Extra stuff (will update over time) 1. Bottom fan. So with an SFX L power supply I don't think a fan is possible. But with SFX size you could squeeze a slim fan in there and I'd recommend a fan grille if setting to exhaust 2. There is no need to take the gullwing sides off by the screws. I'm just stupid - the hinge just has a slide mechanism 😅
I`d recommend a fan grille for the bottom fan regardless of intake or exhaust, even WITH the grille I had to sweet talk the cables to stay out of the fan. And you are not stupid for struggling with the gpu screw, I tried the same lazy method and almost gave up (to do it correctly) when I juuuust got a few turns going and then it went in. Tbh I dont even use or need my Terra build atm, I just enjoy looking at it from time to time, haha
There's a latch you need to pull to remove the gullwing sides entirely, without unscrewing their mechanism like you did. Check the manual is documented there.
You can get a 25mm fan with grill in the Terra. Just put the fan in first and slide the grill on top, you will need to push down on the grill to get past the spine. After that just install your screws.
I picked Ryzen 7900 cooled by ID-Cooling IS-55 and Gigabyte Gaming 4070 Super and it worked beautifully. I was going to pick ProArt GPU but I couldn't justify the ~$170 price difference. There was a small problem with the height of Gigabyte model and I think you need to use a 90 deg. 12VHPWR cable to make it work. MSI Gaming X Slim would be perfect.
Weird question, but I'm wondering: Would it make the PC more quiet if you cut out the side panel of the case where it covers the CPU, leave it open and only put a dust filter there to close the hole in the side panel? No more turbulence, or where did my mind go wrong? We're not talking about winning beauty contests here anymore, lol, but if it reduces the noise, why not? Heck, you could even leave the dust filter and put in a really nice CPU-cooler that just sticks out from the side panel. Bad idea?
I mean if you are willing to go through all of that to get rid of possible turbulence rather than just getting a cooler that keeps the fins between the fan and the side of the case, you might as well just build in a different case, lol. I imagine that most people who buy the Terra do so for the aesthetics and not necessarily raw performance.
Not going lie, those first 15 seconds hooked me in 😂. Awesome video, just about to start a very similar build; Jade colour option, AMD 9 7900 CPU and 4070 Ti Super Proart. Exciting stuff 😎 Really stoked
I have a Terra and I really like it. If your GPU thickness is thin enough for the Terra to be in position 1, I would go for the L12Sx77 cooler with the fan placed underneath the heat sink because the temps can run a bit higher in the Terra. Really neat looking case and pretty small so it doesn't take up space. :)
Thermalright AXP90-X47 copper CPU Cooler - It's smaller than the noctura, but that works in its favour in sff cases. Further away from the panels = less turbulence = more efficient. Can cool 7800x3d nicely enough. The biggest thermal performance opportunity I see is swopping out the PSU to a 750 and getting an exhaust fan under it.
I think you don't get the turbulence if the fan sits under the heatsink though? Happy to be corrected if that's wrong And yes, 100% agree that a smaller PSU to allow a fan would be worthwhile
Can't agree more with the advice on skipping the Gigabyte B650I Aorus Ultra Unless you must have 3 nvme slots and don't plan on using a 2.5" sdd I would recommend any of the other brands, but make sure you watch plenty of reviews and check builds on PCPartpicker that are built with this case and with various motherboards to check on sizing for components. This particular Gigabyte board feels really solid and the fact you get 3 m.2 slots is nice but you give up a lot in my opinion. 1. The space/airflow as mentioned in the video is no joke, you are really limited on space and certain coolers WILL NOT fit this combination of board/case(Terra). The cpu socket is placed quite far up the board which hinders any clearance for the cpu cooler. Even if you choose a small gpu, you become limited in cpu fan options because of this 2. The sata connection/front panel connection is done through dongles. This makes it seem like the rest of the board was designed first and this portion was forgotten and only noticed when they were about ready to start producing them. The connections feel absolutely terrible. The plastic housing on the dongles is not sized correctly and you end up having to use ALOT of force to get connections seated properly. I, and many others in reviews I have read on the board ended up breaking part of the dongle because it is sized so poorly. 3. Board failure/unable to POST. I assume part of this issue comes from the front panel header/dongle being so bad but I had the absolute worst time trying to get my machine to post or even start up in all honesty. Perhaps it was that the dongle was just a dud and I needed a new one, but in the week and a half or so I was trying to build with this motherboard, I think I got it to turn on and be usable maybe 7 total times. It progressively got worse and worse to deal with over time until eventually and by this, I mean that I would need to fully restart the system and disconnect it from power multiple times until it would finally start working. After about 3 days of laboring with it for about 25 minutes each time I wanted to use my PC, it just stopped working all together and if I wanted to use it I would have to short the power pins with a screwdriver myself, sometimes that wouldn't even work and I would need to wait and try later. This continued for about 2 days until it just completely stopped showing any kind of life at all. I eventually just bit the bullet and while I wish I did not have to buy from them because of their customer service record, I bought the ASUS Strix B650-I board as it seemed like the best option in terms of features and ease of building inside it.The sizing on the board is great and the socket is far enough away from the edge of the board that I don't need to worry about my CPU Fan getting blocked from the Terra case. I have had no issue with this board thus far and would recommend it to anyone looking to build ITX. However, I would consider choosing another case just because there is a decent amount of wasted space in the build and the acoustics could be a bit better but it's okay.
Thanks for your comment! I didn't use the included daughter boards so didn't have those problems (you can still plug in the power button) but I agree that (unfortunately) the ASUS board is the best B650 in terms of clearances and socket position
Does anyone know if you could, in theory, swap which side the cpu and gpu are on? That is, it possible to flip the spine upside-down? I'm thinking about getting this to run with one panel open and an AIO CPU cooler mounted on it. (I'd be machining a new panel without the slots.)
Nice video. Regarding the Gigabyte Aorus B650i motherboard you mentioned you were unable to mount the cooler with the offset brackets set to -7mm but I was able to use the -7mm offset brackets just fine. To me it's the most balanced B650i motherboard out there for ITX so just wondering if you were able to resolve the issue. For reference the orientation of my cooler is the the heat pipes is overlapping the VRMs and the heat sink is overlapping the RAM.
@@thecomputersurgeon yes try it out in the orientation I mentioned if you have time and report the temperatures back. I’m running a 9700x at max 65wTDP and it’s idling between 50-60c with a Noctua LS12Sx77 operating in exhaust mode like the way you have it. Compared the mobo to the Asus B650E-I but that was $50 more and made in China vs the Gigabyte still being made in Taiwan for what it’s worth lol. Also the three SSDs are a great feature!
Thanks man! Yeah this case is so aesthetic you could easily make it work in any room tbh. I also think something similar to the Fractal Ridge, but half the height and a wood panelled front could also be sweet for that same purpose
My experience has been bad with the L9i, although I'm using an i7-12700K. The website said it was compatible with the CPU but it was overheating so I swapped it with the L9x65 instead which is a bit better. The temps are a little high because you are in such a small space but my recommendation for the cooler would be the new (came out in April 2024) L12Sx77 if you can position your Terra to position 1. The fan on their website specifically mentions the Terra case and it has a much better rating than the L9i and the L9x65. You could also fit a fan underneath the power supply if you have room (and it's a little louder) but get a fan grill because the cables are a bit snug. I really like my Terra, it's like the perfect size for me and it was fun to build. The wood panel also matches my desk. :)
I can't believe you unscrewed the hinge mechanism to take the side panels off, perhaps a bit of research to get to know how the case works before doing a review on it would help.
@@thecomputersurgeon - of course we all make mistakes but this wasn't a mistake, it was a lack of basic research, I own this case and before purchase I did my research and knew how the panels come off,, not for review but just my own personal use, so for someone who's doing it for public review should have more knowledge than a regular user. I would go as far to say that your video review should be edited to correct it, not just a half arsed pinned comment that can easily be missed
Extra stuff (will update over time)
1. Bottom fan. So with an SFX L power supply I don't think a fan is possible. But with SFX size you could squeeze a slim fan in there and I'd recommend a fan grille if setting to exhaust
2. There is no need to take the gullwing sides off by the screws. I'm just stupid - the hinge just has a slide mechanism 😅
I`d recommend a fan grille for the bottom fan regardless of intake or exhaust, even WITH the grille I had to sweet talk the cables to stay out of the fan. And you are not stupid for struggling with the gpu screw, I tried the same lazy method and almost gave up (to do it correctly) when I juuuust got a few turns going and then it went in. Tbh I dont even use or need my Terra build atm, I just enjoy looking at it from time to time, haha
Roger that on the grille, it does make sense!
There's a latch you need to pull to remove the gullwing sides entirely, without unscrewing their mechanism like you did. Check the manual is documented there.
Glad to see I wasn't the only one spitting out tea at that point.
Yeah I felt so damn stupid!!
There's a latch to push to get panels of. L12 can work as push or pull depending how you orient the fan
Both correct (and felt so dumb after)
Pinned comment updated 👍
Flip the fan on L12 and it will also become downdraft cooler
You can get a 25mm fan with grill in the Terra. Just put the fan in first and slide the grill on top, you will need to push down on the grill to get past the spine. After that just install your screws.
How is the noise please? Is the turbulence with L12s in the updraft noticeable? Looking to make it for a friend, and choosing between Terra and Ridge.
No turbulence at all and very quiet, barely noticeable!
I picked Ryzen 7900 cooled by ID-Cooling IS-55 and Gigabyte Gaming 4070 Super and it worked beautifully. I was going to pick ProArt GPU but I couldn't justify the ~$170 price difference. There was a small problem with the height of Gigabyte model and I think you need to use a 90 deg. 12VHPWR cable to make it work. MSI Gaming X Slim would be perfect.
this video is incredible, NEVER CHANGE king
informative, clever and mildly humorous 10/10
Weird question, but I'm wondering: Would it make the PC more quiet if you cut out the side panel of the case where it covers the CPU, leave it open and only put a dust filter there to close the hole in the side panel? No more turbulence, or where did my mind go wrong? We're not talking about winning beauty contests here anymore, lol, but if it reduces the noise, why not? Heck, you could even leave the dust filter and put in a really nice CPU-cooler that just sticks out from the side panel. Bad idea?
I mean if you are willing to go through all of that to get rid of possible turbulence rather than just getting a cooler that keeps the fins between the fan and the side of the case, you might as well just build in a different case, lol. I imagine that most people who buy the Terra do so for the aesthetics and not necessarily raw performance.
Not going lie, those first 15 seconds hooked me in 😂. Awesome video, just about to start a very similar build; Jade colour option, AMD 9 7900 CPU and 4070 Ti Super Proart. Exciting stuff 😎 Really stoked
I have a Terra and I really like it. If your GPU thickness is thin enough for the Terra to be in position 1, I would go for the L12Sx77 cooler with the fan placed underneath the heat sink because the temps can run a bit higher in the Terra. Really neat looking case and pretty small so it doesn't take up space. :)
Thermalright AXP90-X47 copper CPU Cooler - It's smaller than the noctura, but that works in its favour in sff cases. Further away from the panels = less turbulence = more efficient. Can cool 7800x3d nicely enough.
The biggest thermal performance opportunity I see is swopping out the PSU to a 750 and getting an exhaust fan under it.
I think you don't get the turbulence if the fan sits under the heatsink though? Happy to be corrected if that's wrong
And yes, 100% agree that a smaller PSU to allow a fan would be worthwhile
8:10 U know these screws are called "thumb screws"? U can handtighten them.
I couldn't get them tight enough for my liking, but you are technically correct!
Can't agree more with the advice on skipping the Gigabyte B650I Aorus Ultra
Unless you must have 3 nvme slots and don't plan on using a 2.5" sdd I would recommend any of the other brands, but make sure you watch plenty of reviews and check builds on PCPartpicker that are built with this case and with various motherboards to check on sizing for components.
This particular Gigabyte board feels really solid and the fact you get 3 m.2 slots is nice but you give up a lot in my opinion.
1. The space/airflow as mentioned in the video is no joke, you are really limited on space and certain coolers WILL NOT fit this combination of board/case(Terra). The cpu socket is placed quite far up the board which hinders any clearance for the cpu cooler. Even if you choose a small gpu, you become limited in cpu fan options because of this
2. The sata connection/front panel connection is done through dongles. This makes it seem like the rest of the board was designed first and this portion was forgotten and only noticed when they were about ready to start producing them. The connections feel absolutely terrible. The plastic housing on the dongles is not sized correctly and you end up having to use ALOT of force to get connections seated properly. I, and many others in reviews I have read on the board ended up breaking part of the dongle because it is sized so poorly.
3. Board failure/unable to POST. I assume part of this issue comes from the front panel header/dongle being so bad but I had the absolute worst time trying to get my machine to post or even start up in all honesty. Perhaps it was that the dongle was just a dud and I needed a new one, but in the week and a half or so I was trying to build with this motherboard, I think I got it to turn on and be usable maybe 7 total times. It progressively got worse and worse to deal with over time until eventually and by this, I mean that I would need to fully restart the system and disconnect it from power multiple times until it would finally start working. After about 3 days of laboring with it for about 25 minutes each time I wanted to use my PC, it just stopped working all together and if I wanted to use it I would have to short the power pins with a screwdriver myself, sometimes that wouldn't even work and I would need to wait and try later. This continued for about 2 days until it just completely stopped showing any kind of life at all.
I eventually just bit the bullet and while I wish I did not have to buy from them because of their customer service record, I bought the ASUS Strix B650-I board as it seemed like the best option in terms of features and ease of building inside it.The sizing on the board is great and the socket is far enough away from the edge of the board that I don't need to worry about my CPU Fan getting blocked from the Terra case. I have had no issue with this board thus far and would recommend it to anyone looking to build ITX. However, I would consider choosing another case just because there is a decent amount of wasted space in the build and the acoustics could be a bit better but it's okay.
Thanks for your comment!
I didn't use the included daughter boards so didn't have those problems (you can still plug in the power button) but I agree that (unfortunately) the ASUS board is the best B650 in terms of clearances and socket position
So in wich position did you put your case for your cpu cooler and gpu?
I love the idea of this case, but I wish that it was a little bigger, could have more water cooling potential, and had more USB-C and USB 3 ports.
Fair comment, it can't be for everyone I guess. The new Fractal Era might be up your street though
Check out the FormD T1. Apart from the IO (it actually has none lol), it has better thermals, more hardware support and water cooling options
I didn't even get to the actual video before hitting like on this one, that intro alone was too funny
Does anyone know if you could, in theory, swap which side the cpu and gpu are on? That is, it possible to flip the spine upside-down? I'm thinking about getting this to run with one panel open and an AIO CPU cooler mounted on it. (I'd be machining a new panel without the slots.)
in my terra I got a ZOTAC 4070 Ti Trinity OC and ID Cooling IS-67-XT
How did this fit? I have the same GPU, which calls for the spine to be in position 5 which allows for a max 57mm cpu cooler
Oh I have the super. Maybe it's thicker
@@MrShanesajdasorry for the late reply! How did your build went?
Nice video. Regarding the Gigabyte Aorus B650i motherboard you mentioned you were unable to mount the cooler with the offset brackets set to -7mm but I was able to use the -7mm offset brackets just fine. To me it's the most balanced B650i motherboard out there for ITX so just wondering if you were able to resolve the issue. For reference the orientation of my cooler is the the heat pipes is overlapping the VRMs and the heat sink is overlapping the RAM.
Oh fair play! Must have not tried that orientation then?
I like the board but for most people there are better options. I just needed the 3 x M2
@@thecomputersurgeon yes try it out in the orientation I mentioned if you have time and report the temperatures back. I’m running a 9700x at max 65wTDP and it’s idling between 50-60c with a Noctua LS12Sx77 operating in exhaust mode like the way you have it. Compared the mobo to the Asus B650E-I but that was $50 more and made in China vs the Gigabyte still being made in Taiwan for what it’s worth lol. Also the three SSDs are a great feature!
Sapphire Pulse 7900 XTX fits great as well for the AMD crew.
Good to know, thank you!
Will that also allow a 67mm cooler though?
8700G would make it such elegant media center, really good review.
Thanks man!
Yeah this case is so aesthetic you could easily make it work in any room tbh.
I also think something similar to the Fractal Ridge, but half the height and a wood panelled front could also be sweet for that same purpose
@@thecomputersurgeon If you have a cat no :D
Very insightful, thank you for this video.
Bro really unscrewed the sides lol. Theres a release latch.
Yeah I am a dunce!!
You can just flip the fan to downdraft on the Noctua cooler lol
You can, but would that be any better?
@@thecomputersurgeon yeah for vrm thermals. Some tests show slight improvements on cpu temps as well but depends on the case
@pillypdx cool, so why do Noctua recommend it as updraft?
@@thecomputersurgeon it’s case dependent! Generally sandwich itx cases do better downdraft
When I get a chance I'll try a comparison!
I've had good success with down draft before so you may well be right
Cool video. I'm gonna be using an L9i so a little concerned about thermals, but from what I have heard should work with the 7900x! Let's hope haha 😅
My experience has been bad with the L9i, although I'm using an i7-12700K. The website said it was compatible with the CPU but it was overheating so I swapped it with the L9x65 instead which is a bit better. The temps are a little high because you are in such a small space but my recommendation for the cooler would be the new (came out in April 2024) L12Sx77 if you can position your Terra to position 1. The fan on their website specifically mentions the Terra case and it has a much better rating than the L9i and the L9x65. You could also fit a fan underneath the power supply if you have room (and it's a little louder) but get a fan grill because the cables are a bit snug. I really like my Terra, it's like the perfect size for me and it was fun to build. The wood panel also matches my desk. :)
Damn my gpu is 1mm too long :(
I can't believe you unscrewed the hinge mechanism to take the side panels off, perhaps a bit of research to get to know how the case works before doing a review on it would help.
Everyone makes mistakes; that's why they put erasers on pencils.
It's addressed in the pinned comment
@@thecomputersurgeon - of course we all make mistakes but this wasn't a mistake, it was a lack of basic research, I own this case and before purchase I did my research and knew how the panels come off,, not for review but just my own personal use, so for someone who's doing it for public review should have more knowledge than a regular user.
I would go as far to say that your video review should be edited to correct it, not just a half arsed pinned comment that can easily be missed
Well, look at that, now you got me crying
@@thecomputersurgeon - well maybe you're not the "Computer Surgeon" you thought you were
Don't quit your day job.
I wouldn't dream of it - I love my job! TH-cam is a fun hobby 😊
No hard feelings my guy
@03:08 LOL
$130 in the states now 🦾