Origin PC proves you can get two GeForce GTX 780 Tis and a heavily overclocked Core i7-4770K into a microATX form factor using BitFenix's popular Phenom M chassis. Yes, the combination is expensive, but it's also oh-so fast. We deconstruct it for you.
Even as mini-ITX cases appear to be getting bigger, microATX is getting smaller. The Rodney Dangerfield of form factors, microATX is often ridiculed by enthusiasts who just can't get enough room for high-end hardware and skipped over entirely by the crowd shopping for ever-shrinking form factors. The brief window of opportunity that microATX gaming cubes had to impress with their diminutive dimensions is all but forgotten, lost to the din made over slim little boxes housing GeForce GTX Titan cards.
But as anyone who built a PC using a cube-shaped enclosure will tell you, that probably shouldn’t have happened. The microATX form factor gives us four slots of expansion, enough room for at least four DIMMs, and space around the processor interface for an enthusiast-class voltage regulator. That’s because the ATX-sized upper portion of the motherboard remains, even after a microATX's platform's three bottom slots are trimmed off.

These days, the word compact seems to apply most specifically to mini-ITX-based boxes. But Origin PC finds a loophole in that theory by using BitFenix's Phenom M. Nearly an inch shorter in both length and height than the $2500 mini-ITX Performance Build we put together for our System Builder Marathon last year, the Phenom moves its power supply to the front, creating room for five expansion slots.
Origin PC took advantage of the Phenom's relatively roomy interior and stuffed its Chronos with two GeForce GTX 780 Ti graphics cards, the fastest gaming boards Nvidia sells.
| Origin PC Chronos Custom PC | |
|---|---|
| Configurable Components | |
| CPU | Intel Core i7-4770K: 3.5 - 3.9 GHz, Four Cores, 8 MB Shared L3 Cache |
| DRAM | Corsair CMY16GX3M2A1866C9: DDR3-1866 C9, 16 GB ( 2 x 8 GB) |
| Graphics | 2 x Nvidia GeForce GTX 780 Ti, SLI, 3 GB GDDR5 |
| System Drive | Samsung 840 EVO MZ-7TE1T0BW: 1 TB SATA 6Gb/s MLC SSD |
| Storage Drive | Seagate Barracuda ST2000DM001: 2 TB, 7200 RPM Hard Drive |
| Optical Drive | None |
| Motherboard | Asus Maximus VI Gene, LGA 1150, Z87 Express, microATX |
| Chassis | BitFenix Phenom M Midnight Black Steel / Plastic MicroATX |
| CPU Cooler | Origin Frostbyte 120 Closed-loop liquid cooler |
| Power Supply | Corsair TX850M 80 PLUS Bronze Semi-Modular 850 W |
| Chassis Features | |
| Expansion Slots | Five |
| Internal Bays | 2 x 3.5" (Base Panel), 2 x 2.5" (Left Side Panel) |
| Power Bay | PS/2, Front Mounted on Base Panel |
| External Bay | None |
| Front Panel I/O | 2 x USB 3.0, Headphone, Microphone, all forward on left side panel |
| Fans | 2 x 120 mm Intake (top), 2 x 120 mm Exhaust (at rear radiator) |
| Motherboard Features | |
| External Peripheral | 6 x USB 3.0, 2 x USB 2.0 |
| External Audio | 6 x Analog, Digital Optical |
| External Video | HDMI |
| Internal Ports | 8 x SATA 6Gb/s, 2 x USB 3.0, 4 x USB 2.0 |
| Internal Slots | 2 x PCIe 3.0 (16+0 or 8+8 pathways), 1 x PCIe x4, 1 x Mini PCIe |
| Maximum Memory | 4 x DDR3-1333 to DDR3-2933 (all standard capacities) |
| Gigabit Ethernet | Intel I217V PHY |
| Wireless Network | None |
| Audio Controller | Realtek ALC1150 DAC, 7.1 + 2 channels rear/front, DTS Connect |
| Other Features | |
| Dimensions | 13.5" (H), 9.8" (W), 15.1" (D), 29.1 Pounds |
| Warranty | Three-Year Part Replacement/Shipping, Lifetime Labor/24x7 Support |
| Software | Microsoft Windows 8.1 Pro OEM |
| Price | $4215 |
Those cards by themselves sell for about $1400, so Origin has a bit of justification for pricing its diminutive box at $4215. The extended warranty adds $269 compared to the company's baseline one-year plan, but Origin wanted us to include it as part of the company's package. For enthusiasts who'd rather let someone else hold the screwdriver, this is an affordable insurance of sorts.
- Origin's Mini Cube With Big Hardware Specs
- Getting To Know Our Chronos
- Origin PC Tweaks The Chronos For Better Performance
- Test Settings And Benchmark Configuration
- Results: 3DMark And PCMark
- Results: SiSoftware Sandra
- Results: Battlefield 3
- Results: Far Cry 3
- Results: F1 2012
- Results: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
- Results: Audio And Video Encoding
- Results: Adobe Creative Suite
- Results: Productivity
- Results: File Compression
- Power And Heat
- Average Performance Versus Efficiency
- Can A $4000+ Gaming Cube Still Deliver Value?
Loving the small form factor and performance though.
How loud does this system have to get to handle all that heat?
I am guessing that it will be pretty noisy; probably the biggest downside to putting so much performance in such a small package.
Loving the small form factor and performance though.
How loud does this system have to get to handle all that heat?
I am guessing that it will be pretty noisy; probably the biggest downside to putting so much performance in such a small package.
Quiet, powerful and a small footprint.
That is a great combination in my book
Ah, but 17+73=90. It never reached max fan speed
Did you post that the room temp is kept at 17, or did I just miss it?
-The BitFenix Phenom M and the AeroCool Dead Silence look very similar on the outside (but assembles very differently on the inside when installing components).
-There is nothing special about this computer other than a demonstration of a poor internal layout and bad airflow.
-You can save over $1000 building this yourself: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2J1tf
-All it would take is a little bit of dust to collect and this PC is toast from the poor airflow.
You would have to run this PC with the side panels off pretty much 100% of the time realistically. Also, anyone who has worked with a Phenom or Prodigy M and a Corsair H60 or H80 would know that there is around 1mm of clearance between the top of the radiator and the back of the lower graphics card. I hope nothing shifts in shipment or the metal radiator could short out or damage the GPU. I see that Origin didn't opt to install any sort of retaining brackets or something to guarantee that the GPU won't move that 1mm and short itself. The flimsy bracket that holds the PCI cards in place just doesn't instill confidence in a $4000+ "luxury" computer.
Why would anyone want to buy this PC from Origin?
Really? Anyone can throw components in a PC case and use zip ties. What did Origin do that makes this computer so special that build quality is a feature? I don't see anything custom nor special here. This comment is suspect at best....
4930KRampage IV Black
16GB 2400 CL10 Trident X
GTX 780 Windforce OC in Sli
840 Pro 512 GB
2 x 1TB WD Caviar Blue
Storm Trooper
Seasonic 1250W 80+ Gold
LG Blu Ray Writer
Windows 8.1 Pro
This is a vastly faster, more versatile, and more robust system... Literally every single component of this system will run better on stock, OC'able components will OC much better and with way more headroom, will be more reliable and stable, will last significantly longer as games use more hyperthreading and cores and faster RAM, and that's with 300 quid left over and splashing out easily 250 extra bucks on a super overkill PSU and Blu Ray Player and shipping costs... !
The remaining money of 300-550 would probably cover a switch of components to the next gen of 5930K processors, Rampage V, DDR4 memory and sli GTX 880s before the year's out!
EDIT
mATX: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2JekD
ATX: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2JdJl
Ah, but 17+73=90. It never reached max fan speed
Did you post that the room temp is kept at 17, or did I just miss it?
Really? Anyone can throw components in a PC case and use zip ties. What did Origin do that makes this computer so special that build quality is a feature? I don't see anything custom nor special here. This comment is suspect at best....
Any 12 year old kid could assemble this computer. There is absolutely nothing special or proprietary about it. Most of the individual parts have a 3+ year warranty on them, so your warranty claim doesn't really hold weight.
I'm wondering, specifically, what makes this computer special from a "build quality" stand point as mentioned in the article. All I see is a mediocre computer case stuffed with parts and insufficient airflow. I would appreciate a more in depth response rather than the generic response you gave, quoted above.
You are still dodging the question and keeping talking about the warranty. I'm glad this computer has a 3 year warranty, as it should for the price. But a good warranty doesn't have any reflection on the build quality. I'm simply asking, "Why was build quality specifically mentioned in the conclusion." It is obvious that you stand by your wording in the article. I'm asking you to explain it without deflecting to their warranty.