BestConfigs: MicroATX Gaming Build

[jpishgar]

It's that time again! Time to update the Tom's Hardware BestConfigs! Once again, we are opening the field to user recommendations to get the best consensus for the absolute best of the best in each category. Post the best configuration you can put together for the following build category and our editorial team will pick 5 of the best to be put up to a public vote right here in the Systems forum. The top-ranking build will go on to become one of Tom's Hardware BestConfigs and you'll get the credit for having put together a brilliant build with a special credit in the feature article.

Post your entries to this thread for the category of:
MicroATX Gaming Build

Stay within $1,200 (without shipping) and no need to include OS, monitor, mouse/keyboard. To keep things fair and level the playing field, we ask that you restrict your product links to Newegg or Amazon. Please be sure to format your list of components as follows:

Joe's MicroATX Portal Turret Custom Case Build
Processor: Component Name and Component Price
Motherboard: Component Name and Component Price
RAM: Component Name and Component Price
Graphics Card: Component Name and Component Price
Hard Drive: Component Name and Component Price
Case: Component Name and Component Price
Power Supply: Component Name and Component Price
Cooling: Component Name and Component Price
DVD Burner: Component Name and Component Price

See below for quick-copy/paste text of the BBcode.

[cpp]
Joe's MicroATX Portal Turret Custom Case Build
Processor: Component Name and Component Price
Motherboard: Component Name and Component Price
RAM: Component Name and Component Price
Graphics Card: Component Name and Component Price
Hard Drive: Component Name and Component Price
Case: Component Name and Component Price
Power Supply: Component Name and Component Price
Cooling: Component Name and Component Price
DVD Burner: Component Name and Component Price
[/cpp]

We encourage users to use PCPartPicker's System Build for speedy construction. Do not post a link to your build, but rather please be sure to export as BBCode for a quick copy/paste as a response here, so users can easily see your component selections.

Good luck, and may the best builds win!

 

[AMD Radeon]

AMD Radeon's Micro GE build

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.00 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z87M Extreme4 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($130.86 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($63.00 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($97.90 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($62.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition 3GB Video Card ($379.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 350D Window MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($104.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Rosewill Hive 650W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHDS118-04 DVD/CD Drive ($17.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $1156.69
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-05 12:31 EDT-0400)

 

[g-unit1111]

G-Unit's "Mini Mighty Prodigy" Build:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: NZXT Kraken X40 98.3 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($82.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z87E-ITX Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($164.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($68.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($139.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card ($259.00 @ Newegg)
Case: BitFenix Prodigy (Black) Mini ITX Tower Case ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12II 620W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($71.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($17.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1172.90
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-05 14:18 EDT-0400)

 

[rayden54]

My "Costs More Than I Have" build

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.00 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($33.24 @ Amazon) -- $29.99 after $5 MIR @ Newegg
Motherboard: Asus GRYPHON Z87 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($162.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($72.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($97.90 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($62.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon HD 7970 3GB Video Card ($379.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Corsair 350D MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($89.99 @ Newegg) -- $69.99 after $20 MIR at Newegg
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($61.24 @ Amazon) -- $59.99 after $10 MIR @ Newegg
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($17.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1198.32
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-05 23:04 EDT-0400)

Prices exclude mail in rebates. I wasn't sure if we were allowed to include them or not. If they were allowed, I'd probably switch to the MSI Gaming N770 TF 2GD5/OC.

I treated the $1200 budget as a hard limit which is why I upgraded to 1866 Memory (a $4 price difference) instead of upgrading the graphics card. It put me $6 over the limit.

 

[Rafeed Iqbal]

Rafeed's silent but deadly mini gaming monster

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: NZXT Kraken X40 98.3 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($82.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus Maximus V Gene Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($191.98 @ Amazon)
Memory: Patriot Viper 3 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($54.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Sandisk Ultra Plus 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($95.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Green 1.5TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon HD 7970 3GB Video Card ($319.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design Arc Midi R2 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($16.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1192.89
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-06 07:40 EDT-0400)

 

[Sangeet Khatri]

Sangeet's Nuclear Bomb Build, Small but extremely powerful

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.00 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Thermaltake Water 2.0 Extreme 81.3 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z87M Extreme4 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($130.86 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LP 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($57.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($62.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition 3GB Video Card ($349.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 350D MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($99.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: XFX 750W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($54.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($18.49 @ Amazon)
Total: $1174.27
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-17 14:19 EDT-0400)

 

[roman1024]

Roman's How to put GTX780 in a $1200 microATX.

There are two reasons for parts selection in this build
1st I've tried to put as much graphics power as possible for given constraints
2nd, it uses many components from my PC.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3350P 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor ($169.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI B75MA-P45 Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($69.24 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($63.00 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($84.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card ($653.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Zalman ZM-T2 MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($42.77 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 600W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($76.99 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: Samsung SN-208DB/BEBET DVD/CD Writer ($17.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1178.95
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-07 10:18 EDT-0400)

 

[jinayhvora]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.00 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z87MX-D3H Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair XMS3 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($74.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($136.64 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($67.95 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card ($399.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design Core 1000 USB 3.0 MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 650W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($16.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1150.52
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-07 12:34 EDT-0400)

 

[Jack Revenant]

Jack Revenant's Small and Mighty Build

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($220.98 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: NZXT Kraken X40 98.3 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($82.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Professional-M Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($134.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LP 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($57.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Sandisk Ultra Plus 64GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($77.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($62.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card ($415.91 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Define Mini MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($89.98 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 650W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($17.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1204.79 ($1,194.89 without shipping)

Note: The CPU and graphics card are combo'd on Newegg for a $17 price reduction.

 

[Guest]

Oh God! The Mighty Python! :lol:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.00 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($30.49 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z87MX-D3H Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Patriot Viper 3 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($74.29 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($97.90 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($55.06 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7970 3GB Video Card ($348.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Silverstone TJ08B-E MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: SeaSonic G 550W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($79.99 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($17.99 @ Newegg)

Total: $1133.68
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-08 00:19 EDT-0400)

 

[sanjiro]

X-Fire-On-A-Stick Micro

Processor: AMD FX-6300 Vishera 3.5GHz (4.1GHz Turbo) Socket AM3+ 95W Six-Core Desktop Processor FD6300WMHKBOX ($821.98 Combo)

Motherboard: ASRock 880GM-LE FX AM3+ AMD 880G Micro ATX AMD Motherboard ($54.99)

RAM: 2 X Crucial Ballistix Sport 4GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Desktop Memory Model BLS4G3D1339DS1S00 ($61.98; $30.99 each)

Graphics Card: XFX FX-799A-XNF9 Radeon HD 7990 6GB 384-bit x2 GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 CrossFireX Support Video Card (Combo)

Hard Drive: SanDisk Ultra Plus SDSSDHP-128G-G25 2.5" 128GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) for Notebook ($99.99)

Case: Rosewill LINE-M Micro-ATX Mini Tower Computer Case, Dual USB 3.0, come with Dual Fans, Support up to 4 Fans, 12.5" card ($54.99)

Power Supply: Thermaltake SMART Series SP-650PCBUS 650W ATX 12V 2.3 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power ... ($59.99)

Cooling: ARCTIC Freezer 7 Pro Rev. 2, CPU Cooler - Intel & AMD, Multi-Directional Mount, 92mm PWM Fan ($23.99)

DVD Burner: LG 24X DVD Burner - Bare Drive Black SATA Model GH24NS95 - OEM

Subtotal: $1,195.90

All prices/links are from newegg

 

[TheNumberOneShmuck]

I have no idea what I'm doing.

Power Spike

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($209.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77M Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($84.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($71.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Kingston SSDNow V200 Series 64GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($52.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($63.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7990 ($599.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cougar Spike MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Enthusiast 750W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1194.92
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-09-28 02:38 EDT-0400)

 

[lp231]

Processor:Intel Core i7 4770K @3.5GHz<$339.99@Newegg>
Processor Cooler:Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo<$34.99@Newegg>
Motherboard:Asus Gryphon Z87<$169.99@Newegg>
Memory:Kingston HyperX Blu 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 1600<$58.99@Newegg>
Graphic Card:MSI HD7950 3GB<$209.99@Newegg>
Solid State:Seagate 120GB<$109.99@Newegg>
Hard Drive:Western Digital Blue 1TB<$64.99@Newegg>
Optical Drive:Asus 24x DVD Writer <$17.99@Newegg>
Power Supply:Corsair 650TX 80Plus! Bronze<$79.99@Newegg>
Case:Corsair Obsidian 350D<$89.99@Newegg>
$1,176.90

 

[mastrom101]

Miny but Mighty Gaming Rig
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($199.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100 92.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z87M OC Formula Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($177.86 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LP 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($57.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Sandisk Ultra Plus 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($87.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.98 @ Outlet PC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card ($399.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Corsair 350D MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1188.76
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-08 23:15 EDT-0400)

 

[ojas]

The Black Adder

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz ($219.00 @ Amazon)

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($33.99 @ Newegg)

Motherboard: Asus GRYPHON Z87 Micro ATX ($162.99 @ Amazon)

Memory: G.Skill Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 ($64.99 @ Newegg)

Storage: Crucial M500 120GB SSD ($107.58 @ Amazon)

Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB ($62.99 @ Amazon)

Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition (Windforce cooler) ($378.98 @ Newegg)

Case: Fractal Design Define Mini MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($89.98 @ Amazon)

Case Fan: Cooler Master R4-S4S-10AK-GP 60.9 CFM 140mm Fan ($4.99 @ Newegg)

Power Supply: Corsair CX 500M (500W, Modular) ($39.99 @ Newegg)

Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($17.99 @ Newegg)

Total: $1183.47 (-$3.99 for shipping)
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-09 11:16 EDT-0400)

Note: Base price= $1204.08

 

[ps3hacker12]

The no compromise, wallet friendly, beasty:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($199.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Seidon 120XL 86.2 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z87M PRO4 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Patriot Signature 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($52.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Sandisk Ultra Plus 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($94.99 @ Microcenter)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.98 @ Outlet PC)
Video Card: XFX Radeon HD 7970 3GB Video Card ($289.60 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 350D MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 650W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $982.50
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-11 19:16 EDT-0400)

 

[renzhe]

So It's a Bit Shorter

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Silverstone AR01 81.4 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($33.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus Z87M-PLUS Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($139.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($116.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Sandisk Ultra Plus 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($164.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($134.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card ($223.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Core 1000 USB 3.0 MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($42.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Professional 650W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($105.49 @ Newegg)
Total: $1180.39
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-16 09:13 EDT-0400)

Don't ever put any fan in back. 92mm is just going to be either useless or annoying. Add another 120mm in front and/or side panel and cover up any unused holes in intake positions. There is currently more variety in 120mm fans than 140mm's so it should be quite easy to find good fans.

 

[realchaos]

Smaller is Better

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.00 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z87M Extreme4 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($130.86 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LP 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($57.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($62.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card ($399.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 350D MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($99.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: XFX 750W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($54.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NS95 DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1205.77
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-17 13:02 EDT-0400)

$5 above if that's alright.

 

[RedJaron]

Jaron's Micro Marvel

PCPartPicker part list

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($220.98 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($34.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus P8Z77-M PRO Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($124.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($55.25 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($174.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition 3GB Video Card ($359.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Silverstone TJ08B-E MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($61.24 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($16.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1201.40
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-27 01:19 EDT-0400)

$1.40 Over budget. If that invalidates the submission, wait a week and the prices will drop. Or sub the ASRock Z77 Extreme4-M for $5 less.

Breakdown: Ivy Bridge i5 for OC headroom, a CM 212 to keep it cool, and low-profile RAM to fit under it. A huge SSD holds OS and quite a few games with 1TB of spindle space for storage. Micor-ATX cases don't leave room for proper multi-GPU cooling in my opinion, so I grabbed a single great card for both gaming and compute with what I consider one of the best graphics coolers on the market: Sapphire's Vapor-X. Since you won't XFire, AMD's stutter issues won't be a problem. And in case you're worried about the Vapor-X recirculating hot air, the case has a Silverstone AP181 intake fan blowing right across the top of the GPU and out the back, so thermals shouldn't be a problem ( I've got a similar setup with Vapor-X GPU in my Raven 3 and thermals don't go above 54 C. ) And let's not forget the case itself is a little classier than your average box.

 

[burritobob]

BurritoBob's Shock Jockey

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H60 54.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z87MX-D3H Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($114.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LP 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Sandisk Ultra Plus 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($164.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($62.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition 3GB Video Card ($363.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Core 1000 USB 3.0 MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($42.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic M12II 750W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24F1ST DVD/CD Writer ($16.00 @ Newegg)
Total: $1155.89

 

[nmakes]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor ($117.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Asus M5A78L-M/USB3 Micro ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($54.99 @ NCIX US)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($58.65 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($122.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: XFX Radeon HD 7870 2GB Video Card ($169.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 350D MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Professional 650W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG WH14NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $699.92
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-31 07:30 EDT-0400)

 

[HumDum]

HumDum's Black on Black Build
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($239.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($33.30 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z87MX-D3H Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($119.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($61.20 @ Newegg)
Storage: Kingston HyperX 3K 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($63.25 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card ($399.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Silverstone TJ08B-E MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 600W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($68.89 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($16.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1193.58
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-09-19 02:58 EDT-0400)

 

[MeezyATL]

Silent but deadly

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($224.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Enermax ETS-T40-TB 86.7 CFM CPU Cooler ($34.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z87MX-D3H Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($119.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($129.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($165.90 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card ($399.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design Core 1000 USB 3.0 MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($43.98 @ Newegg)
Case Fan: Noctua NF-B9-1600 37.8 CFM 92mm Fan ($21.99 @ Newegg)
Case Fan: Noctua NF-S12A FLX 120mm Fan ($19.72 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 600W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($37.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1199.53
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-10-04 05:28 EDT-0400)

 

[guchaochen]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($224.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U9B SE2 37.9 CFM CPU Cooler ($51.75 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: MSI Z87M-G43 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($101.24 @ Amazon)
Memory: Team Elite 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($58.98 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($89.74 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($64.95 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card ($399.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Lian-Li PC-V354B MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($147.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Thermaltake SMART 650W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($56.00 @ Newegg)
Total: $1195.62
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-10-05 16:25 EDT-0400)

 

[sadams04]

Seth's Micro Gaming Rig
CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K ($229.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H50 Liquid Cooler ($44.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z87N-WIFI ITX 802.11x BT 4.0 ($128.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 1.5V CL9 ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Toshiba Q Series 256GB 2.5" SSD ($149.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI GTX 770 2GB ($399.99 @ Amazon)
Case: CM Elite 130 Mini ITX Tower Case ($55.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic G 550W ($84.99 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: LG BD-R / DVD-RW ($40.00 @ Newegg)
Total: $1209.91