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ITX Gaming Build (Frag Box) -NEED advice!

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Hello Forum members.

Looking to build a small PC and really intrested in building a ITX. So lets get to it!

Reason: Able to play MAX settings on WoW, D3, GW2 @ 1920x1080 via HDMI (surfing internet, streaming media, etc -not all at once)

Preferred: Local pickup @ www.canadacomputers.com or tigerdirect.ca
Location: Toronto Ontario
Parts Preferences: Don't matter but I do pefer Nivida as the GPU but really..doesn't matter
Overclocking: Yes if its worth it. (Not benchmarking, just want to play games smoothly)
SLI or Crossfire: No
Your Monitor Resolution: 1920x1080 46inch LCD TV
Additional Comments: Would love low noise and Less heat the better

Not needed: Monitor, OS, mouse, Keyboard.
Price: $800.00 or less. I could go up to $1000.00 but only if its a really big difference.

Note: The mobo I choose at this time is a H77 -a non OC-ing mobo.

Need advice on:
1) Any changes to the build -any savings found?
2) CPU?
3) GPU?
4) is AMD a viable option?

Case: BitFenix Prodigy Midnight Black Edition
http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=6... $89.99

Mobo: Asus P8H77-I Socket 1155 H77
http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=2... $104.99

HDD: Crucial 128GB m4 SATA 3 6G/B
http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=1... $119.99

RAM: Corsair Veng. Low Profile 8GB (2x4GB) DDR 1600MHz
http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=2... $49.99

PS: Corsair Enthusiast Series TX650 V2
http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=3... $99.99

DVD: Samsung SH-222BB
http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=3... $16.99

OS: Not needed

CPU: ????

GPU: ????


More about : itx gaming build frag box advice

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Homebuilt system Expert

I'd suggest an Intel i3 CPU. AMD is viable as a CPU, but with an ITX system, you probably want to keep heat to an absolute minimum and AMD simply doesn't do that too well right now.

For graphics, AMD is a very viable option. You could go for a Radeon 7850 if it would fit in your case, but I'm not sure. A Radeon 7770 should be able to handle 1080p with some settings reduced in today's more intense games and should fit in your case no problem. We'd have to check the dimensions to find out what would and wouldn't fit.
Homebuilt system Authority

AMD would technically work but generally their CPU's need to be overclocked to be good for gaming. Overclocking definitely wouldn't be recommended for a mini ITX system.

I would go for:

Intel Core i3-2120
H77 Mini ITX Motherboard
2x4GB 1333Mhz RAM
Sapphire Ultimate HD 7750 (Passive)
Crucial M4 128GB
380W Seasonic PSU
Scythe Shuriken CPU Cooler
Bitfenix Prodigy

That would be cheap and should play all of those games on ultra high settings really. You wouldn't get ultra high on more demanding games but this would be ultra quiet.

If you can cope with a bit more noise and something a tad more expensive, you could swap:

i3-2120 for i5-3450
HD 7750 for HD 7850
380W Seasonic for 430W Seasonic (Their PSU's tend to be incredibly quiet.)

That one should play pretty much anything at ultra high settings and be just a bit more noisy. Still quiet though so long as you get a good HD 7850 like the higher end ASUS or MSI ones. I think Sapphire are good too.
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Homebuilt system Expert

^+1

A lower wattage PSU would save you more money which you could invest in other components. And if overclocking is out of the questions, you don't need more than around ~400w

However, considering the price of the Seasonic PSU's, wouldn't it be a better option to go with a PSU from a different brand? I imagine something from the Corsair CX Series of PSU's to be a viable option. They aren't very loud from personal experience as well.
Homebuilt system Expert

i3 or i5, wouldn't make much difference in most games with these graphics cards and even in games that it might, it still wouldn't be a huge difference. If you want a faster CPU, then the i5-3450 is a great option.

Overclocking could change this with the 7850 because it has a lot of headroom that the i3s simply can't handle in every game, but overclocking doesn't seem like something you'd do.

The i5 is easily the more future-proofed option for several reasons and I'd prefer it with the 7850, but I wouldn't build an ITX machine for myself and I'd overclock it very far, so I didn't think that my opinion on that sort of thing would be unbiased enough.
Homebuilt system Expert

I would argue about ITX builds and overclocking, however, as the Bitfenix Prodigy case OP has selected proved to be a very nice ITX case...

However, that's beside the point. I would still prefer the i5 3450 IF you could get the HD7850/HD6870. If meaning getting the i5 would compromise on the GPU...for example, not enough budget and you have to drop down to an HD7770, then go for an i3+7850 combination by all means.

If you can still squeeze in both the i5 3450 AND a Radeon HD7850, then this would be the path I would take.
Homebuilt system Authority

Overclocking is the last thing you will want to do in a mini ITX build, especially if you want quietness. I wouldn't worry about that.

The i3-2120 is awesome for games currently, the i5 would last a bit longer though.
Homebuilt system Authority

Another slightly more unorthodox option would be to get the i5 build but replace the i5 with a Pentium G620. It is extremely cheap and performs the same as an FX-4100 in games. It's not even that far behind the i3, you would be surprised. Then just get along with that for a bit till you can afford the i5-3450.
Homebuilt system Expert

Even the FX-4100 kicks the crap out of a Pentium in any well-threaded CPU-bound game. Even the i3 can hold a roughly up to 30% lead over it in such games and an i5 can be more than twice as fast. The Pentiums are great for games that don't rely on the CPU too much, but they kinda suck for very CPU-bound games. BF3 MP with 32-64 players might bring a Pentium to its knees.
Homebuilt system Authority

Yeah I'm just saying maybe use it for 6 months or something till he can afford the i5. The Pentium would cope fine with GW2, WoW and D3 I imagine. I agree that it might struggle in larger maps on games like BF3.
Homebuilt system Expert

To be honest, as nice of an option that is, I would prefer to get the i5 right off the bat.

**EDIT**
@ OP, Swap out your PSU for this - http://ncix.com/products/?sku=60329&vpn=CMPSU-500CXV2&m... With your PSU swapped, this should give you an extra ~$45 for your budget.

i5 3450 - http://ncix.com/products/?sku=70543&vpn=BX80637I53450&m...
ASUS Direct CUII HD7850 - http://ncix.com/products/?sku=69864&vpn=HD7850-DC2-2GD5...

I just did the math - Total comes out to $896.92. I'm not sure how taxes/shipping works in Canada, but this is just the price in cart.

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