Sign in with
Sign up | Sign in
Your question

(First Time Build) *Mini-ITX* Gaming PC need advice!

Tags:
  • Systems
  • PC gaming
Last response: in Systems
Share
March 30, 2014 12:09:22 AM

This is my first ever time building a PC and I have decided to go the Mini-ITX route after owning a mid tower gaming PC that I have had for 5 years now (don't like how much room it takes up etc). Will i be able to do this without having built one before? I assume Mini-ITX will be a harder task considering everything is in a smaller space. I need as much advice as possible as the current extent of my pc modding ability is opening up the case hoovering dust out and fiddling around with things. I also plan on going with the watercooling kit that comes separately for the case I have chosen but haven't yet been able to find any tutorials of installing it.

Here are the components I have selected:

CPU: Intel Core i5 4670k, S 1150, Haswell
Motherboard: Asus P8Z77-l DELUXE, Intel Z77 S 1155
RAM: 8GB (2X4GB) Cosair DDR3 Vengeance Low Profile
GPU: 2GB EVGA GTX 770 ACX
Memory: 128GB Samgsung 840 Pro Basic SSD / 1TB Seagate SSHD Hybrid drive
Case: EVGA Hadron Hydro
Cooling: EVGA Hadron Hydro WaterCooling Kit
Thermal paste: Artic Silver 5

More about : time build mini itx gaming advice

March 30, 2014 3:35:41 AM

ITX systems aren't necessarily any more complicated than a standard ATX build. The size can present extra issues with regards to routing cables, but a lot of this is dependant on the case you pick, as some are better for this than others.
Doing a full CPU watercooling setup on your first build is likely to be fairly daunting though. To the best of my knowledge, it's just a standard watercooling kit, so any tutorial relating to something similar (ie an XSPC Raystorm 240, or something of that nature) is likely to give you an idea of what you have to look forward to. Also, doing a watercooling loop in a case this small, even with a specially designed kit, is likely to be more challenging than in a larger case where you have more margin for error in terms of tubing lengths etc.

Your build itself also has some issues.
Firstly, and most importantly, your CPU and motherboard are not compatible. The motherboard is socket 1155, while the CPU is socket 1150. You will need a Z87 equivalent like the Asus Z87I-Deluxe to support that CPU.
From there, I would query the logic behind the build in general. It's very expensive, and your return for that expense is pretty questionable. The Hadron Hydro is basically the smallest case in which you can fit a 240mm rad, so if you need both of these things it can be a great contender, but it's value for money is pretty terrible if your main priority is performance (or even compact performance). There are a couple of reasons for this. Full watercooling is expensive, but it can increasingly make sense if you can cool multiple components, if it's only used to cool a CPU then you have a fairly similar cost, but only benefiting one of your performance components.
I'd also have some lesser issues with your storage and graphics. I'm not sure how much sense an SSHD makes when you already have an SSD, and while the ACX cooler is excellent, in a case this small a self-exhausting "blower" cooler tends to make more sense.

TLDR - If you change the motherboard, it'll work, but you might get a lot more value or performance by considering alternatives.
!