SFF Gaming Build

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poptodafresh

n00b
Joined
Mar 5, 2005
Messages
10
1. What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming, Photoshop (or other intensive programs), Overclocking, Web browsing, strictly HTPC/Playback, etc. (If you have multiple things you want to do with the system, make sure you rank them from most important to least important).

Work
Gaming

2. What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included in this budget? Is your budget flexible? Is cost a driving factor in component selection?

$1000

3. Where do you live? Do you have any big B&M (brick and mortar) computer chains nearby (e.g. Microcenter, Fry's, etc)?

CA, Yes

4. What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. The word "Everything" is not a valid answer. Please list out all the parts you'll need.

Case
Motherboard
CPU
RAM
Graphics Card
SSD

5. If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. For reused parts, list brands, model #s, and, if applicable, firmware revisions.

None.

6. What specific features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? USB 3.0? SATA 6Gb/s? etc. Which is more important, size of the system or having the particular feature? Make sure you indicate *required* vs. *wanted* for each feature you list.

Mini-ITX
Z68

7. What resolution output do you need? 1080p, 720p, DVD quality, etc for HTPC or list Vertical/horizontal resolution for non-HTPC SFF rigs. Do you need multiple monitor output?

1080p

8. Does this system need to fit into a particular space? Think entertainment center shelves, closet space, rackmount, etc.

No.

9. How comfortable are you with custom case design/modification and electrical wiring? What tools do you have (Screwdrivers/Leatherman, Drill, Dremel, Metal snips, Soldering Iron, Bending Brake, CNC/Welding machines/Plasma cutter, etc...)?

I don't plan on modding except potentially to fit a video card.

10. How important is the noise/silence of this sytem? HTPCs typically want to be quiet while all-out SFF gaming rigs don't care

Quiet is always a bonus.

11. How mobile does this system need to be? Need a carrying handle or carrying straps? Is weight important (carry-on bag, etc)? Water cooling quick disconnects, etc?

No mobility required.

12. Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit? Remember that OEM copies of Win7 have issues with new motherboards

7 64 bit

13. When do you plan on building/buying the PC? Immediately, in a couple weeks, 3-5 years?

ASAP


Hey all,

Long time lurker, looking to check my build with you guys. I've spent a fair amount of time setting up a part list already, I was just hoping to hear any last minute comments before I hit the buy button this week. Personal experience with the Sugo case is a huge bonus. Thoughts on getting a 450Watt power supply also a particular interest. I'm a bit worried about the sandforce problems on the vertex 3 too.

SILVERSTONE Sugo Series SG05BB-450 ALL Black Plastic / SECC Mini-ITX Desktop Computer Case with SFX 450W 80+ Bronze Certified / Single +12V rail Power Supply
PNY VCGGTX560TXPB-OC2-S GeForce GTX 560 Ti (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBXL
ASRock Z68M-ITX/HT LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Mini ITX Intel Motherboard
Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) 4 x 256KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I52500K
OCZ Vertex 3 VTX3-25SAT3-120G 2.5" 120GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
 
Looks like you've already done the requisite research.
The PNY card makes me sad, but it does have a lifetime warranty and I haven't had personal experience with them so I can't really speak on that. Generally companies like EVGA and XFX provide outstanding service with varying quality elsewhere.

I've built a rig inside a SG05 and you'll be happy with it. Take your time cabling and don't get frustrated, otherwise you should be good to go. Intel stock coolers tend to be noisier, so I recommend trying it out and if the noise bothers you invest in a low profile cooler.

When I built inside an SG05 I removed the 5.25/3.5 bracket entirely and used velcro to secure the 2.5" drive to the case floor in front of the motherboard, which worked great.
 
I am running almost exactly that setup in a modded Lian-Li PC-Q11b and it works great. I do have an older SSD, and a 2600k, but otherwise very similer setup. should be good, and portable, but not very quite.

the SG05 has subpar cooling. I have a SG05 with a e8500 in it and that CPU was overheating all the time, with only a 9800gt for video card. modded the case to install a corsair h50 and problem solved.

I would suggest a secondary larger HDD, like maybe a Seagate Momentus XT $99 most places. I have found with my 120GB SSD I am always having to move stuff I am not using to my secondary HDD.

Just my thoughts.
 
kencheeto said:
When I built inside an SG05 I removed the 5.25/3.5 bracket entirely and used velcro to secure the 2.5" drive to the case floor in front of the motherboard, which worked great.
Click to expand...

Thanks, great advice! I'll give it a shot.

If anyone has a low profile cpu cooler recommendation I'd love to hear it. I had a xigmatek rifle on my last build so I know how to put them on, just worried about size. I could wait until post-assembly to see the leftover space and measure, but it might get annoying if I had to take the mobo out for some of the fancier options. Plus, I hate reapplying thermal paste.
 
poptodafresh said:
Thanks, great advice! I'll give it a shot.

If anyone has a low profile cpu cooler recommendation I'd love to hear it. I had a xigmatek rifle on my last build so I know how to put them on, just worried about size. I could wait until post-assembly to see the leftover space and measure, but it might get annoying if I had to take the mobo out for some of the fancier options. Plus, I hate reapplying thermal paste.
Click to expand...

I used the Scythe Big Shuriken on the ECS H57 mini-itx board, but with mini-itx boards it's tough to be sure what layouts are compatible. Hopefully someone else can chime in. Just make sure you mount the cooler before installing the motherboard!
 
nlancaster said:
I am running almost exactly that setup in a modded Lian-Li PC-Q11b and it works great. I do have an older SSD, and a 2600k, but otherwise very similer setup. should be good, and portable, but not very quite.

the SG05 has subpar cooling. I have a SG05 with a e8500 in it and that CPU was overheating all the time, with only a 9800gt for video card. modded the case to install a corsair h50 and problem solved.

I would suggest a secondary larger HDD, like maybe a Seagate Momentus XT $99 most places. I have found with my 120GB SSD I am always having to move stuff I am not using to my secondary HDD.

Just my thoughts.
Click to expand...

Would you personally recommend the q11 over the sg05? I was considering it as well, but the sg05 was significantly smaller according to the specs. I know that size isn't everything though.

Heat and noise were definitely concerns of mine. Is the heat issue really that bad? I specifically got the cheaper sg05 model because it had a lot of open airflow compared to the other models, but I would be willing to spend more. I did expect that to make the case noisier too. Thanks for the cooler rec. It's a bit pricey, but considering the inevitable heat and noise issues I could see myself buying it.

I have an old 750gb hard drive I might hook in there if I have some extra space to play with. Not too worried about storage though too be honest.
 
kencheeto said:
I used the Scythe Big Shuriken on the ECS H57 mini-itx board, but with mini-itx boards it's tough to be sure what layouts are compatible. Hopefully someone else can chime in. Just make sure you mount the cooler before installing the motherboard!
Click to expand...

Thanks for the rec! I read a couple reviews and it had some size issues on a few boards, plus it's out of stock on newegg so unless someone has used it on this mobo I might shy away from it for now.
 
I still have both the SG05 and the Q11 just got modded. I never did run the Q11 stock, but it certainly has more room. The problem I think with teh SG05 is yes it has 120mm intake fan. but no exhaust fan. It depends on the air going out the vent holes along the sides and the top of the case. That is the same design I saw with the Q11 So I modded mine to have a 120mm exhaust fan.

100_0266%20-%20Copy.JPG
 
If you can mod an exhaust on any case that doesn't have one initially it should cool much better I'm thinking. That is one of the biggest problems with small SFF cases. Proper cooling. If you use the higher quality fans you should be able to keep noise down to an acceptable level although I'd say it will be the GPU that is the loudest component most likely during gaming sessions.
 
Well I haven't heard any major problems with the build, so I'll probably be hitting that buy button tonight. As long as the video card is the loudest component I'm totally satisfied with those noise levels. My last build had a quiet focus, but even with a heatsink only video card and half speed Xigmatek Rifle cooler I still didn't find it to be significantly quieter than a normal build (it was a bit quieter of course). I'll see what I can do about modding my extra 120mm tri-cool fan into the case since I'll have such a barebones build that it might allow for it (crosses fingers). I can't imagine where I could put it though.

Thanks again for the help guys! Any last minute comments are always appreciated.
 
There's a guy here "Gaming twins..." that's working on a pair of systems with almost the exact same specs that you are using. He's got a pretty good handle on ITX builds and might have some tips for you.
 
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