Wanting to build a mini-atx gaming pc

bizzmeister

bizzmeister

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Hey guys,

I want to build a gaming pc, in a small case ( no idea what they call them these days, im on a mid-tower currently )



I want something decently quick with as little as possible to plug in besides the monitor. Gonna go full wireless for internet, mouse, keyboard. Pretty much all i want to plug in is the monitor. And since its small and ive never went small, does it require a smaller motherboard and what are they called? Micro-ATX?


Im not going to be doing any fancy custom water loops of any sort, just your basic average gaming pc on air.


What case would you recommend these days for a case and motherboard that will support 16GB ram / SSD/ and lets say a 1070Ti or something.
 
Mini ITX is the smallest (of standard ATX) anyway.

What's your budget first off?

It really depends how small you wanna go. My personal rig is in the Ncase M1, ITX case with high compatibility for a lot of components. For less compatibility for CPU coolers, you can look at the Dan Case A4. If these are too premium outside your price range, consider the Cougar QBX or similar if you can find one. Basically a cheaper Ncase M1 (in very basic terms).

Alternatively there's a slightly larger case like the Fractal Core 500. Easy to work in, plenty of room. But still a small footprint.

For a more traditional layout, consider the NZXT H200 or Fractal Define Nano S. Note that these are closer to mid-tower, than true SSF (Small form factor - which is considered to be less than 20L typically).

There's also plenty of other options. Dr Zaber Sentry (another premium unit), or cheaper in a similar form factor is the Fractal Node 202 - these are more console-style units. Also more box-style units like the Silverstone SG13 and Cooler Master Elite 110 for example, noting GPU length limitations.

Pick your case first. The rest of the components will depend heavily on that. You tend to be a bit more restricted in smaller cases, so best to plan around the case first.

Poor picture of my current rig as an example. (slightly cleaned up cable wise since but eh). GTX 1070, Ryzen 2600, 16GB of RAM etc. Fits all I ever need it to!
IMG_20181228_193752.jpg

PS; welcome to the small form factor world! :p
 
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Thanks for the quick response and info bro, really appreciate it.

Budget doesn’t matter at all, not looking to build something insane though. The components I’ll figure out.


I think I want to go with a mini-itx build now that I think about it. As small as possible with like a mini 1080 if possible.


I will look at all the cases you mentioned.
 
A lot of the mITX boards will have onboard BT/Wifi. If your mouse/kb is BT, you don't need an extra dongle. It pays to check the features though as there are a lot of variations.

My biggest gripe with mITX is the cases. Either they are too big (e.g. mATX size), have lackluster cooling for components (no breathing room for video cards), or are expensive. I ended up just moving back to a small mid tower (Meshify C).

That being said, good luck with your build. If I had an unlimited budget, I would have went with the NCase (I still might).
 
kirbyrj said:
A lot of the mITX boards will have onboard BT/Wifi. If your mouse/kb is BT, you don't need an extra dongle. It pays to check the features though as there are a lot of variations.

My biggest gripe with mITX is the cases. Either they are too big (e.g. mATX size), have lackluster cooling for components (no breathing room for video cards), or are expensive. I ended up just moving back to a small mid tower (Meshify C).

That being said, good luck with your build. If I had an unlimited budget, I would have went with the NCase (I still might).
Click to expand...


Thanks for sharing, figured for sure cooling would be a concern. I’ll check out the cases mentioned.
 
I had the Nano S most recently. It's still a good bit larger than I'd like, and the VGA cooler was pretty much right on top of the PSU. Solid case though. I liked the look and finish of it. If I would have kept the board, I was going to try the H200(i), but it looked like it had similar issues with the VGA cooler. The Phanteks Enthoo M ITX (or whatever it's called) had similar issues. You almost have to find a case with a vertical mounting card or with a SFX PSU as most cases I've seen that take full size ATX PSU's choke the video card airflow.
 
I have the Node 304 (basically the first generation of Core 500), and I feel like it has more than enough space and quiet cooling for a 170w video card.

See here where the stock Core 500 handles a GTX980 plus a 84w Core i5 easily:

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article1479-page6.html

You don't even need to add another fan. The single 140mm exhaust fan is plenty, as the case is designed to intake air from multiple locations.

You just can't get much smaller than the Core 500 or the Cougar QBX, and expect the run a 1080 with relative silence. You can fit the cards in a much smaller case, but not the large fans you need to move the air quietly in and out of the case.
 
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Just remember the Core V21 is bigger than it seems due to the cube styling! It's an M-ATX, not ITX, so it's not quite super small.

Post pics when done either way! :D
 
ReaperX22 said:
Just remember the Core V21 is bigger than it seems due to the cube styling! It's an M-ATX, not ITX, so it's not quite super small.

Post pics when done either way! :D
Click to expand...


Really? Crap!

Any recommendations for a smaller case?
 
On a budget, the Core 500 is a great smaller style case, with room to breathe for a first-time small-case builder. It's simple, does the job.

Alternatively I've also use the Thermaltake Surpressor F1 cube style ITX case. Fit my old EVGA GTX 1070 just fine with a mini-tower cooler. Another option.
 
Something to keep in mind: trying to do really small is not possible on a budget without either undercutting performance or dealing with a lot of noise.

I highly recommend looking closely at mATX systems, even traditional towers, as a primary option. Just having room for real front-to-back airflow, for the GPU to breathe a little, and for a decent CPU tower or AIO can get everything running quickly and quietly without spending excessively on customization during and after the main build.
 
If you do go M-ATX, consider maybe the Fractal Meshify C Mini. Easy to work in, pretty close to actual M-ATX size, not so much a mid-tower. Could be an easy option.
 
You might look at the Silverstone RV02/Milo cases; they're ITX cases that are about the size of a PS4 and usually available for $80ish. I'm running a 7700k, 16GB DDR4, and a GTX1080 in a Milo with no heat issues.
 
I have an earlier gen silverstone raven, pretty awesome as htpc. Other case for workstation is an evga Hadron air. I like the new metalic gear itx boxes too. I am not a fan of the cube style any more but shuttle has some nifty bare bones, or the sg13 looks like a nice setup.
 
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