HTPC Mini-ITX Build - Advice Needed

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DanLath

Commendable
Feb 23, 2016
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1,510
I'm currently planning on putting together a high end HTPC system (mostly for gaming) and would like some advice/critique on the components as this will be my first build from scratch.

The current components are:

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-L9i
Motherboard: TBC
Memory: Corsair Dominator Platinum Series — 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3 DRAM 2133MHz C9
Storage: Corsair Neutron Series XT 960GB SATA 3 6Gb/s SSD (for OS, Steam and select games with HDD added later.)
Video Card: Gigabyte Geforce GTX 980 Ti 6GB Windforce 3X
Case: Fractal Design Node 202 (version without Power Supply)
Power Supply: Corsair SF600 (to be released 'soon')
Operating System: Windows 10 Home

My reasoning for the current selection of components is as follows: The CPU Cooler is low profile (as I'm restricted to up to 56mm inside the case) and should be able to cool the (non overclocked) processor with enough ventilation, I have checked Noctua's TDP figures to confirm this.

**I need advice on the best motherboard, starting at the best currently available, (I had considered the EVGA Z97 Stinger Wi-Fi, but I don't know a lot in this area)**

I read somewhere that Mini-ITX motherboards use only DDR3 or DDR3L, so there's no point buying DDR4, is this correct?

I intend to load the OS, Steam and some games on to the SSD initially, and I'll add a HDD later.

The GPU is the most powerful GTX 980 Ti that will fit into the case. I will add two fans next to the GPU to improve ventilation out of the case. I'm not to concerned about noise so adding these extra fans is no problem.

Everything else is fairly locked down (unless I get good advice to go with other components.) My main concerns are compatibility in this tight case and choosing a motherboard.

Any help or advice appreciated! :)
 
I've got the i5-6600k in that case with that cooler and it JUST about copes. When playing games the CPU gets to around 75c so I'm going to replace the fan with a 25mm wide model (NF-A9 PWM), I'm hoping that brings it under 70c under load. I'd definitely recommend either getting a full width fan with that cooler or getting a cooler such as the Thermalright AXP-100. (It is 58mm but I've seen reviews where it has fit in that case)

Plenty of mini ITX boards support DDR4, the ASUS Z170I Pro Gaming I have for example. The most fully featured Z170 mini ITX board I'm aware of is the ASUS Maximus VIII Impact, it supports DDR4. No Z97 boards are compatible with that CPU, you need a Z170 board.

I find that my GTX 680 only just copes in this case as well, even with the 120mm fans installed your GTX 980Ti might get pretty warm. That triple fan Gigabyte model is probably a good idea but I think I'd get a couple of slim fans as well just to make sure.

I should mention as well that mechanical hard drives aren't really recommended in this case, particularly with such a high end setup. The air inside the case gets very hot because there are no exhaust fans and hard drives don't really like running above 50c or so.


I'd look at something along these lines:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($378.98 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-L9i 57.5 CFM CPU Cooler ($43.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Asus MAXIMUS VIII IMPACT Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard ($234.99 @ NCIX US)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws 4 series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 1TB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($294.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB WINDFORCE 3X Video Card ($629.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design Node 202 HTPC Case ($79.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Silverstone 600W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular SFX Power Supply ($117.99 @ Directron)
Case Fan: Noctua NF-A9 PWM 46.4 CFM 92mm Fan ($16.78 @ OutletPC)
Case Fan: Scythe SY1212SL12H 45.5 CFM 120mm Fan ($10.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case Fan: Scythe SY1212SL12H 45.5 CFM 120mm Fan ($10.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $1884.66
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-02-23 14:41 EST-0500


You could change the CPU to an i5-6600k and the RAM down to 8GB too and you wouldn't lose much gaming performance just so you're aware.
 
Thanks for the replies, it's especially useful to hear from guys with the case too, given its tiny dimensions. Thanks for the comments on the motherboard too, I've no prior experience with mini ITXs so advice is welcome.

Cooling is my main concern, I'll try and get as much air moving as I can...
 


Yeah I just built a mini ITX rig last year (used my old 3570K and then bought a GTX 960) and they do get a lot hotter than regular size ATX and even micro ATX towers do. I built mine in a Silverstone Raven RVZ01B and it's enough to keep it cooled for moderate use but if you want to game then you should definitely set your fans up properly to keep the air circulated.

This is what I would do:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($378.98 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG C7 40.5 CFM CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z170N-Gaming 5 Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard ($149.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 1TB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($294.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB Video Card ($649.99 @ B&H)
Case: Fractal Design Node 202 HTPC Case ($79.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Silverstone 600W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular SFX Power Supply ($117.99 @ Directron)
Total: $1791.91
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-02-23 16:05 EST-0500

Those Silverstone SFX power supplies are excellent units - they handle both the CPU and the GPU perfectly fine. there really isn't any need for the Corsair one.
 
Ok, can anyone explain the implications of the MAXIMUS VIII IMPACT having a U.2 port? Will I have to change my choice of SSD? I've tried to do a bit of research to find this out but there are few 'layman's terms' replies...
 
''I read somewhere that Mini-ITX motherboards use only DDR3 or DDR3L, so there's no point buying DDR4, is this correct?''

no that means you need to use low voltage ddr3 [1.35v ] normal or high voltage been shown to damage skylake [1.5v-1.65v]


''Video Card: Gigabyte Geforce GTX 980 Ti 6GB Windforce 3X'' why ?? aint that card like 13'' long [sorry 11''] ? on a m- itx ? think like evga cards are 10.5 ''
then like at newegg reviews gigia has one of the lowest rating of the top 3 at like 48%?? wow .... that should be a clue ..

check this out ?
http://forums.evga.com/EVGA-GTX980Ti-Hybrid-implanted-into-a-miniITX-gaming-system-m2431075.aspx

forgot to link this on the memory as a example

http://wccftech.com/skylake-does-not-support-ddr3-damage-ddr3l-only/




 
So, I've revised a few things on the system, mainly to bring the price down as I was originally looking at ~£1,500 all in...

PCPartPicker part list: http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/4r9JsY
Price breakdown by merchant: http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/4r9JsY/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor (£199.99 @ Dabs)
CPU Cooler: Thermalright AXP-100R 44.5 CFM CPU Cooler
Motherboard: Asus Z170I PRO GAMING Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard (£119.98 @ Amazon UK)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2666 Memory (£73.98 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO 500GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive (£131.71 @ More Computers)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB Video Card (£549.92 @ More Computers)
Case: Fractal Design Node 202 HTPC Case (£72.50 @ Kustom PCs)
Power Supply: Silverstone 600W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular SFX Power Supply (£106.99 @ Kustom PCs)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit)
Total: £1255.07
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-02-26 18:22 GMT+0000

The changes are the motherboard, SSD and processor. The i5 is very competent at gaming, so I couldn't justify spending a lump more on an i7. I also opted for a cheaper motherboard too. I'm thinking of taking advantage of the motherboards M.2 port on the back with an M.2 SSD. This'll save me space in cabling, plus I'll be able to remove the drive brackets (not a massive space saving but in this case every inch counts).

I don't think I can squeeze any more money out without compromising on the spec I'm aiming for.

If anyone has any thoughts or feedback it's all good to hear :)
 
Ahh didn't realise you were in the UK. I used US sites haha.

It is worth checking some of those prices against Scan as well, when I get my system I got the same case, PSU and CPU and Scan was the cheapest place for those. They're not on PCPartPicker for some reason.

You are going to need slim 120mm fans next to the GPU otherwise that GPU is going to fry I think. The GTX 980Ti is ~250W and my GTX 680 gets warm enough in there even with the fans and that's ~190W.

You could drop the RAM to 8GB and lose no gaming performance whatsoever, most games don't even use more than 4GB and even those that do don't benefit from more.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor (£199.99 @ Dabs)
CPU Cooler: Thermalright AXP-100R 44.5 CFM CPU Cooler (£32.27)
Motherboard: Asus Z170I PRO GAMING Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard (£119.98 @ Amazon UK)
Memory: Crucial 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2133 Memory (£31.98 @ Ebuyer)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO 500GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive (£131.71 @ More Computers)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB WINDFORCE 3X Video Card (£499.99 @ Dabs)
Case: Fractal Design Node 202 HTPC Case (£69.98)
Power Supply: Silverstone 600W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular SFX Power Supply (£99.98)
Case Fan: Scythe SY1212SL12H 45.5 CFM 120mm Fan (£7.33)
Case Fan: Scythe SY1212SL12H 45.5 CFM 120mm Fan (£7.33)
Total: £1200.54
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-02-26 20:21 GMT+0000


Shop around a bit and drop the RAM to 8GB and that's £50 cheaper even with the fans. Case/PSU/Cooler from Scan and fans from LambdaTek.
 
Yeah when I'm 100% happy with everything I'll look for the best prices around too.

I'll definitely have the case fans for the GPU, I forgot to add them to part picker. Even then I'll keep a close eye on the temps..

I will drop the RAM down to 8gb, it's not difficult to upgrade in the future if it's needed anyway.
 
One more thing, for the two fans in the GPU area, would you recommend having them blow air onto the GPU, or pulling air away from it out of the case. I've seen builds in this case with both setups, not sure which is the most effective..
 
I haven't actually tested it both ways because I can't imagine having them as exhausts being effective as they will be fighting your GPU fans for air. Having more intake than exhaust on your case helps keep the dust out as well. I'd have them as intakes personally but you could always try both ways and see which is more effective.

EDIT: Don't know if you would consider this either but I have actually removed the shroud and fans from my GPU so I can use 25mm width fans on the case. So I've got no GPU fans but dual Noctua NF-F12's on the case cooling the GPU. They seem to do a pretty good job, even at max speed they're not that loud and they push a lot of air. If you're not too noise sensitive you could try this with the 3000 RPM industrial models. They will be noisy under load but they are PWM so you can slow them down for idle. At 600RPM they will be very quiet. You can even have the GPU itself control the fan speed if you get a mini PWM to regular PWM adapter.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/GELID-Silent-PWM-Fan-Adaptor/dp/B005ZKZEQA
 
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