Building Grandpop a Sweet Looking Box

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pigeoncracker

pigeoncracker

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Jun 11, 2014
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Hey!

My grandpa has an aging PC (it hasn't kept up with the windows 10 update as well as I had hoped it would) that he just had to have the power supply replaced (I think it's six to seven years old?). I was going to surprise the guy with a (maybe slightly flashy) computer to replace his brick.

He's just going to be using Microsoft Office a lot and maybe running the occasional Minecraft for the kids. He's better acclimated to the technology than most, but what I want to aim with this is making it as silent as I can while being able to run MS Word, and run Word FAST.

Also needs to be reliable as hell because I am damn not traveling 4 hours up to fix it.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-6100 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor ($110.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG H7 49.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI H110I Pro Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard ($74.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Kingston HyperX Fury Black 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: OCZ TRION 150 480GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Phanteks Enthoo EVOLV ITX Mini ITX Tower Case ($65.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($78.49 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $495.43
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-09-07 23:20 EDT-0400

This is my list so far. I didn't want it to be too expensive or else he'd feel bad. The CPU cooler that I spotted has claimed to be one of the most quiet. Good, or nah? Fanless something to look into?

I don't know about the power supply, but I needed things to be neat so a fully modular caught my eye. But with the rig barely pulling anything from the wall, 650W seemed a bit extreme. I couldn't find anything lower. Is it quiet, or should I look around for a different one? I like EVGA's supplies a lot.

I'm sketchy around the motherboard too. It looks like a good option, with the white and black theme I've sort of got going on here and I need a USB 3.0 port because he likes backing up his stuff. For not overclocking anything and just keeping stuff stable and reliable, is it a good option?

The case is a personal preference. I think it looks spectacular and it's got good reviews.

The CPU is probably around where it's going to stay. Unless you guys think that he needs to run Outlook at light speed, it's probably good.

Trying to stay below 500$, but going a little over is fine (just not like, another 100$ over)

SSD a good option? He's got 300GB filled on his current hard drive and I was just going to transfer them (he's also just been using a 5400rpm hard drive as his boot and thought I would blow his mind a little with an SSD)

Thanks for any help!
 
Solution
azaran
CPU cooler: Its incredibly quiet and a solid performer. More cooling than he needs honestly but worth it to never have to deal with RAM compatibility issues that quieter coolers will give you.

Motherboard: Specs look good, better than others in that price range. I tend to be pretty warry of MSI since they've had QC issues in the past, but that board seems to give good revies. I'd maybe look at the GIGABYTE GA-H110N or the ASUS H110I-PLUS/CSM for similar priced, well reviewed boards. The only big downside is the other boards don't offer M.2 PCIe or USB 3.1. I doubt you'll ever need to worry about the PCIe SSD's but the USB 3.1 ports are a nice perk.

Storage: That SDD has been a bit of a darling for entry model storage and beats out...
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azaran

azaran

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CPU cooler: Its incredibly quiet and a solid performer. More cooling than he needs honestly but worth it to never have to deal with RAM compatibility issues that quieter coolers will give you.

Motherboard: Specs look good, better than others in that price range. I tend to be pretty warry of MSI since they've had QC issues in the past, but that board seems to give good revies. I'd maybe look at the GIGABYTE GA-H110N or the ASUS H110I-PLUS/CSM for similar priced, well reviewed boards. The only big downside is the other boards don't offer M.2 PCIe or USB 3.1. I doubt you'll ever need to worry about the PCIe SSD's but the USB 3.1 ports are a nice perk.

Storage: That SDD has been a bit of a darling for entry model storage and beats out the other ~500GB drives in price. I think going with a single drive instead of splitting up between a lower capacity SSD and a high capcity HDD is probably the right choice given who you're building it for.

PSU: Really this is the only big problem with the build. The G1/NEX series were not well built. 650w is WAY more than that system will ever need. But going fully modular is a good idea given the case you picked out (which is beautiful). You could pick up a SeaSonic M12II 520 Bronze for $15 less or stick to that price and pick up a 550w G2 for a buck more. Both of those PSU's are way more than it needs, but the 520 seems to be the lowest wattage Pricepicker is showing me thats fully modular.
 
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Solution
pigeoncracker

pigeoncracker

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Jun 11, 2014
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I'm leaning towards the 550w G2 just because it's lowest price is off of Newegg. I think I'll get that one. Thanks for warning me about the NEX series.

Question about the heatsink: is replacing the fan on that worth it, or is it going to be already about as good as it's going to get?

I picked the motherboard for the 3.1 ports because he's a little paranoid and runs backups all the time, and he's got an external USB 3.1 hard drive that he uses. The next board up that has it is a lot more expensive, but I suppose if I can find any major dirt on it online I'll drop to a USB 3.0, probably the ASUS. I've had good luck with them.

(Still waiting for more opinions to show their faces *hint* *hint* *other marauding users*)
 
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azaran

azaran

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Feb 17, 2010
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When you actually make the PSU purchase, look at the GS line as well. Both are very good, and the EVGA lineup price fluctuates like its the tide. But those are the top two rated gold PSUs EVGA makes.

I wouldn't worry about the heatsink fan. You could probably find ones slightly more quiet but really the one the H7 is super quiet. I've installed a few and once the panels are on the case you really cant hear it. With the 47w TDP that the i3 has, I'd be very surprised if that thing ever needs to get above idle speeds. Since your RAM is only about 34mm high, you could also switch it out to a Cooler Master GeminII S524 Ver.2. The Cooler Master isn't quite as good of a cooler as the H7 but its still very good and with the heat the i3 is putting out I don't know if you'd ever know the difference. The big boon for the cooler is that it rates in at a lower noise level, 6.5-22 dBA vs the H7 10-25 dBA. Depending on the day of the week, it runs roughly the same price as the H7.

As for the motherboard, that 3.1 is a very nice feature. Especially since your grandfather already has a drive that can use it. I'd look in to the board a bit more, see what some reviews say and if its solid then go for it. I'm partial to the Asus lineup myself, but the features on the MSI are a bit nicer.
 
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