Need advice on mini ITX gaming PC build

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Omni461

Omni461

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Dec 19, 2013
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Hi everyone. I could really use some advice. I would like to build a SFF PC between now and Christmas. The sooner I figure out the parts, the sooner I can build it.

Budget Range: Between $1000 and $1500 USD.

System Usage: I would primarily use this as a gaming rig with htpc functionality on the side. I already have the xb360 wireless controller with PC dongle and will be reusing that.

Are you buying a monitor: No, I already have a 1080p monitor and a 1080p LED HDTV.

Parts list: http://pcpartpicker.com/user/omni461/saved/#savedbuild_1682017
Still undecided on a cooling solution. I chose the hadron hydro over the Air, to save myself a bit of money down the road, should I ever decide to use liquid cooling. I don't plan on overclocking so liquid cooling may not be worth the extra expense. Plus I hope to use this like a LAN box; moving it around quite a bit. Your advice here would be greatly appreciated.

Do you need to buy OS: Yes. Windows 7

SLI or Crossfire: Nope. Not worth the expense at 1080p.

Additional Comments: I would like a semi quiet PC. I plan on running BF4, Shadow of Mordor, the Witcher 3, GTA V and various other upcoming games. I would also like the option to use it as a media center for watching blurays, netflix, and live streams via xbmc. The case may be too small to fit any DVR hardware, so I skipped it. Basically I need someone to double check the parts I selected, in case I goofed somewhere.

Thanks!
 
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I think you picked fairly good parts, I think someone will make a comment about the 16 gigs of ram but for the price 16 gigs I think is kind of the new sweet spot for good performance ram looking at it from a gigs per dollar pov. The only thing I would swap is the hard drive, not because it is bad or anything, but just because I see a lot of people even seasoned builders do it they try to cram a full sized hard drive into a small build. Go with the ssd, then get something like a 1tb 7200rpm laptop sized hard drive.
 
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I didn't even think about using a laptop HDD. Thank you!

I have never used liquid cooling in a build before. Is it really worth the added expense over air cooling. If not I can save a few bucks on the hadron air vs the hydra.
 
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You should get this.
Blu-Ray movies and Games will take up alot of space. So 3TB would be helpful.
Z97 not needed since you're not overclocking. Also might wanna get something with inbuilt wifi as there is no extra pcie slot for wifi card.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($184.97 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H97N-WIFI Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($114.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper Gaming Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($121.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($119.98 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($101.46 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card ($354.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Silverstone RVZ01B Mini ITX Desktop Case ($79.99 @ Directron)
Power Supply: Silverstone 600W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular SFX Power Supply ($117.99 @ Directron)
Optical Drive: Silverstone SST-SOB02 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($144.99 @ Directron)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($98.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1440.32
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-11-22 03:08 EST-0500
 
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It really depends, I think if you got the hydro one, the temps from water are always better for the most part. But one thing that I have noticed with air coolers is, is that you need to invest in some good fans to make it all work. So look at something like the h100i, 240mm rad completely sealed kit for $100 in a 72F room probably would stress it out @ 64-72c worse case scenario with overclocks. But your processor isn't even unlocked, so that water cooler wouldn't even be anywhere near worth it in cost. I would just get a nice mid end air cooler, and buy some nice quite edition fans that spin under 1500 rpms. Then I would invest in better fans all around overtime, just for the graphic cards sake.
 
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An M.2 SSD can be easily slipped in with 20$ more.
Although not exactly samsung's M.2.
I haven't read any reviews about this SDD.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($184.97 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97E-ITX/ac Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($134.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper Gaming Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($121.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Transcend MTS400 256GB M.2-2242 Solid State Drive ($124.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($101.46 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card ($349.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Silverstone RVZ01B Mini ITX Desktop Case ($79.99 @ Directron)
Power Supply: Silverstone 600W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular SFX Power Supply ($117.99 @ Directron)
Optical Drive: Silverstone SST-SOB02 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($144.99 @ Directron)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($98.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1460.34
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-11-22 05:22 EST-0500
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Here is a 2nd build with M.2 XP941 SSD
The only thing missing is the wifi but with 50$ more and you'll get that too.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($184.97 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Asus H97I-PLUS Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($101.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper Gaming Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($121.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung XP941 Series 256GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($249.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($53.59 @ Directron)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card ($349.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Silverstone RVZ01B Mini ITX Desktop Case ($79.99 @ Directron)
Power Supply: Silverstone 600W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular SFX Power Supply ($117.99 @ Directron)
Optical Drive: Silverstone SST-SOB02 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($144.99 @ Directron)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($98.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1504.47
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-11-22 05:44 EST-0500
 
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Thank you both for your help. These micro-itx builds take forever to plan out. It seems very few micro-itx boards have all the features I want. Primarily the M.2 x4 slot, AC Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 and a decent PCB layout for cable management. The ASRock board is really nice and is cost efficient, if only it had the x4 slot instead of that M.2 x2 slot.

That H97I-Plus looks good but I am curious why you chose that one over the ASUS Z97I-PLUS? After purchasing a seperate mini-pcie card for the wifi, they both cost about the same.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($208.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Arctic Cooling ACFZ13 36.4 CFM CPU Cooler ($27.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus Z97I-PLUS Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($149.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($154.99 @ Micro Center)
Storage: Samsung XP941 Series 256GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($249.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung Spinpoint M9T 2TB 2.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($109.74 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB Superclocked ACX 2.0 Video Card ($349.99 @ Amazon)
Case: EVGA Hadron Mini ITX Tower Case w/500W Power Supply ($109.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $1361.67
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-11-22 08:56 EST-0500

If I am going to go with that Z971-PLUS I might as well switch my processor to the i5 4690k. Its only a $24 difference. That way, if the case can handle the heat. At least the option for overclocking will be present.
 
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I chose that one just to stay under budget. And there is only one PCI-e slot there. So I don't think you'll be able fit another PCie wifi card there. But Yes if you go for Z97I-PLUS--> http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-motherboard-z97iplus you'll get everything except it'll be abit aver your budget.
 
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The only bugging me in this build is that power supply. I doubt it's quality. As most of those PSU's with case are pretty much junk especially now that you have considered overclocking, I won't risk getting poor PSU.
 
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It's supposed to be a 500W server psu, 80Plus Gold Rated with 40A on +12V Rail. My estimated wattage is 307W. That should leave quite a bit for overhead. If not I was planning on removing the HDD cage and using double sided sticky tape to hold the 2.5" HDD in place anyways. This might give me enough wiggle room to step up to a 600W 80Plus Gold rated PSU. http://www.amazon.com/Silverstone-Tek-Modular-Active-SX600-G/dp/B00MO675S8
 
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The power use profile for servers is different to gaming machines. GPUs can make sudden, brief over-max demand spikes. It's like the difference between a races car and a tractor. They both have the same HP, but different ways of using it.

I would read all the reviews of the case and it's PSU. See if you can live with the issues reported.

 
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When it comes to compact and small cases no one beats Silverstone imo. And I couldn't find the full specification of that PSU but wouldn't trust a 1000$ build on just merely 40 amps on 12V. And if you are going to spend 100$ on a PSU later on then why get a 120$ on a case with PSU in the first place.
 
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Thank you very much for steering me away from the EVGA hadron. I liked the aesthetics of that case so much I was blind to it's weaknesses. So now the search for a SFF pc case begins. This is going to go on a bookshelf under my HDTV in my room or in the entertainment center in the living room. It may even travel back and forth between the two, along with trips to friends houses.

After reviewing all the cases that have been recommended and a few I looked up online, I have rounded up a few I really liked; SG07B/8B, Silverstone Fortress FT03T, and particularly the NCASE M1. That last one is really packed with features, but it does stretch my budget quite a bit. https://www.ncases.com/
 
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This is the mini-itx, that I want to build.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1231 V3 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($248.98 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Seidon 120XL 86.2 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($87.98 @ Directron)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97E-ITX/ac Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($134.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper Gaming Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($121.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial MX100 512GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($202.86 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($101.46 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 4GB Video Card ($329.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Cooler Master Elite 130 Mini ITX Tower Case ($39.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: XFX 650W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $1333.23
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-11-22 20:44 EST-0500
 
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These are all great builds. I would like to thank everyone once again. Here is the current build.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($184.97 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Asus MAXIMUS VII IMPACT Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($227.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($154.99 @ Micro Center)
Storage: Samsung XP941 Series 256GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($249.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Hitachi Travelstar 1TB 2.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB Superclocked ACX 2.0 Video Card ($349.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Silverstone ML07B HTPC Case ($69.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $1307.91
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-11-24 03:04 EST-0500

I upgraded the mobo and downgraded the CPU in anticipation of the upcoming Broadwell-K processors. (Q2 2015)

@ DonkeyOatie thank you for that awesome Milo ML07 case. After looking at that case I came across an updated version called the FTZ01. http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1821665 <- This case is the one.

@ Logainofhades That is one sweet build.

I also found out that Silverstone is also releasing a new SFX-L line of PSUs: http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/147402-silverstone-will-launch-new-psus-with-a-new-form-factor-called-sfx-l/ These will come with a 120mm fan, solving a lot of the SFX psu problems we currently face. As such I will be waiting for these parts before I continue with my build.

I originally build my current PC in 2009, with a few updates here and there. What are a few more months of waiting? Besides my current gaming rig is still good. AMD Quadcore 955, GTX970SC, 8GB Ram, with over 1tb of HDD space. By building a new PC, literally right before the next generation comes out, I may be shooting myself in the foot.

So, a few more months it is. Again, thank you to everyone who contributed.
 
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Your build looks good so far, the only thing I would consider swapping out is the video card for the strix from asus, evga cut back on a few of the components making the components cheaper than what nvidia wanted them to do/use. EVGA has always been my choice because of warranty, but after I read about them not going with what nvidia recommened. I didn't order evga this time so I ordered 2 of the strix 980's. Just to note this is only true for 900 series
 
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