Repost: need advice on Case for compact gaming/oc build

TheTurtleTitan · May 27, 2014

Hey guys!
So I'm building a new system and I want it to be compact and portable.
I've already chosen the components but I have trouble finding a suitable chassis.
At first I was looking at the Bitfenix Phenom M and The Corsair Obsidian 350D but later I found out that none of them are available in my country.
In fact the only well known case manufacturers here are Cooler Master and Green so it has to be from one of these companies.
Any idea on which case is the best for me?

Atm I'm concidering the Cooler Master HAF-XB chassis.
Here are the components :
CPU: Intel Core i7 4770k 3.5GHz
CPU Cooler: bequiet! Dark Rock Pro 3/Corsair H110
Motherboard: Gigabyte G1 Sniper M5
Memory: Gskill Ares 16gb 2x8 2133MHz
Storage: Intel 520 series 120gb SSD+ Western Digital Green 7200rpm 3tb HDD
Video Card: Asus GTX 780ti reference design
Power Supply: Corsair AX 860i modular Power Supply (I'm concidering SLI in the future)

Ninjamilez · May 27, 2014

Hey again

I'm getting the H110 as well. I've read a lot of good reviews about it. If you save some money after you've bought everything, I'd recommend getting two Noctua NF-F12 fans for it. That's what I'm doing.

For RAM, originally I was going to get the G.Skill RipjawsX 1866MHz but now I'm getting the Corsair Vengeance Pro 1866MHz. From what I've been reading, I don't think you need 2133MHz RAM for gaming. The differences are below 5 FPS. Definitely have a look at the RipjawsX 1866MHz 2x8GB. I found it for about £110 on eBuyer. If you can't buy from eBuyer then have a look elsewhere. Just don't get 2133MHz RAM if it's more expensive, you don't need it.

Although the Intel SSDs aren't bad, if you can get a Samsung 840 where you live then it will probably be cheaper and better performing. I was going to get the Intel 520 series but it's more expensive and the Samsing 840 EVO is brilliant anyway.

If you're getting the reference design just for its aesthetics then that's fine but if not I'd suggest waiting a few months after you've bought everything to save up some money and getting an after-market air cooler for it since the system you're getting is high spec. If it's available in your country, get this:

http://www.arctic.ac/eu_en/accelero-xtreme-iv.html

It's quieter than stock and performs better, obviously.

I'm getting the non-'i' variant of the AX860 PSU since it's a bit cheaper and I'm not really bothered about the Corsair Link software because that's the reason why it costs more than the standard AX860.

860w is fine for dual-SLi GTX 780 Ti. I know because that's what I'm doing, too. I'm waiting for the Maxwell 880s, though.

P.S. Sorry for taking ages to get back to you, I always take my time with forum posts and include as much information as I can.

Ninjamilez · May 27, 2014

Sorry, I forgot to talk about the case.

That Cooler Master looks like a good choice, especially if you don't have many other options available to you.

TheTurtleTitan · May 27, 2014

Haha no problem man, in fact that is an admirable habit your posts are really helpful!
In fact the reason I didn't go with the ripjaws in because it's a high profile memory and it may interfere with my cooling system because I'm not sure if I'm gonna go with the Corsair H110 I absolutely know nothing about lc!(do you have to change the liquid, where to buy...) and as I said before I am limited by my country. And there's not much difference In price here they cost the same for me.
The reason I'm going with a reference design Cooler for the graphics card in because I need athe exhaust point to be in the back of the card so it won't interfere with the case's air pressure.
It was a good idea on getting the non-I version, I'll get that one if I can find one.
In fact this build is inspired by linus's(I love that guy he is awesome!) ultimate Intel compact pc build!https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&ei=aqmEU-zlMbSmsAS2kICYDA&url=http://m.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DUk45njIUvH0&cd=2&ved=0CDAQtwIwAQ&usg=AFQjCNEO9aSlUgXLMe-afihBfirakGGFfg&sig2=VLZxHg36Se4MHC8N4lX3MQ

Ninjamilez · May 27, 2014

TheTurtleTitan :

Yeah, Linus seems like a great guy!

If you really like my helpful posts, here's some more helpful information

As for all-in-one liquid coolers (one's that you don't build yourself with a water-block, pump, tubing etc.) you don't need to change the liquid in them.

This is a quote directly from the H100i product page:

"Hydro Series H100i comes pre-filled, and never needs refilling or priming."
http://www.corsair.com/en-us/hydro-series-h100i-extreme-performance-liquid-cpu-cooler

If you don't want to get liquid cooling and don't want to worry about RAM height clearance then get the Noctua NH-U12S, if you can find somewhere to buy it online in your country.

"The S-version’s 45mm slim shape guarantees 100% compatibility with tall RAM modules..."
http://www.noctua.at/main.php?show=productview&products_id=63&lng=en

Ninjamilez · May 27, 2014

I should add that even though it will be my first ever PC build, I'm using water-cooling since it doesn't seem like it's to difficult to set up.

Another air-cooler that you might want to check out is the Thermalright Silver Arrow SB-E Extreme. I'm not sure about it's RAM compatibility but I can tell you that it can perform about as good at the H100i (not H110).

Here's a Linus video to prove that

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8HsjgtMzEg

Edit to the last post: I forgot that you were using the H110 and not the H100i halfway through writing that post but the same will apply to the H110.

TheTurtleTitan · May 27, 2014

Thanks again! If the H110 is like that I think I'll go for it!
BTW I absolutely don't recommend waiting for maxwell!
Get the 780ti and sli it in a year or so.
Ps: this may sound stupid, but I kinda "like" the 780ti, but seriously professionally speaking waiting for the 880 is not worth it! If you keep on waiting, new stuff will be released everyday so I recommend getting the 780ti, but after all it all depends on your own decision.

Ninjamilez · May 27, 2014

TheTurtleTitan :

I understand where you're coming from when you say that I shouldn't wait but I do have a couple of reasons why I'm waiting for Maxwell, it's not just an 'I want the best-of-the-best' type of scenario.

Firstly, I don't have the money to buy everything right now. I'm in the process of saving up at this moment.

Secondly, I was originally going to build around the end of this September or the beginning of October, until I heard that Broadwell would be out a few months later so I figured that I could wait a couple of months for that. I would have waited so long already it wouldn't make too much of a difference, at least to me anyway.

Thirdly, I heard that the Maxwell 880s would be released around Q1 2015 at about £325 (convert that you your currency). At first I didn't want to wait for that but I then heard that the Broadwell CPUs are going to have very good integrated graphics with the improved Iris Pro iGPU and figured that I could get by with using that for gaming on the lowest settings until Maxwell is released.

Two 780 Ti cards at £530 is a little to much, even for my budget.

In that time I can get used to my PC and prepare it for the GPU. I play Doom a lot with a gameplay mod (called Brutal Doom) and that's perfectly fine on my 5 year old laptop. As well as that I'm really into old games as well as new ones so I should still be able to emulate the Playstation 1/N64/NES/SNES etc and still play those games while I wait.

TheTurtleTitan · May 27, 2014

Meh I understand pounds.

Fair enough, with those reasons I think it's best for you to wait.

Ninjamilez · May 27, 2014

TheTurtleTitan :

It's up to you.

Remember, the price I listed for the GTX 880 is only based on rumours. That price might go up. I mean, I don't think the price for the Titan Z is 100% confirmed yet and that card is supposed to come out in the next few months, I think.

TheTurtleTitan · May 27, 2014

I need the system right away so I have to go with the 780ti,
But who knows what's gonna happen in the future, I may end up buying a maxwell series video card

)
BTW since we're going for broadwell, which z97 board do you think is better?

Ninjamilez · May 27, 2014

TheTurtleTitan :

Broadwell will work on the Z87 chipset becasue they'll still be using the LGA1150 socket.

As for Z97 boards, more of them will still be released over the next few months. For example, the ASUS Maximus VII Formula and Extreme models of the Republic of Gamers series motherboards haven't been released yet (or confirmed either). I'm hoping to get the Formula when/if it's released. That works for me because I'm waiting so long before I go ahead with my build.

I think TinyTomLogan on the OC3D YouTube channel said that the ASUS Maximus VII Hero is his best pick out of the Z97 motherboards that he's reviewed so far. Definitely keep checking that channel for more Z97 updates.

https://www.youtube.com/user/TimeToLiveCustoms

Personally, I can't really say which the best Z97 motherboard is the best since I've not used any of them. I will say that if for some strange reason the ASUS Maximus Formula isn't ever released, I will be getting the Z97 Hero and getting a Wi-Fi adapter for it.

Before I decided to wait for the Z97 Formula I was set on getting the ASUS Z97 Pro Wi-Fi AC. Mainly because of the 5-way optimisation but I think I'm going to be comfortable over-clocking manually. With help from Linus et al, of course

TheTurtleTitan · May 27, 2014

I know it's the same socket

I just meant if we're gonna build broadwell well, we're gonna do it right.
Atm I have my eye on the vii gene unless there is going to be another mAtx g1 Sniper from Gigabyte using the Z97 chipset.

Ninjamilez · May 27, 2014

TheTurtleTitan :

Oh yeah, I forgot that you're using a micro ATX motherboard. The Gene is definitely the one I'd be buying if I was going for a micro ATX build.

By the way, I normally put the extra information on posts just in case someone, like me and you, come around to reading the posts and they don't know very much about this stuff. Like I said earlier, I learned most of the things I know now thanks to looking around on forums. I might as well kill more than one bird with one stone, amirite?

Just out of curiosity, why is it you're building a compact system and not a full sized one? Are you going to be taking it with you to LAN parties or anything?

TheTurtleTitan · May 27, 2014

Yeah I'm gonna wanna move it ALOT.
And BTW I checked out some reviews about the HAF-XB and it seems like an awesome case!
More than I expected it to be!
Tom's hardware gave it the smart buy award.
But I wonder since im going with HAF XB, should I still buy an mAtx board? I mean because all I care about is portability and the case itself is portable.
There shouldn't be much difference in weight between an mAtx and an Atx board.

Ninjamilez · May 27, 2014

TheTurtleTitan :

It depends on how much you want to spend.

If you don't mind having an ATX motherboard then that will open up a lot more options to you.

If the micro ATX board has all the features you need and is less expensive than an equivalent standard ATX motherboard then I don't see a reason why you'd want to get the bigger board.

If you have the money to spend on a better quality, full ATX board then go ahead and get one.

You could go for a board that has better over-clocking capabilities or something that has build-in Wi-Fi so you don't need to buy a separate wireless adapter, if that's something you need.

To be honest, after reading a bit about the G1.Sniper M5 it looks like a great gaming-specific motherboard. The audio is good and has a goo onboard amplifier. The only reason I would change it is if I found a motherboard that was just as good, or better, and cheaper.

TheTurtleTitan · May 27, 2014

I do can afford a Maximus Extreme but I'm not gonna use all of it's features so it's gonna be a waste of money.
I mean I AM gonna overclock but I'm not gonna pull off sub-zero Temps so not that one.
And it seems like there's not much difference between the G1 Sniper 5 and M5 except for more pci express slots on the 5.
And it (m5) can oc an i7 4770k to 4.9 wgile maintaining good Temps.
That's one of the reasons I went for it.
I haven't considered The Maximus Formula though what do you think of that?(compared to the m5)

Ninjamilez · May 27, 2014

TheTurtleTitan :

That's that exact same reason I'm not going to get the Maximus VI/VII Extreme. There's only the smallest of chances that I'm going to get a third GPU as a dedicated PhysX processor, let alone quad-SLi. For me, getting a dedicated PhysX card will depend on the amount of games that will be released that use hardware-processed PhysX and if I want to play any.

I doubt't there will be much difference in over-clocking between the Formula and Extreme models anyway, if there is then it won't be worth the difference in price.

About getting to 4.9GHz with an i7-4770K on the G1.Sniper M5. Remember that the each CPU is different. If, like me, you like comparing the over-clocking capabilities of motherboards then go by the percentage increase between CPU models. i.e. have a look at a few different examples when it is paired with an i5-4670K or older models.

Comparing the Formula to the M5. If money isn't an issue I'd go for the Formula. Both of them should still fit everything on that you want so you want to look at the features they have and whether or not you need or want those features.

Because we don't know the specs for the new Z97 Formula VII becasue it's not released yet we can only go by the specs of the Z87 VI Formula.

The VI Formula has Wi-Fi and a dual-band Wi-Fi antenna. The G1.Sniper M5 doesn't. Do you need Wi-Fi?

Which one do you prefer the look of? Do you have a theme for your build? Will it fit the theme or can you change the theme to match the board? Do looks matter to you? Red and black or green and black? You're getting the reference 780 Ti cards so green and black would go with the nVidia green.

The Formula has more fan headers. How many do you need and does the M5 have enough? Will you put more fans on in the future?

Even though both boards have good audio, I think the onboard audio of the Formula will be better, but that's just me guessing. There are probably more things that this that you might want to consider. Have a look at both boards yourself and compare them some more.

TheTurtleTitan · May 27, 2014

Formula's audio is better.
I don't care about the color is scheme that much I like both, but the black and Green is more appealing to me.
And I'm a Lan user so WiFi is not important to me.
I'm gonna use about 5/6/7 fans,so in this case I think both the motherboards are the same.

TheTurtleTitan · May 27, 2014

This is a bit tough... :heink:

Formula wins by it's performane but still although I don't care much about the looks, I don't think those video cards will go great with the Formula's Red and black scheme.
Hey BTW can you give me your soon-to-be system's specs?

Ninjamilez · May 27, 2014

Yeah, sure. Bear in mind that this probably isn't final since some part that I want might not be available when I come to buy. Newer and better components, cases etc might be released, like DDR4 RAM for example.

CPU: 'Broadwell i7'
CPU Cooler: Corsair H110 Closed-loop Liquid Cooler
Graphics: Dual-SLi 'Maxewell 880'
Memory: Corsair Vengeance Pro 16GB (2x8GB) DDR3-1866 (Or DDR4 if it's released and is an affordable price)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM
Case: Corsair Vengeance C70 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case
Power Supply: Corsair 860W 80+ Platinum Fully-Modular
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer
Monitor: Eizo FG2421 240Hz 23.5"
Case Fan: Corsair Air Series AF120 Performance Edition (2-Pack) 63.5 CFM 120mm
Keyboard: Corsair Vengeance K70
Mouse: Corsair Vengeance M65

I also might replace the stock cooler on the Maxwell 880s since I'll be buying the reference models.
If they are compatible with the new 880s then I'll be getting two Arctic Accelero Xtreme IV air coolers.

If you want to save over £100, get the G1.Sniper M5.

TheTurtleTitan · May 27, 2014

Wow.
That is great but it's also really expensive!
BTW are the broadwell-based boards gonna support DDR4?

Ninjamilez · May 27, 2014

TheTurtleTitan :

That's the thing. I don't think it will fit the current Z97 boards since DDR4 is probably going to use four extra pins so the voltage can be lowered. If the Formula isn't compatible with DDR4 then I'm either not going to get the Formula or not going to get DDR4 RAM. The thing with DDR4 is we don't know how much better it will perform in gaming and we don't know how much it will cost at the beginning. If it's expensive and only gives a minor performance boost then I probably won't be getting it.

The build will be expensive but I'm quite lucky in the fact that right now I'm in a position in my life where I have the ability to spend this amount of money on something. A few years from now I won't be able to until I've got a full time job.

TheTurtleTitan · May 27, 2014

That's great man!
But here is a suggestion,
You see I have a rule: New is always better.
Which means the DDR4 will be better than the DDR3!
But there is an exception: unless it's enough(I definitely did not copy Barney there)
I mean 16gbs of 2133/2400 mhz DDR3 ram is more than enough for now, even for the best games!
So I say stick with the vii formula there.

Ninjamilez · May 27, 2014

TheTurtleTitan :

Haha, if that's your rule then wait for DDR4!

The 1866MHz RAM Corsair Vengeance Pro that I'm getting should be able to over-clock to 1233MHz, despite the highest stated speed being 1866MHz.

DDR4 RAM should have higher clock speeds and lower CAS latency (lower is better on CAS latency) at a lower voltage. So if you're getting 2400MHz CL11 at 1.65V then you are looking at the same, or better, specs but at a lower voltage. Say 1.5V.

If you want to spend a crazy amount of money on 2400MHz then go for it but for gaming you will probably get 2 or 3 FPS more with that speed RAM. Prices start to hike up dramatically when the clock speed goes above 2133MHz.

Repost: need advice on Case for compact gaming/oc build

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