Suggestions Needed for Mini-Itx system

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Ride2kmax

Limp Gawd
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Jan 26, 2008
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Yesterday i had an impulsive purchase. I bought this case for $24 shipped.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147131
Now i want to complete a system with it. I want it to be able to play 1080p video and regular use and wifi if posible. Thats it i think.
About budget the least the better. Maybe around 100-200.
Thanks for your sugestions.
NO Longer a MINI iTx System just a regular Atx or mAtx system
1) What will you be doing with this PC? HD video play back Web browsing and some gaming.
2) What's your budget?100-200 Are tax and shipping included? yes
3) Where do you live? kansas
4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? RAM, PSU,Mb,VC.
5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Included power supply. I have a E5200 cpu 1tb Hhd Case and OS.
6) Will you be overclocking?maybe
7) What size monitor do you have and/or plan to have? Planing on using it with my TV 46" samsung. 20" acer
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?Before christmas. But I'm ready to buy parts.
9) What features do you need in a motherboard? Nothing particular but if it has wifi included it will be great.
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? Yes, Xp home, maybe windows7,
 
Last edited:
Please answer the stickied "ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS FIRST" so that we can help you better.
 
while waiting for the answers, here's a suggestion...

$170 - ZOTAC IONITX-F-E Intel Atom 330 NVIDIA ION Mini ITX Motherboard/CPU w/WiFi IEEE 802.11n Combo
 
You're gonna need to up your budget by another $50:
$36 - AMD Sempron 140 CPU FS
$100 - Zotac GF8200-C-E NVIDIA GeForce 8200 ITX Motherboard
$41 - WINTEC AMPX 2GB 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 FS
$55 - Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 500GB 7200RPm SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive FS
---
Total: $232 plus shipping. FS = Free Shipping

The CPU should be enough for web browsing and youtube. The onboard video of that motherboard is more than enough to handle the decoding of HD content. In addition, that mobo comes with a wifi-card. 2GB of RAM should be enough while that 500GB drive is simply one of the best bang for the buck drives out now.
 
Danny Bui said:
You're gonna need to up your budget by another $50:
$36 - AMD Sempron 140 CPU FS
$100 - Zotac GF8200-C-E NVIDIA GeForce 8200 ITX Motherboard
$41 - WINTEC AMPX 2GB 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 FS
$55 - Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 500GB 7200RPm SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive FS
---
Total: $232 plus shipping. FS = Free Shipping

The CPU should be enough for web browsing and youtube. The onboard video of that motherboard is more than enough to handle the decoding of HD content. In addition, that mobo comes with a wifi-card. 2GB of RAM should be enough while that 500GB drive is simply one of the best bang for the buck drives out now.
Click to expand...


I forgot to mention that i also Order a E5200 cpu that i dont have a plan for it i could use it on this system.
 
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enginurd said:
Make sure you get the GF9300-G-E... when I clicked Danny's link for amazon, it was the GF9300-A-E, which is mATX, not mini ITX. ;)

$140 - ZOTAC GF9300-G-E LGA 775 NVIDIA GeForce 9300 HDMI Mini ITX
Click to expand...


They dont have it on stock. I'll check in a few days.
 
Ride2kmax said:
In that case what can i change in the set up to be able to do so.
I dont play but my brother does and he ask if i would let him put on this system.
I guess is a change of plans.
Click to expand...

Ditch the ITX case altogether and switch to a mATX setup so that you can use a decent PSU and up your budget another $100 or so (in addition to the $50 raised earlier) to fit in a new PSU and cheap video card. Or if you really want ITX, go with the Silverstone SG05 case instead. Same motherboard that Enginurd recommended (nice catch on my mistake!) and reuse your E5200. After the case, up your budget for a decent video card.

Either way, you're gonna have to ditch that Rosewill case and up your budget to at least $350 to $400 to get decent gaming performance. And by decent I mean low to medium settings.
 
... i made the same mistake while spec'ing a system for a friend. i searched for the g-e, but the a-e kept coming up first (g-e second)... don't think it was your fault... i blamed it on A9 (amz search engine).
 
Danny Bui said:
Ditch the ITX case altogether and switch to a mATX setup so that you can use a decent PSU and up your budget another $100 or so (in addition to the $50 raised earlier) to fit in a new PSU and cheap video card. Or if you really want ITX, go with the Silverstone SG05 case instead. Same motherboard that Enginurd recommended (nice catch on my mistake!) and reuse your E5200. After the case, up your budget for a decent video card.

Either way, you're gonna have to ditch that Rosewill case and up your budget to at least $350 to $400 to get decent gaming performance. And by decent I mean low to medium settings.
Click to expand...

So either case i get you still recommend the same motherboard ZOTAC GF9300-G-E LGA 775 NVIDIA GeForce 9300 HDMI Mini ITX and a video card?
 
... unless you can find another GeForce 9300/9400 w/ HDMI and WiFi, since you want to re-use that Intel CPU you bought. ;)
 
Ride2kmax said:
So either case i get you still recommend the same motherboard ZOTAC GF9300-G-E LGA 775 NVIDIA GeForce 9300 HDMI Mini ITX and a video card?
Click to expand...

If going with a mATX setup, no. I would probably recommend a cheaper mATX motherboard + a video card. If going ITX route i,e the Silverstone SG-05 router, definitely that ITX motherboard + video card. Main reason being that the Zotac is the cheapest socket 775 mini ITX motherboard that has a PCI-E x16 slot needed fora video card. If you go with a mATX setup, your options are significantly more expanded.

In case you're wondering why I would recommend ditching the Rosewill ITX case if you're gaming is that the included is of pretty low quality and is not suitable for most add-on video cards. The onboard PSU should be fine for a ITX build sans video card and quad-core CPU but not with a video card at all.
 
Danny Bui said:
LOL! Man I'm making waay too many mistakes lately:(
Click to expand...
Ok
Guys thanks for your help.

I have thought about it and this is what i would like to do.
Build a Mini Itx System for nothing else but to watch 1080p stuff,
With the Rosewill itx and maybe an Atom330/ion motherboard/cpu combo whatever its best and cheap.
That will be the end of it just to put the case to use. But not now,it will be on hold for now.
It would've been really nice building the mini itx with the Sugo SG05 and the ZOTAC GF9300-G-E LGA 775 NVIDIA GeForce 9300 HDMI Mini ITX but i dont want to spend more and have parts leftover.

Instead i would like to build a system with the parts i have E5200,1tb HHD,an Atx Dynex case with a crappy 500w psu that i bought on a sale over a year ago.
I want to be able to play a game or two but not necessary full gaming machine and for this i would like you guys to please help me.
I'll be giving this system to my brother so he can play so i dont want to spend alot. Then i'll have my mini itx system for myself.

Now should i make a new thread or can a moderator please change the title to something else.

Sorry if i wasted your time with the mini itx idea. Your suggestions are greatly appreciated.
 
Ride2kmax said:
Ok
Guys thanks for your help.

I have thought about it and this is what i would like to do.
Build a Mini Itx System for nothing else but to watch 1080p stuff,
With the Rosewill itx and maybe an Atom330/ion motherboard/cpu combo whatever its best and cheap.
That will be the end of it just to put the case to use. But not now,it will be on hold for now.
It would've been really nice building the mini itx with the Sugo SG05 and the ZOTAC GF9300-G-E LGA 775 NVIDIA GeForce 9300 HDMI Mini ITX but i dont want to spend more and have parts leftover.

Instead i would like to build a system with the parts i have E5200,1tb HHD,an Atx Dynex case with a crappy 500w psu that i bought on a sale over a year ago.
I want to be able to play a game or two but not necessary full gaming machine and for this i would like you guys to please help me.
I'll be giving this system to my brother so he can play so i dont want to spend alot. Then i'll have my mini itx system for myself.

Now should i make a new thread or can a moderator please change the title to something else.

Sorry if i wasted your time with the mini itx idea. Your suggestions are greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...
No need to make a new thread as we can answer your question right now:
Don't reuse that Dynex PSU. It is of very low quality and is totally incapable of providing its rated 500W.
 
Danny Bui said:
No need to make a new thread as we can answer your question right now:
Don't reuse that Dynex PSU. It is of very low quality and is totally incapable of providing its rated 500W.
Click to expand...


Ok
So i guess i'll be needing a Motherboard, Video Card, RAM and PSU.
 
Danny Bui said:
Well what's your max budget?
Click to expand...

Lets start at 250 and if necessary i'll increase it if it makes a significant improvement.

Oh by the way i completely messed up, the case i said i order wasnt a rosewill it was a APEX MI-008 Black Steel Mini-ITX Tower Computer Case 250W Power Supply. I got the name confuse with a rosewill wifi antenna i bought. I notice when i saw a box on my living with the apex case that was delivered by ups. It probably doesnt make a difference but i just wanted to mention it.
 
If the PSU enclosed with the case isn't an Antec-based PSU, don't use it. The PSU that comes with the Silverstone SG05 is the only exception to this rule.

Do you have a link to the case that you currently have on hand?

If you want decent gaming performance, regardless if you're pursuing a mini ITX, a micro ATX, or a standard ATX system, you'll need to up your budget to at least $450.

Please answer the following questions:
- Will you be using your HDTV or your monitor with this system? Or, what is the greatest (monitor) resolution will you use for gaming?
- Which games do you plan on playing on this system? Just WoW?
- Define HD video: which sources (e.g., YouTube, Netflix, DVD/VCD rips) are you using for watching HD video? Do you have the proper media playback software on hand?
- How long do you want this system to last? Do you plan on making any incremental upgrades throughout the life of this system?
- How much, AT MOST, do you plan on spending on this system? (Please include shipping, taxes, and cost of OS.)
 
If the PSU enclosed with the case isn't an Antec-based PSU, don't use it. The PSU that comes with the Silverstone SG05 is the only exception to this rule.
If you want decent gaming performance, regardless if you're pursuing a mini ITX, a micro ATX, or a standard ATX system, you'll need to up your budget to at least $450.

Please answer the following questions:
- Will you be using your HDTV or your monitor with this system? Or, what is the greatest I some times use my lcd 46 samsung 1080p. I thinks its a LN46a650.
(monitor) resolution will you use for gaming?My regular computer monitor is An acer 193b something 19" 1680x1050.
- Which games do you plan on playing on this system? Just WoW? I'm not a gamer but my brother plays WOW i do have a copy of crysis but i never played it because my current system cant even start it.
- Define HD video: which sources (e.g., YouTube, Netflix, DVD/VCD rips) are you using for watching HD video? I want to be able to watch videos from Hulu, youtube, netflix and regular dvd and later add blu ray to it.
Do you have the proper media playback software on hand? No
- How long do you want this system to last? At least 2 years
Do you plan on making any incremental upgrades throughout the life of this system?Yes maybe every six months.
- How much, AT MOST, do you plan on spending on this system? (Please include shipping, taxes, and cost of OS.) I have the OS, CPU , HHd and case about 300 more thats it.
 
I got the Cpu today. The HHD should be arriving tomorrow. Can wait to have it complete.
 
So you already have the Intel E5200 and a copy of Windows XP Home, and you'll soon have the Hitachi 7K1000.B 1TB HDD. You also provided links to a Dynex ATX mid-tower case (you should try to get a new PSU, if possible) and the Apex MI-008 mini ITX desktop case. And you want to spend no more than $300, including taxes and shipping, on the rest of the parts.

For starters, here's an ATX build:

$65 - Gigabyte GA-G41M-ES2L G41 micro ATX motherboard (free shipping)
$49 - A-DATA 2x1GB DDR2 800 dual channel kit (free shipping)
$70 - XFX HD-467X-ZDF2 Radeon HD4670 PCI-E 2.0 video card (free shipping)
$28 - LG GH24NS50 SATA DVD burner (free shipping)
$50 - Corsair CX400 400W PSU ($10 rebate card)
=====
$262 - Subtotal (not including shipping, taxes, or rebates)

This setup would enable you to play WoW on either your HDTV or your monitor. Normally, a Socket 775 board and 2GB of DDR2 RAM would be frowned upon here, but you already have the processor and we're working with a tight budget. The above setup may hurt you in the long run as Intel-based Socket 775 boards and processors have reached end of life status -- there will practically be no new boards or processors available by this time next year -- and DDR2 RAM is starting to get more expensive as supply starts dwindling down. (If you want to upgrade the RAM, I recommend that you find a used 2x2GB DDR2 1066 kit.) I wouldn't recommend playing Crysis with this system since it's very graphically intensive. (You could play Crysis on your monitor with all of the visual settings set to their lowest levels, but you may not like the overall gameplay experience). You'll obtain better performance from a more expensive card like the HD4770. And yes, the Corsair CX400 can handle the power load from either of those video cards.

For the mini ITX setup:

$117 - ZOTAC GF9300-A-E mini ITX motherboard (free shipping)
$49 - A-DATA 2x1GB DDR2 800 dual channel kit (free shipping)
$28 - LG GH24NS50 SATA DVD burner (free shipping)
=====
$192 - Subtotal (not including taxes or rebates)

I believe that the Zotac's onboard GPU can handle HD video, but if not, you can buy an inexpensive card like the HD4350. That said, I recommend listening to Danny Bui on the PSU... but I can't find a suitable replacement to recommend.
 
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tiraides said:
So you already have the Intel E5200 and a copy of Windows XP Home, and you'll soon have the Hitachi 7K1000.B 1TB HDD. You also provided links to a Dynex ATX mid-tower case (you should try to get a new PSU, if possible) and the Apex MI-008 mini ITX desktop case. And you want to spend no more than $300, including taxes and shipping, on the rest of the parts.

For starters, here's an ATX build:

$65 - Gigabyte GA-G41M-ES2L G41 micro ATX motherboard (free shipping)
$49 - A-DATA 2x1GB DDR2 800 dual channel kit (free shipping)
$70 - XFX HD-467X-ZDF2 Radeon HD4670 PCI-E 2.0 video card (free shipping)
$28 - LG GH24NS50 SATA DVD burner (free shipping)
$50 - Corsair CX400 400W PSU ($10 rebate card)
=====
$262 - Subtotal (not including shipping, taxes, or rebates)

This setup would enable you to play WoW on either your HDTV or your monitor. Normally, a Socket 775 board and 2GB of DDR2 RAM would be frowned upon here, but you already have the processor and we're working with a tight budget. The above setup may hurt you in the long run as Intel-based Socket 775 boards and processors have reached end of life status -- there will practically be no new boards or processors available by this time next year -- and DDR2 RAM is starting to get more expensive as supply starts dwindling down. (If you want to upgrade the RAM, I recommend that you find a used 2x2GB DDR2 1066 kit.) I wouldn't recommend playing Crysis with this system since it's very graphically intensive. (You could play Crysis on your monitor with all of the visual settings set to their lowest levels, but you may not like the overall gameplay experience). You'll obtain better performance from a more expensive card like the HD4770. And yes, the Corsair CX400 can handle the power load from either of those video cards.

For the mini ITX setup:

$117 - ZOTAC GF9300-A-E mini ITX motherboard (free shipping)
$49 - A-DATA 2x1GB DDR2 800 dual channel kit (free shipping)
$28 - LG GH24NS50 SATA DVD burner (free shipping)
=====
$192 - Subtotal (not including taxes or rebates)

I believe that the Zotac's onboard GPU can handle HD video, but if not, you can buy an inexpensive card like the HD4350. That said, I recommend listening to Danny Bui on the PSU... but I can't find a suitable replacement to recommend.
Click to expand...


I forgot to mention that i dont need a Dvd burner i got an extra one.
I was going to get a used GTX 260 for $100 but i dont know anything about VC's or if $100would get me something equal to it. So i hesitated.

About memory would this memory be good i just saw it on slickdeals.net.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820134730&Tpk=N82E16820134730
 
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If you buy the GTX 260 -- which I recommend, because it outperforms the HD4670 in gaming -- you'll need a stronger PSU:

$90 - Corsair VX550 550W PSU (free shipping & $20 rebate card)

That memory deal is a good one... if you can get it while it's in stock. But you don't really need 4GB of RAM for gaming.
 
I was wondering is it a good idea to get a 775 MB that takes DDR3. Since ddr3 its getting cheaper and i would reuse more parts later.

The Gtx 260 is sold so i'll look for something else. I dont mind getting a used vc so what would be a good used vc for $100?. So i could have more money for a better psu and a better vc.
 
It's not worth getting DDR3 RAM with a Socket 775 board, as there is no noticeable performance benefit over DDR2 RAM. In fact, you could probably get a used 4GB DDR2 dual-channel kit for around the same cost as 2x1GB kit I linked to earlier.

The HD4850 is a good choice for a used video card for under/around $100. The 8800GT/9800GT (both cards are based off the same GPU) can also be found around that price point, but the HD4850 is one of the better choices available. If you can find a(nother) used GTX 260 or HD4870 for around $100 used, get that instead.
 
Ride2kmax said:
I was wondering is it a good idea to get a 775 MB that takes DDR3. Since ddr3 its getting cheaper and i would reuse more parts later. ...
Click to expand...

Only if the price difference was negligible to you. The ASUS P5G43T-M Pro is $80... so $15 more than the G41 board you listed above. As tiraides mentioned, there is no performance benefit, but you are right... DDR3 will only get cheaper until the next DDR revision hits mainstream. Though, as tiraides also pointed out, getting used DDR2 should be cheaper than DDR3 for the near future.
 
tiraides said:
It's not worth getting DDR3 RAM with a Socket 775 board, as there is no noticeable performance benefit over DDR2 RAM. In fact, you could probably get a used 4GB DDR2 dual-channel kit for around the same cost as 2x1GB kit I linked to earlier.

The HD4850 is a good choice for a used video card for under/around $100. The 8800GT/9800GT (both cards are based off the same GPU) can also be found around that price point, but the HD4850 is one of the better choices available. If you can find a(nother) used GTX 260 or HD4870 for around $100 used, get that instead.
Click to expand...


Thanks, I will be hunting for one of those cards.
 
Its this mb good GA-P35-DS3L?
Somebody is selling one for $40. Should buy it.?

I didnt plan on buying used parts but as you guys mention this hardware is at its end of life. So i dont mind.
 
It's a good choice for the price.

The caveats are that it only supports maximum RAM speeds of DDR2 800 and it has one PCI Express 1.1 (x16) slot. However, all PCI-E 2.0 video cards are backwards compatible with the PCI-E 1.1 bus, so you won't suffer any performance loss.
 
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