First time going DIY, making some decisions for a Mini-ITX build

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rhysjenz

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Mar 4, 2014
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Hi. I was planning to get a new laptop that could handle some 1080p gaming & CAD amongst other things - I've never been a fan of desktops - until I saw there are some really well-designed/not gaudy/small Mini-ITX cases out there. So I've decided to build myself one :) I'm a big fan of the Silverstone FT03-Mini case, so the build revolves around that. There are a few areas where I'm tossing up between some similar components:

1) Motherboard: Looking at Gigabyte GA-H87N-WIFI or Gigabyte GA-Z87N-WIFI or ASRock Z87E-ITX. Am I right in thinking I don't need to bother with the Z87 boards as I won't be overclocking? No other advantages I'll miss?

2) CPU: Either i5-4570 or i5-4670. 4570 is NZ$264 (US$220) and the 4670 is NZ$294 (US$246). Worth the extra $?

3) CPU Cooler: As I'm not overclocking, do I need a 3rd party cooler? Apparently the FT-03 was designed around an all-in-one water cooler like the Corsair H60, and fan coolers aren't ideal because it's quite cramped inside.

4) Memory: Cheapest brand name is fine right? :) Cheapest I could find was G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 2x4GB DDR3-1600. Was wondering if it would have any height issues in the FT03-Mini though?

5) PSU: Apparently the modular design of the Silverstone ST45SF-G actually makes building harder with the FT03-Mini given you use all the cables anyway and it's tight inside. I could just get the non-modular ST45SF model, although it's bronze rated, not gold?

6) GPU: Apparently the FT03-Mini needs a 'blower style' GPU? Bit tricky to find, because I'm not 100% on what they look like, but currently eyeing the EVGA GeForce GTX 660. Thoughts? Any other 'mid-range' (I think?) blower GPUs you'd recommend?

*FYI: I'm not buying from Newegg, I'm down in NZ. Just the easiest place to link to everything.

Thanks for any assistance :) FYI for storage I'm planning on a 250GB 840 EVO SSD, and a 2TB 7200RPM Barracuda. Cheers.
 
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maurelie

maurelie

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Oct 26, 2013
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Hi,
Here are my suggestions:
-I would stick to the i5 4570, not much difference between 4570 and 4670
-I would get the Gigabyte H87, since there is no Intel K processor in the build
-The stock cooler will do its job just fine, again there will be no overclocking
-The RAM will not have any height issues
-Here are some other alternatives for non modular PSU, 80+ gold rated
http://nz.pcpartpicker.com/part/antec-power-supply-tp550c
http://nz.pcpartpicker.com/part/cooler-master-power-supply-rs550amaag1au
-The GPU you have listed is blower style and it will allow 1080p gaming but on lower setting.
-The HDD and SSD are good
 
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Rammy

Rammy

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Sep 3, 2012
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Go for H87, you aren't missing anything really. You won't need a CPU cooler, though if you find that temps are an issue (it is a pretty tight case) then you can always add one later. You don't need to use a closed loop cooler, there will be low profile air solutions if you feel the need.

I'd ignore the 4670 entirely. The 4570 is fine enough, but often a 4430/4440 is going to offer better value. There is very little performance difference between the bunch.

Memory height is only an issue with regards to CPU cooler compatibility, but in this instance it makes no difference. If you do want to keep things a bit neater, you should be able to find ram without heatsinks for a similar (or cheaper) price.

SFX PSUs can be pretty expensive, so if you can save a bit of cash on the Bronze version then it might not be a bad idea. The real world difference between an 80Plus Bronze and an 80Plus Gold unit is very small.

The GPU is solid but a little on the lower end side. Using a blower style graphics card isn't mandatory, but a very good idea given the constraints of the case. If gaming is a primary focus, I'd consider shuffling funds around to try and push towards say a GTX760 or beyond, as this is the main component which will dictate your gaming performance.
If you are looking to free up some funds, halfing the size of your SSD might not be a bad idea, as you should still have plenty for an OS and quite a lot of programs.
 
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rhysjenz

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Mar 4, 2014
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Cheers for the replies guys. Sorry I should have mentioned the FT03-Mini case only fits SFX power supplies, so those are the only 2 available to me.

Sounds like the Gigabyte H87 is a lock then.

As far as the CPU goes, the 4430 isn't available, and the 4440 is only NZ$14 cheaper than the 4570, so that's sorted then too.

Getting a cooler later if required sounds like a good plan.

For the GPU, I can get the 660 for NZ$300 (US$252), and the 670 for NZ$420 (US$352). Worth it with that difference? EDIT: Wait, that's 40% more $$, for a ~20% increase in performance (that I think I can do without). Flag that :)
 
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