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First time build (BitFenix Prodigy), looking for feedback please

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  • Desktops
  • Systems
  • CPUs
  • Build
  • Diablo
Last response: in Systems
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March 29, 2014 11:21:59 PM

Hi all, Decided to try my luck and get rid of my laptop and build my first desktop so I've been reading up for the last few weeks. I have absolutely nothing so I have to get everything.

I hope to use it for a pretty long time and i don't want it to get outdated too soon. Planning to use it for for general use and casual gaming. I mostly play games like League of Legends, Dota 2, D3, and I wanted to play these games at high, not necessarily highest settings and get 30 fps at least.

I just wanted some opinions on if my build was ok and I was wondering if i need more fans?

Thanks for all your help!

CPU: Intel Core i5-4570 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($159.99 @ Micro Center)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H87N-WIFI Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($109.24 @ Amazon)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($72.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($84.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 660 2GB Video Card ($179.97 @ OutletPC)
Case: BitFenix Prodigy (White) Mini ITX Tower Case ($69.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 600W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($44.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: Asus VH238H 23.0" Monitor ($137.99 @ Newegg)
Keyboard: Logitech K750 Wireless Slim Keyboard ($48.99 @ Amazon)
Mouse: SteelSeries Sensei RAW Wired Laser Mouse ($40.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $1095.10

Approximate Purchase Date: over next two weeks

Budget Range: $1000-1200

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, Watching Videos, Browsing Web

Are you buying a monitor: Yes

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Doesn't matter

Location: USA

Parts Preferences: Intel CPU

Overclocking: No

SLI or Crossfire: No

Your Monitor Resolution: 1920x1080

More about : time build bitfenix prodigy feedback

a b à CPUs
March 29, 2014 11:27:22 PM

The build looks good, though if you are spending that much on quality parts you may want to spend a bit more and get a better PSU. That one isn't bad but for just a bit more you can get a higher quality part like this one http://pcpartpicker.com/part/seasonic-power-supply-m12i...
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March 29, 2014 11:49:10 PM

Thanks for the advice! Is it a big difference between the two in terms of performance and/or reliability?

Also, since i'm not over clocking, do i need to put more fans? I've read various posts and I'm not really sure if i need to install more fans or not
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a b à CPUs
March 29, 2014 11:52:59 PM

I can't say for sure, it is a miniITX case but it isn't the smallest out there and if you aren't overclocking I don't know if you will have much trouble with temperatures. I would say the best bet would be to put it together with what you have for now and then check with speedfan/HWMonitor while stress testing with PRIME95/Furmark. If the temps stay fine under those conditions you are good to go.
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a b à CPUs
March 30, 2014 5:40:35 AM

Your build is ok in general, but you could probably cut down the cost if you wanted to, without hurting performance.

The i5 is a great price (due to in-store pickup only) so it's not really a standard price. In general though, you can save money by dropping to a 4430/4440 (though not in this instance).
Gigabyte now do a B85N-Wifi, which unless you need specific features from H87, will save you $10.
SSD is questionable. It's a great unit, but your goals are fairly low, so I'd be tempted to ditch this altogether.
GTX660 is a great card (got one myself) but it's perhaps not the best price/performance in that price bracket. You can pick up an R9 270/R9 270X for fairly similar prices. GTX660s have been seen at ~$150 though, so you might be able to get a good deal.
You can potentially save a little bit of money on memory too.
PSU is definitely worth swapping. The one suggested, the M12, is great, but it's also out of stock for the next month at Newegg's price, and there is no guarantee it'll remain that low ($50 is very reasonable) so I'd be hesitant about that. Given the Prodigy has loads of space to tuck cables along the sides, I don't have any issues with a non-modular PSU, and I'd suggest considering the two XFX 550W units in the $50-60 bracket.

As for cooling, a lot of low-mid end ITX boards only have a single system fan header, so you don't want to have a lot of fans anyway. Ideally, you'd spend money to get a big (230/200/140mm) fan at the front, and probably upgrade the rear to a 140mm too, but this isn't necessary. The two provided fans are pretty quiet and while they don't move a huge amount of air, they should be enough for your build. It's always something you can look at later if temperatures are an issue.
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March 30, 2014 11:45:48 AM

I wanted to use the SSD to use as a boot drive. Would it be better if i just got one hybrid hdd instead of those two drives?

Hopefully, I can find the GTX 660 for a good deal. Is it worth paying slightly more though for the R9 270x?

Memory wise do you have advice on what memory to get? To be honest, I'm sort of at a loss at which memory is better and went with Corsair because of the reviews i've read

For the PSU, would you say to go with the XFX 550W or would it be worth looking at the Seasonic M12II 520W? The price difference is only 10 dollars, but I am worried that the Seasonic will be a tight fit and am not sure if it's necessary.

Thanks a lot about the cooling advice. I'll just have to test it out and see how it runs once I build it and go from there.
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a c 85 à CPUs
March 30, 2014 12:04:54 PM

Seasonic makes XFX components, so the XFX PSU should be just as reliable.

I'd personally go with a GTX 660 (I have one right now) instead of an R9 270x, since I'd rather take PhysX acceleration instead of higher raw performance. That's more a matter of preference though, depending on whether your favorite games make use of PhysX, or would benefit more from the higher general performance of the R9 270x.

A regular R9 270 will be outdone slightly by a GTX 660, so I wouldn't recommend that.

I'd also go for a nicer monitor for gaming, but I understand that would drive the price up, so it may not be possible.
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March 30, 2014 3:29:26 PM

Ok I think i'm just going to stick with the GTX 660 cause i've heard great things. Do you have any advice on a nicer monitor that won't be too much more?
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a c 85 à CPUs
March 30, 2014 5:07:41 PM

This is one step above the monitor you chose, with the advantage of an e-IPS panel instead of a TN panel, which will improve color quality and viewing angles. Those don't really matter in office work/programming/etc, but it will be a large improvement in games and movies. The response time is down, but from 2ms to 5ms is not a noticeable difference, and doesn't offset the quality gained by going to IPS. http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-monitor-vs239hp
This should also be a good monitor for the cost, about the same as the ASUS option.
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/acer-monitor-umvh6aa003

This is a "normal" IPS monitor that improves color quality further. It's 1920x1200 and 16:10, which I prefer but isn't actually better or worse. It does go over budget by a significant amount, however, which is a downside despite the all around higher quality.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

As a general tip, you never really want your monitor brightness maxed. It gives some people headaches, and even if it doesn't give you a headache, having monitor brightness maxed will still degrade the black quality on an LCD or LED screen. Generally on a 250-300cd/m2 monitor it's best to keep brightness between 40-60%, with some variance for personal preference.
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March 30, 2014 6:22:15 PM

Thanks for all the links. I'll definitely take some time to think about it and keep an eye out for deals.

Sorry to bring the PSU up again, but I found the Antec HCG-620M priced similarly to the XFX 500W? I think I might get that just in case I intend to upgrade in the future and just for the sake of cable management. Is that ok?
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a b à CPUs
March 30, 2014 6:35:47 PM

That should be fine still.
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