Mini-ATX Build - Please check?

• 

  airzone on 10/03/2017 - 00:12

  2 - Not recommended, but if you must, insulate the ends. Shorting to the case sucks.

  • 

    drojf on 10/03/2017 - 00:27

    Out of interested OP why do you want to cut the ends? the case seems spacious enough, and since the power supply is underneath the motherboard, you shouldn't have any clearance issues with the graphics card…

    • 

      BlazinPast on 10/03/2017 - 01:24

      +1

      Exactly. I just built a mini-itx build with the Silverstone ML08 which is almost half the size at 12L. The Thermaltake being twice the size should easily accommodate the few extra cables of a non-modular PSU. You might even run into cable length issues going with a SFX PSU considering this case is pretty damn big for a mini-itx. It says it can fit a full sized PSU so I'd just go with that since it'd come with a bigger fan and with longer cables. The Corsair VS450 is a few dollars cheaper and has 50% more wattage too.

      • 

        penguin286 on 10/03/2017 - 13:33

        Ahh right. I must have overestimated the size of the mini-ATX. I'll have to look for a smaller one - think someone commented below about an alternative…?

        Yeah I wasn't sure what SFX vs ATX really was, I'll pick the VS450 you recommended

      • 

        BlazinPast on 10/03/2017 - 14:16

        +1

        @penguin286: Remember, the VS450 is a full sized ATX power supply and will work for the Thermaltake case since it allows a full sized ATX power supply. If you go for another case, then you most likely would need to stick with the power supply you've chosen initially. However, 300W is really not a lot for your setup as it'll most likely draw around 250W at full load so you are cutting it close. Maybe stick with this case so you can fit a larger ATX power supply instead. If you still want an SFX power supply then you'd have to pay a lot more for either this one or this one which also happens to be modular too. Make sure you pre-order them. Or you could find a case that comes with its own SFX power supply and ensure it has at least 350W.

        Make sure you read my comment below about the Motherboard/RAM selection as the one you picked is pretty bad and also unavailable for purchase.

      • 

        penguin286 on 10/03/2017 - 16:32

        @BlazinPast:

        My whole aim is to have a case that's as mobile/compact as it can be, so it looks like the Silverstone SG13 is the way to go. Having a look at their website, they seem to support ATX fine so I guess I can just pick most PSU's…

        Alright! Now to move onto Motherboard/RAM

      • 

        BlazinPast on 10/03/2017 - 17:34

        @penguin286: My case is very small and pretty mobile since it has a handle too. Essentially looks like a PS4

      • 

        penguin286 on 10/03/2017 - 18:16

        @BlazinPast:

        Oh that's a beauty. What PSU did you fit in? I was definitely intending to bring it to friend's house and plug it onto a screen and start playing some multiplayer PC games

      • 

        BlazinPast on 10/03/2017 - 19:15

        @penguin286: I put in a Corsair SF600. Not cheap and went with that since I'm running a GTX 1080 in there. You could easily use the SF450 though which is $124. Fully modular and gold rated efficiency too.

        Very clever case design which makes it much easier than building it in a cube case. Cube cases are so crammed you feel like your fingers are breaking trying to connect everything. The ML08 Has a separate compartment for GPU by using a connector to keep it separate from CPU. Very easy to build in. I was able to install 3 cheap case fans above the GPU too to keep things pretty cool in there but it requires you to drill ventilation holes at the top of the case.

        Make sure you're 460 is powerful enough to play the games you're intending to play. I don't know much about AMDs graphic cards.

      • 

        penguin286 on 11/03/2017 - 18:11

        @BlazinPast:

        Think 460 is about on par with a 1050, I might change over back to GTX since they're around the same price and performance.

        PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

        Type	Item	Price
        CPU	Intel Core i3-7100 3.9GHz Dual-Core Processor	$151.00 @ Shopping Express
        Motherboard	MSI B250I GAMING PRO AC Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard	$179.00 @ PLE Computers
        Memory	G.Skill NT Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory	$147.00 @ IJK
        Storage	Intel 600p Series 256GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive	$138.00 @ Shopping Express
        Video Card	Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1050 2GB OC Low Profile Video Card	$159.00 @ Shopping Express
        Case	Silverstone ML08B-H HTPC Case	$105.00 @ PCCaseGear
        Power Supply	Corsair SF 450W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular SFX Power Supply	$124.00 @ Umart
        	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
        	Total	$1003.00
        	Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-03-11 18:07 AEDT+1100

        The other thought is for me to put my GTX960 from my Desktop into the ML08, and upgrade my desktop GPU instead. Same with the RAM - but my next question is if H97s are compatible with 2400Mhz RAM. (It's a ASRock H97M PRO4 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard). One of the TomsHardware question says it is, but not stably.

      • 

        BlazinPast on 11/03/2017 - 20:59

        @penguin286: Yeah you could put the 960 in there if you want to. Just make sure Really depends which computer you want to have more performance.
        I'm pretty sure a H97 will not support the DDR4 RAM, regardless of what MHz it is. Maybe it could do 2400MHz DDR3 but it's not compatible with DDR4 so it doesn't matter.

        Other than that, the components you have selected all look good to me. Just make sure the GPU fits the restrictions of "*Compatible up to 13" (330mm) long, width restriction-4.78" (121mm)." The 1050 one you selected will easily fit.

      • 

        penguin286 on 12/03/2017 - 00:19

        +1

        @BlazinPast:

        Thanks mate, appreciate the help you've given!

      • 

        BlazinPast on 12/03/2017 - 00:53

        @penguin286: No worries, let me know if you have any more questions about building it

• 

  [Deactivated] on 10/03/2017 - 01:14

  +1

  https://au.pcpartpicker.com/list/nmvB9W

  there fixed.

  • 

    penguin286 on 10/03/2017 - 13:36

    G4660 > i3-6100 then?

    • 

      [Deactivated] on 10/03/2017 - 14:19

      benchmarks show same/same performance

• 

  BlazinPast on 10/03/2017 - 01:37

  You need to get DDR4 ram. DDR3 will not work with the chipset version of your motherboard. This would suffice. It's higher clocked than your typical DDR3 ram too. Don't go past 2133MHz as you won't be able to support a higher clock speed. It's also slightly cheaper too. I'm not sure if the looks of the RAM matter so you can go for something fancier but they are all essentially the same in terms of reliability/performance. Scratch that, seems like it does accept it. However, I don't understand why you wouldn't just spend roughly the same amount and get a motherboard that does accept DDR4. I can't even find a shop that sells the specific motherboard that you are after. I would just go for this motherboard and use the RAM I linked above.

  Read my above comment about the PSU too. Other than that, seems ok with me. Maybe invest in another case fan just to ensure things like the GPU stay cool in there but considering it's a pretty big case, you should be fine.

  • 

    penguin286 on 10/03/2017 - 16:02

    I might change the case to something smaller - so buying a cooler fan will be another thing for me to look at in a bit.

    Thanks btw!

• 

  supnigs super skids on 10/03/2017 - 09:17

  YEAH, awesomes!

  you can just rubberband them loose wires and add neons for the extra cool space ships look. then switch off the lights and get it on with that sweet jazzy music videos stash you have on the ssd. would play faster

  • 

    penguin286 on 10/03/2017 - 16:03

    Love the imagination mate!

• 

  klaw81 on 10/03/2017 - 09:52

  Not sure why your motherboard choice was restricted. Any B250/H270/Z270 motherboard will work with your processor straight out of the box, and H110/B150/H170/Z170 should work after a BIOS update (but you may need to pay for that service - check before buying). I would try to get something a bit newer than the H110, which is a fairly old chipset now. (I'd recommend aiming for something like the MSI B250i Pro, which is fairly affordable and has all the good stuff)

  While you're at it, make sure you get a motherboard that supports M.2 NVMe SSDs. All of the B250/H270/Z270 boards will have this, and most of the B150/H170/Z170 boards too. Not only will this allow much faster SSDs, but also reduces wiring since the SSD doesn't need any cables, so it's a neater and more compact build. (Recommended SSD: Intel 600P 256GB)

  Don't get old RAM - it will work, but it can put a cap on your CPU's performance. It's only slightly more expensive to get DDR4 2133Mhz instead.

  DON'T cut any wires on a PSU, ever. The risk of shorting and starting a fire, or frying components, is way too high to risk it. It's not that hard to bundle up the cables you don't need….or pay an extra few dollars to get a modular or semi modular PSU.

  I would point out that your build would easily fit in a box about half the size. The Core v1 is okay, but you can do better for around that price. I don't see the point in having a Mini ITX build that's bigger than it needs to be. Maybe something like the Cooler Master Elite 130 or Silverstone Sugo SG13, which are both smaller but can still easily fit your components.

  In general, it looks like you're cheaping out a little too much. I get that these bits are expensive, and you're on a tight budget, but I'd suggest you're taking it a bit too far and will regret some of those choices later. If you can't afford a new build, it might be worth looking for 2nd hand ITX builds on eBay and Gumtree - you can get pretty good value if you know what you're looking for.

  • 

    BlazinPast on 10/03/2017 - 14:29

    H110/B150/H170/Z170 would also work right out the box since it was designed for Skylake processors. The only instance someone would need to update the BIOS would be for a Kabylake CPU in a H110/B150/H170/Z170 motherboard. I do think OP should go for the Kabylake processor as it's faster and the same price too. However, there is no cheap ITX board for B250/H270/Z270 yet. So unless OP can pay someone to update the BIOS before he installs the Kabylake, it'd just be best sticking with Skylake.

    • 

      penguin286 on 10/03/2017 - 16:42

      RE Mboards: So essentially a B250 Mini ITX is most suited to the build… I might go for that option then

    • 

      klaw81 on 11/03/2017 - 09:10

      +1

      You're absolutely right - I just assumed he was talking about Kaby Lake, didn't notice it was a Skylake processor. So yes, a B150/H170 would be perfectly suitable and a fair bit cheaper too.

  • 

    penguin286 on 10/03/2017 - 16:46

    Thank goodness for your post. I probably had no idea about 95% of what you just wrote even though I've built a PC 2 years ago (still learning!)

• 

  penguin286 on 10/03/2017 - 16:45

  How's this list now on its own merit?

  I already have a desktop gaming PC, so I feel like I could cut some costs here and there…but then again, I'd probably end up using 2 hours of research to save $50 bucks…

  PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

  Type	Item	Price
  CPU	Intel Core i3-6100 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor	$152.00 @ Shopping Express
  Motherboard	MSI B250I GAMING PRO AC Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard	$179.00 @ PLE Computers
  Memory	Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory	$149.00 @ Umart
  Storage	Intel 600p Series 256GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive	$138.00 @ Shopping Express
  Video Card	Gigabyte Radeon RX 460 2GB WINDFORCE OC Video Card	$145.00 @ Umart
  Case	Silverstone Sugo SG13B Mini ITX Tower Case	$55.00 @ PCCaseGear
  Power Supply	Silverstone Strider Plus 600W 80+ Bronze Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply	$109.00 @ PCCaseGear
  	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
  	Total	$927.00
  	Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-03-10 16:42 AEDT+1100

  • 

    BlazinPast on 10/03/2017 - 17:30

    CPU: Go for the newer 7th gen Kabylake procesor, the i3-7100. It's the newer version that is $1 cheaper and clocked faster. There's no reason to go for a 6th gen version.
    Memory: You can go for 2400MHz RAM instead of 2133MHz ram now since the newer Kabylake processor can handle it with a B250 motherboard. I'm not sure you really need the 16GB of RAM but I don't know what you're specifically using this build for. Maybe just buy 1x8GB RAM and buy another stick if you feel like you need it later down the road.
    Power suppply: You may as well bump it up to 80+ Silver for the same price and size: https://www.pccasegear.com/products/23149/silverstone-stride….

    If you decide to stick with the 6th gen Skylake processor (i3-6100) you can just stay with an older motherboard like this and save yourself like $80. Cutting the RAM down to 8GB and you should get the total cost to sub 800 like you wanted.

    • 

      klaw81 on 11/03/2017 - 09:17

      This is good advice.

      If your budget allows for the extra cost, go for i3-7100 and pair it with B250 motherboard and 2400Mhz RAM.

      If you want to stick to your budget, for for i3-6100, paired with B150 motherboard and 2133Mhz RAM. This should save a little money and only slightly less performance.

      • 

        BlazinPast on 11/03/2017 - 17:17

        Yep exactly this. You can spend the extra $90 and get around a 10% performance with i3 7100 CPU, B250 Motherboard and 2400MHz RAM. otherwise save the money and go for the i3 6100 CPU, H110 Motherboard (I wrote the wrong link in the comment above) and 2133MHz RAM