1. #1

    Mini ITX Build Advice

    So let me start by saying I wanted one of the new GTX 980 laptops but the 2 offerings Ive seen sofar from Asus and MSI are much more expensive then I imagined. Im hoping Clevos offerings are cheaper but now Im starting to lean toward a micro ITX computer... I need portability, as I travel a decent amount.

    Im thinking Cooler Master Elite 130 case, GTX 980TI (will it get enough airflow?) A skylake i7 cpu, (please suggest a mobo, reviews havnt been conclusive for me to choose a winner) 512 gb SSD and an additional 1tb hd. 16 gb ram unless there is a reason to do 32. Obv this thing is for gaming. Please suggest a good psu for the setup.

    If you have suggestions for a better case or other parts please tell me. Corsair 250D and the 380T are too big. The idea is it needs to fit easily on a plane or car. Idealy a large backpack. If you have info on one of the new GTX laptops for 2500 dollars or less that would be great too.

    Edit.. I saw the computer build help sub forum after posting. Could a mod move it there please?
    Last edited by Cruor; 2015-10-21 at 03:01 AM.

  2. #2
    I can get you a case barely bigger than an Xbone or PS4 (or maybe even smaller) thatll fit that 980Ti no problem....

    main portability issue is going to be the monitor - what are your plans on that front?

  3. #3
    Well, my GF has a monitor so when I go over there I can use hers, hotel in Korea all have computers/HD TV's in the room so I can connect to those (stationed in Korea for a year) and when I go back to the USA I can connect to a screen I have in storage at home while I wait for the high end screen I would buy here to come over seas by ship, about a months wait.

    Like I said a laptop would be a lot easier but man that price tag.. Im on the fence atm, I want a desktop build incase I cant find a gtx 980 laptop for a reasonable price. Still waiting on the Clevos to be released.

  4. #4
    This is a pretty solid build. The Case, for whatever reason, simply will NOT show up in PCPartpicker's database (ive found a few of those lately), so i linked it separately.

    Its roughly the size of a video game console. Falcon Northwest used it for the chasis on the "Tiki" which won a crapload of awards for smallest/quietest system.

    PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

    CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.99 @ Micro Center)
    CPU Cooler: Zalman CNPS8900 Quiet CPU Cooler ($38.89 @ OutletPC)
    Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z170N-WIFI Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard ($139.99 @ Micro Center)
    Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2666 Memory ($85.50 @ Newegg)
    Storage: Crucial BX100 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($159.99 @ Adorama)
    Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($45.89 @ OutletPC)
    Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB Superclocked Video Card ($659.99 @ B&H)
    Power Supply: Silverstone 600W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular SFX Power Supply ($117.99 @ Directron)
    Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit) ($97.89 @ OutletPC)
    Total: $1566.12
    Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
    Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-10-21 00:22 EDT-0400

    Case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-252-_-Product

    Assumed you needed an OS - if not, you can drop that ~100$.

    I checked, and the CPU Cooler and GPU will fit in the case easily. I have the CPU cooler in my case, its very quiet and keeps my i7 4790k very cool @ 4.5Ghz.

    If you wanted to, you could upgrade to the i7 6700K - but it wont provide a big benefit in games and is about 150$ more expensive.

    Another case option would be the EVGA Hadron Air (it is wider/thicker but shorter - about the same volume, but shorter/squater instead of long and thin) - my personal rig is in a Hadron Air and its a great little case. (here's a pic of my build - with a different cooler, before i bought the Zalman - with a PS4 controller for scale: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1z...ew?usp=sharing)

  5. #5
    Thank you Kagthul, very helpful. Silverstone makes several cases I think I'd be interested in. Thats the form facor I was looking for, similar in size to Xbox One.

    If I decide to go for a mini ITX instead of a laptop Ill go for the Silverstone Raven RVZ02 Very good reviews and its an update to the one you linked.. thanks again wouldn't have found it without the tip.
    Last edited by Cruor; 2015-10-21 at 05:37 AM.

  6. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by Cruor View Post
    Thank you Kagthul, very helpful. Silverstone makes several cases I think I'd be interested in. Thats the form facor I was looking for, similar in size to Xbox One.

    If I decide to go for a mini ITX instead of a laptop Ill go for the Silverstone Raven RVZ02 Very good reviews and its an update to the one you linked.. thanks again wouldn't have found it without the tip.
    Silverstone RVZ02/FTZ01
    Silverstone SG13 will fit ATX PSU and some 980Ti's I believe.

    Most of these cases will have CPU cooler size limits so probably stay at stock speeds.

  7. #7
    Deleted
    The silverstone case idea from Kagthul is spot on for what you need. I would grab a little better cpu cooler and probably not a reference gpu, those things are leaf blowers. I think you will be fine with the aftermarket solutions. Bear in mind this is not your average build and it will require alot of time to do it right and fit everything inside, cable management etc. Take your time and watch a few youtube videos how to build on that case before you go for it. It will give a nice perspective how to work with it.

    You didn't mention a budget so will try to keep it resonable, you don't need the i7 for gaming but you can buy that instead if you want to. Btw this case come with a windowed version as well if you'd like that.

    The following cpu cooler can let you overclock but you know within reason, you can't go for max overclocks on builds like this.

    PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

    CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($259.99 @ B&H)
    CPU Cooler: CRYORIG C1 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($64.99 @ Newegg)
    Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z170N-Gaming 5 Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard ($164.99 @ SuperBiiz)
    Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($94.99 @ Newegg)
    Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($162.99 @ Newegg)
    Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB Video Card ($659.99 @ Amazon)
    Case: Silverstone RVZ01B Mini ITX Desktop Case ($78.99 @ SuperBiiz)
    Power Supply: Silverstone 600W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular SFX Power Supply ($117.99 @ Directron)
    Optical Drive: Silverstone SOD02B DVD/CD Writer ($64.99 @ Amazon)
    Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit) ($97.89 @ OutletPC)
    Total: $1767.80
    Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
    Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-10-21 05:04 EDT-0400

  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by Kostattoo View Post
    The silverstone case idea from Kagthul is spot on for what you need. I would grab a little better cpu cooler and probably not a reference gpu, those things are leaf blowers. I think you will be fine with the aftermarket solutions. Bear in mind this is not your average build and it will require alot of time to do it right and fit everything inside, cable management etc. Take your time and watch a few youtube videos how to build on that case before you go for it. It will give a nice perspective how to work with it.

    You didn't mention a budget so will try to keep it resonable, you don't need the i7 for gaming but you can buy that instead if you want to. Btw this case come with a windowed version as well if you'd like that.

    The following cpu cooler can let you overclock but you know within reason, you can't go for max overclocks on builds like this.

    PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

    CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($259.99 @ B&H)
    CPU Cooler: CRYORIG C1 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($64.99 @ Newegg)
    Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z170N-Gaming 5 Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard ($164.99 @ SuperBiiz)
    Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($94.99 @ Newegg)
    Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($162.99 @ Newegg)
    Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB Video Card ($659.99 @ Amazon)
    Case: Silverstone RVZ01B Mini ITX Desktop Case ($78.99 @ SuperBiiz)
    Power Supply: Silverstone 600W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular SFX Power Supply ($117.99 @ Directron)
    Optical Drive: Silverstone SOD02B DVD/CD Writer ($64.99 @ Amazon)
    Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit) ($97.89 @ OutletPC)
    Total: $1767.80
    Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
    Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-10-21 05:04 EDT-0400
    Well, since Im considering a GTX 980 laptop, my budget is high. I can afford the $3100 MSI wants for thier GTX 980 laptop but its more then Id like to spend, thus I'm hoping Clevo comes to the rescue with its offering... dunno when it will be however. For a small form desktop thats ~15% faster due to a 980ti over the laptops 980, $1800 is reasonable.

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by Kostattoo View Post
    The silverstone case idea from Kagthul is spot on for what you need. I would grab a little better cpu cooler
    the CNPS 8900 Quiet is one of the best low profile coolers on the market. Looking up reviews of the one you linked they're relatively on par.

    and probably not a reference gpu, those things are leaf blowers.
    You need the leaf-blower for that case. There's no place for the air to go from a non-reference cooler, otherwise i'd have chosen the ACX2.0+ model.

    The following cpu cooler can let you overclock but you know within reason, you can't go for max overclocks on builds like this.
    Eh? I overclock my 4790K to 4.5Ghz with the CNPS 8900, in the Hadron Air, which doesnt have a lot more space than the Raven. Falcon NW Overclocks the Tiki by default pretty high (the Tiki is built in this case).

  10. #10
    Deleted
    From what i had seen the cryorig was a little better when cpu overclocked. Could be mistaken, not a huge deal.

    Most builders i have seen with this case are not using the reference design. I remember one at overclockers was using a reference then an aftermarket and said it was better. I have no personal experience with the case so i can't say myself but its on my future htpc list.

    The hadron may have similar total volume but has actually a little more room for cpu to breath.

  11. #11
    So the Raven RZV02 can fit the Asus STRIX 980 TI, but it wont fit the ZOTAC AMP Extreme... and its a card that really temps me... any really small cases that can fit a normal ATX PSU and the ZOTAC card but still manage to be quite small? like able to fit in a back back.

  12. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by Cruor View Post
    So the Raven RZV02 can fit the Asus STRIX 980 TI, but it wont fit the ZOTAC AMP Extreme... and its a card that really temps me... any really small cases that can fit a normal ATX PSU and the ZOTAC card but still manage to be quite small? like able to fit in a back back.
    Is there some reason the Zotac card is so appealing?

    The STRIX or EVGA FTW ACX 2.0+ are both clocked at nearly the same speed (30Mhz difference). Not that Zotac is a bad brand - i have a Zotac GTX 760 AMP! mITX card in an older build that was great.

  13. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by Kagthul View Post
    Is there some reason the Zotac card is so appealing?
    I just grabbed the Evga 980ti classified. Supposedly runs cooler.

  14. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by lockedout View Post
    I just grabbed the Evga 980ti classified. Supposedly runs cooler.
    How big is the card? Width/hieght, length doesnt matter.

  15. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by Cruor View Post
    How big is the card? Width/hieght, length doesnt matter.
    5 inches wide by 1 and a half inches high. It's also 11 inches long just for reference.

  16. #16
    Quote Originally Posted by lockedout View Post
    5 inches wide by 1 and a half inches high. It's also 11 inches long just for reference.
    Thanks for the info, its something to consider then. Prices are different here in Korea, and shipping is too much of a hassle. Im looking at the Gigabyte G1 980ti SOC as best size/speed/price but Ill need to look up the prices on that EVGA now.

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