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Upgrade-able Mini ITX Gaming PC (~$650)

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April 15, 2014 7:43:49 AM

http://pcpartpicker.com/user/jpmarvel16/saved/4i5Y

I'm looking to build a small form-factor machine that packs a punch while being power-efficient. I want something modern- USB 3.0, PCI Express 3.0, Haswell or Ivy Bridge socket, etc. I'll be buying parts sometime over the summer, since that's when I'll have the money for the build- about $650 after rebates and discounts. I'll be doing mostly moderate-high gaming at 1080p, stuff like Left for Dead 2, Borderlands, The Witcher series, and the Assassin's Creed series.

Currently I have an old Phenom 2.2 GHz running 3GB of DDR2 and a Radeon HD 7770, so I want this machine to be a considerable step up from that. What I'm aiming for is both performance and efficiency, so the Intel socket and nVidia GPU were pretty easy decisions.

Everything listed in PCPartPicker is what I need. I have Win7 already, as well as all the peripherals I need.

I know the CPU is only an i3, but I wanted to have enough money to get a GTX 760 instead of a 660. Logically the CPU is an easier upgrade: the i3 is $99, and I can buy an i5 down the line for $160, as opposed to paying ~$175 for a GTX 660 then replace it with a $240 760. I think I should be fine with Hyper Threading for now anyway. I'm also not looking to overclock at all, so neither the CPU or MoBo need to allow for that.

I'm open to any suggestions as long as the final products altogether are at (or under!) budget and wattage is good. Also any tips about potential bottlenecking or component incompatibilities would be great- this is my first solo build, and I want to do it right.

More about : upgrade mini itx gaming 650

a c 352 4 Gaming
April 15, 2014 7:50:01 AM

this build is only $40 over your previous budget,
i5 + gtx 760
for non OC build, no need expensive mobo
1TB hdd
Evga brand for 760

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4430 3.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($180.49 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock H81M-ITX Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 760 2GB Video Card ($239.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Cooler Master Elite 130 Mini ITX Tower Case ($49.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: Rosewill Capstone 450W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply ($59.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $710.42
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-04-15 10:48 EDT-0400)
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a c 284 4 Gaming
April 15, 2014 8:08:01 AM

Got you slightly closer to your $650 than you were looking at, with an i5 and 760.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4430 3.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($180.49 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock H81M-ITX Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: A-Data XPG V1.0 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($61.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Hitachi Ultrastar 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.00 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 760 2GB Video Card ($224.99 @ Micro Center)
Case: Cooler Master Elite 130 Mini ITX Tower Case ($49.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($34.99 @ Micro Center)
Total: $666.44
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-04-15 11:07 EDT-0400)
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April 15, 2014 11:28:45 AM

Thanks for the quick answers, I really appreciate it!

I didn't specify this before, but I figured a modular PSU would be best for an mITX build. I've also been trying my best to go with 80+ Gold, I like to be energy-conscious and it saves on the bill too. That was really the heavy hitter in the build I posted originally, as I know I could get much cheaper than $70 except for that.

Any thoughts? Would it be manageable to build with a cheaper, non-modular PSU that's got gold certification?
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a c 284 4 Gaming
April 15, 2014 11:48:17 AM

80+ certification is pointless unless you're mining or doing 24/7 computing. The difference between 80+ Bronze and Gold is a few percent, which will equate to a difference of about $0.10 a month for the normal user. 80+ certification became a thing for corporations buying thousands at a time, who would actually see benefits in the long run.
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a b 4 Gaming
April 15, 2014 12:08:21 PM

...another option. The build below has an SSD with the intentions of you pulling over your HD from the existing system to supplement the SSD. If the budget can be increased, an i5 (non K series) would be a nice addition.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i3-4330 3.5GHz Dual-Core Processor ($124.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock H81M-ITX Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair XMS3 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($63.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Crucial M500 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($73.47 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 760 2GB Video Card ($224.99 @ Micro Center)
Case: Cooler Master Elite 120 Advanced (White) Mini ITX Tower Case ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($49.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $627.41
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April 15, 2014 5:39:22 PM

Good to know about the PSUs, that'll save me a considerable amount of money. Thanks!

I think I'm happy with this as a final build: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3smdd

I'm set on the 250GB HDD- I really only need that much space, and I can save a few bucks that way. If I need more room, I'll repurpose my old HDD (which is a slower 500GB drive).

MicroCenter has the i5 4570 at such a low price that it was an easy choice.

This MoBo isn't the cheapest LGA 1150 ITX board, but it has USB 3.0 headers, 4 SATA 3 plugs, and the PCI Express 3.0 instead of 2.0 is a nice addon but I'm not sure how useful it really is. Should I go with this ASUS board instead? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

The RAM is the most swap-able component- whatever 8GB pair of 1600 MHz with CAS 9 is what I'll go with, I figure.

I'm hoping MicroCenter can stock the card at a store near me; if not, I'll pick one up for about $240.

I like the CoolerMaster case, actually. I'd looked at it before, opting for the Elite 130 originally, but this one seems like it'll actually be better. The brushed aluminum finish is very nice as well.

I've had good luck with the Corsair CXM's before (my family has a computer with the 600w model at home, and it works nicely), and Bronze certification is good enough for me!

So that's what I'm looking at now, I think. I'm glad to be able to get an i5/760 build for $650, as I really don't expect to have to upgrade it for a very long time now. Just one last question: the CoolerMaster case has a Newegg rebate right now. Is there any consistency to how long those rebates remain applicable, or should I buy the case while I can get the money back (aka now)?

Thanks so much for all the replies again, I appreciate it!
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a c 284 4 Gaming
April 16, 2014 9:23:19 AM

I would try to get a 500w PSU if you can, the 430 will be cutting it close with that build. 500 will put the build at a better efficiency and extend the life of the power supply.

The rest looks fine to me :)  The i5 and 760 will be a great combo for a good while. I play everything in Ultra with my i5 + 760; the lowest performance I get is in Far Cry 3, where I average about 40 FPS in Ultra with 4x MSAA. If I drop to 2X, it jumps to 50-60.
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April 16, 2014 1:46:04 PM

Alright, here's the final build (more or less): http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3sPOE

Cheaper MoBo- no real need for PCI Ex 3.0, plus it has on-board USB 3 headers and 4 SATA ports.

Cheaper RAM- Anything that's DDR3 1600MHz is good enough for me, so this will be a revolving door of price changes until I make my purchases.

If I can snag a modular 500W PSU on sale/rebate for about $45 I'll be happy, if not I'll just take extra care routing them out of the way.

I may just buy an SSD as well, depending on whether my old HDD from home is quick enough for my liking. Either way, I'm happy with the storage I've got.

And that's it, then! A Haswell i5 + GTX 760 gaming build for under $650. Thanks again for all the suggestions, it's been a huge help.
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