Looking for advice on my '12 computer

[anferny]

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Approximate Purchase Date: Before mid May

Budget Range: < $800

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming (D3, Guild wars 2)

Parts Not Required: keyboard, mouse, monitor, speakers, OS

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Amazon

Country: U.S.A


Overclocking: Maybe

SLI or Crossfire: No

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Mobo: Open to suggestions.

Case: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0066130AO/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Memory: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004O69XAY/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER

CPU: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004EBUXIA/ref=ox_sc_act_title_4?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Storage: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005CT56R6/ref=ox_sc_act_title_5?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER

OS only: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005T3GQNI/ref=ox_sc_act_title_6?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER

PSU: Haven't decided yet.

GPU: Haven't decided yet.

Subtotal: $575.82 The cheaper the better

Thanks in advance!

 

[robertris2]

So what is it you need advice on? The psu and gpu?

 

[Raiddinn]

PSU
http://tinyurl.com/732uu8m

Video Card
http://tinyurl.com/7l6344p

 

[anferny]

Oh duh, the GPU and PSU, also if any of y'all think I should switch parts.

 

[foscooter]

Why did you choose a Micro-ATX motherboard to go into a Mid-Tower case?

 

[anferny]

Whoops, didn't do that intentionally haha. I'll find a different mobo and edit my post.

 

[Raiddinn]

There is nothing wrong about using a micro board and a mid tower case.

I have a micro board and a positively huge case.

In fact, I would hypothesize that a smaller motherboard is preferable if it suits your needs for many reasons, including:

1) Less real estate
2) Less components that can break
3) Less components that need powering and that generate heat
4) Simpler designs not to have to be able to support multiple PCIE slots, etc.
5) Less confusing about where things should be connected
6) Generally cheaper to produce and sell.

OP - If you want to keep the micro board I say go right ahead.

There is no good reason that a micro board is worse than a regular size board unless the regular size board comes with more slots and you actually intend to use the additional slots.

If that is the case then its probably something you are doing wrong rather than the fact that you need a larger board. Slot space shouldn't be in high demand for most people.

Foscooter - Why even ask the question? Nothing I have ever heard would give me a good reason to think that filling up the case's internal space completely is a desirable thing. Also, there is no good reason to buy a smaller case because of the smaller board, because one day the board may need to be upgraded to a regular size board and the case would no longer be usable.

OP - Just get the two things I said and what you originally said. There is no need to continue beyond that.

 

[foscooter]

1) Less real estate
2) Less components that can break
3) Less components that need powering and that generate heat
4) Simpler designs not to have to be able to support multiple PCIE slots, etc.
5) Less confusing about where things should be connected
6) Generally cheaper to produce and sell.

OP - If you want to keep the micro board I say go right ahead.

And less "features" on the board.

But you are right, if the OP wants Micro-ATX, and it has all the features onboard that they want, go ahead and get it.

The only thing I can think of, without looking at the board itself, would be less USB ports.

Things like Firewire, eSATA, PCI, PCI-e x1, WiFi, Bluetooth, and add-on SATA controllers (that don't run at specs anyway!) I don't want, and would be "missing" on a micro board anyway.

So why would I get a "larger" board? They (tend to) have are better voltage regulators (like 12+4 vs. 8+2, 6+2, or 4+1 as some examples), for more stable overclocking, which not everybody does.

But I always say "Get what YOU want."

I just brought it up. Not as an error, just that I noticed it.

 

[azeem40]

I learned something new! I always thought that you need an ATX board unless it is for an HTPC.

Thanks Raiddinn.

 

[Raiddinn]

In fact, I would hypothesize that a smaller motherboard is preferable if it suits your needs for many reasons, including:

Agreed, if it doesn't actually have the features that you want, then you may be forced to get a different one regardless what you already chose. It could be a regular ATX that you chose the first time and you have to get a different one because it doesn't have what you need.

If the OP wanted the capability to OC, getting a H61 motherboard would be a bad idea for instance (2400 also wouldn't work).

Anyway, the newer the design the more likely it is to have features that weren't standard in H61 days. This motherboard from Gigabyte has a lot of stuff on it feature wise despite being a micro board:

GIGABYTE GA-Z77MX-D3H LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard

Not that I am going to suggest it for the OP since its $100 more than the H61 he originally chose, but its just an example. It should be more the generation of the board than the size of the board as to what features it has in most cases.