Mini Itx Build opinions and feedbacks

[MojoSGS]

Hi people, As my current laptop's about to die, I'm planning on building my first pc. I have a budget of $1500 but prefer to spend $1300. My rig will be used for gaming, coding and casual video editing.

I don't plan on overclocking but I'd like to have a better temp and silence on the cpu and the whole system haha.

The parts are these:

PCPartPicker part list: http://au.pcpartpicker.com/p/2Gpmx

CPU: Intel Core i5-4570 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($230.00 @ PCCaseGear)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-L12 37.8 CFM CPU Cooler ($74.00 @ CPL Online)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H87N-WIFI Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($135.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Memory: Kingston 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($95.00 @ CPL Online)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($109.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 280X 3GB Video Card ($389.00 @ CPL Online)
Case: BitFenix Prodigy (Black) Mini ITX Tower Case ($99.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 600W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($99.00 @ Mwave Australia)
Total: $1299.00

I would love some opinions on a cheaper but quiet cpu cooler and a good not so expensive 200mm front fan

I live in Australia.

 

[allocco91]

Solid choices right there. Many people, including me, are going to suggest a better power supply for that card, regardless of overclocking. Try to look for XFX, EVGA, Seasonic and Antec for a PSU, 600 watts or more. I know the CX600 looks tempting for the price, but I wouldn't trust it with those specific high-end parts.

The CM Hyper series is the consensus on the best CPU cooler for money. Look for a TX3, T4, or 212 Plus/Evo.

Other than that, it's a great build, although I wouldn't really call the Prodigy a "SFF" case.

I think they sell the Corsair air series fans in Australia. Check up on those.

 

[Rammy]

The cooler is a definite no-go, for a couple of reasons
1) It won't fit. That particular motherboard has a CPU socket near the PCIe slot, limiting cooler compatibility.
2) The Prodigy has excellent height clearance and a good cross flow through the case, this makes a tower style of cooler much more appropriate.

Ideally 2*4Gb of memory is a better solution (and you might as well try for CAS8or9 as they usually aren't any more expensive).
If it were me I'd be keen to change the PSU too, as it doesn't seem all that cheap, but I know from past experience that Australian pcpartpicker is very limited in selection.
Otherwise, you have a great little system.

For the front fan, Bitfenix Spectre Pro 200/230mm is a solid bet.

 

[MojoSGS]

Solid choices right there. Many people, including me, are going to suggest a better power supply for that card, regardless of overclocking. Try to look for XFX, EVGA, Seasonic and Antec for a PSU, 600 watts or more. I know the CX600 looks tempting for the price, but I wouldn't trust it with those specific high-end parts.

The CM Hyper series is the consensus on the best CPU cooler for money. Look for a TX3, T4, or 212 Plus/Evo.

Other than that, it's a great build, although I wouldn't really call the Prodigy a "SFF" case.

I think they sell the Corsair air series fans in Australia. Check up on those.

Thank you for the quick reply allocco91
I do agree with the PSU selection. But I haven't yet able to find even a better psu for the same price or less. As for the cpu cooler, CM Hyper series tend to be quite big don't they? I'd rather have a low profile cooler to save myself from all the hassle haha. I love the look of a mac pro (dislike macintosh) and prodigy seems like a compact option

 

[MojoSGS]

The cooler is a definite no-go, for a couple of reasons
1) It won't fit. That particular motherboard has a CPU socket near the PCIe slot, limiting cooler compatibility.
2) The Prodigy has excellent height clearance and a good cross flow through the case, this makes a tower style of cooler much more appropriate.

Ideally 2*4Gb of memory is a better solution (and you might as well try for CAS8or9 as they usually aren't any more expensive).
If it were me I'd be keen to change the PSU too, as it doesn't seem all that cheap, but I know from past experience that Australian pcpartpicker is very limited in selection.
Otherwise, you have a great little system.

For the front fan, Bitfenix Spectre Pro 200/230mm is a solid bet.

Thanks Rammy. Is a tower cooler hard to put in? For the ram the one I chose is kinda the best option at the moment. Even my local stores sell Rams pretty overpriced. Thanks also to the fan recommendation.

 

[allocco91]

http://www.bitfenix.com/global/en/forums/6,gaming-rig-showcase/658,the-prodigy/

They are quite easy. You can also buy a low profile Arctic Cooling cooler that will do a good job.

 

[Rammy]

You won't fit a 120mm fan cooler (like a Hyper 212) in that motherboard I don't think.
Motherboard manufacturers (perhaps understandably) aren't great at producing compatibility lists, so it's down to a bit of intuition at times. I'm 99% sure you won't find any 120mm fan coolers which will fit.

Stepping down a little, you'll find quite a large selection of 92mm fan compact tower coolers which should be compatible, and also channel the air in the correct direction.
Examples of this would be the EVGA ACX cooler, Coolermaster Hyper TX3, Silverstone AR02, Arctic Freezer 13 (that one might be a long shot) or Noctua NH-U9

If anything, a tower cooler is easier to install than a wider, flatter one like the one you had originally, as you can remove the fans easily and you have much greater clearance to screw down.

 

[MojoSGS]

so far I've gathered these

CM hyper tx3
http://www.msy.com.au/product.jsp?productId=8591

CM Hyper 103 RR-H103-22PB-R1
http://www.msy.com.au/product.jsp?productId=11259

What do you guys think?

And also if I want to put a fan controller, should I get the bitfenix recon or this http://www.msy.com.au/product.jsp?productId=10106 ?

 

[Rammy]

There is nothing wrong with the TX3, especially considering you aren't overclocking. It's not going to set the world alight, but it should be more than sufficient for your needs at a decent price.

There's quite a lot of options for fan controllers, depending on what you need. The Recon is pretty elaborate, perhaps more than you need given you are controlling 2 fans. The NZXT Sentry is pretty similar to the Recon. I kinda like something more tactile, so I use a Lamptron FC9.
The motherboard has a single system fan header, but you could use a splitter to run two from this (or from the CPU header) which would give you some measure of control.

 

[MojoSGS]

There is nothing wrong with the TX3, especially considering you aren't overclocking. It's not going to set the world alight, but it should be more than sufficient for your needs at a decent price.

There's quite a lot of options for fan controllers, depending on what you need. The Recon is pretty elaborate, perhaps more than you need given you are controlling 2 fans. The NZXT Sentry is pretty similar to the Recon. I kinda like something more tactile, so I use a Lamptron FC9.
The motherboard has a single system fan header, but you could use a splitter to run two from this (or from the CPU header) which would give you some measure of control.

I see. I sort of want a fan controller to control Front, top-end, and rear. The one I found has card readers and usb ports but the recon and sentry look pretty damn nice hahaha.

If I decide to use a fan controller, Will I just need to connect the fans to it then connect the controller to the psu/motherboard?

I really appreciate your help thanks so much

 

[Rammy]

Nah you remove the motherboard from the equation. Most fan controllers run off a couple of 4pin Molex connectors from your PSU, and then you run all your fans from there.
Having extra USB/card reader is fine, but it depends how it interfaces. It's possible it uses a single USB2.0 header (which you will have spare) but if it uses USB3.0 you'll need an adaptor (as your front panel connector will take the USB3.0), and if it uses two USB2.0 headers (one for USB and one for card reader) then you'll have to pick one.
As there aren't many details supplied it's a little hard to tell. The manufacturer website is similarly unhelpful, but seems to suggest it's the last one (two USB2.0) which is a pain.

 

[MojoSGS]

I guess I'll have to go to the store and give it a look hahaha. Thanks heaps for all your help