Mini-ITX Combo: What Do You Recommend?

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thismafiaguy

thismafiaguy

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Jan 9, 2011
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I'm putting together a Mini-ITX combo, everything except for the GPU, HDD/SSD, and OS. I've decided on the Fractal Design Node 304, to use with my GTX 670 FTW. But right off the bat there I've run into a problem. The Node 304 has a very tight design, and with a long graphics card, the PSU either has to be non-modular or fairly short; the max allowance for the PSU depth is 165mm.

I could simply go with a non-modular PSU and I won't have any problems, but I don't want the cluster of cables blocking the intake fans, space is very limited as is, so I need at least a semi-modular PSU. This is where it gets fun. I might be able to use a semi-modular PSU if the modular plugs will not stick out far enough to hit the graphics card, or if the plugs will all be fairly close to the side(near the main cables). But this is all very difficult to estimate. And I can't exactly do trial & error.

And then comes the better part. Which CPU/Mobo should I get? At this point I'm trying to be as cost effective as I can. I think I'll go for the Ivy-bridge CPUs because the Haswell chips don't seem to be the best value. I'm thinking the 3770 might be alright. I don't really care much for CPU overclocking. But then what motherboard? Also, what's the fastest RAM the 3770 can handle?
 
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ingtar33

ingtar33

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Dec 17, 2012
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i'll tell you, unlike the editors at tom's i don't like the idea of spending $180 on a non-overclockable chip when you can add $40 and get one that overclocks just fine. Especially since a $120 fx 6300 when overclocked can come imperceptibly close to matching that aforementioned un-overclockable i5 (even beating it in multithreaded tasks).

But that's just me... understand the writers here at THG do not agree with me on this point.

My basic thought is this... if money is an issue and your budget is less then $1000 total, try to do it with an AMD alternative, and use the money saved to get features you couldn't afford with the Intel (better gpu, more feature rich mb, better hd, SSD, so on and so forth).

Sometimes, depending on your budget and needs you can do it better with an AMD. If money is no issue (or your budget is more then 1k), you have no reason to pinch pennys on the question of overclockable or non-overclockable cpus.


That said, you probably won't be able to tell the difference between the two cpus under pretty much any situation.
 
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thismafiaguy

thismafiaguy

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Thanks for the input! I'm basically going from ATX to Mini-ITX, so AMD isn't really an option unless I use an APU. I really wish Mini-ITX AM3+ motherboards existed. It's a bit expensive to sell my current motherboard and CPU to go Intel. I'm probably going to pick up an i7-4770 from a MicroCenter for $270 plus tax, and pair it with an ASUS H87I which is about $110. The unlocked 4770k is going to be at least $30 more, and the ASUS Z87 Deluxe ITX board is most likely going to be around $180. That adds up to $100 more for an unlocked Z87 combo. This is where I don't think it's worth the difference. From what I've learned by digging through benchmarks and reviews, the Haswell chips don't OC as well as Ivy chips, and they run quite a bit hotter on average. So I doubt I'll see more than a 20% performance boost from OCing it. And on the other end of the see-saw, the 4770 should already be more than plenty of power for gaming. I'm going for a system that is small, quiet, and efficient, but is still able to ramp up the FPS on most games.

Here's what I've planned:
CPU: Core i7-4770
GPU: GTX 670 FTW
RAM: 2 x 4GB 1600 DDR3
Motherboard: ASUS H87I
PSU: Corsair AX760(or Seasonic Platinum 660W)
Case: Fractal Design Node 304 White
 
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