If you've ever built a PC, you probably know that community has a massive focus on how
computer components perform. You know, FPS go burr. But here's something very important you
don't want to forget about. Will everything, you know, fit? You wouldn't be the first person
to order a bunch of parts for your spiffy new rig just to discover that one or more of the
components simply is taking up too much space once you start putting everything actually together.
So today we're going to tell you how to avoid this kind of unpleasant surprise.
First things first, know what form factor you're working with. Motherboards mostly come in one of
three standard form factors, which you can think of as sizes. From largest to smallest, they're
called ATX, micro ATX, and mini ITX. Why micro and mini are switched? So annoying, I don't know,
don't ask me. Larger form factors will give you more expansion slots and oftentimes more features,
but a smaller form factor will obviously take up less space if you're going for a compact build
and don't need all that extra connectivity. Once you decide which motherboard form factor you want,
make sure to pick a case that can fit it. Most mid tower cases out there will fit a full size
ATX board, no problem. But there are plenty of cases out there that can only fit a micro ATX
or mini ITX board. And unless you look carefully at the product's description, it can be easy to
buy a case that's too small, as it can be hard to tell exactly what kind of motherboard case will
fit just by glancing at a couple photos. Next, let's talk about your heat sink. If you're going
with a stock CPU cooler or a water block, this probably isn't something you need to worry about
too much because they're pretty small. But if you're installing an aftermarket air cooler,
this is where things get a bit tricky. Air coolers can keep you from installing RAM in the slots
closest to your CPU, especially if you have RAM sticks with tall heat spreaders. And just as
bad, they can keep you from reinstalling your side panel, depending on how far the cooler
sticks off from your motherboard. The way to prevent this is to carefully look
at the listed dimensions for your cooler case and any potentially conflicting opponents.
Some case spec sheets will tell you straight up what the tallest cooler you can fit inside
them is, which can help eliminate some guesswork. And if you absolutely must have a super wide
cooler, some of them can play nicely with low profile RAM sticks. So check those out. This
leads us right into another cooling component that can be problematic. As we mentioned,
water blocks don't usually cause too many space issues. But what about the radiators they're
attached to? You'll want to make sure your radiator and case are compatible, though the good news
is that radiators tend to come in one of several standard sizes and which ones your case supports
should be clearly listed on the spec sheet. However, you'll also want to verify that the
radiator along with attached fans isn't so thick that it'll hit other components. For example,
it's possible for a top mounted radiator to interfere with your RAM or even make the headers
at the top of your motherboard inaccessible. In that case, you might be able to make things work
if you opt for a slimmer low profile fans. Give it a shot. But an even more likely part
to cause you issues is perhaps your most prized component, your graphics card. Higher end GPUs
need lots of cooling and adequate power delivery. And all of that supporting hardware can take up
lots of space. The most common problem when installing a chunk of a graphics card is that the
card is simply too long for the case. So if this is the situation you're in, see if you can get
your hands on a shorter card with the same GPU on it, though this could be a little tougher for
very high end GPUs like an RTX 4090 or 5090. Who knows when you're watching this?
Considering the relative prices of things though, maybe just get a bigger case.
But that's not it with graphics cards. It's also good to think about how many slots your
graphics card will be taking up. Obviously, you only insert your card into one PCIe express slot,
but I'm talking about the slots on the back of your case. Most GPUs with any kind of gaming
horsepower take up at least two slots, and there are a good number of them on the higher and they
take up three or even four. So find out whether the card you have your eye on is a dual slot,
triple slot, or quad slot, and pick a case that matches. Keep in mind that multi-slot cards also
usually physically block at least one more PCIe express slot, so it could limit your ability to
install other adapter cards like capture cards, sound cards, or Wi-Fi cards. So if you need another
slot free, check your motherboard's layout to ensure there will be a slot available for you,
or maybe investigate whether a PCIe riser can help solve your problem somehow. Your mileage may vary.
Are there other headaches that you've run into when building or upgrading a PC where
something just wouldn't fit? Let us know down in the comments, and if you'd like to specifically
know more about building a tiny PC, including how to fit in a power supply, go watch this video next.