Will a GTX 760 fit in an mATX case?

Greetings everyone 🙂
I have run into a bit of a dilemma. At the end of this school year, I plan on building a new PC that I hope will outperform my current setup. I wouldn't say I'm particularly demanding, but I've decided to treat myself and aim for a high-end build. My goal is to put together a PC/Steam Box, so I settled on the Fractal Design Node 304 case. However, I’ve hit a snag. I am uncertain whether my graphics card (a Gainward Nvidia GeForce GTX 760—not the phantom version, just the standard one) will actually fit alongside the power supply (a Corsair CX500M Modular 500W). While this question might seem trivial or even irrelevant to some, if anyone is familiar with this specific case, they might understand why I'm asking. I haven't had much luck searching for an answer online regarding whether the PSU will obstruct the GPU. Thanks in advance 🙂

Title error - it's mITX, not ATX

Look, if you’ve already got the cash for high-end gear, I honestly don't get why you're still messing around with those tiny little cases. It's a total waste. You're basically just sacrificing performance and throwing money down the drain. Just build a rig in a normal case and actually enjoy it. If you're really that obsessed with having something small and compact, just go grab an Xbox One and call it a day.

I’m reading this and honestly, I can't believe it—PC performance almost never depends on the form factor (whether it's ATX, mATX, or mITX), but rather on the actual components tucked inside the machine. The only real drawback to mITX is the limited RAM capacity—capped at 16GB—but since he isn't doing any heavy-duty video editing, that won't even matter for his needs. And, of course, you lose the ability to run Crossfire or SLI. Now, I'll admit, sticking with a standard ATX tower would definitely make life easier by giving the components more breathing room, but hey, it's his choice. There's really no need to jump down his throat right out of the gate; if you don't have something smart or actually helpful to contribute, maybe just stay quiet!

As for your "Steam Box" comparison, some of those points just don't hold up. That Fractal Design case you posted is, in my opinion, the worst example of an mITX build because the chassis itself is just massive and overpriced. For that kind of money, you could pick up some seriously high-end ATX cases. If you want decent mITX options, you should look at brands like Lian Li or Cubitek (they aren't easily found here in the States, but you can find great stuff online at reasonable prices). Also, I don't quite get the obsession with the GTX 760. It’s a solid card, sure, but for slightly $200 less, you can snag an R9 270X which performs almost identically to the 760...

P.S. If you're already committed to buying that bulky, overpriced Fractal Design bucket, don't sweat the components—everything will fit in there without any trouble at all.

Grace Peterson17, if you weren't planning on actually answering the question, you shouldn't have gone out of your way to be insulting. I asked a specific question, not for your unsolicited advice.

Mind taking a look at this:

Fractal Design:

Graphics cards, up to 310mm in length, when 2 HDD slots (1 HDD hanging bracket total) are removed (Graphics cards longer than 170 mm will conflict with PSUs longer than 160mm)

Gainward:

Product Size : 247mm x 112mm

So, you'd have to ditch one HDD cage if your card is over 170mm, and then there's the PSU size to worry about. Plus, there are those newer, shorter card versions designed specifically for cases like this...

BTW, is this just part of the hype surrounding those uITX builds we see in all the tech magazines lately? You pick out this fancy case that ends up limiting you in every single way. You're forced to hunt down ITX motherboards—which are a pain to find here in the States—and you make a hundred compromises just to end up with a build that isn't even that much smaller. It's a lot of money and stress just for a slight visual difference, right?

The way I see it: if you buy parts from the outside in—meaning you pick the case based on looks first—you might realize too late how little room you actually have for a GPU. Unless you already have the whole blueprint mapped out in your head, you're asking for trouble...

Grace Peterson17 said:I’m reading this and honestly, I can't believe it—PC performance almost never depends on the form factor (whether it's ATX, mATX, or mITX), but rather on the actual components tucked inside the machine. The only real drawback to mITX is the limited RAM capacity—capped at 16GB—but since he isn't doing any heavy-duty video editing, that won't even matter for his needs. And, of course, you lose the ability to run Crossfire or SLI. Now, I'll admit, sticking with a standard ATX tower would definitely make life easier by giving the components more breathing room, but hey, it's his choice. There's really no need to jump down his throat right out of the gate; if you don't have something smart or actually helpful to contribute, maybe just stay quiet!

As for your "Steam Box" comparison, some of those points just don't hold up. That Fractal Design case you posted is, in my opinion, the worst example of an mITX build because the chassis itself is just massive and overpriced. For that kind of money, you could pick up some seriously high-end ATX cases. If you want decent mITX options, you should look at brands like Lian Li or Cubitek (they aren't easily found here in the States, but you can find great stuff online at reasonable prices). Also, I don't quite get the obsession with the GTX 760. It’s a solid card, sure, but for slightly $200 less, you can snag an R9 270X which performs almost identically to the 760...

P.S. If you're already committed to buying that bulky, overpriced Fractal Design bucket, don't sweat the components—everything will fit in there without any trouble at all.

Are you basing that claim about the case being bulky on actual experience, or have you even seen this thing in person? 😂

I actually finished putting a build together in one just a few days ago featuring an i5-4570, a Cooler Master Nepton 140 XL, an MSI GTX 770, a Cooler Master Silent Pro Gold 700W, plus four 3.5" HDDs and an SSD... it really is one of the smallest mITX cases capable of housing high-end parts, and it sits significantly smaller than the competition like the Corsair Obsidian 250D or the BitFenix Prodigy / Colossus.

@lonecyclist11
I believe those specific components should fit quite easily. You might want to take a look here, where there are similar builds, just so you can be certain yourself.

Grace Peterson17 said:I’m reading this and honestly, I can't believe it—PC performance almost never depends on the form factor (whether it's ATX, mATX, or mITX), but rather on the actual components tucked inside the machine. The only real drawback to mITX is the limited RAM capacity—capped at 16GB—but since he isn't doing any heavy-duty video editing, that won't even matter for his needs. And, of course, you lose the ability to run Crossfire or SLI. Now, I'll admit, sticking with a standard ATX tower would definitely make life easier by giving the components more breathing room, but hey, it's his choice. There's really no need to jump down his throat right out of the gate; if you don't have something smart or actually helpful to contribute, maybe just stay quiet!

As for your "Steam Box" comparison, some of those points just don't hold up. That Fractal Design case you posted is, in my opinion, the worst example of an mITX build because the chassis itself is just massive and overpriced. For that kind of money, you could pick up some seriously high-end ATX cases. If you want decent mITX options, you should look at brands like Lian Li or Cubitek (they aren't easily found here in the States, but you can find great stuff online at reasonable prices). Also, I don't quite get the obsession with the GTX 760. It’s a solid card, sure, but for slightly $200 less, you can snag an R9 270X which performs almost identically to the 760...

P.S. If you're already committed to buying that bulky, overpriced Fractal Design bucket, don't sweat the components—everything will fit in there without any trouble at all.

Besides, he's definitely sacrificing performance by going with such a tiny case just so everything fits inside. Not to mention the money; you can build a way better rig in a mid-tower for that price than in one of those tiny boxes. Plus, temperatures are going to absolutely wreck him once he starts overclocking, so I don't think I was wrong to say anything.

swiftpilot: Look, we don’t need to get into a debate about where my PC building knowledge comes from—honestly, it’s totally irrelevant. And frankly, it doesn't matter much where yours comes from either; you can pick things up through Google, hands-on experience, or—as you put it—scouring forums. But there is a massive difference between verified, factual information and just having an opinion. The only reason I got worked up with you was because you told him right out of the gate that there's no point in building these mITX builds and that he should just go buy an Xbox instead, you know? That’s your personal take, but we aren't here to push our own tastes; we're here to help. And please, leave my username out of this—that's just an inside joke 😁

lonecyclist11: I don't know what your problem is, but it's pretty obvious you aren't looking for help. I had absolutely no intention of insulting you; I was genuinely trying to be helpful...

John Nguyen8: Man, you are truly something else. I've actually seen and handled that case in person, and I can tell you firsthand that it's easily comparable in size to mATX cases. And no, it isn't "the smallest" case capable of housing high-end components—if you want to talk about those, look at the EVGA Hadron Air or the Cubitek Mini Cube... but hey, that's just my two cents

swiftpilot: I agree with you that ATX or mATX is generally the better way to go, but you have to see that the guy clearly prefers mITX and that compact form factor

Michael Jackson10 said:Mind taking a look at this:

Fractal Design:

Graphics cards, up to 310mm in length, when 2 HDD slots (1 HDD hanging bracket total) are removed (Graphics cards longer than 170 mm will conflict with PSUs longer than 160mm)

Gainward:

Product Size : 247mm x 112mm

So, you'd have to ditch one HDD cage if your card is over 170mm, and then there's the PSU size to worry about. Plus, there are those newer, shorter card versions designed specifically for cases like this...

BTW, is this just part of the hype surrounding those uITX builds we see in all the tech magazines lately? You pick out this fancy case that ends up limiting you in every single way. You're forced to hunt down ITX motherboards—which are a pain to find here in the States—and you make a hundred compromises just to end up with a build that isn't even that much smaller. It's a lot of money and stress just for a slight visual difference, right?

The way I see it: if you buy parts from the outside in—meaning you pick the case based on looks first—you might realize too late how little room you actually have for a GPU. Unless you already have the whole blueprint mapped out in your head, you're asking for trouble...

👍

Grace Peterson17 said:swiftpilot: Look, we don’t need to get into a debate about where my PC building knowledge comes from—honestly, it’s totally irrelevant. And frankly, it doesn't matter much where yours comes from either; you can pick things up through Google, hands-on experience, or—as you put it—scouring forums. But there is a massive difference between verified, factual information and just having an opinion. The only reason I got worked up with you was because you told him right out of the gate that there's no point in building these mITX builds and that he should just go buy an Xbox instead, you know? That’s your personal take, but we aren't here to push our own tastes; we're here to help. And please, leave my username out of this—that's just an inside joke 😁

lonecyclist11: I don't know what your problem is, but it's pretty obvious you aren't looking for help. I had absolutely no intention of insulting you; I was genuinely trying to be helpful...

John Nguyen8: Man, you are truly something else. I've actually seen and handled that case in person, and I can tell you firsthand that it's easily comparable in size to mATX cases. And no, it isn't "the smallest" case capable of housing high-end components—if you want to talk about those, look at the EVGA Hadron Air or the Cubitek Mini Cube... but hey, that's just my two cents

swiftpilot: I agree with you that ATX or mATX is generally the better way to go, but you have to see that the guy clearly prefers mITX and that compact form factor

Decko, just take a moment to actually read what I wrote before you jump in with a comment... I am under no illusion that the Node 304 is the absolute smallest ITX case out there...
And I really won't even bother addressing that comparison to mATX. 🙄 So, you've "felt" it, have you? 😂

John Nguyen8 said:Decko, just take a moment to actually read what I wrote before you jump in with a comment... I am under no illusion that the Node 304 is the absolute smallest ITX case out there...
And I really won't even bother addressing that comparison to mATX. 🙄 So, you've "felt" it, have you? 😂

Well, you specifically stated that it was the smallest ITX chassis capable of housing "high-end" components—and that’s exactly where I have to disagree. I pointed out two specific examples of extremely compact mITX cases (which are likely among the smallest ever made) that can fit high-end parts, and—with a little bit of tinkering—even accommodate custom water cooling loops for both the CPU and GPU... I'm really not sure where the disconnect is here, man. 🙂

Man, these tiny cases are driving me crazy. What happened to the younger generation? Back in my day, we actually cared about scale...

It’s like you guys are all Hobbits or something. You don't have any room in your houses for a standard midi tower, so instead, you spend all your time digging through price lists looking for high-end parts packed into the smallest possible boxes. Then, you spend even more time obsessing over prices just to figure out how to cool the damn thing down without it sounding like a jet engine. You completely lose the plot! Look, just actually *use* the computers you spent all that cash on. Stop wasting your energy arguing about box sizes and trying to prove who's the smartest builder in the room.

Michael Jackson10 said:Damn these cases—what is wrong with the youth today? Back in my day, we actually cared about scale...

It’s almost like you’re all Hobbits—you don't have enough room in your houses for a standard mid-tower, so instead, you spend all your time scouring price lists for high-end components packed into the smallest possible footprint... then, you turn around and dig through those same price lists trying to engineer some way to cool it all down without making enough noise to wake the neighbors... and in the process, you completely miss the point: people, just use the computers you spent a fortune on! Don't waste all your energy constantly rearranging boxes and arguing over who can build the most compact rig.

🙂 Great post. Honestly, I felt the exact same way when I first joined this forum, but I quickly realized that isn't how things work here. It seems the main goal is just constant one-upmanship and seeing who can be "more right"—even when the evidence is thin as air—because people are constantly picking fights over nothing. To me, it feels incredibly arrogant and calculated. I actually had to shift my own "good" side over to the "bad" side just to cope; now I find myself being intentionally blunt and unapologetic. Why should I bother being fair or respectful to others when nobody shows any respect back and everyone is just looking for an excuse to stomp you down? 🙂

@John Nguyen8/">@@John Nguyen8 thanks 😉
Finally, someone who actually answers the question instead of just starting an argument. Regarding all this, the Node 304 isn't even the smallest case out there, no. But I chose it because it fits perfectly into my printer cabinet. And honestly, why is everyone here so grumpy? All you seem to know how to do is insult others. Instead of pooling your knowledge to help people (not talking about myself specifically), you just bicker because one person likes apples and another prefers pears. I get it, it’s tough when someone talks trash in the comments—I actually got banned on my old account for arguing, too. Now I keep my forum activity to a minimum because there are just too many of you here just looking to judge people... And yes, I realize I could have gone cheaper by building a mid tower, but I opted for mITX for the reason I already stated. As for the claim that "temperatures will screw him over once he starts overclocking," what temperatures? What overclocking? Didn't I make it clear that I'm not running a high-demand build? Besides, that case doesn't have any cooling issues at all. Not even a little bit. You people acting like experts should go read some reviews, considering you've probably never even seen the thing in person. I got my answer to the question, thanks. No more fight.

lonecyclist11 said:@John Nguyen8/">@@John Nguyen8 thanks 😉
Finally, someone who actually answers the question instead of starting a debate. Look, regarding all this—the Node 304 isn't even the smallest case out there, okay? But I picked it because it fits perfectly into my printer cabinet. And honestly, why is everyone here so incredibly grumpy? All you seem to know how to do is tear people down. Instead of pooling your knowledge to help folks out (not talking about myself, obviously), you all just bicker over whether someone prefers apples or oranges. I get it, though. It sucks when someone talks trash in your comments; I actually got banned on my old account for getting into arguments. Now I barely even post because there are just too many people here looking to judge others... And yeah, I know I could’ve gone cheaper by building a mid tower, but I went with mITX for one specific reason. "And the temps will kill you once you overclock," they say. What temperatures? What overclocking? Did I not make it clear enough that I'm not running some high-end monster rig? Besides, that case doesn't have any cooling issues. None. Go read some actual reviews, you keyboard warriors who haven't even seen the thing in person. I got my answer, thanks. No more fighting.

I mean, I don't care what anyone thinks. Your money, your choice. Do whatever you want.

lonecyclist11 said:@ukiy thanks so much 😉
Finally—someone who actually answers the question instead of just picking a fight. Regarding all that chatter: look, node 304 isn't some tiny little micro-case, it really isn't. But I chose it because it fits perfectly inside my printer cabinet—that was the goal. And honestly, why is everyone here so incredibly grumpy? It feels like half the people here just want to tear others down. Instead of pooling your collective knowledge to actually help people out (and I don't mean myself specifically!), you all just bicker over whether someone prefers apples or oranges. I get it, though—it’s tough when people get aggressive in the comments; I actually got banned from my old account because I got caught up in an argument once, too. Now, I basically keep my forum activity to a bare minimum because there's just way too much negativity and judgment here... And yeah, sure, I know I could have saved some cash by building in a mid-tower, but I went with ITX for one very specific reason. As for the "temperatures are going to kill you once you start overclocking" crowd—what temperatures? What overclocking? Did I not make it clear enough that I'm not looking for a high-performance monster? This case doesn't have any cooling issues at all. None. Seriously, go read some actual reviews before you try to lecture me when you haven't even seen the thing in person. Anyway, I got my answer, and I appreciate it. No more fighting.

👏