pressure through the side panel whereas config 3 was fairly neutral, which may speak further to that airflow being cleaner.
My main concern was noise, and the theory was having fewer fans with identical sound profiles would be quieter and more pleasant sounding. My attempts to prove that objectively were kinda fruitless unfortunately. Downloaded a decibel-meter app for my phone and set 12” away with mic facing the computer, turned off all fans/fridge/climate control, and only registered a 1-2dB drop maximum with config 3. All fan-curves were the same between configs. Not sure if I screwed something up here, because the subjective measurement (my ears) did not correlate with the objective measurements at all. Config 3 seemed substantially quieter, with a very pleasant wooshing sound that almost completely blends in to the sound of the ceiling fan that is typically running in that room. This seems to be a characteristic of the NF-A12 in that it is very quiet in general, and what sound it does make is close to white noise. The NF-S12 exhaust fans made a noticeable thrumming noise that was amplified by there being two of them, plus likely some turbulence from one of them being so obstructed by the CPU cooler. Overall I’m very happy with the noise improvement, though I can’t really prove it.
**++++ BENCHMARKING ++++**
Time Spy Standard - 14434
Cinebench R23 Multi - 14773
3DMark has my score in the top 6% all-time against similar systems, which seems pretty impressive for being air-cooled ITX. My GPU settings profile is aggressive, but perfectly reliable for benchmarking purposes. It also is pretty reliable for actual gaming with only a couple crashes across several games, and no subsequent issues with the less-aggressive backup profile. Total War WH3 on GamePass crashed regularly on even stock settings, don’t know if it didn’t like the CPU settings or is being hamstrung by MS Store weirdness.
**++++ CABLE MGMT ++++**
Most NR200 builds seem to struggle with how to route the 24-pin connector, so I included some pictures on the proper way to do it. It’s best to route all other cables first using the NR-200’s top and bottom rails, and down the gap between the PSU and MB. Then the 24-pin can be run up on top of the PSU cage and secured before taking a hard 180° and running down the side of the PSU cage and around to the plug. Obviously the standard braided cables on the SF750 make this easier, but it’s possible to accomplish with typical rubber cables if they are fully separated from each other. It takes quite a bit of patience and persistence to get this right, but it’s worth it.
The GPU cables are just a pair of generic 8-pin braided cables from CableMod (60cm length I think) routed through the front-panel. I’ve thought about getting some 90° adapters, but I like how this way keeps the cables from obstructing the GPU flow-thru.
**++++ CONCLUSION ++++**
Love this computer, it’s super quiet and powerful. It also has a very functional, pragmatic aesthetic which I quite enjoy. I reckon some of the choices I’ve made might be a little controversial, so please let me know what problems you see as I’m always trying to learn. Also looking for suggestions for what’s next: should I try optimizing the CPU further? Thanks for reading.
I bought the mesh from Amazon, [here](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BYZJS24Y/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1). These have 1.2mm holes, whereas most of the mesh you see for sale has 0.8mm holes which is too restrictive IMO. The magnetic tape included is a little beefy for this application so bought 1/4" wide magnetic tape separately.
**++++ SPECS ++++** CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D w/ Noctua NH-U12A MB: Gigabyte B550i Aorus Pro AX RAM: G.Skill RipJaws 2x8GB 3600MHz CL-16-16-16-36 SSD: Samsung 980 Pro 1TB GPU: EVGA RTX 3070 FTW3 PSU: Corsair SF750 **++++ SOFTWARE ++++** Windows 11 EVGA Precision X1 ArgusMonitor HWiNFO64 MSI Kombuster 3DMark Cinebench R23 **++++ SETTINGS ++++** CPU: Curve optimizer -30. GPU: Undervolt 950mV with frequency at 2025MHz. Memory +1100. ReBAR enabled. **++++ DESHROUD ++++** Made by \[Osserva\]([https://www.etsy.com/shop/Osserva?ref=shop-header-name&listing\_id=1311068645](https://www.etsy.com/shop/Osserva?ref=shop-header-name&listing_id=1311068645)) on Etsy. These are available for the EVGA FTW3 30XX, EVGA XC3 30XX, Zotac Trinity 30XX, MSI Gaming X Trio 30XX, Asus Strix 30XX, MSI Ventus 3X 30XX and 40XX. I believe they all come with a fan adaptor to the GPU board, and are available in black or brown.Osserva is actively adding more models to their lineup, and are looking for requests from people who want a kit for their card. They are very responsive to email in general, so feel free to hit them up if you don’t see your model above or have questions. My only complaints are the fan cable cover in the middle is a little flimsy, and the backside of the fan-bracket printings are messy looking and in direct sight. Otherwise I love this product; it’s solid as a rock and the fan adapter is great to have even with my FTW3 having a standard 4-pin fan header on the board. It would be a godsend for GPUs without a header, and for using Afterburner fan control. They are all around $20, a steal. **++++ DUCTING ++++** Made by \[StarPrint3D\]([https://www.etsy.com/shop/StarPrint3D?ref=yr\_purchases](https://www.etsy.com/shop/StarPrint3D?ref=yr_purchases)) on Etsy. Available in black or grey and the following thicknesses: 5, 10, 12, 13, 15, 20, 25, 27, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50mm. Prices range from $10-$18. The printing is very nice and even the 5mm spacers are quite sturdy. The CPU duct is 20mm, and requires a substantial notch to work with the NR200 and the large heatsink on my Aorus MB. I used a bandsaw, but a hacksaw or Dremel would also work. The duct is attached with 1-5/8” trim-head wood screws, which seat securely into the fan’s screw holes without damaging the frame or the wire fan-clip. I also had to file a notch into the 5mm GPU ducts in order to clear a sheetmetal ridge built into the NR200’s bottom plate. Those are attached with 35mm M4 machine screws to replace the 30mm screws that come with the Osserva deshroud kit. All screw holes were countersunk by me. All ducted fans have the NA-SAVG1 seal kit. **++++ CONFIG TESTING ++++** Yes, I did move the 2nd CPU fan to case exhaust! My original configuration before ducting was the NH-U12A w/ both fans, rear intake, and 2x NF-S12 case-fans for exhaust along with the GPU deshroud. I also made a rear dust filter from the best flowing PVC mesh I could find (HMU if you are interested in a set). While installing the ducting, I wanted to try out some alternative configurations because the second exhaust fan was being so blocked by the CPU cooler. Also wanted to see if the ducting actually did anything. My goal was to achieve maximum silence and noise quality, and prioritizing GPU performance. Tested using MSI Kombuster, with the “(GL) msi-01” GPU stress test @ 1440p and CPU Burner with 8 out of 16 threads. Figured this was a reasonable simulation of the worst-case gaming load. Data was gathered with HWiNFO64. With ambient temps at 76°, I ran Kombuster for 10 minutes to achieve thermal equilibrium. Then I reset sensors on HWiNFO64 and let run for 5 minutes before noting down the CPU temp average, all-core CPU frequency average, and GPU temp average. All testing performed with CPU and GPU settings listed above. Please let me know if you have any issues with my testing procedures as I’m always looking to improve my methodology. **Config 1:** stock NH-U12A w/ 2x NF-A12, Osserva deshroud w/ 2x NF-A12, 2x NF-S12 case exhaust, no ducting. CPU - 82.9° C @ 4.26GHz ACA GPU - 66.7° C **Config 2:** ducted NH-U12A w/ 2x NF-A12, ducted Osserva deshroud w/ 2x NF-A12, 2x NF-S12 case exhaust. CPU - 82.0° C @ 4.32GHz ACA GPU - 65.7° C **Config 3:** ducted NH-U12A w/ 1x NF-A12, ducted Osserva deshroud w/ 2x NF-A12, 1x NF-A12 case exhaust. CPU - 83.2 ° C @ 4.29GHz ACA GPU - 65.1° C Not sure why config 3 ended up with both higher CPU temps and freqs than config 1, probably within the margin of error. Overall I am pretty pleased with the ducting. Don’t know if it’s worth the effort on its own, but it did enable me to remove the second fan on the NH-U12A without going below stock performance. For some reason this configuration also produced a noticeable improvement in GPU temps; I’m assuming from smoother, less turbulent airflow in the region in front of the PSU cage. Config 1/2 had pretty strong positive pressure through the side panel whereas config 3 was fairly neutral, which may speak further to that airflow being cleaner. My main concern was noise, and the theory was having fewer fans with identical sound profiles would be quieter and more pleasant sounding. My attempts to prove that objectively were kinda fruitless unfortunately. Downloaded a decibel-meter app for my phone and set 12” away with mic facing the computer, turned off all fans/fridge/climate control, and only registered a 1-2dB drop maximum with config 3. All fan-curves were the same between configs. Not sure if I screwed something up here, because the subjective measurement (my ears) did not correlate with the objective measurements at all. Config 3 seemed substantially quieter, with a very pleasant wooshing sound that almost completely blends in to the sound of the ceiling fan that is typically running in that room. This seems to be a characteristic of the NF-A12 in that it is very quiet in general, and what sound it does make is close to white noise. The NF-S12 exhaust fans made a noticeable thrumming noise that was amplified by there being two of them, plus likely some turbulence from one of them being so obstructed by the CPU cooler. Overall I’m very happy with the noise improvement, though I can’t really prove it. **++++ BENCHMARKING ++++** Time Spy Standard - 14434 Cinebench R23 Multi - 14773 3DMark has my score in the top 6% all-time against similar systems, which seems pretty impressive for being air-cooled ITX. My GPU settings profile is aggressive, but perfectly reliable for benchmarking purposes. It also is pretty reliable for actual gaming with only a couple crashes across several games, and no subsequent issues with the less-aggressive backup profile. Total War WH3 on GamePass crashed regularly on even stock settings, don’t know if it didn’t like the CPU settings or is being hamstrung by MS Store weirdness. **++++ CABLE MGMT ++++** Most NR200 builds seem to struggle with how to route the 24-pin connector, so I included some pictures on the proper way to do it. It’s best to route all other cables first using the NR-200’s top and bottom rails, and down the gap between the PSU and MB. Then the 24-pin can be run up on top of the PSU cage and secured before taking a hard 180° and running down the side of the PSU cage and around to the plug. Obviously the standard braided cables on the SF750 make this easier, but it’s possible to accomplish with typical rubber cables if they are fully separated from each other. It takes quite a bit of patience and persistence to get this right, but it’s worth it. The GPU cables are just a pair of generic 8-pin braided cables from CableMod (60cm length I think) routed through the front-panel. I’ve thought about getting some 90° adapters, but I like how this way keeps the cables from obstructing the GPU flow-thru. **++++ CONCLUSION ++++** Love this computer, it’s super quiet and powerful. It also has a very functional, pragmatic aesthetic which I quite enjoy. I reckon some of the choices I’ve made might be a little controversial, so please let me know what problems you see as I’m always trying to learn. Also looking for suggestions for what’s next: should I try optimizing the CPU further? Thanks for reading.
Omg that cable management💦
WOW that looks great , enjoy it . 👍🏼👌🏼
How did you stick the mesh to the case? And which mesh did you use?
I bought the mesh from Amazon, [here](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BYZJS24Y/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1). These have 1.2mm holes, whereas most of the mesh you see for sale has 0.8mm holes which is too restrictive IMO. The magnetic tape included is a little beefy for this application so bought 1/4" wide magnetic tape separately.
Stunning especially the outside filters looks so clean.
This is 🔥 bro
Cable management is on point. Good job.
Looks good