Thoughts on My First $1500 ITX Build?

glub on 25/09/2020 - 09:24

PCPartPicker Part List

Type Item Price
CPU Cooler Cooler Master MasterAIR G200P 35.5 CFM CPU Cooler $49.00 @ Umart
Memory Team T-FORCE VULCAN Z 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory $169.00 @ Umart
Storage Kingston A2000 500 GB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive $85.00 @ Umart
Case Silverstone SG13 Mini ITX Tower Case $64.00 @ Umart
Custom Intel Core i7 10700KF $529.00
Custom Asus Radeon RX 580 Dual 8GB OC Graphics Card $255.00
Custom Asus ROG Strix H470I $279.00
Custom Silverstone ET550-G 550W 80Plus Gold Essential Power Supply $99.00
Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
Total $1529.00
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-09-25 09:17 AEST+1000

The main uses will be work, heavy databases across 3 screens needs to perform well, I also want it to be transportable enough if I need to bring it into the office. I also would love to be able to game on 1440p 144hz as I just got a new monitor.

My main concerns:

  • Will everything fit into the case
  • The GPU probably won't handle 1440p, am I better off just using the intergrated GPU not gaming and waiting till the 2080s drop in price? Wouldn't want to spend more than $600, but only if it will be able to handle high performance gaming!
  • Is the motherboard good enough? Umart had limited ITX motherboards available at a reasonable price, was originally looking at a z490m
  • If I game and work on it, the PC will be used for sometimes 15 hours at a time, therefore, need to make sure its not going to overheat, but also not too loud!
  • Couldn't find many reviews on the PSU, am I better off with a more reputable one?

I am buying it all from Umart so I can get them to build it and get warranty etc, also I have never built a PC before and it just seems like the safer option

Computing

Comments

  • oscargamer on 25/09/2020 - 09:42
    +2

    That case comes with no case fan. I just built using the white version. It can fit a 120mm or 140mm at the front.

    Intel CPU is overpriced compared to AMD.

    GPU is weak.

    You don't need 32gb of ram.

    It's a small case, I used a semi modular psu.

    Mobo is expensive. Get a gigabyte A520i AC.

    • glub on 25/09/2020 - 10:45
      • What fan did you buy?

      -The AMD 8 core is actually more expensive than this on offer unless I am missing something?

      • I currently have 16gb ram and feel like its not enough, for the small price I would rather this be overkill.

      • What PSU did you get?

      • I thought the mobo seemed expensive but was the best spec one I could find that would fit

      • What would be an intel alternative of that mobo?

      • oscargamer on 25/09/2020 - 10:56

        I just got a generic Coolermaster 120mm fan.

        Why do you need 8 cores?

        Buy the 32Gb if you want. It won't hurt. It will cost more and you won't see a benefit. But it's your money.

        My PSU - Corsair cx550m

        I don't know about Intel mobo's

  • brendanm on 25/09/2020 - 10:36

    You have an unlocked cpu but a locked motherboard? CPU seems way way overboard for your use case also. Get the $200 i5 in another deal.

    • glub on 25/09/2020 - 10:41

      What mobo would you recommend?

      • brendanm on 25/09/2020 - 10:42

        One that's actually overclockable if you want to overclock, which is why you would buy an unlocked ecu? As I said, keep that motherboard, or get something cheaper again, and get a lower tier CPU. No reason to have that

  • johnno07 on 25/09/2020 - 15:46

    main uses will be work, heavy databases

    What sort of work/databases are we talking here? People are telling you to downgrade your RAM and CPU without knowing your use case. Umart unfortunately does have a pretty crap range of ITX boards. Heat and noise become drastically more difficult to manage in a small form factor, so you've made this pretty dificult for yourself. If you're lugging this to work and back, I don't know how useful it is to have a GPU in it.

    Have you considered a laptop? It's drastically more portable.

    • glub on 25/09/2020 - 16:34

      I work in SEO, so a lot of my work involves heavy crawling of huge websites then exporting/managing/soritng that data, I currently have an I5 and it struggles/completely crashes, I also currently have 16gb of ram and have run into cases where I have maxed it out due to the mass of temporary files from downloading/transferring etc, there are some workarounds, but to never have to deal with this issue I would rather just get an extra 16gb. Therefore, I think CPU and Ram are probably the most important.

      Laptop would be ideal, but for the specs, I am looking at it would be way over the $1500 budget.

      I've messaged Umart to see if they can get the ASRock Z490M-ITX/ac Mini ITX LGA1200 Motherboard which is $246 elsewhere, or the other option is to have the PC build elsewhere/myself.

      I have also been looking and it seems like if I did ever want to upgrade the GPU (such as a 2070 super) it wouldn't fit within the SG13 case I did see this mini option: Asus GeForce RTX 2070 Dual Mini 8G which might fit, but annoyingly only has 1 HDMI and 1 display port.

      The best case I could find that would fit a standard PSU and a decent GPU is Silverstone RVZ03 Mini ITX Desktop Case, but it brings the price up quite a bit, and looking at reviews it seems like the cable management can be a nightmare.

      Heres the most recent: https://au.pcpartpicker.com/list/L67FWb

      Whats the reason you say having the GPU wouldn't be ideal for transport? Just because it might get damaged? I wonder if there would be an option of installing the GPU externally as this may solve both the space/heat and also transporting factor.

      • pongobyte on 25/09/2020 - 17:26

        Didn't see your reply earlier.
        Assume web crawling is a multithreaded task, you can probably confirm with task manager to see your CPU / cores loading.

        The SG13 has some limitations in terms of the size of the GPU, but you can fit a 2070 Super - EVGA and probably others have something to fit. You can use a 2060 super for 1440p with some lower in game settings - both will take you over your budget though.

        Haven't built in an RVZ03 before, it has good reviews on thermals.

        GPUs are heavy and moving them around without proper care will strain your motherboard PCIe slot

        • glub on 28/09/2020 - 13:41

          I did see the 2070 mini, which should hopefully fit? https://www.umart.com.au/Asus-GeForce-RTX-2070-Dual-Mini-8G-…

          Not sure how I am going to go about the transport, at the moment we don't have an office, if we get one again its likely I will just move the PC to the office and only bring it back if its for extended periods.

      • johnno07 on 25/09/2020 - 21:20

        Therefore, I think CPU and Ram are probably the most important.

        I agree. Any reason you are going Intel?

        Whats the reason you say having the GPU wouldn't be ideal for transport? Just because it might get damaged?

        Added weight for something you don't actually need for the place you're transporting it to. Also it is more likely to get damaged in transport.

        I wonder if there would be an option of installing the GPU externally as this may solve both the space/heat and also transporting factor.

        There is this option. But it will cost you $500+ for the enclosure alone.

        Basically you're fighting a losing battle here. Your budget doesn't really cover both 1440p modern gaming (depending on what you play) and your fairly intense workload. Not to mention I think you're forgetting a CPU cooler. Note too that your selected 10700KF does not have onboard graphics - so you're going to need to re-think that if you don't buy a GPU. Furthermore, SFF PC builds are decidedly enthusiast - they are generally much more difficult to work in should you need to fix something, or decided to upgrade down the line.

        I think you need to decide if this PC is going to be for work or pleasure!

        • glub on 28/09/2020 - 13:40

          I am a noob as you can probably tell, all my research stated that AMD is usually better value for the money as it priced much lower, however with the current sales on intel the price difference is almost the same.

          All the comparisons I looked at stated that the 10700 was superior to the 3700x.
          For example: https://cpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Intel-Core-i7-10700KF-…

          3700x/10700kf
          Gaming 87%/98%
          Desktop 89%/99%
          Workstation 89%/100%

          For the extra $10 it seems like a much better choice, but a few people have recommended the AMD based on them not running as hot, are there any other benefits?

          • If it would run 1440p at a high spec I would consider putting in an extra few $$$ myself to make it worthwhile, I saw there was a mini 2070 on special which would hopefully still mean I could fit it into the ITX case: https://www.umart.com.au/Asus-GeForce-RTX-2070-Dual-Mini-8G-…
            Just unsure how good this is or if I am going to do this if I am better off waiting until the new-gen brings the prices down.

          I'm hoping to have wherever I buy the build from building it, so putting it together won't be my issue! Maintenance and upgrades might suck…

          I think for sure the main thing is work, but if I can also game on it for a bit more then its an added benefit.

  • pongobyte on 25/09/2020 - 16:44

    The Intel CPUs are running warmer than the AMD counterparts, as others have said you are building an ITX which makes it harder to manage heat. This is even more important if your work is making use of all your CPU cores. If you were only gaming it'd be OK, still warmer but not as much as when fully loading the CPU.

    State your workload requirements, if you included 32GB you probably know you need it - for games only is not really needed.
    Same for the CPU, Intel is faster per core, but if your work is multithreaded you'd probably be close or the same with a 3700x for example

    For this chassis, get an SFF PSU - it's easier to build, cable management and better airflow - eg Corsair SF600, it is more expensive though.
    Get a high airflow Noctua fan for the front intake - they're pretty quiet - you can even get a 140mm but you'll need to check your GPU clearance for that.

    The case is actually not bad for moving around, and it has the GPU mounted vertically too.

    Good luck

    • glub on 28/09/2020 - 13:46

      Thanks for your help!

      I think I've responded to your comment mostly in the above thread, just unsure the benefits aside from heat of choosing AMD, but would consider it.

      Yep, I was looking for an SFX PSU, they just all seem to be much pricier, I also saw that if I went with the RVZ03 its very difficult with an AFX PSU.

      The only annoying thing is finding a case that does all I want it to and it being in stock in either Umart or Centrecom which looks like where I will be having it built, Centrecom have almost none ITX in stock.

      Would the RVZ03 be a much better choice than the SG13? it looks like its a bit tighter so moving it should hopefully cause less damage.

  • starburstyellow on 25/09/2020 - 16:57

    Considering you are planning to bring it around, have you considered the lian Li tu150? Has a sturdy handle, and the case can fit a noctua cooler and few 3080s under 320mm e.g evga xc3, Asus tuf 3080.

    Ive personally got it with a 3800x with b550, very good combo. Just waiting for my gpu and I'm set for some 1440p gaming.

    • glub on 28/09/2020 - 13:47

      The handle is less important vs the size, I drive a motorbike so ideally if I did need to move it I can just put it in a backpack and off I go.

      What was your reason for AMD over intel?

      • johnno07 on 28/09/2020 - 17:10
        +1

        Unless you have a HUGE backpack almost any ITX case is going to be too big. Also umart does not carry the boutique legitimately SFF cases. I have a very small NCase M1 and there is no way it is backpack sized. I think you want a laptop, to be honest.

      • starburstyellow on 28/09/2020 - 18:39

        Ah right! Went with AMD, because AMD is back baby! good price to core performance. Sick and tired of sub par Intel being not competitive.

        I agree with johnno07 above, itx is not as small as you think. I would struggle to find any case that can fit a backpack. Perhaps NXZT H1? That can fit a 3080.

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