What's a good mini ITX build for travelling?

[marcooli0]

My current build is a mid tower (on the larger side) with the following components:

FX 8350 @4.4 ghz (overclocked)
GTX 970 4 GB (3.5 i guess...whatever)
2 TB of Hard Drive space. No SD.
8 GB DDR3 RAM @ 1600mhz
Fatal1ty OCZ Power Supply 750w
ASUS M5A99FX PRO R2.0 ATX AMD Motherboard with UEFI BIOS

Since I travel a lot, I obviously can't carry this behemoth around. Does anyone have any suggestions for a build that is both portable and capable of gaming at 1080p with a reasonably good frame rate? I'm willing to cut some corners like cutting out the SSD and what not but I would like the performance to be relatively similar to what I'm getting now.

 

[turkey3_scratch]

Are you replacing this PC or making a second PC? Because parts may be able to be taken from this.

 

[marcooli0]

Are you replacing this PC or making a second PC? Because parts may be able to be taken from this.

I would like to replace the desktop, yes. I just don't know if it's better to completely sell it off as a whole and start from scratch or if I should salvage parts.

 

[turkey3_scratch]

What GTX 970 is it? I need to know the length. We can use the card and the RAM. I'll change the PSU, mobo, and CPU, and case.

 

[marcooli0]

What GTX 970 is it? I need to know the length. We can use the card and the RAM. I'll change the PSU, mobo, and CPU, and case.

It's an EVGA 970 that's about 10 inches long.

 

[turkey3_scratch]

Okay, this is what I composed.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($174.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H97N-WIFI Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($109.99 @ Micro Center)
Case: Corsair 380T Mini ITX Tower Case ($119.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA GS 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($74.98 @ Mac Mall)
Total: $479.95
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-12-30 21:15 EST-0500

Yes, the case is expensive, but it is ideal for travelling. I5 CPU will stay cool, motherboard is mini ITX. Power supply is fully modular so you won't have cluttered cables in the small case.

Overall, the case and PSU are expensive but I think it's well worth it.

 

[marcooli0]

Okay, this is what I composed.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($174.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H97N-WIFI Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($109.99 @ Micro Center)
Case: Corsair 380T Mini ITX Tower Case ($119.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA GS 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($74.98 @ Mac Mall)
Total: $479.95
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-12-30 21:15 EST-0500

Yes, the case is expensive, but it is ideal for travelling. I5 CPU will stay cool, motherboard is mini ITX. Power supply is fully modular so you won't have cluttered cables in the small case.

Overall, the case and PSU are expensive but I think it's well worth it.

Wow, thanks. That is very cost efficient. I am, however, totally willing to spend more on a stronger CPU. Is there any chance to move up to a 6th gen i5 with that motherboard and case?

 

[ingtar33]

when you say portable, are you thinking about as an airplane carryon? cause that will really limit the case choices quite a bit.

whats your budget?

 

[marcooli0]

when you say portable, are you thinking about as an airplane carryon? cause that will really limit the case choices quite a bit.

whats your budget?

I can spend up to about $1000, POSSIBLY more. When I say portable, I'm talking about something like the silverstone raven rvz01, but the Corsair 380T Mini ITX Tower Case would do the job too I think. Ideally, I would like to be able to bring this onto a plane, yes.

 

[ingtar33]

ok. if you'd like to carry it into an airplane most pc cases are out. including that corsair. There are some cases that will work, but it really cuts down on the options, and that is what i'd call important information

Give me a few minutes, i'll put something together that will fit that request.

 

[nukemaster]

I was going to say that Corsair is still pretty big. A small mATX case could be close to the same size.

The rvz01 is very compact for the power it can house.

The SG05/SG06/SG13 are pretty small, but still limit higher end parts to an extent. I am not sure if they are carry on small either.

Smaller than the Corsair for sure(but does not match it for cooling either).
With some mods it fits parts pretty well with decent cooling.

An idea of the size.

 

[turkey3_scratch]

I chose 4th gen because 6th gen you'll need DDR4 RAM< but by all means you could, but are looking at another $125 for the additional stuff.

Yeah, I guess Nukemaster is right, you can go even smaller, which could help. A handle is also nice.

 

[ingtar33]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($419.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H80i GT 70.7 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z170N-Gaming 5 Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard ($149.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($154.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Cooler Master Elite 130 Mini ITX Tower Case ($34.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: SeaSonic G 550W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($78.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $993.93
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-12-30 22:00 EST-0500

This case will fit inside an airplane's carry on limits. get a solid duffle bag, a foldable keyboard and bluetooth mouse, and take that gtx970, and plop it into this guy and you'll have a formidable little gaming beast.

sidenote: you might only be able to fit the H80i with just one fan, not both inside that case. That's not a big deal as that will just lower the noise the h80i will make, it also doesn't really hit the performance of them that much.

 

[marcooli0]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($419.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H80i GT 70.7 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z170N-Gaming 5 Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard ($149.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($154.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Cooler Master Elite 130 Mini ITX Tower Case ($34.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: SeaSonic G 550W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($78.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $993.93
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-12-30 22:00 EST-0500

This case will fit inside an airplane's carry on limits. get a solid duffle bag, a foldable keyboard and bluetooth mouse, and take that gtx970, and plop it into this guy and you'll have a formidable little gaming beast.

sidenote: you might only be able to fit the H80i with just one fan, not both inside that case. That's not a big deal as that will just lower the noise the h80i will make, it also doesn't really hit the performance of them that much.

So I like this build a lot. I just have a few questions: 1) is water cooling absolutely necessary for this kind of rig or could I get by with air cooling? 2) Is there any way at all to fit a similar build like yours into a silverstone raven chassis. Something that's more console sized. I know that's asking for a lot but I'm just curious to see if that's at all possible.

 

[marcooli0]

I chose 4th gen because 6th gen you'll need DDR4 RAM< but by all means you could, but are looking at another $125 for the additional stuff.

Yeah, I guess Nukemaster is right, you can go even smaller, which could help. A handle is also nice.

I would prefer 6th gen and DDR4 for the sake of being slightly more future proof, but I realize I might not get everything I want.

 

[ingtar33]

So I like this build a lot. I just have a few questions: 1) is water cooling absolutely necessary for this kind of rig or could I get by with air cooling? 2) Is there any way at all to fit a similar build like yours into a silverstone raven chassis. Something that's more console sized. I know that's asking for a lot but I'm just curious to see if that's at all possible.

well, water is necessary if you want to overclock. you can't get a good enough air cooler in a mitx case to support overclocking.

The raven has the problem of the size of the cpu cooler is extremely limited. the only company that makes a liquid cooler that will fit in it is silverstone, and by all accounts that cooler is basically junk. I'm not saying you CANT use the raven, i'm just saying it probably will cost too much and under-perform what you're looking for.

 

[marcooli0]

So I like this build a lot. I just have a few questions: 1) is water cooling absolutely necessary for this kind of rig or could I get by with air cooling? 2) Is there any way at all to fit a similar build like yours into a silverstone raven chassis. Something that's more console sized. I know that's asking for a lot but I'm just curious to see if that's at all possible.

well, water is necessary if you want to overclock. you can't get a good enough air cooler in a mitx case to support overclocking.

The raven has the problem of the size of the cpu cooler is extremely limited. the only company that makes a liquid cooler that will fit in it is silverstone, and by all accounts that cooler is basically junk. I'm not saying you CANT use the raven, i'm just saying it probably will cost too much and under-perform what you're looking for.

I don't normally overclock, actually, so I'd be fine with not being able to do it.

 

[ingtar33]

Is there any way at all to fit a similar build like yours into a silverstone raven chassis. Something that's more console sized. I know that's asking for a lot but I'm just curious to see if that's at all possible.

I don't normally overclock, actually, so I'd be fine with not being able to do it.

in which case that part list, minus the power supply and cpu cooler will fit the raven. here it is with a solid cpu cooler plus psu and the raven case.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($419.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Scythe Shuriken Rev. B 3 11.8 CFM CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z170N-Gaming 5 Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard ($149.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($149.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Silverstone 600W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular SFX Power Supply ($117.99 @ Directron)
Case: Silverstone Raven RVZ01B ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1042.93
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-12-31 04:46 EST-0500

 

[marcooli0]

Is there any way at all to fit a similar build like yours into a silverstone raven chassis. Something that's more console sized. I know that's asking for a lot but I'm just curious to see if that's at all possible.

I don't normally overclock, actually, so I'd be fine with not being able to do it.

in which case that part list, minus the power supply and cpu cooler will fit the raven. here it is with a solid cpu cooler plus psu and the raven case.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($419.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Scythe Shuriken Rev. B 3 11.8 CFM CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z170N-Gaming 5 Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard ($149.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($149.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Silverstone 600W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular SFX Power Supply ($117.99 @ Directron)
Case: Silverstone Raven RVZ01B ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1042.93
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-12-31 04:46 EST-0500

That's perfect. Sorry for not getting back to you on shorter notice, but thanks a lot. I think this helps.

 

[Barty1884]

Just wanted to mention the CM Elite 110, I've been looking into this case myself, and looks like a nice, compact option.
Problems stem from max GPU length (under 8.3") and only having 3" clearing for the CPU cooler before hitting the PSU....so liquid is the only real option. Handles a full-sized PSU though!

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($199.88 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H55 57.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H170N-WIFI Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard ($117.99 @ NCIX US)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($44.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon R9 Nano 4GB Video Card ($594.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master Elite 110 Mini ITX Tower Case ($38.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA GS 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($70.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $1117.79
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-01-05 11:09 EST-0500

 

[marcooli0]

Just wanted to mention the CM Elite 110, I've been looking into this case myself, and looks like a nice, compact option.
Problems stem from max GPU length (under 8.3") and only having 3" clearing for the CPU cooler before hitting the PSU....so liquid is the only real option. Handles a full-sized PSU though!

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($199.88 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H55 57.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H170N-WIFI Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard ($117.99 @ NCIX US)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($44.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon R9 Nano 4GB Video Card ($594.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master Elite 110 Mini ITX Tower Case ($38.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA GS 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($70.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $1117.79
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-01-05 11:09 EST-0500

I think that case might be a tad troublesome if I want to keep my gtx 970, given the small clearance space for the GPU.

 

[Barty1884]

I think that case might be a tad troublesome if I want to keep my gtx 970, given the small clearance space for the GPU.

Oh absolutely. The case will only support 8.27", that's why I included an R9 Nano. I think most 970's are in the 10.5 - 11.5" range. Just wanted to point out a great little case and an alternative option.

 

[marcooli0]

I think that case might be a tad troublesome if I want to keep my gtx 970, given the small clearance space for the GPU.

Oh absolutely. The case will only support 8.27", that's why I included an R9 Nano. I think most 970's are in the 10.5 - 11.5" range. Just wanted to point out a great little case and an alternative option.

I hadn't considered an R9 Nano, but I think I might now that you mention it.

 

[Barty1884]

I hadn't considered an R9 Nano, but I think I might now that you mention it.

In keeping with power vs space saving, there's also the R9 Fury X which would also fit. It does have a water cooling block though..........so fitting that in the case I suggested would be even tighter, but should still be possible. Would be able to keep GPU much cooler than a fan, considering the limited ventilation in mITX cases.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($199.99 @ B&H)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H55 57.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H170N-WIFI Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard ($117.99 @ NCIX US)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($44.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 Fury X 4GB Video Card ($634.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master Elite 110 Mini ITX Tower Case ($38.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA GS 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($70.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $1157.90
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-01-06 10:50 EST-0500

 

[turkey3_scratch]

That case won't be able to house both H55 fan and the Fury X fan. Both are single 120mm fans, and the case only supports one front 120mm intake. Then two 80mm side fans.