Mini-ITX Gaming Build

Ldjevoultion on 09/11/2015 - 14:00

I'm looking to build my first computer.

Due to space constraints I need a mini pc.

I need a system that is able to play current gen on 1080p high or ultra settings on 60fps (I don't mind turning off AA etc). It also needs to be as quiet running as possible - my desk is in my bedroom and I don't want the wife to throw it out the window.

The Build I've put together so far: http://au.pcpartpicker.com/p/6jzbJx

Is there anything I'm missing?

Any recommendations? I chose the SG13-Q version of the case instead of the standard SG13 as it's supposed to be quieter but 2-3 degrees higher in temp.

I already have a monitor and peripherals.

Help is greatly appreciated.

Computing

Comments

  • [Deactivated] on 09/11/2015 - 14:03
    +1

    what games are you hoping of running?

    • djevoultion on 09/11/2015 - 14:47
      +1

      GTA V, CSGO, DOTA 2, Guild Wars 2, Need for Speed Run, Shadow of Mordor to name a few.

      • britta on 10/12/2015 - 16:23

        Need for Speed Run….really :-P

  • scrimshaw on 09/11/2015 - 14:12

    Dat price on the motherboard. It's giving me heart attacks.

    The R9 380 4GB is better and faster, and comes obviously, with more VRAM. However, it runs a little hotter and consumes about 70w more watts on peak. This card is pretty much the 1080p king and isn't any more expensive than the 960.

    That's about it really. You could bump the power supply up to 500 or 600 watts, example, EVGA B2 is about $129 and is a fully modular PSU (but bronze rating as opposed to Gold) but its rated for 700w.

    • djevoultion on 09/11/2015 - 14:49

      Thanks for your response. Would the R9 380 work fine on a 450W gold power supply? I chose that power supply due to its dimensions - more space for air flow in this tiny case :)

      Edit: I presume the R9 380 would be noisier than the 960 OC? Something I have to factor in

      • scrimshaw on 09/11/2015 - 20:07

        I don't find my r9 380 any more noisier than my previous 7870 (which is a lower end card).

        fans at idle are not a concern at all, because with MSI afterburner you can tweak how fast the fans spin at different temps. Some R9 380's (e.g the ASUS Strix DirectCU II) have fans that turn off when the temp is below a set level.

        • djevoultion on 09/11/2015 - 20:56

          Thanks Scrimshaw - I'll look into the R9 380.

        • Grissallia on 10/11/2015 - 11:06

          @djevoultion:

          FWIW, I went with the Strix 960 2Gb for my ITX rig, replacing a HD7770. At idle, it's silent. When I'm gaming, it's very, very noticeable. :/

        • djevoultion on 10/11/2015 - 11:12

          @WarWraith:

          That's not good news :(

          Are you using the stock fans?

          I'm looking at the "Windforce" variant of the 960 (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Gigabyte-nVidia-GeForce-GTX-960-O…)

          It's supposed to offer 23% better cooling than other 960 versions whilst also being quieter …. although I don't know how much of that is true or if it's marketing gimmick..

        • Grissallia on 10/12/2015 - 15:40

          @djevoultion: Just saw this message. Yeah, standard Strix fans. Still, I'm playing pretty much everything at 1080 Ultra, although that's basically WoW, F4 & Skyrim… so… :D

  • p1 ama on 09/11/2015 - 14:26
    +1

    I'd prefer to go with an M.2 SSD, less cabling, less mess, less space, less pain.

    • djevoultion on 09/11/2015 - 14:50
      +1

      Oh Good idea - I forgot about those. Would heat be a concern or are they basically same as normal SSDs?

      Do you know how many M.2 SSD I can install on this motherboard?

      • Jemz on 09/11/2015 - 15:12
        +1

        had a look in the manual and only looks like 1

      • p1 ama on 09/11/2015 - 15:20
        +2

        SSDs don't really produce much heat, so it won't be of any concern. This MOBO has one M.2 slot on the back. If you're after high performance, I'd suggest a PCI-E based M.2 SSD, but the performance gain will be really small unless you do a lot of stuff that requires heavy I/O. Personally, I'd just get the M.2 version of the SSD you already are planning to buy, it'll probably be like $10 more or something.

        • djevoultion on 09/11/2015 - 20:54

          Thanks Jemz and Paulsterio. Sounds like a good idea to get one then :)

  • mochariffic on 09/11/2015 - 16:35

    I just got an alenware alpha off dell factory for $438 and it runs everything I can chuck at it :-) maybe not at the highest aa, quality, etc but 1080@60fps yep

    • scorpiovegas on 10/11/2015 - 11:54

      These sound interesting. How did you get that price?

      • scrimshaw on 10/11/2015 - 13:12

        It's a refurbished item

  • airzone on 09/11/2015 - 18:39

    I packed a water-cooled CPU and GPU mini-itx setup inside a Bitfenix Prodigy. Admittedly I reached the cooling capacity of the radiators (120x120 + 120x240) but that was a 1.1ghz overclock, and relatively quiet with a PWM pump and fans. Otherwise it had a similar setup.

  • rbrb on 10/11/2015 - 09:27

    I would look to get 16GB of RAM as well. 8GB isn't a lot these days and RAM is cheap.

    • djevoultion on 10/11/2015 - 10:24

      Thanks Boggie. I'll look into it. I'm on a budget so that's why I chose 8GB. I won't be running any virtual OS's - just using the pc for work and gaming.

      • [Deactivated] on 11/12/2015 - 00:12

        Just get 8GB, upgrade later. I'd doubt you need 16.

  • djevoultion on 10/11/2015 - 14:42

    Quick Question -Would I still be able to overclock the GPU with the motherboard I've chosen or will I need something else?

    • scrimshaw on 10/11/2015 - 18:41

      You don't need a certain motherboard to over clock the GPU. That being said over clocking should not be done unless you have good case cooling. Some cards also don't over clock very well… Especially the r9 380.

      • djevoultion on 10/11/2015 - 22:04

        Thanks for your reply. Glad to hear it. I'm planning on sticking with the 960 oc windforce version. Read on google that it overclocks quite well.. Some getting up to 10 to 15 % performance increase

        It'll also run quieter than the amd, less power and less heat

  • britta on 10/12/2015 - 16:22

    Just a FYI

    You can clean install Win10 with any valid Win7 or Win8 key so you might save some money buying Win7/8

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