I am looking to build a Mini Gaming PC. Are these parts okay?

Mike2951 · Dec 4, 2013

Hello, Im wanting to make a mini PC for gaming and was wondering if these parts are compatible or not and how well it will run. The parts i am looking at are as follows:

Motherboard: Asus H81I-PLUS
CPU: Intel Core i7 4770 3.40GHz
Graphics Card: PowerColor HD 7850 2GB
Memory: Kingston 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 1600MHz
Case: Coolermaster Elite 130 Mini ITX Case
PSU: Coolermaster Elite 500W PSU
Hard Drive: Seagate 1TB Barracuda
CPU Fan: Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro

Is there anything else I would need? Do you recommend any other parts instead of the ones i have chosen? Thanks for your time

Supahos · Dec 4, 2013

I would get a B85 Chipset if I was going to try and game, they aren't but a few bucks more and will perform a good chunk better in a gaming rig.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157362

Would be a pretty decent upgrade to your current build.

Mike2951 · Dec 4, 2013

Supahos :

Thanks for the reply Supahos. Would it fit in the mini case?

Supahos · Dec 4, 2013

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157390

whoops try that instead, missed that it was a mini ITX not micro atx build.

Mike2951 · Dec 4, 2013

Supahos :

Thanks Supahos. I live in the UK and I cant find that model on any sites. Is this the of similar spec?
http://www.ebuyer.com/602658-biostar-hi-fi-b85n-3d-ver-5-x-socket-1150-vga-dvi-hdmi-8-channel-hi-fi-b85n-3d

geofelt · Dec 4, 2013

Your build looks reasonable.

Some thoughts:

Since few games use more than 2-3 cores, the hyperthreads of the 4770 are largely irrelevant.
Save the $100 and use it for a 120gb SSD for the os and a handful of games.
Better yet, buy a 240gb ssd, and you may never need a hard drive at all.

Coolermaster psu quality may be variable, look for a good quality unit like Seasonic. 500w should be plenty.

If this is to be portable, like for lan parties, consider an aluminum case like the lian li Q08
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112265

Since the cpu is not to be overclocked, you can use the stock intel cooler.

Mike2951 · Dec 4, 2013

geofelt :

Thanks for the reply geofelt, I'm slightly confused as to what you are suggesting to do with the build. Would it be possible for you to list a few parts that you'd recommend. I'm looking to play Battlefield 4 mainly as well as other games but id also like the PC for graphic design as well, 3D rendering and the like. I'm at a budget of around max £700 preferably less

Supahos · Dec 4, 2013

http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/asrock-motherboard-b85mitx

a bit more expensive, but is available in the UK and would help your computer be a decent amount faster.

Mike2951 · Dec 4, 2013

Supahos :

Thank you, I had forgotten to check overclockers

geofelt · Dec 4, 2013

For games, a 4670 would perform just as well as a 4770. For your rendering apps, I don't know.
In general, I think the value of a i7 over a i5 is not that great, and the $100 difference is better spent elsewhere.
Your build would work fine, as is; I was just suggesting some other considerations.
I agree that B85 would be better than H61. It will give you 6gb sata which a SSD can use.

Outside of a ITX format, I would suggest a 4670K and a Z87 based motherboard. The price premium of a 4670K over a 4670 is about 5%, but the unlocked multiplier can give you a 20% boost in performance.
Unfortunately, in a small ITX case you need to pay more attention to cpu cooling.

Cooling is an issue in small cases. I would prefer a graphics card with a direct exhaust cooler that gets heat directly out the back of the case.
7850 is a bit older tech, and has fan technology cooling. That tends to gather heat within the case.
I might prefer something with a stock blower type cooler. Here is an example of a similarly good performing nvidia unit:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?gclid=CLOtqcPJl7sCFe5j7AodvGsAAQ&Item=N82E16814130914&nm_mc=KNC-GoogleAdwords&cm_mmc=KNC-GoogleAdwords-_-pla-_-Desktop+Graphics+Cards-_-N82E16814130914&ef_id=Up@m5gAAABPZjroe:20131204220422:s

Mike2951 · Dec 4, 2013

geofelt :

For games, a 4670 would perform just as well as a 4770. For your rendering apps, I don't know.
In general, I think the value of a i7 over a i5 is not that great, and the $100 difference is better spent elsewhere.
Your build would work fine, as is; I was just suggesting some other considerations.
I agree that B85 would be better than H61. It will give you 6gb sata which a SSD can use.

Outside of a ITX format, I would suggest a 4650K and a Z87 based motherboard. The price premium of a 4650K over a 4650 is about 5%, but the unlocked multiplier can give you a 20% boost in performance.
Unfortunately, in a small ITX case you need to pay more attention to cpu cooling.

Cooling is an issue in small cases. I would prefer a graphics card with a direct exhaust cooler that gets heat directly out the back of the case.
7850 is a bit older tech, and has fan technology cooling. That tends to gather heat within the case.
I might prefer something with a stock blower type cooler. Here is an example of a similarly good performing nvidia unit:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?gclid=CLOtqcPJl7sCFe5j7AodvGsAAQ&Item=N82E16814130914&nm_mc=KNC-GoogleAdwords&cm_mmc=KNC-GoogleAdwords-_-pla-_-Desktop+Graphics+Cards-_-N82E16814130914&ef_id=Up@m5gAAABPZjroe:20131204220422:s

Thanks geofelt, Im still confused, would it be possible for you to list a mini build with my budget of £700 please?

Supahos · Dec 4, 2013

It would be nearly impossible to build what he's referring to in an mini ITX setup and stay on that budget, though I might would consider the card geo recommended.

Mike2951 · Dec 4, 2013

Supahos :

Thanks Supahos, Would it be possible for you to list the parts you'd recommend for a build on my budget that would work well?

Supahos · Dec 4, 2013

http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/2f400

add your choice of optical drive/OS and enjoy

Mike2951 · Dec 4, 2013

Supahos :

Thank you, So thats all compatible?

Supahos · Dec 4, 2013

Yes, I went with the 4670k processor b/c oddly enough it was cheaper than the non unlocked one, and you can always OC it later if you choose to do so. No reason not to buy the K model if its cheaper

Mike2951 · Dec 4, 2013

Supahos :

Okay awesome thanks, will the components all fit the case? Will the cooling be enough?

Supahos · Dec 4, 2013

yes as long as you don't OC everything should be cool enough with the stock fan. I would have added a CPU cooler as there was enough room in the budget for a decent one, but I'm not up to date enough on ITX cases to know what will and won't fit which ones.

PS: that computer is going to be very very small, and really damned fast!

Mike2951 · Dec 4, 2013

Supahos :

Okay thanks, but all these parts will fit?

Supahos · Dec 4, 2013

The only thing I can't promise is the GPU, I'm not sure of the layout of that case. Everything else will fit, and that is a rather small gpu for higher end gpus

Mike2951 · Dec 4, 2013

Supahos :

Okay thanks Supahos. I think I know what I'm saving for then

Do you know of a mini case that the GPU will fit into? I apologize for all the hassle

I am looking to build a Mini Gaming PC. Are these parts okay?

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