Mini ITX Porta-PC build suggestions?

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adityadesai327

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Nov 21, 2013
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Hello
I will be upgrading my computer in around a month or so and later move to a uni dorm. So I'm looking for a mini- ITX build that would be lasting (around 3-ish years) and around 800$.
Since I would be going back and forth from college to home atleast twice a week, I have decided that a mini-ITX case would be best.
Currently I'm looking at either a Silverstone SG13 or a Cooler Master Elite 130.
A mini GTX 970 (or a full size if the case can fit one), Intel i5 6500, 16 GB DDR4 RAM, a Gigabyte 6th gen Intel supporting Motherboard, 650 watt Corsair power supply and other peripherals. I'd like to know if I can swap the GTX 970 for a R9 390. I also want to know about the case ventilation and temperature constraints.
Cheers!
 
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okcnaline

okcnaline

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Nov 17, 2013
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PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4570 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($192.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Zalman CNPS7000V(AL)-1-PWM CPU Cooler ($9.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock H97M-ITX/AC Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($89.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Kingston HyperX Fury Black 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($38.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Crucial BX100 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($49.87 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($48.73 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 380 2GB ITX Compact Video Card ($178.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Silverstone RVZ01B Mini ITX Desktop Case ($78.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: Silverstone 500W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular SFX Power Supply ($94.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $783.52
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-04-02 10:54 EDT-0400

Best way to explain the choice for case.
https://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Silverstone/Raven_RVZ01/
 
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adityadesai327

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Nov 21, 2013
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But why a R9 380? I need a rig that will last me for another 3-4 years. And it would be cool if I would be able to play at 720p 3 years later.
 
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zeke15

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Jan 27, 2016
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This will give you great performance, and it is very portable. It can fit a full size R9 390 which is slightly faster than a GTX 970. With an i5-6500 coupled with that GPU you will be fine to play pretty much every game at 1080p 60fps on ultra. Unlike the other suggested build, this one has 16 GB of DDR4, not 8 GB DDR3. This build also has a newer skylake i5, and a much better graphics card. As for the case, I know that it isn't what you looked at, but this is one of the highest rated mini ITX cases out there. No for the actual build:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($194.99 @ B&H)
Motherboard: MSI H110I Pro Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard ($74.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Kingston HyperX Fury Black 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($64.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($48.73 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon R9 390 8GB Video Card ($299.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Thermaltake Core V1 Mini ITX Tower Case ($34.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 520W 80+ Bronze Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($63.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $782.67
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-04-02 11:16 EDT-0400
 
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adityadesai327

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Nov 21, 2013
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A great build! Thanks! But would the 520 watt power supply suffice? AMD cards are more power hungry right? Would there be any temperature spikes? Also could you differentiate between the blower style GPU and the normal ones?
 
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zeke15

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Jan 27, 2016
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Oops, didn't even notice that it was only 520 watts, I thought it was 600. Here is a revised build with a proper power supply, because 520 watts will not be enough to power the R9 390 safely:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($194.99 @ B&H)
Motherboard: MSI H110I Pro Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard ($74.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Kingston HyperX Fury Black 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($64.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($48.73 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon R9 390 8GB Video Card ($299.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Thermaltake Core V1 Mini ITX Tower Case ($34.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA P2 650W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($74.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $793.67
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-04-02 12:26 EDT-0400

AMD cards are almost always more power hungry for sure, and generally run hotter. There shouldn't be any horrible temperature spikes, because the cooler on the card is designed to deal with this heat. As for the difference between blower cards and regular open fan cards, here it is:

Blower cards use a fan that looks very similar to a water pump, and works very similar as well. They pull air from the inside of the case, and force it through a closed system, across all major heat points on a graphics card, finally forcing the air out the back of the case, generally through a second expansion slot. This type of fan generally cools very well, but they are very loud, Traditional, open fan cards pull air from the case, forcing it across a heat sink that connects to the major heat points on a card. This air is not within a closed system, so it is free to move around the case afterward until it is forced out the back by an exhaust fan in the case. I generally prefer open fan coolers because they look better (in my opinion), and they are generally quieter.
 
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zeke15

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They are very noticeably louder. Essentially, a standard case fan (not some ultra quiet noctua) running at full load is about as loud as a blower fan at normal speed.

In therms of future proofing, this is about as good as you can get at this point. SKylake is the newest CPU manufacturing process out there, and it is based around DDR4, so you will be set on processor and RAM for atleast 5 years without needing a significant upgrade. As for GPU, the R9 390 currently maxes out all games at 1080p at at least 30 fps, if not lose to 60. This will change, so 5 years down the road, you might have to drop to medium settings on the newest games of 2021. Really, unless you want to spend hundreds more on a GPU, this is the most future-proof you can get.
 
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adityadesai327

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Nov 21, 2013
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zeke15 thanks mate! You've been a lot help! I think I'll go ahead with that rig. I think that it'll last for a good 4 years. Any special fans I should look out for or the stock ones good? And will that case fit a radiator? And if it does, should I opt for one? Any advantages on using one?
 
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zeke15

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Jan 27, 2016
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You should be fine with stock fans. They will be absolutely fine for cooling, and once you build it, you can decide whether or not they are too loud. If you think they are, then you can always replace them afterward. As for a radiator, it is not necessary. You won't get much of a benifit at this point from liquid cooling and using a radiator. I think that case can fit a small one, but there is really no point. In terms of cooler, you can just use the stock one, or you could get a low profile one like the Cryorig C7.
 
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