Asrock Z97E-ITX/ac vs Asus Z97I-Plus for Mini-ITX build

dlim · Feb 16, 2015

I'm looking to build a mini-ITX desktop and this is what I have so far. I'd like to spend under $700 if possible, but it's not a limit and will spend extra if necessary.

Case: Thermaltake Core V1
Motherboard: Asrock Z97E-ITX/ac ($115 after rebate) or ASUS Z97I-Plus ($155) (can't decide!)
CPU: Intel core i5-4590 (should I get the i5-4690K for $40 more? I don't think I'll ever notice the difference or need the difference)
CPU cooler: Arctic Freezer 7 Pro Rev 2 (any other recommendations? this one seems to have a lot of good reviews for the lower price tag. but noctua NH-L9I seem like it has a good rep too)
PSU: Corsair CX600M
GPU: EVGA GTX 750 TI SC (Or should I spend a little more and get the R9 270/270x? I'd like to stay around $150 if i can)
Memory: G. Skill Ripjaw Series X 8gb (2 x 4gb) vs. Kingston HyperX Fury vs Crucial Ballistix Sport (does it really matter other than appearance? they're all around $60)
Storage: some form of SSD
Front fan: replace it or keep it?

I was wondering if I should swap out the stock 200mm fan for something else then? i'll give it a shot before anything, but what are some good recommendations? biggest debate for me right now is the mobo. I'm wondering if I should go for the asrock for $40 less (after $20 MIR), or go for the Asus.

From what I gathered, it seems like:

Asrock: 6 x SATA 6gb/s vs Asus' 4x
Asrock: SATA express (future proof?) while Asus does not
Asrock: better sound card (seems nice), more USB ports (not a deal breaker)

But ASUS is the better known brand with better support/drivers/updates/software. And they have different M.2 form factors.

I've had Asrock mobo's and Asus mobo's in the past (6+ years ago), and never had issues with either. But I don't know if times have changed, specially with mini-ITX mobos.

thanks again for all the advice :]

CoolDude X · Feb 17, 2015

Get ASRock One With i5-4690K And R9 270x With GSkill Rpijaws X .....That'll Be Fine And Save Your Money

zeyuanfu · Feb 17, 2015

For what will you be using the computer for?

dlim · Feb 18, 2015

Sorry for the late response! I've fiddled around and asked around and I'm looking at this:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.89 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro Rev.2 45.0 CFM Fluid Dynamic Bearing CPU Cooler ($19.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Asus Z97I-PLUS Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($148.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Kingston Fury Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($65.86 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 280 3GB Dual-X Video Card ($188.17 @ Newegg)
Case: Thermaltake Core V1 Mini ITX Tower Case ($38.58 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($49.99)
Total: $731.47
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-02-18 18:20 EST-0500

Still debating between Asus vs Asrock. Settling on the 4690k. It's worth it for $55 more right?

I'm also wondering if I should get 16gb memory instead.

hoping to use this for the next 4-5 years with either swapping components out as they go, or making a new build later when DDR4 and 4k become more mainstream. finishing my 4th year of grad school and applying for residencies that can be anywhere from another 1-5 years depending on how things go.

gaming: im still old school with wow, ffxiv: arr, dota 2. might try out some new games but not sure what as I haven't really looked around. like shadow of mordor, evolve, etc.

htpc: my tv has netflix capability (smart tv? or whatever). but i'd like to have the option to hook up my unit to a tv and watch movies or something (is that what an HTPC is? lol or am i completely off and using the term wrong)

video editing: i don't do any now, but considering getting a go pro and do some light editing of those videos. nothing crazy/fancy/professional though. probably 2-3 videos in 2-3 months.

zeyuanfu · Feb 18, 2015

I wouldn't get a K CPU, especially not for your budget and case size. The 4460 will perform similarly, if not 2-3% slower. Here's a build that has MUCH more bang for your buck:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($179.47 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock H97M-ITX/AC Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($82.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-2133 Memory ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($104.98 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 280 3GB TWIN FROZR Video Card ($183.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Thermaltake Core V1 Mini ITX Tower Case ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($48.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $740.38
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-02-18 18:47 EST-0500

dlim · Feb 18, 2015

zeyuanfu :

I'll take your advice on the K CPU. my concern WAS case size. I was considering it to have the option to OC, but i was worried how my system would handle OCing. And I honestly don't think I will do anything that requires me to OC.

I can get the 4590 for $170 at microcenter though so I'll go with that one. I noticed you removed/didn't add a CPU cooler. Do I need a CPU cooler with it? Or can I use the stock?

mobo: is the only difference between h97 and z97 overclocking capability? If that's the case i'll look into H mobo's too. i like the one you linked (looking for a mobo with WLAN on it).

memory: i missed the shellshocker deal on that kit :[ :[ any other recommendations?

storage: i have a pny optima 240gb ssd. my old one crashed so they sent me a brand new one (unopened). debating on if i should sell it and buy a samsung 850 evo, or just keep it and use it.

video card: any reason why MSI over the sapphire one i listed? from reading online it seems like people recommend sapphire for radeons

psu: is the xfx 550w 80+ bronze good for what I'm building? or should i invest in a gold?

zeyuanfu · Feb 19, 2015

All Intel Core CPUs come with a stock cooler, which is MUCH more than enough.

With Z97, you also have the ability to SLI, which you cannot do with H97. Since no mITX board supports SLI or Crossfire, a Z97 board would be useless here.

As for the RAM, something like this would then be my choice: http://pcpartpicker.com/part/a-data-memory-ax3u1600w8g9dr

Optima drives aren't that good, but it can be used.

The MSI card is a bit cheaper and has a higher factory overclock. It also has a cool red/black color scheme.

80+ Bronze is pretty good, but since you won't be upgrading anything, an 80+ Gold unit might be a bit better. It depends on if you're willing to spend the extra money.

dlim · Feb 19, 2015

zeyuanfu :

thanks!

How's:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4590 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($172.78 @ Micro Center)
Motherboard: ASRock H97M-ITX/AC Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($90.17 @ Newegg)
Memory: PNY XLR8 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (Purchased For $99.99)
Storage: PNY Optima 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (Purchased For $0.00)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($44.99 @ Best Buy)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 280 3GB DUAL-X Video Card (Purchased For $174.38)
Case: Thermaltake Core V1 Mini ITX Tower Case ($41.80 @ Directron)
Power Supply: XFX XTR 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply (Purchased For $59.99)
Total: $684.10
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-02-19 16:21 EST-0500

i'm gonna stick with a non-K, no cpu cooler, and an H97 board to save money. i don't plan on OCing anytime soon. i've spent the last 3 years on macbook air's or macbook pro's, or gaming on a old lenovo z580 (i5-3210m, 8gb mem, gt 630m 1gb), so I'm sure this build will be plenty powerful :]

i was able to pick up the PNY XLR8 16gb (2x8 dual channel) kit for $100 AR (no tax, free shipping) from tigerdirect, so went with those. They seem like a solid pair for the dual channel kits. There's been some bad reviews on sets that were selling 2 separate modules as a pair, but the reviews for the kit of 2 seem to be doing well.

was able to pick up the xfx xtr 550w gold for a good price too.

think i'm in no hurry for the WD blue, gonna keep an eye out for a good deal. should I keep my PNY optima unopened and sell it as NIB, and try to pick up a samsung 850 evo? or just use it.

zeyuanfu · Feb 19, 2015

The 4590 goes for 159.99$...

The Blue drive is NOT going to get cheaper than 45$. Below that is 500 GB drive range.

If you can get 80-100$ for the PNY drive, I would suggest you get the 850 EVO as it offers much better performance and quality.

dlim · Feb 19, 2015

Tax kills everything for me :[

Going to try to find the WD blue 1tb for $45 after taxes or from a place with no tax.

Likewise tax kills microcenters 4959 for $159.99 too :[

Maybe I can get somewhere to price match.

And I'll try to sell the PNY :] $80 is probably my best bet since it goes on sale so much.

Thanks for all your help!

zeyuanfu · Feb 20, 2015

No problem

Hope the build goes well!

dlim · Feb 20, 2015

Do you think the 4590 + h97m will last me 3-4 years?

zeyuanfu · Feb 20, 2015

They should.

dlim · Feb 21, 2015

zeyuanfu :

Thanks!

Microcenter finally got some of the asrock boards in so now I'm debating on changing my mobo/cpu build.

They have $40 off a bundle if you go with the i3-4370 ($139.99) or the i5-4690k ($199.99). They've been out of stock of the 4690k for a while but have the 4370 in stock.

With the bundle, the mobo prices become:

AsRock h97m-itx/ac: $39.99 AR
AsRock z97e-itx/ac: $69.99 AR

I'm considering getting the i3-4370 + h97m-itx/ac combo now, but wondering if it would bottleneck my system with the r9 280 card? All I have left is to purchase a case, cpu, and mobo. IF the i3-4370 will bottleneck me OR not be enough for my needs I mentioned before, I would wait out to get the i5-4690k + asrock z97e-itx/ac then.

This would be my build:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-4370 3.8GHz Dual-Core Processor ($159.98 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: ASRock H97M-ITX/AC Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($79.99 @ Micro Center)
Memory: PNY XLR8 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($67.12 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 280 3GB Dual-X Video Card ($172.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Thermaltake Core V1 Mini ITX Tower Case ($34.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: XFX XTR 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($66.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $582.04
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-02-21 13:53 EST-0500

zeyuanfu · Feb 21, 2015

The i3 would be fine, but it would be slower in video editing.

dlim · Feb 21, 2015

zeyuanfu :

Will it be a lot slower? I'd save $60 getting the i3-4370 over the i5-4590 due to the promotion. And granted I won't be editing much. For example, I'm going on a ski trip to Park City, UT for my buddy's bachelor's party this weekend and I want to edit some of the footage from the trip. After that, I don't know when the next time I'll edit something is haha. Maybe in May/June when I go on another trip.

There's no point in getting the asrock z97e-itx/ac over the h97m-itx/ac if I'm not going to be overclocking, right? It's not necessarily a more stable board? If it's a more stable/better quality board for my build I would spend the extra $30.

zeyuanfu · Feb 22, 2015

In that case, the i3 will do the job just fine. It WILL be slower in games like Shadow of Mordor, though.

As for the Z97 vs H97, there is no reason to get Z97 if you're not overclocking and if you can't SLI or Crossfire. There might be a slight difference in build quality, but that's something you don't need to worry about as you won't be doing anything extreme.

dlim · Feb 23, 2015

thanks! :]

dlim · Feb 24, 2015

zeyuanfu :

This is actually what I've managed to put together now:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-4370 3.8GHz Dual-Core Processor (Purchased For $151.18)
Motherboard: ASRock H97M-ITX/AC Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard (Purchased For $43.98)
Memory: PNY XLR8 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (Purchased For $99.99)
Storage: PNY Optima 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (Purchased For $0.00)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB Video Card ($128.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Thermaltake Core V1 Mini ITX Tower Case ($41.80 @ Directron)
Power Supply: XFX XTR 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply (Purchased For $59.99)
Total: $525.93
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-02-24 01:27 EST-0500

CPU, Mobo, and PSU purchased and I'm sticking with.

Memory: purchased, unsure if I should keep or go with a 8gb of a "higher quality" brand (g skill, kingston, etc.). has not come in yet and can still refuse package

GPU: Still torn b/w asus gtx 750 ti oc and sapphire r9 280. It's a $30 difference. Wondering if it's worth saving $30 to go with a more efficient card for my build (not necessarily concerened with the power bill, but efficieny/performance/temperature of my actual build)

Case: probably gonna go thermaltake core v1, considering corsair 250D now though.

zeyuanfu · Feb 25, 2015

All RAM are generally of the same quality, but kits from known and trusted manufacturers overclock better.

The 280 offers a TREMENDOUS difference versus the 750 Ti, which is worth every penny of the 30$ more.

The 250D is overpriced for what it is, the V1 is perfectly fine.

dlim · Feb 25, 2015

zeyuanfu :

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-4370 3.8GHz Dual-Core Processor (Purchased For $151.18)
Motherboard: ASRock H97M-ITX/AC Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard (Purchased For $43.98)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (Purchased For $89.99)
Storage: PNY Optima 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (Purchased For $0.00)
Video Card: Zotac GeForce GTX 960 2GB Video Card (Purchased For $169.99)
Case: Thermaltake Core V1 Mini ITX Tower Case ($41.80 @ Directron)
Power Supply: XFX XTR 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply (Purchased For $59.99)
Total: $556.93
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-02-25 19:37 EST-0500

This is what I ended up going with :] All the parts have been bought and waiting for them to come in.

PNY optima i'm leaving unopened still. Hoping a good SSD deal goes on sale in the next few days. Won't build this till next week since Ill be out of town this weekend. And I'll pick up either a 1tb seagate barracuda or wd blue whenver either drops under $50 after taxes :]

Thanks for all the help!

zeyuanfu · Feb 25, 2015

No problem

Asrock Z97E-ITX/ac vs Asus Z97I-Plus for Mini-ITX build

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