I’m trying to choose an RX 9070 XT for a very small SFF build and would appreciate some advice, especially from anyone who has experience with either of these cards.

My case GPU limits are roughly:

• Max length: 305 mm
• Max thickness: 55 mm
• Max: 2.5 slots
• Power: 2×8-pin PCIe

The two cards I’m considering are:

PowerColor RX 9070 XT Reaper

• ~304 mm including bracket
• ~42 mm thick / 2-slot
• 2×8-pin
• £630 from Amazon UK
• Fits the official case specifications, but has only ~1 mm length clearance.

ASRock RX 9070 XT Challenger

• ~290 mm long
• ~56 mm thick
• 2×8-pin
• £650
• Much more comfortable length-wise, but it is 1 mm thicker than my case’s stated 55 mm clearance.

My main questions:

1. Would you realistically worry about a GPU being 56 mm thick in a case rated for 55 mm, or are case clearance specifications usually conservative enough that 1 mm is unlikely to matter?
2. If the side panel is ventilated/mesh, is having the GPU fans extremely close to the panel actually a problem, or can it help by pulling fresh air directly from outside?
3. Between the ASRock Challenger and PowerColor Reaper, which would you consider the better-built / more reliable card regardless of size?
4. Any concerns with PowerColor reliability compared with ASRock? One reason I’m hesitating is that ASRock feels like the more familiar/reputable brand, although PowerColor obviously has a long history with Radeon GPUs.
5. Has anyone actually used either of these 9070 XT models in a very tight SFF case?

Performance should basically be identical, so I’m mainly interested in thermals, noise, PCB/component quality, durability and whether attempting the 56 mm Challenger is sensible.

At the moment I’m leaning toward trying the Challenger because it’s only 1 mm over the stated thickness limit and has much more length clearance, but the Reaper is the safer guaranteed fit.

Would appreciate any real-world experience.

I have been using the EcoFlow Wave 3 (6,100 BTU / ~1.8 kW cooling capacity) in my very small spare room (approximately 2 × 3 m). I use a thermal window kit from Amazon (£15), which I modified to create two very tight openings for the intake and exhaust hoses, plus a tiny (pen-sized) opening for the condenser drain tube.

My experience has been very positive so far. I have to say this air conditioner is more than capable of cooling a room this size, or even a slightly larger one, although it may struggle with very large bedrooms. In my case, it cools the room down in around 15–30 minutes and maintains the target temperature very well.

It rarely needs to run at full power (around 600 W). Most of the time it sits closer to 400 W. It uses an inverter compressor, so I suspect it automatically reduces its power draw to the most efficient level once the room reaches the desired temperature. It's also app-controlled, which is great because I can pre-cool the room before leaving work.

Negatives

• It's not quite as quiet as I had hoped. To be clear, it's quieter than the cheap single-hose portable air conditioners I've used before, but it may still be too loud for me to sleep next to (it doesn't help that mine sits right beside my bed).
• You really need to drain it fully using the drain function and disconnect the drain hose before moving it. Otherwise, it will almost certainly leak water if tilted. This isn't an issue if it's kept in one place, but it's something to keep in mind if you move it around frequently.
• It's expensive. I managed to buy mine during Black Friday for £649 on Amazon (next-day delivery, around three weeks ago). I believe it's out of stock at the moment. That's still a steep price for a 6,100 BTU portable air conditioner!
• Like all portable units, it's noticeably noisier than a fixed split-system air conditioner, although that's expected.

Positives

• Can be used for camping or off-grid use with the optional EcoFlow battery (sold separately).
• As far as I could tell, it's one of the smallest and lightest dual-hose portable air conditioners on the market. It's easy to tuck under a bed when not in use, and mine actually sits comfortably on my windowsill.
• Dual-hose design, which is significantly more efficient than traditional single-hose portable air conditioners and requires no DIY modifications.
• Excellent app control. In my opinion, this is one of its best features, allowing remote control, scheduling, and pre-cooling before arriving home.

Please feel free to ask me anything :)

Managed to achieve this frequency response in my room measured around ear level (multiple measurements averaged) on my orbit 11. I achieved this only after very mild bass EQ in my untreated room. The speaker itself was mostly flat just had X2 bass booms (I suspect due to them being placed just by the walls) at 150hz and 60hz which I EQ'd out. I used only 4 bands parametric EQ on REW and mostly wide Q bands so I suspect phase issues would be minimal?

(White graph: EQ applied as shown on apo EQ)

(Black graph: measured response after EQ)

Is there a point in getting the room properly treated? I live in rental and treatment can be a bit of a pain for me.

I listen nearfield, listening position is 70-75cm perfect triangle.

To my ears they already sound phenomenal. What's your thoughts?

Managed to achieve this frequency response in my room measured around ear level (multiple measurements averaged) on my orbit 11. I achieved this only after very mild bass EQ in my untreated room. The speaker itself was mostly flat just had X2 bass booms (I suspect due to them being placed just by the walls) at 150hz and 60hz which I EQ'd out. I used only 4 bands parametric EQ on REW and mostly wide Q bands so I suspect phase issues would be minimal?

Is there a point in getting the room properly treated? I live in rental and treatment can be a bit of a pain for me.

I listen nearfield, listening position is 70-75cm perfect triangle.

To my ears they already sound phenomenal. What's your thoughts?