Will This Mini ITX Build Work?

Hello Caden, I would be happy to weigh in on your thread. I too had a pretty hard time getting feedback on my RVZ01B build. My initial questions: are you willing to purchase from a few different reputable vendors to bring your total build cost down? What is your maximum budget (for just the pc)? I love the RVZ01B and the ML07B. The RVZ01B looks like a console while the ML07B is looks like a HTPC. Internally they are identical so this choice is entirely personal. I prefer the ML07B for it's clean look and lower price tag. I'm also excited that the RVZ02B is soon to be on the market!
RVZ01B vs ML07B and the RVZ02B

CPU and Mobo: An i5 would be great but I assume you want an i7 because....i7. The Asus Z97I-Plus is capable of overclocking, but you didn't get the i7 4790k. The main difference between the i7-4790 and 4790k is the ability to overclock. If you want to o.c. you need the "K". You should consider what o.c. you can expect to achieve in this case. You won't get an extreme o.c., but you can achieve a modest one. Originally only Z motherboards could be overclocked on but thanks to the G3258 Intel has issued a bios update that now allows H boards to overclock. The H boards are just capped at a CPU voltage of 1.2v. That is absolutely perfect if you want a small overclock in a tight form. So either way you won't need a Z motherboard. Seriously consider the i5-4690k. The i7 serves no real advantage unless you render professionally and that extra money could be better spent elsewhere in the pc.

I like the fact that you chose an Asus board, they are my favorite. Asrock, the daugher company of Asus also makes great boards. Give this one some consideration: the Asrcok H97M-ITX/AC. It is an excellent well reviewed board with built in wifi just like the Asus Z97I-Plus but is less expensive. I would of suggested the Asus H97I-Plus but it does not have built in wifi, which I think on a pc this portable is a no brainer.

When it comes to memory the cheapest 8GB 1866 Cas 9 kit is the sweet spot for performance to dollar. Speeds above 1866 and the Cas latency begins to rise. As this happens the performances balances out so the more expensive higher speeds don't equate to higher performance. I chose the G.Skill Sniper Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory. It's low profile, extremely well reviewed, cheap and looks awesome.

For storage I am a broken record. Western Digital is of a higher quality that Seagate and I strongly discourage hybrid drives for a variety of reasons. Pairing an SSD and traditional HDD's is the tried and true choice. I recommend a single WD Black Series 2TB 3.5" HDD paired with an SSD. Or even more fun, twin WD Black Series 750GB 2.5" HDD's paired with an SSD. Your chosen SSD is very good, but consider 240-256GB for your main OS drive as 120GB fills up really quick and keeping it from filling up is a chore even with only a few games on it. Here are some SSD's to consider. I personally would go with the Crucial and save my money.

I like your cooler choice. It is going to allow you to achieve a decent overclock. Consider also the Corsair H55. This Cooler is less expensive, will fit in the case and do an even better job of removing that hot air from your CPU and venting outside of the case allowing you to bump up that overclock a little more.

EVGA's stellar customer service, reviews and high clock speed make it hard to recommend any GTX 970 other than the EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB Support Superclocked ACX 2.0 Video Card. This card will also breath better in this case.

For your power supply I say go with the Silverstone Strider Gold 450W 80+ Gold Fully-Modular PSU instead of the 600w version because it is the better unit. This is because the Silverstone SFX series is LOUD, and the 450w is slightly less loud. It is also a little shorter making for better cable management. One thing to consider is that when the RVZ02B comes out Silverstone is also going to release a revised version of their SFX PSU line which should adress all its shortcomings.

You chose the wrong format of optical drive I am afraid to say. The RVZ01B and ML07B both require a Slim Slot Load Rom drive. I chose the cheap LG GS40N.

Sorry that was so lengthy, I just have a lot to say about this build as it is one I am particularly enthusiastic about. Here is my ML07B Console Crusher build which I built on PCpartpicker. It comes in right at $1301 with the i7 or $1200 with an i5. All of the items were selected to be purchased from Amazon, Newegg and Superbizz, three reputable online vendors. This minimized your expense even when shipping is considered. Let me know what you think and if you have any more questions.

The GTX 970 will most likely NOT fit in the case. I would also suggest ordering the CPU from microcenter. You can save about $70 on the 4790. Or even bump up to the 4790k and still save around $40

It will fit in that case, the case will furnish a full graphcis card as long as the heat pipes aren't ridiculous such as the Asus Strix and Direct CU modles.

Case dimensions are: 4.13" x 15.04" x 13.78"

GPU dimensions are: 9.72" x 4.376"

Unless the specs are wrong, this thing ain't gonna fit.
Or it will fit, but good luck closing the case. We're talking at least a quarter inch of extra GPU sticking up not to mention about 3/16 for the standoff and another 1/16 for the motherboard thickness.

Dude, I am sorry I own this case and it will fit. Have you looked inside the case before? The GPU sits on a riser and is mounted horizontally parallel to the baord. This case will hold a gtx titan black edition, it is amazing.

Oh... No I was just looking at the specs. So it has one of those elbow things? I stand corrected. GPU should be good then.
I would still check out Microcenter for the CPU though. I bought a 4790k for $280. Plus they do CPU/Mobo bundles that are buy a CPU, get a Motherboard for half off.

I am going to wait till the original poster checks back in and try and talk him into buying his parts from a couple of different vendors to bring that price down. Do those deals from microcenter extend to online purchases or just in store pickups?

It comes "superclocked" from the factory. It will run plenty cool in your case I assure you. If you don't desire the superclocked version though I would still go with EVGA.

They have select bundle deals online, but I can't find the "Buy a CPU get a Motherboard 1/2 off deal on the website." Their promotions might differ by region. If you have a store near you, I would highly recommend stopping in and seeing what kind of bundle deals they have there. I bought a 4970k with an Asrock H97m Pro4 motherboard for $345 after tax ($279 for the CPU, $40 for the mobo). That promotion is still going on in my area.

You should also look into a better PSU.

Something like, Corsair AX, HX series, EVGA G2 series or at least Seasonic or Antec PSU.

Raidmax PSUs are pretty terrible.

Original poster, why did you chose not to use the Raven Case?