Budget Mini-ITX System

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Benmason

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Sep 9, 2014
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I'm looking to build a basic system for gaming.

I had some really useful feedback when I posted yesterday http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/answers/id-2293125/budget-micro-atx-build-gaming-movies.html

I've done a bit more research and come up with this build http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/z4Qy8d
Having originally looked at a Micro-ATX build, it seems that a Mini-ITX system should be fine for my needs - plus it would be nice to have a smaller form factor.

Again, are there any components which are overkill/underkill in this set-up?

There weren't any budget options for a motherboard with Wifi so I've chosen a separate network adapter. Is there any way I could fit an internal network adapter in this case or a similar Mini-ITX? If not I'm quite happy with a USB for the sake of a much smaller case.

My estimated wattage is 173W - is it more efficient to go for a lower wattage PSU?

Thanks in advance!
 
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logainofhades
If you can, I would spend a little more and go with something more like this.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-4130 3.4GHz Dual-Core Processor (£81.36 @ Amazon UK)
Motherboard: MSI H81I Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard (£45.13 @ Amazon UK)
Memory: Kingston Fury White Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory (£60.40 @ CCL Computers)
Storage: Seagate 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Hybrid Internal Hard Drive (£53.94 @ Aria PC)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon R9 270 2GB TurboDuo Video Card (£116.14 @ More Computers)
Case: Cooler Master Elite 130 Mini ITX Tower Case (£34.18 @ Amazon UK)
Power Supply:...
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Because0789

Because0789

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Apr 2, 2014
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It looks good, if you can find a quality PSU of 300watts or more for less then that might save you some money. Though if you leave the 500watt it leaves the possibility of a more power hungry card upgrade later down the road.
 
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Rammy

Rammy

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Sep 3, 2012
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Hello again.
It's a solid build. The cheapest Wifi enabled motherboard comes in at around £80 which would make your total costs around the £500 mark - not a bad trade off.
I'd probably be inclined to save money on the HDD if you need to cut back - you won't really be getting any performance gain in gaming and a conventional 1TB drive is ~£20 cheaper.
I probably wouldn't buy that specific GTX750Ti. It's fine, but it's basically the same price as the Twin Frozer version and if the price difference is negligible then that's perhaps the one to get. There are a couple of slightly cheaper models but you won't save big money here.

It's not exactly more efficient to go for a lower wattage PSU, but by going for a more appropriate capacity you spend a greater range of time in the optimal efficiency range. Problem is - there really aren't any good quality, low capacity, cheap power supplies. At your budget range it's pretty much Corsair CX430(M) or EVGA 500B as the mainstream options. The alternative is a Superflower Amazon 300 or Golden Green 350, great OEM but it's their entry level stuff (80Plus Gold at this price range is insane though).
 
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Because0789

Because0789

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Apr 2, 2014
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I agree, great unit.
 
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logainofhades

logainofhades

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Apr 27, 2009
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If you can, I would spend a little more and go with something more like this.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-4130 3.4GHz Dual-Core Processor (£81.36 @ Amazon UK)
Motherboard: MSI H81I Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard (£45.13 @ Amazon UK)
Memory: Kingston Fury White Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory (£60.40 @ CCL Computers)
Storage: Seagate 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Hybrid Internal Hard Drive (£53.94 @ Aria PC)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon R9 270 2GB TurboDuo Video Card (£116.14 @ More Computers)
Case: Cooler Master Elite 130 Mini ITX Tower Case (£34.18 @ Amazon UK)
Power Supply: Corsair CSM 550W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply (£55.99 @ Aria PC)
Optical Drive: Pioneer BDC-207DBK Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer (£38.78 @ Novatech)
Wireless Network Adapter: Asus USB-N10 802.11b/g/n USB 2.0 Wi-Fi Adapter (£11.04 @ Amazon UK)
Total: £496.96
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-09-10 23:03 BST+0100
 
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