[SOLVED] New SFF build $1500ish budget

tmcc

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Hi there. I am looking to get a new build going. My budget is $1500ish for a case, CPU, mobo, ram, hard drive, psu and cpu cooler. My last build was done in 2010 and is based on an i7 2600K o/c to 4ghz. I have been upgrading the video card periodically since 2010 then and everything has been fine. The machine is primarily gaming (who are we kidding) with a touch of Excel here and there.

I want it as small as possible and silent. No coil whine.... no LED or RGBs whirling around. I move the machine around between my living room and office. I play gamepad only games on my couch.. but I play a BF4 style game at a desk while seated. I'm using my existing EVGA 1080TI in this build. If you spot a EVGA, Asus or MSI 3090 for MSRP, please include that and consider the budget + whatever that costs. I copy and pasted the Q&A from the sticky. I hope that helps. Buy time is now if possible. Thank you


Approximate Purchase Date: Today. Now?
Budget Range: x < $1500ish (excluding video card, excluding monitor)
System Usage from Most to Least Important: SFF high performance gaming machine (some excel work)
Are you buying a monitor: No
Parts to Upgrade: Case, CPU, MOBO, RAM, M.2 SSD, PSU (CPU closed loop cooler?)
Do you need to buy OS: No
Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Newegg
Parts Preferences: Everything must be plug and play. No extra firmware flashing, etc
Overclocking: Yes, if its 1-2 clicks
SLI or Crossfire: No
Your Monitor Resolution: 3840x2160
Additional Comments:

  • Must be MiniITX or MicroATX
  • Only need 1 hard drive
  • CPU selection must be whatever is best for gaming
  • Start with 16GB ram in 8GB sticks - will upgrade to 32gb later
  • Using a EVGA GTX 1080 TI FTW3 video card (case clearance..)
  • MB must use most recent chipset for best processor - this part has me stuck. CPU speeds are all the same but there are a half dozen generation of processors ???
  • Please balance price/performance of selections
  • MB must have PCIe 4.0 (buying a 3090 when possible at non-scalper prices)
  • MB must have most recent M.2 slot
  • I move this machine between my living room and office. Play gamepad games in living room.. WASD games in office.
 
Solution
Lets review something like this and see if you like it so we can go further if possible. Feel free to mix and match suggestions if you spot something you like.

Shiny 11700K, not yet listed with PartPicker, $400.

https://www.amazon.com/Intel-i7-11700K-Desktop-Processor-Unlocked/dp/B08X6ND3WP

You do have more room in the budget if you wanted to get the i9-11900k, it is also an 8-core processor, but comes with Intel's latest boost technology and higher boost clocks out of the box. Though with a little overclocking, you can get most of that out of the 11700k. Can also explore liquid cooling.

Plus:

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-L9x65 33.84 CFM CPU Cooler ($52.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard:...

Eximo

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3090 at retail, you would just have to make an attempt to purchase one. Also not going to have much luck cramming one of those into a small chassis. Probably stop at the 3080.

Which specific EVGA 1080Ti? Going to need to know the size/length.
 

tmcc

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3090 at retail, you would just have to make an attempt to purchase one. Also not going to have much luck cramming one of those into a small chassis. Probably stop at the 3080.

Which specific EVGA 1080Ti? Going to need to know the size/length.
The existing card is a EVGA 1080 TI FTW3 11G-P4-6696-KR ... 300MM

What do you mean make an attempt to purchase one? Do you see a 3090 in stock for MSRP somewhere?
 

Eximo

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What do you mean make an attempt to purchase one? Do you see a 3090 in stock for MSRP somewhere?

The only way to get one is to pay the premium or just track every place that sells one and try to buy when they have stock, 99/100 you probably won't be fast enough. They can be gotten, just not easy. Takes a lot of free time during business hours basically. Personally, going to hold on to my 1080 until things calm down.
 

tmcc

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That's exactly what I'm doing. I've had auto notifies for like every flavor of 3090 and 3080 that exist.... since like January. Still nothing which is why I'm using my 1080 TI.
 
With the RTX 3080 Ti right around the corner I'd skip the 3090 seeing how that card is a waste of money.

https://www.newegg.com/black-fractal-design-meshify-c-mini-micro-atx-mid-tower/p/N82E16811352086
Fractal Design Meshify C Mini Black Micro ATX $93.99

https://www.newegg.com/seasonic-focus-gm-series-focus-gm-850-750w/p/N82E16817151231
Seasonic FOCUS GM-850, 850W 80+ Gold, Semi-Modular $126.99

https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E16813157994
ASRock B560M STEEL LEGEND $119.99

or ..

https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E16813119383
ASUS TUF GAMING B560M-PLUS WIFI $149.99

https://www.amazon.com/Intel-i7-10700F-Desktop-Processor-Graphics/dp/B086MN2XYL/
Intel Core i7-10700F $267.21

https://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-RR-212S-20PK-R1-Contact-Silencio/dp/B07H25DYM3/
Cooler Master Hyper 212 Black Edition CPU Air Cooler $39.99

https://www.newegg.com/ballistix-16gb-288-pin-ddr4-sdram/p/N82E16820164198
Crucial Ballistix 3200 MHz DDR4 DRAM Desktop Gaming Memory Kit 16GB (8GBx2) CL16 $79.99

or ...

https://www.newegg.com/corsair-32gb-288-pin-ddr4-sdram/p/N82E16820236541
CORSAIR Vengeance LPX 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR4 3200 CL16 Intel XMP 2.0 $164.99

https://www.newegg.com/mushkin-enhanced-pilot-e-1tb/p/N82E16820226901
Mushkin Enhanced Pilot-E M.2 2280 1TB PCIe Gen3 x4 NVMe 1.3 3D TLC Internal SSD $109.99

or 2TB SSD w/TLC controller

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

https://www.asrock.com/MB/Intel/B560M Steel Legend/index.asp


https://www.anandtech.com/show/1634...e-i710700k-review-is-65w-comet-lake-an-option
 
Last edited:

Eximo

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As for your build, planning for a 3090, probably means Micro ATX, but that will make it a much larger volume.

If you got say, a founders edition RTX 3080, that would fit in most Mini-ITX chassis.

If you plan to upgrade the memory later, then that would mean 4 slots, so again Micro ATX. If you buy 32GB now, then it would just be done.

PCIe 4.0 is available through AMD and Intel on their newest platforms. Do you have a preference? Since AMD CPUs are basically the better choice, they are also in high demand and sometimes hard to come by, less motherboard options as well.

I think in this case an Intel CPU might be of some value, but to do PCIe 4.0, going to have to be the latest models. I'll see what that does to the pricing.
 

punkncat

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I am not sure that "smallest case" and "super quiet" go along well with todays high TDP/voltage equipment. Generally you either run into a case that is loud by design, such as a mesh case, or loud because you are cooking everything inside. There is a fine balance to be struck between these desires, IMO.
 
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Eximo

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Lets review something like this and see if you like it so we can go further if possible. Feel free to mix and match suggestions if you spot something you like.

Shiny 11700K, not yet listed with PartPicker, $400.

https://www.amazon.com/Intel-i7-11700K-Desktop-Processor-Unlocked/dp/B08X6ND3WP

You do have more room in the budget if you wanted to get the i9-11900k, it is also an 8-core processor, but comes with Intel's latest boost technology and higher boost clocks out of the box. Though with a little overclocking, you can get most of that out of the 11700k. Can also explore liquid cooling.

Plus:

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-L9x65 33.84 CFM CPU Cooler ($52.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte Z590I AORUS ULTRA Mini ITX LGA1200 Motherboard ($289.99 @ B&H)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory ($154.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 970 Evo 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($139.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11 GB FTW3 ELITE GAMING Video Card
Case: Phanteks Evolv Shift 2 Mini ITX Tower Case ($117.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair SF 600 W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully Modular SFX Power Supply ($139.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $895.93
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2021-03-24 15:56 EDT-0400


That 1080Ti is the same cooler/size as yours.

Power supply might be undersized for even a 3080, certainly for a 3090. So I will list an alternate here:

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/W7...d-fully-modular-sfx-power-supply-sst-sx700-pt

Case claims to have enough room for a FTW3 3090, which is sadly wrapped in RGB, pretty poor showing from EVGA if you ask me. Your FTW3 is one of my favorite designs from them.
 
Solution
With the RTX 3080 Ti right around the corner I'd skip the 3090 seeing how that card is a waste of money.

https://www.newegg.com/black-fractal-design-meshify-c-mini-micro-atx-mid-tower/p/N82E16811352086
Fractal Design Meshify C Mini Black Micro ATX $93.99

https://www.newegg.com/seasonic-focus-gm-series-focus-gm-850-750w/p/N82E16817151231
Seasonic FOCUS GM-850, 850W 80+ Gold, Semi-Modular $126.99

https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E16813157994
ASRock B560M STEEL LEGEND $119.99

or ..

https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E16813119383
ASUS TUF GAMING B560M-PLUS WIFI $149.99

https://www.amazon.com/Intel-i7-10700F-Desktop-Processor-Graphics/dp/B086MN2XYL/
Intel Core i7-10700F $267.21

https://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-RR-212S-20PK-R1-Contact-Silencio/dp/B07H25DYM3/
Cooler Master Hyper 212 Black Edition CPU Air Cooler $39.99

https://www.newegg.com/ballistix-16gb-288-pin-ddr4-sdram/p/N82E16820164198
Crucial Ballistix 3200 MHz DDR4 DRAM Desktop Gaming Memory Kit 16GB (8GBx2) CL16 $79.99

or ...

https://www.newegg.com/corsair-32gb-288-pin-ddr4-sdram/p/N82E16820236541
CORSAIR Vengeance LPX 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR4 3200 CL16 Intel XMP 2.0 $164.99

https://www.newegg.com/mushkin-enhanced-pilot-e-1tb/p/N82E16820226901
Mushkin Enhanced Pilot-E M.2 2280 1TB PCIe Gen3 x4 NVMe 1.3 3D TLC Internal SSD $109.99

or 2TB SSD w/TLC controller

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

https://www.asrock.com/MB/Intel/B560M Steel Legend/index.asp


https://www.anandtech.com/show/1634...e-i710700k-review-is-65w-comet-lake-an-option
One other thing ... Intel's 11th gen Rocket Lake line of cpu's will be officially released at the end of this month. That means the i7 11700F is an option although I'd wait to see the benchmarks/reviews of that cpu from sites such as this before making a decision. The locked (non K) cpu's run cooler than the unlocked Intel cpu's and the performance difference is minimal per the review link I posted up above. The 11700F has already shown up on UK sites so expect it to show up on Newegg any day now for right around $325 - $330.
 
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tmcc

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With the RTX 3080 Ti right around the corner I'd skip the 3090 seeing how that card is a waste of money.

One other thing ... Intel's 11th gen Rocket Lake line of cpu's will be officially released at the end of this month. That means the i7 11700F is an option although I'd wait to see the benchmarks/reviews of that cpu from sites such as this before making a decision. The locked (non K) cpu's run cooler than the unlocked Intel cpu's and the performance difference is minimal per the review link I posted up above. The 11700F has already shown up on UK sites so expect it to show up on Newegg any day now for right around $325 - $330.

Thank you for the feedback on intel and the NVIDIA TI's.. I cherry picked a few of your suggestions
 
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tmcc

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Lets review something like this and see if you like it so we can go further if possible. Feel free to mix and match suggestions if you spot something you like.

Shiny 11700K, not yet listed with PartPicker, $400.

https://www.amazon.com/Intel-i7-11700K-Desktop-Processor-Unlocked/dp/B08X6ND3WP

You do have more room in the budget if you wanted to get the i9-11900k, it is also an 8-core processor, but comes with Intel's latest boost technology and higher boost clocks out of the box. Though with a little overclocking, you can get most of that out of the 11700k. Can also explore liquid cooling.

Plus:

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-L9x65 33.84 CFM CPU Cooler ($52.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte Z590I AORUS ULTRA Mini ITX LGA1200 Motherboard ($289.99 @ B&H)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory ($154.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 970 Evo 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($139.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11 GB FTW3 ELITE GAMING Video Card
Case: Phanteks Evolv Shift 2 Mini ITX Tower Case ($117.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair SF 600 W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully Modular SFX Power Supply ($139.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $895.93
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2021-03-24 15:56 EDT-0400


That 1080Ti is the same cooler/size as yours.

Power supply might be undersized for even a 3080, certainly for a 3090. So I will list an alternate here:

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/W7...d-fully-modular-sfx-power-supply-sst-sx700-pt

Case claims to have enough room for a FTW3 3090, which is sadly wrapped in RGB, pretty poor showing from EVGA if you ask me. Your FTW3 is one of my favorite designs from them.

Thank you, I got the i7 11700. i9 11900 is overkill probably and I have no problem coming in under budget.

That Phaneks case is sweet. Thats exactly what I was hoping for - something that kind of looks like a console I can tuck away. Some of the reviews complain about the lack of a gen 4 PCIe riser cable. I can always just buy another one when I'm able to get a card that can use it right?

Final list:

 
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logainofhades

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Do not get the 11700k. It is a terrible chip, compared to Ryzen 5000 and even Intel 10th gen. There is no way that little cooler will keep a 11700k cool. You are going to need to go with a lower wattage chip.

A slimmer ITX build
PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5600X 3.7 GHz 6-Core Processor ($299.00 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-L9x65 SE-AM4 CPU Cooler ($54.95 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte B550I AORUS PRO AX Mini ITX AM4 Motherboard ($209.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 CL16 Memory ($199.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Sabrent Rocket 4.0 500 GB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Sabrent Rocket 2 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($286.50 @ B&H)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11 GB FTW3 ELITE GAMING Video Card
Case: Silverstone ML07B HTPC Case ($94.01 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair SF 750 W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully Modular SFX Power Supply ($191.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $1426.41
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2021-03-24 16:27 EDT-0400



M-ATX I bumped up to a 5800x, since better cooling is possible.
PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 5800X 3.8 GHz 8-Core Processor ($449.00 @ Best Buy)
CPU Cooler: ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280 72.8 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($109.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte B550M AORUS PRO-P Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard ($149.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 CL16 Memory ($199.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Sabrent Rocket 4.0 500 GB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Sabrent Rocket 2 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($286.50 @ B&H)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11 GB FTW3 ELITE GAMING Video Card
Case: Thermaltake Core V21 MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($71.98 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair RMx (2018) 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($144.99 @ Best Buy)
Case Fan: ARCTIC P14 72.8 CFM 140 mm Fan ($10.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1513.42
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2021-03-24 16:43 EDT-0400



Intel ITX

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i5-10400 2.9 GHz 6-Core Processor ($159.99 @ Adorama)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-L9x65 33.84 CFM CPU Cooler ($52.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z490 Phantom Gaming-ITX/TB3 Mini ITX LGA1200 Motherboard ($229.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory ($154.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Silicon Power A80 512 GB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($61.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Silicon Power A80 2 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($239.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11 GB FTW3 ELITE GAMING Video Card
Case: Silverstone ML07B HTPC Case ($94.01 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair SF 750 W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully Modular SFX Power Supply ($191.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $1185.93
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2021-03-25 10:48 EDT-0400



Intel M-ATX
PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i7-10700K 3.8 GHz 8-Core Processor ($319.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280 72.8 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($109.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock Z590M Pro4 Micro ATX LGA1200 Motherboard ($169.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 CL16 Memory ($199.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Silicon Power A80 512 GB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($61.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Silicon Power A80 2 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($239.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11 GB FTW3 ELITE GAMING Video Card
Case: Thermaltake Core V21 MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($71.98 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair RMx (2018) 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($144.99 @ Best Buy)
Case Fan: ARCTIC P14 72.8 CFM 140 mm Fan ($10.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1329.90
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2021-03-25 10:53 EDT-0400
 

Eximo

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Agreed, the option for liquid cooling is still on the table. Didn't expect, yep, good enough immediately.

Not sure we can discount Intel just for running hot. This is no overclocking intended, so it should boost for a moment and then settle back down and stick around the 125 TDP. A larger cooler is a good idea though.
 

tmcc

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I got the 11700k. Its overclocked to 5ghz. Ram is set to 3200 via XMP. Video card has never needed overclocking at 4k / 60hz so thats that.

To be honest, the AMD was never really an option. I have no patience for updating the bios and maybe or maybe not dealing with out of the box compatibility issues between B550 and new CPUs... its really not acceptable. I dont care about the $100 or the watts or the TDP etc.

One thing I will complain about though is the riser cable. Getting it positioned and seated properly was a major pain and this isn't my first ITX build either. The instructions in the case recommend doing that part first. Its FAR easier to do it last imo, especially considering how tight the clearance is with the PCIe power cables on the graphics card.
 
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tmcc

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Agreed, the option for liquid cooling is still on the table. Didn't expect, yep, good enough immediately.

Not sure we can discount Intel just for running hot. This is no overclocking intended, so it should boost for a moment and then settle back down and stick around the 125 TDP. A larger cooler is a good idea though.
what do you think a better cooler would be? I'd like to stick with air cooled if possible just because its so tight in the case.