will make a mini pc in the future...but where to start? D:

[WarWeeny]

it will be a while before i am going ot upgrade but i wanted to collect the parts i needed over time so i can get the cheapest first for example and get the more expensive parts later on.

 

my first conserns are the case, psu and the motherboard and i have a few questions about them

 

what kind of motherboard do i need for a small form factor? (itx, mitx atx what do i need? etc)

can i put any psu in the mini build or are there mini specific psu's available?

what motherboards can you recommend me if i am building an intel build or amd build? (ivy/hashwell - vishera)

what case do you recommend and are there really (sorta) cheap mini cases available?

 

my store for choice would either be:

 

http://mycom.nl/componenten (most preferred)

or 

http://www.alternate.nl/html/highlights/page.html?tk=7&hgid=189&tgid=906

 

i hope you can get past the language barrier but i have directed to the most obvious page so i hope you can get a sense of it xD

if you can find a good case/psu/motherboard (doesnt really matter what brand or intel/amd) i am all ears

 

 

this would be my first time building a mini pc so what do i need to look out for?

are there any building differences from building a regular build?

 

sorry to bombard all the questions but i like to be well informed if i am going to invest in an 800~ euro machine

[olokul]

I would stay with a mini itx board and if possible a 2nd gen i3 as the 2nd gen run cooler then the 3rd and 4th I series.   If its a true htpc then the onboard video should be fine.   you can trade off more heat from the cpu for better graphics.    I was just pricing one together on newegg and with MB, CPU, and case was under $300.    If you can find them look for inwin mini itx cases, some are very small and come with powersupplys in them if your not powering an add in gpu it will handle the htpc very well.  

 

The # 4 rig in my sig started as a htpc and then was moved to traveling lan rig.   It was very funny when I first showed up at a friends house with it in a bag.    took the top cover off plugged in the 670 then unplugged the small psu inside the case and set the Silverstone psu right next to it plugged everything in and fired it up.   once done with it everything would get unplugged and put back together and thrown under the tv for the week till it was time to travel to another lan party.

[WarWeeny]

not planning for an htcp rig, i am making a full blown gaming rig, mini format.

i am not gonna go for i3, i5 or 6+core amd nothing less.

 

i have an eye on the gtx 670 mini edition as videocard, if there isnt a mini edition of the 7xx/8xx at the time of when i am buying the videocard that will be my card for the next 5 years.

[potatochobit]

better to buy a laptop and use HDMI

 

if you want a mini PC, shuttle case was good before, but the PSU can be a problem

[Danzer]

I'm currently in the same boat as you, building the system part by part. I buy parts when I see a great deal on them. If you're going to go for a gaming rig, what I have set up is a good start:
 
This is what I have:
Case - Fractal Design Node 304
RAM - G.Skill 16GB 1866
Storage - 2tb WD Black
Graphics Card - MSI GTX 660 2GB
 
This is what I need:
CPU - i7-4770k
Mobo - Asus Maximus VI Impact or Asus Z87i-Deluxe
Boot drive - Samsung 840 Pro 128GB SSD or any size that fits your budget.
Water Cooler - Corsair H80i
PSU - Fractal Design 650W this also depends what case you want. Modular might work on other cases, not the Node since the modular cords will hit the graphics card. 

 

Nevertheless, go with a Mini-Itx. Hopefully some of these parts can be found near you. For overclocking abilities, I'd stick to the ones I mentioned above. Good luck! 

[WarWeeny]

better to buy a laptop and use HDMI

 

if you want a mini PC, shuttle case was good before, but the PSU can be a problem

 

not gonna buy an overpriced laptop.

if i wanted a laptop i would have said it.

Edited August 20, 2013 by WarWeeny

[olokul]

you can make a mini itx a full blown pc  here is mine before it got turned into a HTPC and is now a lan rig,   most of the time when people talk about mini computers they are HTPC's

 

 

sitting of a friends desk on night gaming

 

 

its now in a mini tower with a gtx 480 radiator mounted on the top for the water loop

[potatochobit]

what makes you think laptops are over-priced?

laptops are the cheapest they have ever been in HISTORY

I dont think you know much about computers

 

now you can do what you want, but if you plan to nitpick and scrounge around I suggest you absolutely not buy a motherboard until after you have your processor or are ready to put the computer together.

motherboard technology is always advancing and something six months old can end up being crap

 

you can buy a case and power supply if you want

before buying a power supply make sure you know what general size graphic card you want and if they have that model in a low profile that will fit in your mini case you have chosen

since you need to save money you should also look for a used AMD processor, phenom II series or  FX6300

[dr_bowtie]

Look at the Fractal Design Node 304 as mentioned and see if you like it. You can youtube videos on the case with builds and see how it works. I have one and I can tell you i love it.

[VaporX]

The Node is a great case, has a good mix of cooling options and small size. I replaced the front fans with Noctua 92mm PWN fans to give me better air flow and control and then mounted a Water 2.0 Performer with a Noctua 120mm fan it is cool and quiet...

 

 potatochobit, on 20 Aug 2013 - 6:21 PM, said:

what makes you think laptops are over-priced? laptops are the cheapest they have ever been in HISTORY I dont think you know much about computers now you can do what you want, but if you plan to nitpick and scrounge around I suggest you absolutely not buy a motherboard until after you have your processor or are ready to put the computer together. motherboard technology is always advancing and something six months old can end up being crap you can buy a case and power supply if you want before buying a power supply make sure you know what general size graphic card you want and if they have that model in a low profile that will fit in your mini case you have chosen since you need to save money you should also look for a used AMD processor, phenom II series or FX6300

 

 

You cannot buy a laptop with the same horsepower as a desktop at the same price. To get that kind of performance in a laptop you have to spend way to much. An ITX build can have more horsepower at the same price as a laptop.

Edited August 21, 2013 by ComputerEd

[WarWeeny]

 

I dont think you know much about computers

 

 

i probably know A LOT more computers than you think, stay away from this topic please i don't like being around ass holes, don't need you and i don't want you here.

call me aggressive but people like you ruin forums.

 

 

Look at the Fractal Design Node 304 as mentioned and see if you like it. You can youtube videos on the case with builds and see how it works. I have one and I can tell you i love it.

 

read a review or 2 for that case and it looks exactly what i need

its less than half the size of my current case so that's a + and it does look pretty sleek, 75 euro is a decent price.

 

now if i just can find that mini gtx 670 here in the Netherlands.... ;_;

Edited August 21, 2013 by WarWeeny