New Mini-ITX Build thoughts (Coolermaster 120 elite advanced)

nismo84 · Mar 19, 2014

Hi guys ,
Just after some thoughts on this build i recently started slowly putting together a mini itx rig

for some gaming (BF4)(Diablo)(titanfall) lan party's and home use simple web browsing etc

Case - Coolermaster elite 120 advanced

Gigabyte H87N-WIFI
16gb kingston hyper x
7200rpm Seagate 1tb hdd
I5- 4670(non k)
Sapphire r9 270x toxic OC 2gb
Corsair 600W CX-600M

Little worried about cooling in the case and want to get a aftermarket cooler to help as i heard the haswells run fairly hot??

Was looking at the m4 gemini from coolermaster or the NH-L9i Noctua was thinking the Noctua might be better as there would be more clearance in between the cooler and the psu?

This we all be basically running on a 24" benq single monitor..

If budget allows i could maby push the gpu upto a 280x or a 770.. if it makes a marginally bit of difference in frame rates though...

Alec Mowat · Mar 19, 2014

The more I look into Mini ITX as a reasonable option, the more I have realized that I don't think that motherboard can output enough power to fully support a gaming rig in a stable environment.

If you run it harshly, it won't last very long. I think you are better off with a 750 or R9 260 and an i3 chip, which should reduce stress on the whole board and provide some stability.

I have a half-ass ITX setup right now, but I may just go for a mid range Socket-775 and use it for light gaming with a low profile card, instead of trying to cram in as much power as possible.

nismo84 · Mar 19, 2014

Yea mainly went with the mini itx option as it's so easy to move over to a mate's house then a big gaming case etc..
I plan on running everything stock speeds etc why i went with a non k and a toxic r9 270x as its oc from factory...

You think i will have issues with the motherboard? I replaced the stock fans and added the optional one in the case,
used higher rpm fans from coolermaster.. (have only brought the case fans , board and cpu thus far btw)

Alec Mowat · Mar 19, 2014

nismo84 :

Everything would be fine, but I'm not confident that Mini ITX boards supply enough power to the videocard and processor to remain stable.

You are better off going to Micro ATX, which you host in a stable environment.

However; http://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages/msi_z87i_ac_review_gaming_itx,22.html

Seems Mini ITX is really coming along performance wise.

I was considering an FM2+ board myself and test the integrated video option.

I think it would make for a lighter computer, less power consumption and less heat at the price of performance.

I would be very cautious on the stability of the motherboard, be sure to check reviews specific to high end gaming. Unless you are overclocking, everything else listed would be fine.

The tower I have is the Cooler Master 120, it has decent space for a videocard, 2 open slots available for a 2 slot card or a system with two PCIe slots.

Rammy · Mar 19, 2014

Alec Mowat :

I'm curious to see your source for this, as to the best of my knowledge its nonsense. ITX systems have their issues and their compromises, but supplying power to components isn't one of them. It's true that their capacity for VRMs etc is fairly limited, but they also need to power a lot less.

@ OP. If your system is entirely for gaming then-
Unless you need the H87 chipset you might be able to save a little money by going for the B85N-Wifi if its available wherever you are.
Go for 8Gb of ram, it's more than enough for gaming.
Drop the 4670 to a 4430/4440/4570. You'll struggle to notice a difference even with benchmarking software as the clock speed differences are fairly minimal.
Haswell isn't hot as such, it's just hotter than it's predecessor, which was hotter than it's predecessor. If you aren't overclocking, it shouldn't be a big concern even though the case isn't fantastic for cooling. The Elite 130 is slightly better but very similar.
Ideally change the PSU, but it might not be viable. The CX range are very entry level, and the main appeal for you is that it should make cable management easier by being semi modular. A fully wired PSU in this case can be tricky if you use the ODD bay. If you want cheap quality, the XFX Core 550 is always a safe bet, but it is wired.
If you have money leftover then you could definitely look to spend more on graphics. With the R9 280 landing soon, prices might bounce around a bit, so it might be worth stalling and keeping an eye on prices in your area. A 270X is a solid 1080P gaming card, but if you want to make it last, then it wouldn't be a bad idea to spend a bit more as appropriate.

nismo84 · Mar 19, 2014

Rammy :

Alec Mowat :

I'm curious to see your source for this, as to the best of my knowledge its nonsense. ITX systems have their issues and their compromises, but supplying power to components isn't one of them. It's true that their capacity for VRMs etc is fairly limited, but they also need to power a lot less.

@ OP. If your system is entirely for gaming then-
Unless you need the H87 chipset you might be able to save a little money by going for the B85N-Wifi if its available wherever you are.
Go for 8Gb of ram, it's more than enough for gaming.
Drop the 4670 to a 4430/4440/4570. You'll struggle to notice a difference even with benchmarking software as the clock speed differences are fairly minimal.
Haswell isn't hot as such, it's just hotter than it's predecessor, which was hotter than it's predecessor. If you aren't overclocking, it shouldn't be a big concern even though the case isn't fantastic for cooling. The Elite 130 is slightly better but very similar.
Ideally change the PSU, but it might not be viable. The CX range are very entry level, and the main appeal for you is that it should make cable management easier by being semi modular. A fully wired PSU in this case can be tricky if you use the ODD bay. If you want cheap quality, the XFX Core 550 is always a safe bet, but it is wired.
If you have money leftover then you could definitely look to spend more on graphics. With the R9 280 landing soon, prices might bounce around a bit, so it might be worth stalling and keeping an eye on prices in your area. A 270X is a solid 1080P gaming card, but if you want to make it last, then it wouldn't be a bad idea to spend a bit more as appropriate.

Yea im basically stuck with the cpu and board and case at this stage everything else isn't in stone yet.

I'm from Australia that psu you suggest i would have to import , so my current local options in psu's is corsair,thermaltake,coolermaster,silverstone, dont wanna go crazy on psu just something stable and reliable

Will be purchasing the graphics card last i could possible jump to the Sapphire Radeon R9 280X OC Vapor-X 3GB if it will outlast and preform much better then the sapphire toxic.

Rammy · Mar 20, 2014

Without a direct price comparison it's hard to say, but as a general rule the "Toxic" moniker is put on the more expensive overclocked versions of Sapphires cards, which are great, but probably not the best price/performance.
Unlike the 280X Toxic, the 270X Toxic does seem a bit more reasonably priced relative to other 270X cards.

The 280X is a significantly better card. Its basically the same as the difference between a HD7870 and a HD7970, as the R9 series are predominantly rebranded cards. For stuff like Diablo, you don't need much in the way of graphics power, and due to the AMD bias of BF4, a "lower" card like a 270X actually performs pretty, despite it being a pretty intensive game. If you are looking to the future then the 280X or incoming 280 are likely to be better options though (I can't comment on Titanfall as I haven't seen any decent benchmarks, it doesn't seem all that demanding).

nismo84 · Mar 20, 2014

Rammy :

Well doing a search the Sapphire Radeon R9 280X OC Vapor-X 3GB and XFX AMD Radeon R9 280X 3GB are my best cards for price approx $130 more then the toxic 270x

So looks like one of those 280x's are the way to go then.
In terms of a modular psu Corsair 550W CS550M and Silverstone 600W 80PLUS Silver STRIDER

Seem to be the only ones i can squeeze into budget if any of those are decent enough, im not to familiar in terms of decent psu's regarding to brand etc

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