[SOLVED] Help me build my first PC! A killer gaming ITX.

TheLootGoblin

Prominent
Jan 13, 2020
11
2
515
Hey, all.

Looking for some advice on building my very first PC. Finally looking to get into gaming after feeling a little stale towards console games.

I’m coming from using Macs at home and at school, so I know there will be a bit of a learning curve, but I’m up for the challenge. Going into this totally blind to PCs and their components, but I’m the type who will spend months researching before making a big decision. And I've been researching enough that I feel confident in asking for help. Any and all input/criticism is more than welcomed.

Approximate Purchase Date: Sometime in 2020, absolutely no rush. Willing to wait if better parts are about to be released.

Budget Range: I’m the kind of person that follows the “buy once, cry once” style of advice. In other words, I’d rather spend money now and not have to worry about something breaking or being replaced. I’d like to save money where I can, but if I can get much better performance out of a $50 increase, I’d like to. Tentatively set the budget at $3500ish.

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Almost exclusively for gaming in FPS. I may browse the internet, and use Spotify/discord, with the occasional word document and very rarely, a photo edit with Adobe Creative Cloud, but that’s it.

Do you need to buy OS: Yes, I assume Windows 10 is the way to go here?

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Not opposed to buying online. Amazon, Newegg, and B&H seems like the norm, and I have no issue with any of those. I doubt I’ll find quality components locally.

Location: In the midwestern portion of the USA.

Parts Preferences: No real preference as far as brand loyalty, but I do certainly enjoy certain aesthetics. I enjoy the looks of RBGs and AIO coolers, but I’m not handcuffed to them, by any means. Would prefer an all matte black type of build.

Overclocking: Yes. Would prefer to squeeze as much out of my CPU as I can, reasonably.

Additional Comments: I’d like to have a smaller PC, I make smaller car trips a bit, and it would be nice to be able to bring my computer with me, if needed. Obviously, quiet is better, and I’d like at least one window on the case. I could definitely use help with case fans, though.


https://pcpartpicker.com/list/cDr98M



CPU: Intel Core i9-9900KF 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor ($478.89 @ Amazon)

CPU Cooler: Deepcool Castle 240 RGB 69.34 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler

Thermal Compound: Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut 1g 1 g Thermal Paste ($6.85 @ Amazon)

Motherboard: Asus ROG STRIX Z390-I GAMING Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard ($213.99 @ Amazon)

Memory: G.Skill Trident Z RGB 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($139.99 @ Newegg)

Storage: Samsung 970 Evo 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($169.99 @ Amazon)

Storage: Samsung 970 Evo 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($169.99 @ Amazon)

Video Card: Asus GeForce RTX 2080 Ti 11 GB ROG Strix Gaming OC Video Card ($1199.99 @ Newegg)

Case: NZXT H210i Mini ITX Tower Case ($109.99 @ Amazon)

Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA 1000 P2 1000 W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($249.99 @ Amazon)

Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($109.99 @ Newegg)

Keyboard: Corsair K70 RGB MK.2 Wired Gaming Keyboard ($169.99 @ Best Buy)

Mouse: Logitech G502 HERO Wired Optical Mouse ($48.58 @ Amazon)

Headphones: Logitech Pro X Gaming 7.1 Channel Headset ($118.99 @ Newegg)

Total: $3187.22

Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-01-13 18:17 EST-0500



Thoughts/rationale on each component.

CPU: Not entirely opposed to an AMD like the 3900, but it seems like for gaming, Intel is still king. All other components seem to play nicely for AMD as well, so if there’s a reason I should go AMD, I’m all ears! Looking to overclock the 9900K to about 5.0 all cores. But admittedly, I’ve done very little research into how besides utilizing BIOS.

Cooler: Going more for aesthetic here than anything. Really love the way this looks, as well as the fact that the logo on the pump is removable/customizable. RGB doesn’t hurt, either. NZXT x52 was another I was looking at, but the software seems to be a nightmare, and the logo isn’t even rotatable.

Thermal Compound: Just going off the reviews. This seems good, and liquid metal scares me.

MoBo: Z390 seems like the logical choice for ITX. I was looking at Micro ATX, but it seems to be dying out. There’s a version of this board for AMD, as well. I also like the idea of Aura Sync.

Memory: These seem popular, and priced reasonably. Everything I read seems to indicate you don’t get much of a difference over 3200. Liked the Corsair Vengeances, too, but these seemed a little better looking to me.

Storage: Not much to say here.

GPU: Another one of the items I’m putting the most money into. Would like a 2080 Ti, but I’ve done zero research into what is coming or about to be released. If I’d be wise to wait, let me know. Also, unsure if I should go with an open air like this one, or something with a blower to make the most out of a cramped ITX case.

Case: Probably the least happy with this choice. It seems like EVERY new build features a random NZXT case. But ITX choices are limited, and I couldn’t find anything that stood out. I like the Razer Antec Cube a lot, but they’re discontinued. I’d like to have a case that isn’t as universal as this, but what can you do.

Case Fans: I have no idea what I’m doing. I know I’d likely run the AIO Rad up front, pulling air in. With a two fans in the rear/top working as exhausts. Not sure if that’d be enough to keep things cool with an OC, but I’m not opposed to using better fans to help out. Open to any and all options here. Preferably RGB.

Power Supply: Not much to say here. Wanted to get enough W to cover everything and then some.

OS: Apparently you can buy a windows key on Ebay for a lot less. Is that the way to go?

Keyboard: I know peripherals are getting into the weeds, but it was between this and a Razer Blackwidow Ultimate. Much prefer the look of the Razer, but the switch choices for the K70 make it edge out the Razer a bit.

Mouse: More clueless here. I use a fingertip grip, and would like some extra buttons. Extremely lightweight seems to be the move nowadays. Was also looking at the Logitech G Pro Wireless, Razer Basilisk Ultimate, Razer Mamba Elite, and Razer Viper Ultimate.

Headphones: Another person preference item. These seem to be getting great reviews for the money. And the Blue software integration is pretty nifty.

Sorry for such a long-winded post. Just wanted to give my thoughts and show that I’m not just clicking random things on PCpartpicker. Any and all help/suggestions/hate would be appreciated. I’m venturing into no man’s land as far as this goes, and don’t have any friends that can offer guidance as far as part selection is concerned.

Thanks!
 
Solution
Comparable 3700x build. Same case, less overkill psu, slightly cheaper. Still overall a killer system which you'd be hard pressed to tell a difference when actually gaming with. And itll run cooler.
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/ZprJk6
PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor ($324.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Deepcool Castle 240 RGB 69.34 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler
Thermal Compound: Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut 1g 1 g Thermal Paste ($6.85 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus ROG Strix X570-I Gaming Mini ITX AM4 Motherboard ($249.99 @ B&H)
Memory: G.Skill Trident Z Neo 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory ($179.99 @ Newegg)...

bryanc723

Distinguished
Jan 1, 2015
237
23
18,615
Overkill for just a gaming rig. It will do games tho lol. One thing to note however is a monitor that is capable of using your system. 4k resolution and 144hz would be the minimum. If not, you're just completely wasting a lot of resources as they wouldn't be used
 

TheLootGoblin

Prominent
Jan 13, 2020
11
2
515
Overkill for just a gaming rig. It will do games tho lol. One thing to note however is a monitor that is capable of using your system. 4k resolution and 144hz would be the minimum. If not, you're just completely wasting a lot of resources as they wouldn't be used

Go big or go home, right? What do you think I could scale back on?
 
Definitely a solid build. Would highly recommend 1440p/144hz or a nice 4k monitor to go with it. Dont waste this build on 1080p!

Few things I notice. 9900k/2080ti in a very small case. That's a huge amount of heat to try to combat in such a small space. Nzxt cases sont seem to have the best airflow and you're planning to put 2 of the hottest components possible inside one. I'd seriously consider a larger case and better cooling. Yes itll be a little more difficult to transport, but cooling capacity will be worth it, imo.

The cooler. On their website it states it's good for 250w. Well 165 for intel and 250 for amd so we'll just say 250. The 9900k overclocked to 5ghz all core will run close to if not slightly over 250w. So the cooler will be at max capacity. Expect higher than optimal temperatures and high fan speeds almost always when under load. Even more so if the case has a tough time getting fresh, cool air.

If gaming at 1440p or 4k, and you must keep with the small form factor, highly consider a 3700x. You'll get very similar max fps, close enough you probably wouldn't notice the difference. It will also run cooler as it wont pull nearly as many watts. No, you wont see the magical 5ghz number, but chances are the 9900k will be close to throttling, so kind of a moot point.

The psu. Serious overkill. A high quality 750w will do the job just as well, and save you 100ish dollars. I really like my corsair hx750i, but any quality unit will work. Evga makes ok psus. Seasonic is another brand I see recommended often on here.

GPU. The 2080ti is currently the best of the best. Of course new components are always just around the corner. So you could play the perpetual waiting game, or just buy the best right now.

Thermal paste in most cases is thermal paste. I use the thermal grizzly and like it. But lots of people use mx4 and like it. As well as many others. Temp difference will be little between the best pastes, so dont go out of your way to find the best.

Aura sync never worked for me and was always buggy. Not sure if it's been fixed yet, but I wouldn't let that app be a deciding factor for component choice.

Windows. Yes you can get it elsewhere or you can just run it not activated. Most here will probably say to just grab a legit key from a trusted source to ensure proper activation. Newegg, Amazon or even direct from Microsoft.

Case fans. Use the included with case as exhaust, top and rear. Included with cooler as intake at front. Buy some noctua fans if you want better than the included fans. But there not rgb. They will however outperform the included fans. If you can live without the rgb grab 4 and use two on the cooler as well.

As far as the peripherals. I really like my k70 rapidfire rgb keyboard and harpoon mouse. Dont know much about mice though. The harpoon doesn't have any extra buttons or crazy rgb, but it works for me. There are of course better and the logitech you listed is probably one of them. I just got a set of corsair void rgb headset, so far so good. Decent reviews, I like em, but I'm no audiophile. Like you said personal preference. Go for whatever works for you and looks best.

Overall if you built this system you certainly wont be disappointed and it will slaughter every title at awesome frame rates. In the small case it may be warm, but it will perform great.
 
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Comparable 3700x build. Same case, less overkill psu, slightly cheaper. Still overall a killer system which you'd be hard pressed to tell a difference when actually gaming with. And itll run cooler.
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/ZprJk6
PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor ($324.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Deepcool Castle 240 RGB 69.34 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler
Thermal Compound: Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut 1g 1 g Thermal Paste ($6.85 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus ROG Strix X570-I Gaming Mini ITX AM4 Motherboard ($249.99 @ B&H)
Memory: G.Skill Trident Z Neo 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory ($179.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 970 Evo 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($168.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 970 Evo 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($168.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Asus GeForce RTX 2080 Ti 11 GB ROG Strix Gaming OC Video Card ($1199.99 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT H210i Mini ITX Tower Case ($109.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair RM (2019) 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($119.99 @ Best Buy)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Keyboard: Corsair K70 RGB MK.2 Wired Gaming Keyboard ($169.99 @ Best Buy)
Mouse: Logitech G502 HERO Wired Optical Mouse ($48.58 @ Amazon)
Headphones: Logitech Pro X Gaming 7.1 Channel Headset ($118.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $2977.32
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-01-13 19:45 EST-0500
 
Solution

TheLootGoblin

Prominent
Jan 13, 2020
11
2
515
Definitely a solid build. Would highly recommend 1440p/144hz or a nice 4k monitor to go with it. Dont waste this build on 1080p!

Few things I notice. 9900k/2080ti in a very small case. That's a huge amount of heat to try to combat in such a small space. Nzxt cases sont seem to have the best airflow and you're planning to put 2 of the hottest components possible inside one. I'd seriously consider a larger case and better cooling. Yes itll be a little more difficult to transport, but cooling capacity will be worth it, imo.

The cooler. On their website it states it's good for 250w. Well 165 for intel and 250 for amd so we'll just say 250. The 9900k overclocked to 5ghz all core will run close to if not slightly over 250w. So the cooler will be at max capacity. Expect higher than optimal temperatures and high fan speeds almost always when under load. Even more so if the case has a tough time getting fresh, cool air.

If gaming at 1440p or 4k, and you must keep with the small form factor, highly consider a 3700x. You'll get very similar max fps, close enough you probably wouldn't notice the difference. It will also run cooler as it wont pull nearly as many watts. No, you wont see the magical 5ghz number, but chances are the 9900k will be close to throttling, so kind of a moot point.

The psu. Serious overkill. A high quality 750w will do the job just as well, and save you 100ish dollars. I really like my corsair hx750i, but any quality unit will work. Evga makes ok psus. Seasonic is another brand I see recommended often on here.

GPU. The 2080ti is currently the best of the best. Of course new components are always just around the corner. So you could play the perpetual waiting game, or just buy the best right now.

Thermal paste in most cases is thermal paste. I use the thermal grizzly and like it. But lots of people use mx4 and like it. As well as many others. Temp difference will be little between the best pastes, so dont go out of your way to find the best.

Aura sync never worked for me and was always buggy. Not sure if it's been fixed yet, but I wouldn't let that app be a deciding factor for component choice.

Windows. Yes you can get it elsewhere or you can just run it not activated. Most here will probably say to just grab a legit key from a trusted source to ensure proper activation. Newegg, Amazon or even direct from Microsoft.

Case fans. Use the included with case as exhaust, top and rear. Included with cooler as intake at front. Buy some noctua fans if you want better than the included fans. But there not rgb. They will however outperform the included fans. If you can live without the rgb grab 4 and use two on the cooler as well.

As far as the peripherals. I really like my k70 rapidfire rgb keyboard and harpoon mouse. Dont know much about mice though. The harpoon doesn't have any extra buttons or crazy rgb, but it works for me. There are of course better and the logitech you listed is probably one of them. I just got a set of corsair void rgb headset, so far so good. Decent reviews, I like em, but I'm no audiophile. Like you said personal preference. Go for whatever works for you and looks best.

Overall if you built this system you certainly wont be disappointed and it will slaughter every title at awesome frame rates. In the small case it may be warm, but it will perform great.


Thanks for such a detailed reply! I'll definitely be sure to utilize a quality monitor for it. Still going over some research between 144 vs 240. Seems like there's not much difference, but people said that about 60hz, too....

Interesting you mentioned the NZXT airflow. That was not something I was aware of. Should I just be looking for better air flow ITX cases? I don't see the point of running an ITX board in a ATX case, may as well just ATX. Any recommendations for find the best air flow cases?

Cooler wise, another thing I hadn't really looked into. Not opposed to looking at another AIO unit. Was limited to 240 for the NZXT case, but maybe I can find a case that'll fit a 280 and better airflow to boot.... I'll have to keep wattage in mind, now. Thanks for pointing that out.

PSU was intended to be overkill. I very well may scale it down once I get a definite list of components and run it through a PSU calculator.

Funny you say that about Aura Sync. Definitely not something I was actively seeking out, but it's nice to see that components can run on the same software rather than having 8 different programs running at once just for lighting. For someone who has no idea how I go about having my RAM and fans do the same thing, RGB wise, it's nice to see the same software. That being said, I dunno if I've seen ANY RBG software that has great reviews. Seem like none of them work on anyone's system.

Glad to hear I'm on the right track regarding my fan placement. Seems like the more powerful performing fans lack RBG, which is something I might just have to forfeit to get the performace. Noctua seems to be the name, but the be quiet! fans seem to be pretty impressive, too. Seems like the move is to have slightly positive case pressure to avoid dust. May have to get 2 for the rad and a different pair for the rear just to make sure this thing isn't a giant dust filter.

Thank you for the help. I'll be coming back to review your advice, without a doubt!
 
Love those ITX builds.
If you need small, that is the only way to go.
You have a top end list of parts.
It all will work, but I have a few thoughts:

Look at the lian li TU150 case.
Lian li makes top quality cases of lighter aluminum.



Few games can make effective use of more than 4-6 cores.
You would game just as well with a 8 core i7-9700K or 9700KF.
That would take off a bit of the cooling issues with a small case.

On the cooler, liquid or aio will each be about the same efficiency.
I like air like the noctua NH-D15s or the dark rock pro4.
They will never leak.
Perhaps a consideration if you will be jostling the pc around while transporting it.

On graphics, today, the RTX2080ti is as good as it gets.
But graphics is constantly improving.
To hedge your bet a bit, look at a EVGA card. They have a 90 day trade up option in case there is something better that shows up within 90 days.
Past that consider a blower type cooler.
That gets heat directly out the back of the case.
I never have a heat issue with my blower GTX1080ti.

You have two 1tb ssd drives.
I think a single 2tb drive will work better. There is no performance advantage to two drives and it is easier to manage one single storage space.
I think I would use a 2 tb evo plus. Yes, it costs a bit more but performance is a bit better.

Your psu is overkill.
Your needs would be satisfied with as little as 650w.
I have no problem overprovisioning a PSU a bit. Say 20%.
It will allow for a stronger future graphics card upgrade.
It will run cooler, quieter, and more efficiently in the middle third of it's range.
A PSU will only use the wattage demanded of it, regardless of it's max capability.
I like the 750 or 850w seasonic focus gold.
https://www.newegg.com/seasonic-focus-plus-850-gold-ssr-850fx-850w/p/N82E16817151188

Buy your windows license from a reputable retailer, not from ebay.
On ebay you may well get malware or previously used activation codes.
10% off retail at most is what to expect for a legit windows.
There is really not much a home user gets from the PRO version except:
Pro lets you keep windows from updating your pc at inopportune times.

Make no purchases now.
Things will change, wait until you will build.
I guess a sale on a psu or a case would be ok.
 
As far as I know, there are currently no 240hz 1440p or better monitors. You really dont need this caliber of build to play at 1080p. If 1080p is target save yourself several hundred bucks and get a 2070super. I'd recommend a 1440p 144hz monitor. 4k is nice, but a good monitor is pretty pricey. I have a dell s2719dgf 1440p 155hz monitor, 27inch. It's on sale right now at bestbuy for less than 300. It goes on sale often, but even when not it's only 350max. There's plenty of awesome offerings in the 1440/144 category from several good brands. Asus, msi, gigabyte, lg, etc. Between 27 and 32 inches is usually perfect for most folks. Of course with a build this high end you can also look at ultra wide resolutions if that interests you.

Gamersnexus on youtube does tons of case reviews. He breaks down airflow, thermals, build quality. Also compares most of them in a handy chart so you can see the differences. Not sure how many itx cases they've reviewed. Because honestly I've never paid attention to them, dont care much for that size. I'm fine with a good mid tower, but I dont ever transport my pc.

The 9900k is a hot cpu and can be a pain to cool. Most recommended a 360mm cooler for best results. A 240 will certainly work, just dont expect the greatest thermals. You also dont necessarily need to oc to that magic 5ghz. If you could tell the difference between stock and overclocked in anything but synthetic benchmarks, I'd be amazed. If the small form is what your after, keep the case as you've chosen and dont overclock. Run it at stock. Most of the very few percent gain is not worth the heat. It's already an awesome cpu as is.

1000w is overkill period and will stay that way unless sli is on your mind. 750 is more than plenty, even with an overclocked cpu and gpu. A good quality 650w would probablysuffice, but go 750 to give you some extra headroom. No sense in wasting an extra 50-100 bucks just to say you have a 1000w psu you'll never take advantage of.

If you want the pretty factor of rgb fans, just keep the stock ones. They'll more than likely function fine and they'll look good doing it. Just remember all that rgb has to wired up making more cable management. One of the few reasons I never got into rgb. Easy wiring is good for me, I already had enough to do with my loop, lol.
 
Love those ITX builds.
If you need small, that is the only way to go.
You have a top end list of parts.
It all will work, but I have a few thoughts:

Look at the lian li TU150 case.
Lian li makes top quality cases of lighter aluminum.



Few games can make effective use of more than 4-6 cores.
You would game just as well with a 8 core i7-9700K or 9700KF.
That would take off a bit of the cooling issues with a small case.

On the cooler, liquid or aio will each be about the same efficiency.
I like air like the noctua NH-D15s or the dark rock pro4.
They will never leak.
Perhaps a consideration if you will be jostling the pc around while transporting it.

On graphics, today, the RTX2080ti is as good as it gets.
But graphics is constantly improving.
To hedge your bet a bit, look at a EVGA card. They have a 90 day trade up option in case there is something better that shows up within 90 days.
Past that consider a blower type cooler.
That gets heat directly out the back of the case.
I never have a heat issue with my blower GTX1080ti.

You have two 1tb ssd drives.
I think a single 2tb drive will work better. There is no performance advantage to two drives and it is easier to manage one single storage space.
I think I would use a 2 tb evo plus. Yes, it costs a bit more but performance is a bit better.

Your psu is overkill.
Your needs would be satisfied with as little as 650w.
I have no problem overprovisioning a PSU a bit. Say 20%.
It will allow for a stronger future graphics card upgrade.
It will run cooler, quieter, and more efficiently in the middle third of it's range.
A PSU will only use the wattage demanded of it, regardless of it's max capability.
I like the 750 or 850w seasonic focus gold.
https://www.newegg.com/seasonic-focus-plus-850-gold-ssr-850fx-850w/p/N82E16817151188

Buy your windows license from a reputable retailer, not from ebay.
On ebay you may well get malware or previously used activation codes.
10% off retail at most is what to expect for a legit windows.
There is really not much a home user gets from the PRO version except:
Pro lets you keep windows from updating your pc at inopportune times.

Make no purchases now.
Things will change, wait until you will build.
I guess a sale on a psu or a case would be ok.
Some very good points. My only concern with the noctua cooler would be its weight while moving. It's a heavy cooler, wouldn't it have better chance of possibly coming loose from moving around? If not, you certainly cant go wrong with the d15, especially now they have the chromax edition!

While I agree the 9700k is still a solid cpu, if recommending that, I'd lean more towards the ryzen. Loose a bit of speed, but keep all the extra threads that come with the 9900.

Looking around I see very few blower model 2080ti, if any. The few that I have seen have been proprietary to prebuilts like alienware, but definitely good advice for heat management. If they are available.

The 970 m.2 2tb is near 400, but the 860 evo is about 330. So roughly the same as 2, and speed difference would probably be near unnoticeable. You could also consider western digital. Probably not as fast as the samsung, but fairly priced. About 250 for the 2tb blue m.2, or 300ish for the black.

Couldn't agree more with the psu remark or the windows key.
 

bryanc723

Distinguished
Jan 1, 2015
237
23
18,615
Go big or go home, right? What do you think I could scale back on?
Well, lots of good answers already. Like mentioned, it really depends on your monitor choice. I would say if anything, go with a high end ryzen and a $700-$800 graphics card. There would be no perfomance difference not measured in data you would notice @1080p. A very small one, but noticable at 2k. You would notice a difference at 4k with the slightly lesser capable gpu.

That being said, if you have the kind of money to put this system together, get a better case, and better monitor if you don't already have one. My high end pc from circa 2012 is still a solid above-mid-tier pc today 8 years later.

Also rumor has it that AMD might overtake Intel with both price and performance in 2020. But that is largely speculation.
 

TheLootGoblin

Prominent
Jan 13, 2020
11
2
515
Love those ITX builds.
If you need small, that is the only way to go.
You have a top end list of parts.
It all will work, but I have a few thoughts:

Look at the lian li TU150 case.
Lian li makes top quality cases of lighter aluminum.



Few games can make effective use of more than 4-6 cores.
You would game just as well with a 8 core i7-9700K or 9700KF.
That would take off a bit of the cooling issues with a small case.

On the cooler, liquid or aio will each be about the same efficiency.
I like air like the noctua NH-D15s or the dark rock pro4.
They will never leak.
Perhaps a consideration if you will be jostling the pc around while transporting it.

On graphics, today, the RTX2080ti is as good as it gets.
But graphics is constantly improving.
To hedge your bet a bit, look at a EVGA card. They have a 90 day trade up option in case there is something better that shows up within 90 days.
Past that consider a blower type cooler.
That gets heat directly out the back of the case.
I never have a heat issue with my blower GTX1080ti.

You have two 1tb ssd drives.
I think a single 2tb drive will work better. There is no performance advantage to two drives and it is easier to manage one single storage space.
I think I would use a 2 tb evo plus. Yes, it costs a bit more but performance is a bit better.

Your psu is overkill.
Your needs would be satisfied with as little as 650w.
I have no problem overprovisioning a PSU a bit. Say 20%.
It will allow for a stronger future graphics card upgrade.
It will run cooler, quieter, and more efficiently in the middle third of it's range.
A PSU will only use the wattage demanded of it, regardless of it's max capability.
I like the 750 or 850w seasonic focus gold.
https://www.newegg.com/seasonic-focus-plus-850-gold-ssr-850fx-850w/p/N82E16817151188

Buy your windows license from a reputable retailer, not from ebay.
On ebay you may well get malware or previously used activation codes.
10% off retail at most is what to expect for a legit windows.
There is really not much a home user gets from the PRO version except:
Pro lets you keep windows from updating your pc at inopportune times.

Make no purchases now.
Things will change, wait until you will build.
I guess a sale on a psu or a case would be ok.

Actually got recommended the Lian Li case earlier, after looking into, looks like it wouldn't be able to support a 240 Radiator. Which seems like the minimum for this build. I love the aesthetics, though!

Regarding the drives, just did it to save some cash. Probably not the best set up, especially whenever I need to find a file. I could probably upgrade to 2TB, but then I'd have an empty slot! :p

Glad to see the PSU is where I went most wrong. It's been fixed in my saved parts list!

Thanks for the input! :)


As far as I know, there are currently no 240hz 1440p or better monitors. You really dont need this caliber of build to play at 1080p. If 1080p is target save yourself several hundred bucks and get a 2070super. I'd recommend a 1440p 144hz monitor. 4k is nice, but a good monitor is pretty pricey. I have a dell s2719dgf 1440p 155hz monitor, 27inch. It's on sale right now at bestbuy for less than 300. It goes on sale often, but even when not it's only 350max. There's plenty of awesome offerings in the 1440/144 category from several good brands. Asus, msi, gigabyte, lg, etc. Between 27 and 32 inches is usually perfect for most folks. Of course with a build this high end you can also look at ultra wide resolutions if that interests you.

Gamersnexus on youtube does tons of case reviews. He breaks down airflow, thermals, build quality. Also compares most of them in a handy chart so you can see the differences. Not sure how many itx cases they've reviewed. Because honestly I've never paid attention to them, dont care much for that size. I'm fine with a good mid tower, but I dont ever transport my pc.

The 9900k is a hot cpu and can be a pain to cool. Most recommended a 360mm cooler for best results. A 240 will certainly work, just dont expect the greatest thermals. You also dont necessarily need to oc to that magic 5ghz. If you could tell the difference between stock and overclocked in anything but synthetic benchmarks, I'd be amazed. If the small form is what your after, keep the case as you've chosen and dont overclock. Run it at stock. Most of the very few percent gain is not worth the heat. It's already an awesome cpu as is.

1000w is overkill period and will stay that way unless sli is on your mind. 750 is more than plenty, even with an overclocked cpu and gpu. A good quality 650w would probablysuffice, but go 750 to give you some extra headroom. No sense in wasting an extra 50-100 bucks just to say you have a 1000w psu you'll never take advantage of.

If you want the pretty factor of rgb fans, just keep the stock ones. They'll more than likely function fine and they'll look good doing it. Just remember all that rgb has to wired up making more cable management. One of the few reasons I never got into rgb. Easy wiring is good for me, I already had enough to do with my loop, lol.

Message received regarding monitors. I haven't even dipped my toes into that yet, but it's good to know. Display tech scares me because it seems like they improve every 5 minutes. I don't think I'll do an ultra wide, just because they're intimidating. But I may find myself in a multiple monitor set up. Might get a nice one for gaming and some cheaper ones to the sides just for peripheral software.

I'll have to check out Gamersnexus. Moved on from the NZXT (Thankfully), really looking at the Sliger options, as well as the Fractal Meshify line. I have about 5 minutes of looking into them, but they seem to have great airflow and a TON of options for fan placement/sizes. Pretty promising! May even be able to run a 360, after all.

I may take your advice and not OC. Most likely, I'll get the nicer cooling options, just to have them, and then see what I can get away with. If things get too toasty, I'll just back em down and still have some kick ass cooling. The Case sizes I'm looking at really don't differ too much in order to get a 280 or 360 cooler.

I'll definitely downgrade the PSU. If nothing else, it'll save me some money to try a mouse or a keyboard with some different switches I like.