Question Help upgrading PC (itx build)

[ma3wa]

Hi!

So im thinking of replacing my motherboard, cpu and memory in my current chassi (because one is probably not working properly).

Specs:
Operating System: Windows 10 Home 64-bit
Chassi: Cooler Master HAF 912 Plus
PSU: OCZ ModXStream PRO 500W
CPU: Intel Core i5 2500K @ 3.30GHz, Sandy Bridge 32nm Technology
RAM: Corsair Vengeance 8,00GB Dual-Channel DDR3 @ 665MHz (9-9-9-24) (2x2 GB dual + 4 GB)
Motherboard: MSI P67A-C45 (MS-7673) (SOCKET 0)
Graphics: MSI GeForce GTX 770 (2047MB)
Storage:1863GB Seagate ST2000DL003-9VT166 ATA Device (SATA )

I have had plans for building a smaller itx computer (never built a pc before). I also have an m2 SSD laying around which i would like to install.
I though maybe i could ease into it by buying an itx motherboard (+ new cpu and memory) and installing it into my current chassi. Then later i could buy an itx chassi and replace the other components.

This is the mobo im planning on getting: https://www.asrock.com/mb/AMD/Fatal1ty B450 Gaming-ITXac/#Specification
Not sure on which memory (probably corsair vengeance) or which ryzen cpu.

So here are my questions:

Will i be able to keep my gpu and fit it into the above motherboard? The mobo seems to fit my chassi: View: https://www.reddit.com/r/coolermaster/comments/4t7nu7/does_the_haf_912_plus_support_mini_itx_mbs/?ref=share&ref_source=embed&utm_content=title&utm_medium=post_embed&utm_name=521ad74c6fcf44f0915da2c9e54c53d4&utm_source=embedly&utm_term=4t7nu7

Just double checking that my Samsung 960 EVO intern M.2 SSD (250 GB) fits and will work well with this mobo?

How "hard" would this be, most cable work is already done but im guessing it wont just look the same when it comes to connectors/cables?

 

[tennis2]

I'd suggest a B550 board and a Ryzen 5000 series (5600X) CPU if you can afford it.

If you go Ryzen 5000 CPU, get a 2x8GB DDR4-3600 kit of RAM. CAS16 is best, CAS 18 may be slightly less costly. 2x16GB would give plenty of breathing room for future increased RAM requirements. If you end up with a Ryzen 3000 CPU, DDR4-3200 is as high as you need to go.

I think you'd be able to get 3 out of the 4 standoffs in your case for mITX (missing the bottom mounting hole near the HDD cage). That should be fine.

The 960 Evo will work, although I'd strongly encourage 500GB minimum. Games are enormous these days.

Cabling will (essentially) be exactly the same as the board you took out. 24 pin power to mobo, and 8 pin to CPU. The GPU will sit in the same position inside the case.

 

[ma3wa]

Thank you, that sounds good What would the benefits of the newer B550 boards be compared to B450? The ASRock is quite alot cheaper (more money for ram/cpu) and has 7.1 out and latest audio (Realtek ALC1220/better dac) which i want. Im open for either intel or amd thought. I just want as much performance per budget at possible and something that is built to last (people said amd could be better here).

 

[Eximo]

Well, current bang for the buck is with the Intel 11400 / 11400F and the cheapest board you can find, since it doesn't offer overclocking. Ryzen 5600X is a great choice, but it may be a little expensive to get all the features (which you would want if this is your last upgrade for a long while, getting PCIe 4.0 will require the more expensive 500 series boards from AMD or Intel.)

Both AMD and Intel current offerings are end of socket. Intel and AMD will be moving to DDR5 for the next generation with Intel already having announced their next socket as LGA1700. AMD will presumably also increase the pin count and call it AM5.

 

[ma3wa]

Well, current bang for the buck is with the Intel 11400 / 11400F and the cheapest board you can find, since it doesn't offer overclocking. Ryzen 5600X is a great choice, but it may be a little expensive to get all the features (which you would want if this is your last upgrade for a long while, getting PCIe 4.0 will require the more expensive 500 series boards from AMD or Intel.)

Both AMD and Intel current offerings are end of socket. Intel and AMD will be moving to DDR5 for the next generation with Intel already having announced their next socket as LGA1700. AMD will presumably also increase the pin count and call it AM5.

Good info, im now considering the ASUS ROG STRIX B560-I aswell. Guess this would be more futureproof since i can buy a second SSD (2x M2), it has newer version connections (USB/HDMI etc) and PCIe 4.0 like you wrote.

Right now im thinking ASUS ROG STRIX B560-I for $223, Intel Core i5 11400F $195 (good price now for being in sweden) and DDR4 CL16. Since this mobo supports RAM OC (+active cooling) would it be better going for Crucial, Corsair och HyperX for this combination and is it worth getting 3600 Mhz over 3200?
$418 + RAM

But if prices would drop on the older ryzen so they would give more value over the 5600X maybe this:
ASRock Fatal1ty B450 Gaming-ITX/ac $130, AMD Ryzen 7 3700X $331 (probably only worth if i can get it for $95 less) and DDR4 CL16. With this amd build i would get a better cooler thought.
$461 + RAM

Since long lifetime/stability is important for me im guessing i would have to invest in a CPU cooler, especially on the intel one. However can i get by a year or two on the stock one? I wont be doing any heavy gaming.

Lastly im interested in HTPC like chassis, ive been eying the Fractal Design Node 202 for a while. Its cheap and i really like the look. However heat may be a problem. A bonus would also be if i could get the pc noise down. Which of the above would be prefered in this case? (no pun intended

 

[Eximo]

3200Mhz is fine for Intel and Ryzen 3000 series.

Yes, I would suggest a CPU cooler for the Intel chip, doesn't have to be super fancy. Just a 90mm or 120mm rifle cooler with a few heat pipes will do. The CPU will consume a lot more power than the included cooler is rated for in short bursts. Larger the cooler longer it will do so. But for most tasks the entire CPU won't be tasked.

Gammaxx 400 is only 300 Kroner. Various Arctic products sub 300, Cooler Master Hyper TX3.

Even a few premium offerings sneaking in down there. Cryorig M9i at 350.

 

[ma3wa]

I'd suggest a B550 board and a Ryzen 5000 series (5600X) CPU if you can afford it.

If you go Ryzen 5000 CPU, get a 2x8GB DDR4-3600 kit of RAM. CAS16 is best, CAS 18 may be slightly less costly. 2x16GB would give plenty of breathing room for future increased RAM requirements. If you end up with a Ryzen 3000 CPU, DDR4-3200 is as high as you need to go.

I think you'd be able to get 3 out of the 4 standoffs in your case for mITX (missing the bottom mounting hole near the HDD cage). That should be fine.

The 960 Evo will work, although I'd strongly encourage 500GB minimum. Games are enormous these days.

Cabling will (essentially) be exactly the same as the board you took out. 24 pin power to mobo, and 8 pin to CPU. The GPU will sit in the same position inside the case.

In case of the motherboard fitting in my current case, would it be any different if i go with the ASUS ROG STRIX B560-I (with Intel Core i5 11400F). Whats your thoughts on this?

 

[tennis2]

In case of the motherboard fitting in my current case, would it be any different if i go with the ASUS ROG STRIX B560-I (with Intel Core i5 11400F). Whats your thoughts on this?

All mITX boards have the same mounting points, it's a standard (for good reason)

What is your build budget (in Kr)?

I would agree that Intel 11th gen i5 is going to give you the best bang for your buck at this price point. The Ryzen 5600X is just too expensive.

Buying a cooler should be HEAVILY influenced by what mITX case you intend to purchase since clearance/height may be a limitation you'll need to work with.

 

[ma3wa]

3200Mhz is fine for Intel and Ryzen 3000 series.

Yes, I would suggest a CPU cooler for the Intel chip, doesn't have to be super fancy. Just a 90mm or 120mm rifle cooler with a few heat pipes will do. The CPU will consume a lot more power than the included cooler is rated for in short bursts. Larger the cooler longer it will do so. But for most tasks the entire CPU won't be tasked.

Gammaxx 400 is only 300 Kroner. Various Arctic products sub 300, Cooler Master Hyper TX3.

Even a few premium offerings sneaking in down there. Cryorig M9i at 350.

Ill try to go for a better cooler then. Problem is the node 202 chassi has a max cpu cooler height of 56mm so my options are less but the Cryorig C7 seems to fit for 379 kr. Is there any better alternatives?

 

[ma3wa]

All mITX boards have the same mounting points, it's a standard (for good reason)

What is your build budget (in Kr)?

I would agree that Intel 11th gen i5 is going to give you the best bang for your buck at this price point. The Ryzen 5600X is just too expensive.

Buying a cooler should be HEAVILY influenced by what mITX case you intend to purchase since clearance/height may be a limitation you'll need to work with.

5000-6000 kr but the lower is prefered. Things i would like from the chassi: as compact as possible (portability would be nice for future work), dust filters (easy cleaning/maintenance) and non-"gaming", clean design. The node 202 is about 800 kr which is good value too, and i will probably buy some extra fans later aswell

 

[Eximo]

C7 would be my pick as well. An argument could also be made for the Noctua NH-L9i but it is a bit more expensive.

 

[helper800]

C7 would be my pick as well. An argument could also be made for the Noctua NH-L9i but it is a bit more expensive.

Agreed, but isn't the noctua a bit better as well? I think I remember the noctua beating the c7. Either way the OP has decent options even for an 11400/f.

 

[Eximo]

Agreed, but isn't the noctua a bit better as well? I think I remember the noctua beating the c7. Either way the OP has decent options even for an 11400/f.

Yes, reflected in the price mostly. Probably a bit quieter too. Without the height for something like the L9-x65 it won't make a huge difference to a locked processor.

 

[helper800]

Yes, reflected in the price mostly. Probably a bit quieter too. Without the height for something like the L9-x65 it won't make a huge difference to a locked processor.

Well he said it would be a bonus to keep it quieter so its something to mull over if the price is significantly different.

 

[ma3wa]

Well he said it would be a bonus to keep it quieter so its something to mull over if the price is significantly different.

Im definitely considering the Noctua NH-L9i chromax.black since several reviews mentioned the c7 was quite loud. I can get it from 600 kr. The cheaper regular beige/brown noctua would probably give me ocd design wise, although i wont see it much Would i get any improvments in cpu lifetime/performance or just lower noise?

 

[helper800]

Im definitely considering the Noctua NH-L9i chromax.black since several reviews mentioned the c7 was quite loud. I can get it from 600 kr. The cheaper regular beige/brown noctua would probably give me ocd design wise, although i wont see it much Would i get any improvments in cpu lifetime/performance or just lower noise?

Just lower noise and potentially longer boost times for frequency, but that will be mostly imperceptible while using the computer.

 

[ma3wa]

I think im going for the the ASUS ROG STRIX B560-I with the Intel Core i5 11400F and Noctua NH-L9i chromax.black. They seem to be running a 20 % off sale if you buy both 500 series mobo + 11:gen intel cpu. Im even considering the i5-11600K. Btw what is the difference between the F and non F, and addition of K? Could i get more out of the fan if opting for any of these?

 

[helper800]

I think im going for the the ASUS ROG STRIX B560-I with the Intel Core i5 11400F and Noctua NH-L9i chromax.black. They seem to be running a 20 % off sale if you buy both 500 series mobo + 11:gen intel cpu. Im even considering the i5-11600K. Btw what is the difference between the F and non F, and addition of K? Could i get more out of the fan if opting for any of these?

The F has no iGPU the normal 11400 has an iGPU. The 11600k is overclockable and is a bit more powerful. The 11600kf is something to consider because its supposed to be cheaper than the 11600k.

 

[ma3wa]

The F has no iGPU the normal 11400 has an iGPU. The 11600k is overclockable and is a bit more powerful. The 11600kf is something to consider because its supposed to be cheaper than the 11600k.

Cool, will look into it. Im guessing the integrated GPU would not be able to outperform my MSI GeForce GTX 770? And is there any way i could take advantage off the iGPU feature or augment my GTX 770?

 

[tennis2]

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i5-11400 2.6 GHz 6-Core Processor (kr1999.00 @ Proshop)
CPU Cooler: Scythe Shuriken 2 41.3 CFM CPU Cooler (kr391.71 @ Amazon Sweden)
Motherboard: ASRock H570M-ITX/ac Mini ITX LGA1200 Motherboard (kr1497.00 @ Proshop)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper X 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory (kr1465.65 @ Amazon Sweden)
Total: kr5353.36
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2021-05-04 23:08 CEST+0200


PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5600X 3.7 GHz 6-Core Processor (kr3290.00 @ Proshop)
CPU Cooler: Scythe Shuriken 2 41.3 CFM CPU Cooler (kr391.71 @ Amazon Sweden)
Motherboard: ASRock B550M-ITX/ac Mini ITX AM4 Motherboard (kr1290.24 @ Amazon Sweden)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 CL18 Memory (kr963.75 @ Amazon Sweden)
Total: kr5935.70
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2021-05-04 23:11 CEST+0200

 

[ma3wa]

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i5-11400 2.6 GHz 6-Core Processor (kr1999.00 @ Proshop)
CPU Cooler: Scythe Shuriken 2 41.3 CFM CPU Cooler (kr391.71 @ Amazon Sweden)
Motherboard: ASRock H570M-ITX/ac Mini ITX LGA1200 Motherboard (kr1497.00 @ Proshop)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper X 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory (kr1465.65 @ Amazon Sweden)
Total: kr5353.36
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2021-05-04 23:08 CEST+0200


PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5600X 3.7 GHz 6-Core Processor (kr3290.00 @ Proshop)
CPU Cooler: Scythe Shuriken 2 41.3 CFM CPU Cooler (kr391.71 @ Amazon Sweden)
Motherboard: ASRock B550M-ITX/ac Mini ITX AM4 Motherboard (kr1290.24 @ Amazon Sweden)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 CL18 Memory (kr963.75 @ Amazon Sweden)
Total: kr5935.70
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2021-05-04 23:11 CEST+0200

Nice find on the cooler, although i dont think it will fit the node 202? (58 mm - 56 mm) Will probably pay the extra for noctua fan because of it being more quiet.
Any reason you picked the ASRock mobo other than price? Im think im pretty set on the ASUS B560i with intel 11:gen cpu, especially if i can get the 20% off with ASUS Rocket lake promo (on proshop or webhallen). Wouldnt it be more worth to go for CL16 rather than 3600 Mhz or both? Does the corsair, crucial, G-skill or hyperx work better with this setup? Also if i can get one 16GB ram stick i could upgrade to 32 later, it may also be cheaper but do i lose alot of performance without dual?

 

[helper800]

Nice find on the cooler, although i dont think it will fit the node 202? (58 mm - 56 mm) Will probably pay the extra for noctua fan because of it being more quiet.
Any reason you picked the ASRock mobo other than price? Im think im pretty set on the ASUS B560i with intel 11:gen cpu, especially if i can get the 20% off with ASUS Rocket lake promo (on proshop or webhallen). Wouldnt it be more worth to go for CL16 rather than 3600 Mhz or both? Does the corsair, crucial, G-skill or hyperx work better with this setup? Also if i can get one 16GB ram stick i could upgrade to 32 later, it may also be cheaper but do i lose alot of performance without dual?

You will lose a lot of performance with only having 1x 16 gb stick of RAM. Can get 2x8 now and 2x8 later. This system will most likely be obsolescent before 64 gb are needed as an upgrade path (4 1x16s or 2 1x 16s and 1 2x16). cl16 3200 is fine for what you are doing and cl16 3600 is not worth the price hike for what you get. No particular brand is more or less compatible than another brand. If the RAM is on the qualified vendor list then it should be fine. I would also prefer the ASUS board even though its a bit more expensive, you get what you pay for features wise. I also do not believe that fan will fit in that case.

 

[tennis2]

Nice find on the cooler, although i dont think it will fit the node 202? (58 mm - 56 mm)

The 56mm that Fractal Design advertises for the Node 202 isn't a hard limit. There's actually a bit more available height than that. 58mm would be fine.

 

[tennis2]

Can get 2x8 now and 2x8 later.

Not with an mITX board.

 

[helper800]

Not with an mITX board.

Thats right I derped out there a bit...