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[SOLVED] Moving parts from pre-built PC to a new case.

Sep 6, 2019
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So I have an HP Omen 870-244, and I've noticed that the cooling on it is terrible. I've wanted to take all the parts from the Omen, and move them into a new Case. I was looking at an "NZXT H210", but am not sure if everything would work out. Here are the specs of the current PC:

Core I7-7700

Nvidia GTX 1070

Thimphu-K Motherboard

RAM:
  • Amount: 16 GB
  • Speed: PC4-17000 MB/s
  • Type: DDR4-2133

Hard drive:
  • Size: 1 TB
  • Interface: SATA
  • Rotational Speed: 7200 RPM

I've heard mixed thoughts on this, but maybe by changing a few parts it may be possible.
 
Solution
Would you be able to look and see what Case
would work? And if I do change the cpu cooler, what would a good brand that you’d recommend be?
Any case that supports ATX these days is going to also support mATX, so you've got a TON of options. Basically you can go to Amazon or Newegg or whatever retailer that carries cases and type in ATX or mATX cases and you'll have 20+ (60+ in some cases) pages of options. If you wanted to go with NZXT you should look at the 510 series for something that looks pretty close to what you wanted. Also Phantecks, Fractal Design, Corsair, and Lian Li, heck even Rosewill makes some reasonable cases. So, you've got options.

As for CPU coolers, there is the old standby Hyper 212 Evo from CoolerMaster...
The problem with prebuilts is that sometimes they use non-standard components. However, HP, at least in recent products, has been good about using standard layout components. The good news is that if the motherboard fits you're absolutely golden. The news gets even better because I looked it up and this is a standard m-ATX form factor! So, any case that can fit a microATX motherboard will work for you. That NZXT one won't though. That is an ITX case. They are generally a lot smaller.

Though, it might just be the stock cooler that is your issue. That looks very close to the Intel stock cooler in the pictures I've found... and that cooler needs to be thrown at birds. It is garbage. If your 1070 is staying cool enough you have good airflow, and I'd just suggest just getting a reasonable cooler for the CPU.
 
The problem with prebuilts is that sometimes they use non-standard components. However, HP, at least in recent products, has been good about using standard layout components. The good news is that if the motherboard fits you're absolutely golden. The news gets even better because I looked it up and this is a standard m-ATX form factor! So, any case that can fit a microATX motherboard will work for you. That NZXT one won't though. That is an ITX case. They are generally a lot smaller.

Though, it might just be the stock cooler that is your issue. That looks very close to the Intel stock cooler in the pictures I've found... and that cooler needs to be thrown at birds. It is garbage. If your 1070 is staying cool enough you have good airflow, and I'd just suggest just getting a reasonable cooler for the CPU.
Would you be able to look and see what Case
would work? And if I do change the cpu cooler, what would a good brand that you’d recommend be?
 
Would you be able to look and see what Case
would work? And if I do change the cpu cooler, what would a good brand that you’d recommend be?
Any case that supports ATX these days is going to also support mATX, so you've got a TON of options. Basically you can go to Amazon or Newegg or whatever retailer that carries cases and type in ATX or mATX cases and you'll have 20+ (60+ in some cases) pages of options. If you wanted to go with NZXT you should look at the 510 series for something that looks pretty close to what you wanted. Also Phantecks, Fractal Design, Corsair, and Lian Li, heck even Rosewill makes some reasonable cases. So, you've got options.

As for CPU coolers, there is the old standby Hyper 212 Evo from CoolerMaster. That will probably be plenty of cooling for an i7 7700. Other good brands are Noctua, Thermaltake, and Be Quiet!. They have options from the budget cooler all the way up to i9 9900K overclocking.
 
Solution
Any case that supports ATX these days is going to also support mATX, so you've got a TON of options. Basically you can go to Amazon or Newegg or whatever retailer that carries cases and type in ATX or mATX cases and you'll have 20+ (60+ in some cases) pages of options. If you wanted to go with NZXT you should look at the 510 series for something that looks pretty close to what you wanted. Also Phantecks, Fractal Design, Corsair, and Lian Li, heck even Rosewill makes some reasonable cases. So, you've got options.

As for CPU coolers, there is the old standby Hyper 212 Evo from CoolerMaster. That will probably be plenty of cooling for an i7 7700. Other good brands are Noctua, Thermaltake, and Be Quiet!. They have options from the budget cooler all the way up to i9 9900K overclocking.
One last question. I have looked into the H510i case by NZXT, and it turns out that it works with my mATX motherboard. My only concern now is if the io shield, (usb ports, headphone jack) will all fit on the H510i. I would assume it would since the case supports mATX, but I'd still want to be sure.
 
If I had an Omen case out of warranty, I would cut large fan holes in the metal panel at the top of the case and slot the gaps between the plastic ribs so hot air could escape.

Once I calculated how tall the case would need to be for chimney effect to supply as much airflow as an exhaust fan, and concluded it had to be ~11 feet tall, so fanless is not for me.
 
One last question. I have looked into the H510i case by NZXT, and it turns out that it works with my mATX motherboard. My only concern now is if the io shield, (usb ports, headphone jack) will all fit on the H510i. I would assume it would since the case supports mATX, but I'd still want to be sure.
As long as the I/O shield isn't just part of the case and will actually pop out, you'll be fine. If not... well, there will be a reason to have more intake than exhaust fans.
 
As long as the I/O shield isn't just part of the case and will actually pop out, you'll be fine. If not... well, there will be a reason to have more intake than exhaust fans.
I was doing some last minute research and realized that my motherboard only has one "system fan head" that can power fans. The NZXT case that I want to purchase has 2 fans. I was looking online and saw some "fan splitters" that can basically split the head into 2, giving power to 2 fans with only one head. Would this be a good choice?
 
I was doing some last minute research and realized that my motherboard only has one "system fan head" that can power fans. The NZXT case that I want to purchase has 2 fans. I was looking online and saw some "fan splitters" that can basically split the head into 2, giving power to 2 fans with only one head. Would this be a good choice?
Actually the H510i has a built in fan controller that can control up to 3 fans. No need to buy a splitter.
 
Actually the H510i has a built in fan controller that can control up to 3 fans. No need to buy a splitter.
Yes but where do you get the power from? The power supply gives it to the motherboard, then transfers it to the 3 pin head. My motherboard only has one 3 pin head that gives power to the system fans. Wouldn't I still need a splitter?
 
You are quite welcome. Good luck with your project.
Hello, all has gone great so far, everything has been moved into the new case. I was wondering if in the future I could put in an RTX 2060? I checked and it might bottleneck a bit... but in the future I am hoping to upgrade the CPU to an i7-8700k. I'm thinking I could make it work? Need some advice. Also, got any good power supply ideas? Looking for a semi-budget PSU.
 
Hello, all has gone great so far, everything has been moved into the new case. I was wondering if in the future I could put in an RTX 2060? I checked and it might bottleneck a bit... but in the future I am hoping to upgrade the CPU to an i7-8700k. I'm thinking I could make it work? Need some advice. Also, got any good power supply ideas? Looking for a semi-budget PSU.
An RTX 2060 would actually be a good fit for the 7700K. You won't bottleneck in the majority of cases. Games will run great. I mean, the RTX 2060 has similar performance to the GTX 1070 and there are a LOT of people that pair a GTX 1080 with the 7700K and have no problems. You should be in good shape.
 
An RTX 2060 would actually be a good fit for the 7700K. You won't bottleneck in the majority of cases. Games will run great. I mean, the RTX 2060 has similar performance to the GTX 1070 and there are a LOT of people that pair a GTX 1080 with the 7700K and have no problems. You should be in good shape.
It's actually just a 7700, not a 7700k which is why I'm worried.
 
Don't bother yourself about it. Bottleneck calculators are all full of s(supply your own word).

I play skyrim. On a i7-3770k and gtx970. Gets @ 180fps vanilla game. At 1080p/60Hz. No worries. Then I added 170 2k/4k/8k scripted mods, which are kind of hard on the cpu. End result being I get a solid 60fps. And that's all on the cpu. I can set a 4k DSR and still get 60fps. Ultra or low, 60fps. Definitely cpu bound and capped at 60fps. So where's the bottleneck.

Simple answer. The game. As is always the case. In CSGO I get a solid 300fps at Ultra settings. That a bottleneck? Not really. Is it a bottleneck because an i9 9900k is capable of more than 400fps? Not really. It's so far above the 60Hz refresh, even minimums, that it's moot. Does not matter.

Bottlenecks are BS. The cpu will put out 'X' amount of frames, the gpu either can put them on screen or not. Depending on the game, resolution or settings. In some games the gpu is strong enough for more, in some games its not.

The cpu can not hold back the gpu, the gpu can not hold back the cpu. They put out what they put out. It's the game that decides which gets fracked and which doesn't.

And bottleneck calculators don't play games on your pc with your settings. Someone decided what cpu is perfect for what gpu (or vice-versa) and any deviation from that becomes a bottleneck. Got nothing to do with any particular game or settings or resolution or OC or pc.

Oh, did you also happen to see the cpu/gpu recommended you purchase to alleviate the bottleneck? It'll be at the bottom, in a sales pitch by at least one of the companies who invested in the calculator website.
 
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Don't bother yourself about it. Bottleneck calculators are all full of s(supply your own word).

I play skyrim. On a i7-3770k and gtx970. Gets @ 180fps vanilla game. At 1080p/60Hz. No worries. Then I added 170 2k/4k/8k scripted mods, which are kind of hard on the cpu. End result being I get a solid 60fps. And that's all on the cpu. I can set a 4k DSR and still get 60fps. Ultra or low, 60fps. Definitely cpu bound and capped at 60fps. So where's the bottleneck.

Simple answer. The game. As is always the case. In CSGO I get a solid 300fps at Ultra settings. That a bottleneck? Not really. Is it a bottleneck because an i9 9900k is capable of more than 400fps? Not really. It's so far above the 60Hz refresh, even minimums, that it's moot. Does not matter.

Bottlenecks are BS. The cpu will put out 'X' amount of frames, the gpu either can put them on screen or not. Depending on the game, resolution or settings. In some games the gpu is strong enough for more, in some games its not.

The cpu can not hold back the gpu, the gpu can not hold back the cpu. They put out what they put out. It's the game that decides which gets fracked and which doesn't.

And bottleneck calculators don't play games on your pc with your settings. Someone decided what cpu is perfect for what gpu (or vice-versa) and any deviation from that becomes a bottleneck. Got nothing to do with any particular game or settings or resolution or OC or pc.

Oh, did you also happen to see the cpu/gpu recommended you purchase to alleviate the bottleneck? It'll be at the bottom, in a sales pitch by at least one of the companies who invested in the calculator website.
I was looking at an RTX 2070, https://www.microcenter.com/product...rclocked-triple-fan-8gb-gddr6-pcie-video-card this one to be specific. Problem being it requires a 4 pin and an 8 pin from the PSU. Most power supplies are 6+2. What should I do about that? Is there truly a PSU with 14 pins?
 
There isn't a gpu I've heard about that requires 4pin. All ATX psus come 6, 6+2 or 8pin pcie. It's an industry standard.

THERMAL & POWER
Recommended Power Supply
550 Watts
Power Connector
1 x 6-pin, 1 x 8-pin

From your link /specs.

The 6+2 pin is a universal fitment, used on most psus capable of powering such. It can be used as a 6pin or an 8pin, just reattach the +2 connector to the side. With any decent 550w psu, there will be at least a 6pin and 6+2pin pcie, but more likely you'll find 2x 6+2pin.
 
There isn't a gpu I've heard about that requires 4pin. All ATX psus come 6, 6+2 or 8pin pcie. It's an industry standard.



From your link /specs.

The 6+2 pin is a universal fitment, used on most psus capable of powering such. It can be used as a 6pin or an 8pin, just reattach the +2 connector to the side. With any decent 550w psu, there will be at least a 6pin and 6+2pin pcie, but more likely you'll find 2x 6+2pin.
So you’re saying a Core i7-7700 would work fine with an RTX 2070?