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SFF newbie - help with a barebones build?

P

peanut

n00b
Joined
Oct 2, 2011
Messages
10
Hi! I'm looking to supplement my current power-thirsty gaming rig with a second slimmed-down machine to run 24/7. I've built a few rigs before but they've all been ATX form factor. I'm a complete newbie to the world of building smaller things. :) I'm looking for something like a Mac Mini, but probably much less powerful. Help appreciated!

Obligatory question-and-answer section follows:


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).

IRC, torrenting. I can probably get away with running this as a headless machine that I only interact with over ssh.


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?

A Mac Mini would cost $600 + tax and shipping and be overkill for this, so anything cheaper than that would be good.


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

Canada. I usually order from newegg.ca but am open to other retailers.


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.

CPU, RAM, motherboard, power supply, some sort of internal storage (for the OS; I'll use a NAS for storing all my media), case.


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.

Nothing except the peripherals I'll need to bootstrap the build (generic USB 2.0 keyboard and mouse, Dell U3011 display). No, I don't want this system to actually be able to push 2560x1600 to the U3011. VGA is fine. :)


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.

I don't need anything fancy here beyond onboard video and GigE LAN.


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?

I'm going to run this headless, so I don't need any video output at all beyond what's required for initial setup.


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

I'd like to make this small enough to sit on the corner of my desk, but there aren't any strict space requirements.


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've never done any case modding before and don't have any of these tools.


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

I don't mind a bit of noise but would prefer something that isn't extremely loud.


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?

Doesn't need to be mobile at all. It will live on my desk.


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

I'll be installing Ubuntu.


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

Before the end of the month.
 
You aren't doing anything very demanding with this box, so that allows lots of trimming on components, so here goes

Antec ISK 310-150 Black / Silver 0.8mm cold rolled steel Mini-ITX Desktop Computer Case 150W Power Supply - $79.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129081
One of the narrower cases out there.

Intel BOXDH61DLB3 LGA 1155 Intel H61 USB 3.0 Mini ITX Intel Motherboard - $84.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813121505
Has all of the features you want and the 1 Gbps is done with an Intel chip instead of some other brand. I'd prefer that myself. Note that this board only has pciex4 slot so you won't be able to add a video card later on. You'll strictly be limited to the onboard graphics.

Intel Celeron G530 Sandy Bridge 2.4GHz 2 x 256KB L2 Cache 2MB L3 Cache LGA 1155 65W Dual-Core Desktop Processor BX80623G530 - $56.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116409
You're not doing anything fancy with this CPU so I just went with the cheapest dual core Sandy Bridge Pentium available. Still has integrated video onboard. I'd normally suggest an i3-2300 for many purposes, but it's overkill for this job and costs more than twice as much. Comes with it's own heatsink fan.

G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666)- $25.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231253
Plenty of memory for what you are trying to do.

Western Digital Scorpio Black WD3200BEKT 320GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache 2.5" SATA 3.0Gb/s Internal Notebook Hard Drive -Bare Drive - $54.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136280
It's a 2.5" laptop hard drive, but that's what will fit the listed case. It will have reasonable enough performance for booting your machine and will even take a bit less power than traditional drives.

Total: $302.95

Guess you don't need a DVD drive for installing your OS right? If needed, you can pick up a slimline one for ~$30 that would fit.
If you wanted to lose the DVD slot entirely, you could trim the case down even more:

Antec ISK Series ISK 100 0.8 mm SECC / ABS Plastic Mini-ITX Tower Computer Case 80W Power Supply - $74.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129095

The 80W PSU should still be enough for this system as the CPU/Graphics is rated for 65W (and it probably won't ever need all of that) and the motherboard & hard drive aren't going to need much either. That would shave $5 off the above price and get you below $300 for total cost.
 
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ASUS E35M1-I motherboard/CPU $141 shipped

Antec ISK 100 case/PSU $94 shipped

+ your choice 2.5" (notebook sized, what the case holds) HDD or SSD

+ your choice DDR3 RAM (single stick, system is single channel)

= nice little system starting at $300

The case comes with an 80W PSU. It has decent ventilation with a 100mm side fan that blows right down on the CPU area. The motherboard comes with a dual core CPU and gigabit Ethernet, plus six SATA 6G ports. It probably only needs 20W maximum so with RAM and HDD/SSD the entire system will probably not draw more than around 30W, and idle around 20W. The CPU is not a speed demon but it will torrent and IRC with the best of them.

EDIT: Guess DesertCat beat me to the punch, but lost in reading comprehension. OP will be shopping at Newegg.ca (Canada). I checked the items listed and the only one that was in stock is the case, which is $125 Canadian shipped. The outright performance of the CPU will exceed the E-350 that I was suggesting, but I don't see how that would benefit IRC and torrents.
 
Yeah, I didn't figure there would be a huge difference between Newegg.com and Newegg.ca. Guess I was wrong on that count. Was mostly trying to get the general system build down but would certainly need some modification if Newegg.ca doesn't carry some of those components.
 
Awesome, thank you both! Yeah, unfortunately newegg.ca tends to have more limited selection than its .com equivalent. I'm sure I'll be able to find components that match the general build idea you set out, though, so thanks for taking the time to put that together :)
 
I would suggest waiting a month or so and getting one of the new 32nm atoms since you won't be using it for anything intense. That would bring the budget down. The Intel Atom D2700 should be out soon, and it's a 2.1 ghz dual core with hyper-threading. Should be a tiny bit faster than the AMD e350 and probably also a tiny bit cheaper. It would also be quieter and more efficient than an i3.
 
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