[SOLVED] New, $2K, mini Itx build. Review and comments?

[Synner]

Would love any comments or advice on my first build in a few years and first mini Itx build ever.



Approximate Purchase Date: ASAP, ready to order parts now, beginning of March, 2021.

Budget Range: $2,000 usd

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, no real first person shooter, AAA title stuff.

Location: Ohio, USA

Overclocking: No

Your Monitor Resolution: 2560 x 1440

Additional Comments: I know the gpu market is crap right now, I'm pretty open to any available card ranging from 2060 - current, up to maybe a 3070. Nvidia or AMD.

Cooler Master MasterBox NR200 Mini ITX Desktop Case

AMD Ryzen 5 3600 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor

be quiet! Pure Rock 2 Black CPU Cooler

MSI B450I GAMING PLUS AC Mini ITX AM4 Motherboard * very open to changing this, looking for 1 nvme slot, wifi and overall reliability. *

Crucial Ballistix 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti 8 GB Founders Edition Video Card *

EVGA SuperNOVA GM 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular SFX Power Supply

Samsung 970 Evo 500 GB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive

Samsung 860 Evo 1 TB 2.5" Solid State Drive

LG 27GL83A-B 27.0" 2560x1440 144 Hz Monitor

be quiet! Pure Wings 2 51.4 CFM 120 mm Fan x3

Fan Hub PC 5 Way Splitter

Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit

PcPartpicker List

Am i missing anything? Any improvements? All comment welcome and Thanks!

 

[AlexTheFern]

It looks fine to me, just be sure your cooler has enough clearance

consult with other people, as they may have different opinions and recommendations

 

[Synner]

It looks fine to me, just be sure your cooler has enough clearance

consult with other people, as they may have different opinions and recommendations

The cooler should be fine, a couple of mm's clearance.

 

[2Be_or_Not2Be]

Besides the obvious cost difference reason, why are you going with older parts? For example, why go with the 3600 when you can get more power and possibly longer lifetime of use from the new 5600X? Same with the motherboard - I'd go with a B550-based board because these generally have better VRMs and potentially could last longer.

I would suggest the following:

1. CPU - replace with 5600X
2. Ballistix - go with the DDR4-3600 CL16, which can be found for close to the same price as the DDR-3200. (I just bought a pair of Ballistix from Microcenter for $87, so a small bump from the $80)
3. Go with a B550 board - you get 4 lanes of PCIe 4.0 for your NVMe drive, 16x for your GPU, and better VRMs. The B450 works, but the B550 ITX boards generally use beefier components. I use the ASRock Phantom Gaming ITX/ax board, but the others (Gigabyte/MSI/Asus) are also decent. It is at the $199 range, though.
4. Save money on the SSD by going with a single 1TB (or 2TB) NVMe drive. You retain the performance of NVMe, and if you outgrow it, you can always add a larger drive later. A 1TB Sabrent Rocket 4.0 is only $149 right now.
5. That case with the low-power 5600X will run cool enough without needing a lot of extra fans. I'd drop them & then see if you really need more than the one that comes with the NR200.
6. If you have a previous Windows license - such as the one printed on a sticker on your old PC - then you can use it as the upgrade & not have to buy Win10 new.
7. CPU coolers - I love a nice Noctua air cooler, but what you have picked is fine for a 65W CPU like the 5600X (or 3600).
8. GPU - basically, get anything new that you find available, and if not, sit tight with an older GPU for a while until stock begins to come in. This is where the vast majority of your money will be spent, and arguably is the most critical part for gaming. You might even be able to find a cheaper 2060 to get by with for a while. I've been waiting to upgrade a 970 for a while now, and it looks like I have many months to go.
9. Monitor - Happily, 1440p gaming is not as heavy as 4K, so good choice on that setup. You could consider some cheaper but still decent alternatives to the more expensive LG, like the Acer Nitro series for 1440p.

 

[General Kenobi]

Would love any comments or advice on my first build in a few years and first mini Itx build ever.



Approximate Purchase Date: ASAP, ready to order parts now, beginning of March, 2021.

Budget Range: $2,000 usd

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, no real first person shooter, AAA title stuff.

Location: Ohio, USA

Overclocking: No

Your Monitor Resolution: 2560 x 1440

Additional Comments: I know the gpu market is crap right now, I'm pretty open to any available card ranging from 2060 - current, up to maybe a 3070. Nvidia or AMD.

Cooler Master MasterBox NR200 Mini ITX Desktop Case

AMD Ryzen 5 3600 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor

be quiet! Pure Rock 2 Black CPU Cooler

MSI B450I GAMING PLUS AC Mini ITX AM4 Motherboard * very open to changing this, looking for 1 nvme slot, wifi and overall reliability. *

Crucial Ballistix 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti 8 GB Founders Edition Video Card *

EVGA SuperNOVA GM 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular SFX Power Supply

Samsung 970 Evo 500 GB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive

Samsung 860 Evo 1 TB 2.5" Solid State Drive

LG 27GL83A-B 27.0" 2560x1440 144 Hz Monitor

be quiet! Pure Wings 2 51.4 CFM 120 mm Fan x3

Fan Hub PC 5 Way Splitter

Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit

PcPartpicker List

Am i missing anything? Any improvements? All comment welcome and Thanks!

Hello there!
Any reason for going mini itx?
I really get your excitement for your build but have a look at this its worth every $
https://www.newegg.com/abs-ali473/p/N82E16883360058

 

[AlexTheFern]

Hello there!
Any reason for going mini itx?
I really get your excitement for your build but have a look at this its worth every $
https://www.newegg.com/abs-ali473/p/N82E16883360058

he probably needs it to be portable

 

[General Kenobi]

he probably needs it to be portable

Possible but what if he prefers it?

 

[AlexTheFern]

Possible but what if he prefers it?

then it has to be mini itx anyway sooo...

 

[2Be_or_Not2Be]

Personally, I love the ITX size - you can pack basically everything a full-size system has but in half or even a fourth of the space! The NR200 is a great case with great cooling as well. Once you have one, you often wonder why did you need that massive full tower anyway!

 

[AlexTheFern]

Personally, I love the ITX size - you can pack basically everything a full-size system has but in half or even a fourth of the space!

bc you can put in more rgb strips

 

[logainofhades]

I definitely agree that you should, at a minimum, go with a B550 motherboard. The 5600x is another good idea. I would up the ram, to 32gb, as well, for a bit of longevity. Being an ITX, and having only 2 ram slots, you would have to buy a brand new 32gb kit, and hope to sell, or reuse your 16gb kit. '


PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5600X 3.7 GHz 6-Core Processor ($305.95 @ Adorama)
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG M9 Plus 48.4 CFM CPU Cooler ($44.22 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte B550I AORUS PRO AX Mini ITX AM4 Motherboard ($199.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 CL16 Memory ($189.99 @ B&H)
Storage: ADATA XPG SX8200 Pro 512 GB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($59.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: ADATA XPG SX8200 Pro 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($119.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti 8 GB Founders Edition Video Card ($399.99)
Case: Cooler Master MasterBox NR200P Mini ITX Desktop Case ($117.29 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA GM 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular SFX Power Supply ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($108.78 @ Other World Computing)
Case Fan: be quiet! Pure Wings 2 51.4 CFM 120 mm Fan ($10.90 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: be quiet! Pure Wings 2 51.4 CFM 120 mm Fan ($10.90 @ Amazon)
Monitor: Gigabyte G27QC 27.0" 2560x1440 165 Hz Monitor ($319.99 @ Amazon)
Custom: YSSHUI PWM Fan Hub PC 5 Way Splitter Sleeved PWM Fan Splitter Hub Adapter Cable for 12V Desktop Computer Cooler Case Fans 4-Pin & 3-Pin 14 inches ($7.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $1995.96
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2021-03-02 12:23 EST-0500

 

[geofelt]

Love those ITX builds.
Over the years, I have done several.
Your build will work as is.
Your parts will fit, good job in checking that out.

The big issue is how to deal with the graphics card issue.
About the only way to buy a 3000 series card is as part of a pre built like the one above.

At 1440P, the graphics card is the most important component, not the cpu.
One solution is to buy a temporary card like a GT1030 for about $120.
If it is an EVGA card, you might be able to step up to a 3000 series card and get your original price applied.
Read the fine print on that.
You will do minimal gaming, but it gets you started.

Another solution is to buy a Intel processor which included an integrated graphics adapter. Integrated is fine for desktop work, HD movie playback and non fast action games.
The dp connection will run even a 4k monitor at 60hz.

Currently, as little as a $120 i3-10100 will be competitive with a 3600.
Here is a review:
https://www.techpowerup.com/review/intel-core-i3-10100/16.html
Here is one for the i5-10600K:
https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/intel-core-i5-10600k-cpu-review/5

If you can wait a bit, rocket lake launches march 15 with improved performance
that includes better integrated graphics performance.
All at similar pricing to 10th gen.
When buying new, you will find that current gen is better price/performance.
If not better, why would a new gen ever launch?


On your build, I have no opinion on motherboard brands.

Ryzen needs fast ram for performance, like 3600 speed.
Double check compatibility with your motherboard selection.

If you go intel, ram speed matters little. 2666 is fine.

I would start with a 1tb samsung 870 evo(or+)
You can always add another ssd later if you need more capacity.
SSD devices are getting cheaper and better over time.

 

[rubix_1011]

As someone who has done mITX builds, I prefer mATX these days. More memory and PCIe options, including m.2 slots in most scenarios.

Just my input, take or leave.

 

[Why_Me]

If this is for gaming I'd be looking at an Intel 11th gen Rocket Lake build seeing how the current i5 10400F beats the Ryzen 3600 in regards to gaming and the upcoming Rocket Lake i5 11400F should only improve on those numbers with native support of 3200MHz RAM, improved IPC along with PCIe 4. btw with your resolution I'd be looking at an RTX 3070 w/750 psu.

https://www.msi.com/Landing/intel-z590-b560-h510-motherboard

MSI B560 & H510 Budget Motherboard Prices Detailed - Under $200 US, Up To DDR4-5200 OC Memory Support & Unlocked Power Limits

MSI talked about its upcoming Z590, B560, & H510 motherboards which will feature support for both Intel 11th Gen & 10th Gen CPUs.

wccftech.com

MSI H510I PRO WIFI (WiFi6) $95

https://www.tomshardware.com/news/i...e-date-specifications-performance-all-we-know
Intel 11th gen Rocket Lake i5 - 11400F ($170 if I had to guess)

A single 2TB HD (SSD) w/TLC keeps it simple.

https://www.newegg.com/mushkin-enhanced-pilot-e-2tb/p/N82E16820226902
Mushkin Enhanced Pilot-E M.2 2280 2TB PCIe Gen3 x4 NVMe 1.3 3D TLC Internal SSD $212.99

Here's two reviews of the current Intel 10th gen Comet Lake i5 10400F. Expect the newer Rocket Lake version of that chip (i5 11400F) to pump out better numbers for the reasons I stated up above.

https://www.techpowerup.com/review/intel-core-i5-10400f/
Intel Core i5-10400F Review - Six Cores with HT for Under $200

https://4youdaily.com/technology-an...cessor-review-do-you-still-like-ryzen-5-3600/
Core i5-10400 and Core i5-10400F Processor Review: Do You Still Like Ryzen 5 3600?

https://hothardware.com/news/intel-core-i5-11400-rocket-lake-cpu-performance
Intel Core i5-11400 Rocket Lake CPU Annihilates Its 10th Gen Predecessor In Benchmark Leak

 

[Synner]

Thanks for all the replies and advice, very much appreciated.

he probably needs it to be portable

Possible but what if he prefers it?

Yes to both.

Besides the obvious cost difference reason, why are you going with older parts? For example, why go with the 3600 when you can get more power and possibly longer lifetime of use from the new 5600X? Same with the motherboard - I'd go with a B550-based board because these generally have better VRMs and potentially could last longer.

I would suggest the following:

1. CPU - replace with 5600X
2. Ballistix - go with the DDR4-3600 CL16, which can be found for close to the same price as the DDR-3200. (I just bought a pair of Ballistix from Microcenter for $87, so a small bump from the $80)
3. Go with a B550 board - you get 4 lanes of PCIe 4.0 for your NVMe drive, 16x for your GPU, and better VRMs. The B450 works, but the B550 ITX boards generally use beefier components. I use the ASRock Phantom Gaming ITX/ax board, but the others (Gigabyte/MSI/Asus) are also decent. It is at the $199 range, though.
4. Save money on the SSD by going with a single 1TB (or 2TB) NVMe drive. You retain the performance of NVMe, and if you outgrow it, you can always add a larger drive later. A 1TB Sabrent Rocket 4.0 is only $149 right now.
5. That case with the low-power 5600X will run cool enough without needing a lot of extra fans. I'd drop them & then see if you really need more than the one that comes with the NR200.

CPU - My main reason for choosing a 3600 was price, 5600x is definitely tempting, just unsure if the return on investment is there.
RAM- I agree on the ram improvement, ill shop around for a higher speed, at least those prices aren't crazy.
MOBO- Good call on the b550 as well, i think i was trying to save $ and with a 3600 the B450 seemed acceptable, not so much if i upgrade.
SSD/NVME- I agree, I think I'm just used to having 2 drives, one, larger NVMe makes sense.
FANS- Again, good call, ill wait and see how the temps are before investing in more fans.

bc you can put in more rgb strips

...curse you... #antiRGB

I definitely agree that you should, at a minimum, go with a B550 motherboard. The 5600x is another good idea. I would up the ram, to 32gb, as well, for a bit of longevity. Being an ITX, and having only 2 ram slots, you would have to buy a brand new 32gb kit, and hope to sell, or reuse your 16gb kit. '


PCPartPicker Part List

More good advice and options, thank you.

Love those ITX builds.
Over the years, I have done several.
Your build will work as is.
Your parts will fit, good job in checking that out.

The big issue is how to deal with the graphics card issue.
About the only way to buy a 3000 series card is as part of a pre built like the one above.

At 1440P, the graphics card is the most important component, not the cpu.
One solution is to buy a temporary card like a GT1030 for about $120.
If it is an EVGA card, you might be able to step up to a 3000 series card and get your original price applied.
Read the fine print on that.
You will do minimal gaming, but it gets you started.

More good ideas, thank you. Graphics is definitely the big issue, I know I'll have to get lucky and/or plug away for some time to get anything "decent".

I think I'll do another build with the addition of the advice above and keep looking for a GPU.

I'm keeping an eye on Best Buy, Microcenter, NewEgg shuffle, EVGA queue, discords etc. etc.

Anything else I'm missing?

Thanks again for all the ideas! I'll post again with an update.

 

[Why_Me]

Thanks for all the replies and advice, very much appreciated.




Yes to both.



CPU - My main reason for choosing a 3600 was price, 5600x is definitely tempting, just unsure if the return on investment is there.
RAM- I agree on the ram improvement, ill shop around for a higher speed, at least those prices aren't crazy.
MOBO- Good call on the b550 as well, i think i was trying to save $ and with a 3600 the B450 seemed acceptable, not so much if i upgrade.
SSD/NVME- I agree, I think I'm just used to having 2 drives, one, larger NVMe makes sense.
FANS- Again, good call, ill wait and see how the temps are before investing in more fans.



...curse you... #antiRGB



More good advice and options, thank you.




More good ideas, thank you. Graphics is definitely the big issue, I know I'll have to get lucky and/or plug away for some time to get anything "decent".

I think I'll do another build with the addition of the advice above and keep looking for a GPU.

I'm keeping an eye on Best Buy, Microcenter, NewEgg shuffle, EVGA queue, discords etc. etc.

Anything else I'm missing?

Thanks again for all the ideas! I'll post again with an update.

Congrats on spending more for less I guess.

 

[Synner]

Congrats on spending more for less I guess.

Care to clarify?

EDIT Sorry, didn't see you previous post, I'll look through it. Thanks for taking the time to give suggestions.
EDIT#2 Wow, those #'s look really good and the price savings may allow me to actually get an overpriced gpu.