Fire_Medic Posted January 14, 2016 Posted January 14, 2016 Now that things have settled a bit, I'm ready to build the new rig. Set budget is $800. Form factor has to be mini ITX. This build is going to be sitting on the top of a cabinet in the kitchen, and must be concealed. Going to figure out peripherals later, but will likely result in a wireless keyboard/mouse, or hard wiring a USB port into the wall.CPU: I5-6500 ~$195 -- Seems like a decent middle of the road processor at a decent price point. Reviews seem decent. Newest architecture, future upgrades are wide open if I wanted to go i7, etc.MOBO: Asus Z170I Mini ITX - LGA1151 ~$150 - Mainly because I recognize the name. Seems like most of the other Mini-ITx names are companies that (10 years ago..) had bad names - Gigabyte etc. Recommendations? RAM? I know "more is better" and "faster and most is best". From reading up - 8 GB seems to be the standard, with having to go with a smaller form factor graphics card for heat purposes, should I be looking to add additional ram? Brand? Budget ~$100.00 or so. Kind of torn between staying at the DDR4 2400 level and 16GB, or going up to DDR4 3200 at 8 gigs. It really seems like going for the 2400/16gig is a better option. Graphics Card? I've been out of the game for years - I haven't kept up. I'd really like to stay under $800 - but not sure that's possible. $1000 is max budget. Not against used parts... Looking at the Thermaltake CoreV1 case. Seems to be mostly open for airflow, and not be filled with thrills that I don't need on a box that won't be visible.~$35.00Power supply? Modular seems like a necessity - only use the cables I need. Don't want to waste a bunch of excess power turning to heat for no reason, so this is kind of in the air untilAdvice? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
feetfats Posted January 14, 2016 Posted January 14, 2016 Power supply? Modular seems like a necessity - only use the cables I need. Don't want to waste a bunch of excess power turning to heat for no reason, so this is kind of in the air until Advice? Electricity doesn't work that way. If you aren't putting a load on those unused wires then they won't produce heat and they will not consume power. They will however block airflow within the case so that is one of the good reasons to go modular, especially in a small form factor build. Does the $800 budget need to include things like mouse, keyboard, monitor? What games are you wanting to play and at what resolution? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lucio Posted January 14, 2016 Posted January 14, 2016 cpu: Intel Core i5-4460 ram: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB Kit gpu: Asus GTX 970 4GB STRIX mobo: MSI H81I Mini-ITX hdd: Samsung 850 EVO 500 GB SSD case: Thermaltake core V1 Mini-ITX psu: EVGA GS 550W Full Modular 80+ Gold price - $845 site - http://pcpartpicker.com/p/PKHqTW oh boy I'm really excited to make my first recommandation, so show some respect godam... ughhh yeahhh it's very basic just good quality parts for decent price, I like Nvidia cards because you don't have to worry about drivers or gaming whatsoever, did make some compremises for your m-ITX build, like the motherboard is not good, but does the job, and psu could been cheaper if it didn't need to be modular, but overall like it's a good build I think. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AkakmanH Posted January 14, 2016 Posted January 14, 2016 (edited) One of the better socket LGA1151 MB going, with outstanding reviews, is the Gigabyte GA-H170N-WIFI - LGA1151 Intel H170 Mini-ITX DDR4. Amazon has it for $120. This MB supports 4K without a graphics card but if you require one any GTX 970 will work. Also, you might look at the Noctua NH-L9I CPU cooler (low profile) and the EVGA 220-GS-0550-V1 550W PSU. Lately, for builds for friends, I have been looking mostly at Amazon and Newegg as both have mostly free shipping and no tax Edited January 14, 2016 by AkakmanH Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fire_Medic Posted January 14, 2016 Posted January 14, 2016 Does the $800 budget need to include things like mouse, keyboard, monitor? What games are you wanting to play and at what resolution? The budget doesn't include keyboard, mouse, or monitor. I'm going to utilize our 4K HD TV as the monitor for gaming. I work third shift, and sleep mostly in the afternoon while my wife is working and the kids are at school. This leaves it open for me during the morning/day. That's the majority of my time gaming anyways. I play a lot of DayZ, Rust, Minecraft, CS:GO, and Rocket League. I'm currently gaming on a laptop, and would really like to enjoy not having to turn down settings constantly to achieve decent frame rates and gameplay on things like Rust and CS:Go. I will be searching for a decent low-latency keyboard/mouse that is wireless, or hard-wiring a pair of USB extensions into the wall for when it's in use. One of the better socket LGA1151 MB going, with outstanding reviews, is the Gigabyte GA-H170N-WIFI - LGA1151 Intel H170 Mini-ITX DDR4. Amazon has it for $120. This MB supports 4K without a graphics card but if you require one any GTX 970 will work. Also, you might look at the Noctua NH-L9I CPU cooler (low profile) and the EVGA 220-GS-0550-V1 550W PSU. Lately, for builds for friends, I have been looking mostly at Amazon and Newegg as both have mostly free shipping and no tax This is where I'm torn. Because I could spend the extra money for a higher-end board, and upgrade to an i7 and try to go the onboard route, or stay with an i5 and source a decent used 970. i3 seems out of the question with only 2 cores. Most builds seem to be utilizing a minimum of 4 core processors now for future growth as developers start to utilize them... Yah? cpu: Intel Core i5-4460 ram: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB Kit gpu: Asus GTX 970 4GB STRIX mobo: MSI H81I Mini-ITX hdd: Samsung 850 EVO 500 GB SSD case: Thermaltake core V1 Mini-ITX psu: EVGA GS 550W Full Modular 80+ Gold price - $845 site - http://pcpartpicker.com/p/PKHqTW While staying within the budget, I'd really like to be able to have future upgrades open. Going with the i5-4460, it seems like I'm locked in with DDR3 at lower speeds. Leads me to believe there will be bottlenecking issues in the future if I upgrade graphics cards, etc. That's why I really was looking at going with something LGA1151, and with the newer 14mm architecture. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bosco Posted January 15, 2016 Posted January 15, 2016 Now that things have settled a bit, I'm ready to build the new rig. Set budget is $800. Form factor has to be mini ITX. This build is going to be sitting on the top of a cabinet in the kitchen, and must be concealed. Going to figure out peripherals later, but will likely result in a wireless keyboard/mouse, or hard wiring a USB port into the wall. CPU: I5-6500 ~$195 -- Seems like a decent middle of the road processor at a decent price point. Reviews seem decent. Newest architecture, future upgrades are wide open if I wanted to go i7, etc. MOBO: Asus Z170I Mini ITX - LGA1151 ~$150 - Mainly because I recognize the name. Seems like most of the other Mini-ITx names are companies that (10 years ago..) had bad names - Gigabyte etc. Recommendations? RAM? I know "more is better" and "faster and most is best". From reading up - 8 GB seems to be the standard, with having to go with a smaller form factor graphics card for heat purposes, should I be looking to add additional ram? Brand? Budget ~$100.00 or so. Kind of torn between staying at the DDR4 2400 level and 16GB, or going up to DDR4 3200 at 8 gigs. It really seems like going for the 2400/16gig is a better option. Graphics Card? I've been out of the game for years - I haven't kept up. I'd really like to stay under $800 - but not sure that's possible. $1000 is max budget. Not against used parts... Looking at the Thermaltake CoreV1 case. Seems to be mostly open for airflow, and not be filled with thrills that I don't need on a box that won't be visible.~$35.00 Power supply? Modular seems like a necessity - only use the cables I need. Don't want to waste a bunch of excess power turning to heat for no reason, so this is kind of in the air until Advice? Youre choice of gear so far is not bad. I love the Asus boards, MSI has some good stuff too. I would go with the 2400/16GB option. Check to see what Mr ccokeman has laying around he might be able to give you some deals on gear Mind you I have been buying a lot from him lately so I don't know whats left lol Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ccokeman Posted January 15, 2016 Posted January 15, 2016 You could go Z170 or Z97 and have one hell of a build that will not be bottlenecked. 16GB of DDR3 2400 would be fine at this point. WHen you look at the IPC difference between skylake and devils canyon its not that great in most applications on a clock for clock basis. Going Z97 and getting a 4690K with 16-32GB of 2400Mhz memory is going to be a very solid system. In fact I put one very similar to that together with a 4790K in a node 304 case with a GTX 980 and 16GB of 2666Mhz memory and its a beast even when I put the GTX TitanX into it. I do still have parts! All depends which route you want to go. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lucio Posted January 15, 2016 Posted January 15, 2016 cpu: Intel Core i5-6500 ram: G.Skill Ripjaws V series 16GB DDR4-2400 gpu: Asus GTX 970 4GB STRIX mobo: Asusu Z170I Pro Gaming m-ITX hdd: WD Caviar Blue 1TB 7200RPM case: Thermaltake core V1 Mini-ITX psu: EVGA Supernova NEX 650W 80+ gold full modular price - $890 site - http://pcpartpicker.com/p/QCCgkL okay I looked back at your first comment and changed the processor, and motherboard, and ram ofc. needed to change the storage to more budget choice because the price of the build rised up quickly, but since that's easier to upgrade, I don't see a problem with that, so hope I've been helpful this time Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fire_Medic Posted January 15, 2016 Posted January 15, 2016 cpu: Intel Core i5-6500 ram: G.Skill Ripjaws V series 16GB DDR4-2400 gpu: Asus GTX 970 4GB STRIX mobo: Asusu Z170I Pro Gaming m-ITX hdd: WD Caviar Blue 1TB 7200RPM case: Thermaltake core V1 Mini-ITX psu: EVGA Supernova NEX 650W 80+ gold full modular price - $890 site - http://pcpartpicker.com/p/QCCgkL okay I looked back at your first comment and changed the processor, and motherboard, and ram ofc. needed to change the storage to more budget choice because the price of the build rised up quickly, but since that's easier to upgrade, I don't see a problem with that, so hope I've been helpful this time I think we're getting closer! I really need to look at cases. I'm not sure the Thermaltake is going to have the room for a double-width full length card. Looking at this as my alternative (which drives cost up a little bit, but we haven't strayed from the $800 budget badly...): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811156320 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lucio Posted January 16, 2016 Posted January 16, 2016 (edited) lol it would fit in, don't worry, there are alot of cheap alternatives available to pick from, but if you're not sure, I think I can recommend BitFenix Colossus Mini ITX, like if you can still find one of those ofc, I like Coolermaster HAF Stacker 915F too, also Phanteks Enthoo Evolv ITX, DON'T buy BitFenix Prodigy, I think it's too overpriced for what you get, other than that more cheap cases are Tt Versa H15 or H13, Coolermaster N200 or elite 344, Fractaldesign Core 1000, there are even cheaper ones like Aerocool QS-180, but I think you can only get them in specific regions, and I live in Europe so it's best to look in a local pc shop and ask what's best for your pc... Edited January 16, 2016 by lucio Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
feetfats Posted January 16, 2016 Posted January 16, 2016 Just throwin this out there but since you are going on top of a cabinet you could perhaps lay a regular sized case on its side instead of a mini build. I only say this because I am running a mid sized case and am always struggling for room. I know guys get by with mini but I suspect they are using something else for data storage. Mini is cool because its mini but its also a pain in the butt at the same time because you will be stuffed full right off the hop. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fire_Medic Posted January 16, 2016 Posted January 16, 2016 Just throwin this out there but since you are going on top of a cabinet you could perhaps lay a regular sized case on its side instead of a mini build. I only say this because I am running a mid sized case and am always struggling for room. I know guys get by with mini but I suspect they are using something else for data storage. Mini is cool because its mini but its also a pain in the butt at the same time because you will be stuffed full right off the hop. With the size of drives that are on the market now, it's really a non-issue. I don't store tons of music, movies, or any other stuff on my machines. I have a hardwired NAS that sits in a closet with ample storage, in addition to the HP DL360 server that holds all our DVD/BluRay images. With the width and depth of the cabinet, I'm trying to recess it behind the trim to act as a view-block as much as possible. From the angle that you can see the area on top of the cabinet it will be well hidden. Going with a full size case means it would have to be on top/above the trim, and be more visible from all angles. The end goal by going mini is to keep it inconspicuous when not in use - to include remoting the power button to a convenient location outside of the case for easy access. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now