Build Small, Play Big – Introducing SFF-Ready Enthusiast GeForce Cards & Compatible Cases

Original story updated January 6th, 2025 with GeForce RTX 50 Series information

—

Small Form Factor (SFF) PCs pack powerful components into stylish cases that can be displayed on your desk, carried to LAN parties, tucked away in tight spaces, and slotted into media centers. Once a niche format supported by only a few boutique builders, SFF is now part of many top case manufacturers’ line-ups.

Component compatibility remains a challenge, however, requiring prospective buyers to dive into specification sheets and ask other enthusiasts whether there’s available space and clearance for parts, cables, and assembly. GeForce RTX graphics cards come in all shapes and sizes, and though partners’ pages list product dimensions, clearances for power cables and connectors generally aren’t referenced, necessitating guess work and further research to ensure the graphics card is SFF-suitable.

We’re working in partnership with graphics card and case manufacturers to make component choice simpler by introducing a new SFF-Ready guideline for GeForce RTX enthusiast graphics cards and cases. This new guideline will instantly tell you whether a graphics card fits in a SFF case.

"As enthusiastic supporters of the small form factor community, we are proud to partner with NVIDIA to deliver powerful performance in compact, space-saving designs. Our SFF-Ready Enthusiast GeForce graphics cards and cases allow PC enthusiasts to experience the full potential of SFF technology.”
- Kent Chien, Corporate Vice President, General Manager of Multimedia BU, ASUS

Manufacturer product pages and listings on global retailers have text labeling graphics cards that meet the guideline as “SFF-Ready Enthusiast GeForce Cards”, and cases as being “Compatible with SFF-Ready Enthusiast GeForce Cards”, instantly identifying parts that fit together and allowing you to buy and build with confidence.

SFF-Ready Enthusiast GeForce Cards are RTX 70-class or higher from the GeForce RTX 50 and GeForce RTX 40 Series with the following dimensions:

• 151 mm maximum height including power cable bend radius
• 304 mm maximum length
• 50 mm or 2.5 slots maximum depth

These limits ensure there’s necessary space, clearance and working room inside SFF-Ready cases, and create a guideline manufacturers can design to in the future, enabling you to upgrade your GPU without having to replace your system’s chassis.

There are over 150 GeForce RTX 50 and GeForce RTX 40 Series enthusiast graphics cards that meet the SFF-Ready guideline from NVIDIA and our partners ASUS, Colorful, Gainward, GALAX, GIGABYTE, INNO3D, MSI, Palit, PNY and Zotac, with even more due to be unveiled following the announcement of the GeForce RTX 50 Series.

Head to our partners’ websites for further details about each of their SFF-Ready Enthusiast GeForce Cards

Cases compatible with SFF-Ready Enthusiast GeForce Cards must have enough space to fit any SFF-Ready Enthusiast GeForce Card and manufacturer’s bundled power connector, along with the other necessary components of a PC. Depending on graphics card orientation, a total of 154.5mm clearance is required from either the motherboard or riser PCB to the side or top case panel. Additionally, a case must have clearance for 312mm in length, including the graphics card and extender (if any).

Examples of SFF case compatibility for horizontal and vertical mounting

Below, you will find a selection of Small Form Factor cases compatible with SFF-Ready Enthusiast GeForce Cards, highlighting the breadth of choice now available. To see other compatible cases, check manufacturer websites for the “Compatible with SFF-Ready Enthusiast GeForce Cards” designation.

"SFF-Ready establishes a clear design guideline, enabling PC gamers to easily find high-performance GeForce RTX graphics cards that fit into our living space-optimized small form factor cases."
- Henrik Gunnerling, CTO, Fractal Design

Head to our partners’ websites for further details about each of their SFF-Ready cases

Small Form Factor systems appeal to many people, and with the increasing efficiency of computer components, powerful hardware can now be packed into SFF cases without thermal throttling or outright overheating, ensuring ultra quality gaming or superfast creation without compromise.

Due to their small size, SFF systems can be seen as more aesthetically pleasing and stylish, fitting into any home or space, in a media center, behind the TV, or on a shelf. They’re also small enough to sit behind a monitor or to the side on a standard width desk, and can be tucked away easily in a cupboard when not in use.

SFF gaming PCs are also great for LAN parties, enabling you to carry your kudos-earning, super powerful system with ease to and from the event. They’re also a perfect pick for someone who moves homes a lot. And you can even travel with a fully built SFF PC in an airline-accepted, hand luggage-sized case, ready to be plugged into a TV at your destination.

Take a look at some of the latest Small Form Factor cases from Fractal Design, Cooler Master, Thermaltake, InWin, and more that are compatible with SFF-Ready Enthusiast GeForce Cards in our gallery below:

If you’d like to build a Small Form Factor PC, now’s the time; it’s easier than ever to determine whether the graphics card will fit in a SFF case.