m-ITX Build for HTPC, Gaming, & Emulation

Inviere

Just thought I'd show a few snaps of the pc I put together based on the good advice from the fine folk of this forum!

I wanted to build a small form factor PC to replace my antiquated HTPC (Core2Duo for Christs sake!). However, I also wanted this new machine to be able to game at 1080p/60 on Very High/Ultra Settings....AND, I wanted it to be a seriously capable machine with regard to emulation. So three pretty specific areas of interest (storage for the htpc end of things, a very decent gpu for the gaming, and a high end ipc cpu for emulation). It's a lot to consider when thinking m-itx. So here's what I went for spec wise:

CPU - Core i7 7700k
Cooler - Kraken X41
Motherboard - ASRock Z270 Gaming-ITX/ac
Ram - 16GB HyperX Fury DDR4 2666 (2x8)
PSU - EVGA Supernova 650 G2 Gold
GPU - GTX 1060
OS Drive - Samsung 850 Evo 500GB SSD
Storage Drives - WD Blue 3TB x2
Emulation Storage Drive - SeaGate BarraCuda 2TB
Case - Thermaltake Core V1

Now, on first glance you might think what the hell I'm doing pairing a 7700k with a 1060, but don't forget, I need a stronger cpu than I do gpu. Emulation is all about the cpu, whereas the 1060 can perfectly give me what I need from the native pc gaming end of things - so a mismatch is kinda necessary considering the requirements.

All the gubbins...



The Core V1...



Stripped, & prepped for surgery...



PSU installed, & the case provides a nice little filtered intake from the underside...







Back panel installed...



Mobo installed...



Water cooler risers installed...



The HDD caddies are class, for such a small case it's great to have support for x2 3.5" drives, AND x2 2.5" drives at the same time...









Starting to take shape now...

Inviere

Hate doing this bit...







With the cpu installed, I could then hang the radiator. The case supports 140mm rads, so I went for the X41 over the X31 for a tiny bit of added surface area. Not everyone is a fan of <200mm AIO's but I was hugely impressed with the X31 in a previous build, so had no qualms about the X41. The price difference between the X41 and X42 though is significant, so I stuck with the older X41 model & saved a fair bit...



The Core V1 provides a huge 200mm intake fan as seen here. Personally, I found it way too loud so ultimately left it removed...



Radiator and cpu cooler installed...



GPU installed. The Core V1 allows for full length boards through a little slot at the front, which greatly eased tensions about the "will it fit" question...



All four hdd's installed, and cables routed as best I could given the severe space limitations...



Sata taking the scenic route out of sight as much as possible...



Cable management is difficult in such a small and exposed case, but for what's inside, I think I did alright with stock/standard cables...



All done...



Closing thoughts:

I went with a reference style 1060 because for SFF cases, I'd ready that it's better to have heat being expelled from the case. The reference coolers do this, at the cost of perhaps less efficiency, and some added noise...but I figured it was a decent tradeoff.

The 7700k has eaten, chewed, & spit out everything I've thrown at it so far...it's a fantastic cpu, albeit expensive now given the dawn of Ryzen.

Why didn't I go Ryzen? I did consider it strongly, but opted for Intel this time around because of unknowns around emulation. I didn't want to fork out a lot of money only to find the build lacking in that area. The i7 was a known quantity in that regard, and very well regarded.

The 1060 is a fantastic little gpu, the perfect sweet spot for 1080p gaming. That will likely change over the next few months, but I can always drop a 1070 in at that stage.

The X41 cools the 7700k very well, for me anyway. I know these things can be a bit of a lottery, but according to the bios AND cam software, she's idling away at 24c (and the gpu at 23c). I'm hugely happy with that, and while naturally that goes up under load, I've never seen it get anywhere near the red line.

Finally, SSD's are a game changer. If for some reason you don't have one, get one...now!

Thanks again all!

satguy

Very nice build ,, and well done..

BloodBath

Nice build log. That's a great little PC. I've wanted to do a SFF build for a long time. It's amazing the power, cooling and storage you can cram in there these days. I keep buying massive cases and not using half the space in them. Maybe next time I'll go MITX.

Did you overclock the 7700k?

Inviere

BloodBath wrote: »

Nice build log. That's a great little PC. I've wanted to do a SFF build for a long time. It's amazing the power, cooling and storage you can cram in there these days. I keep buying massive cases and not using half the space in them. Maybe next time I'll go MITX.

I did a build last year (not for myself) where the requirements were m-ITX for space reasons. Suffice it to say, unless I've a very specific need, I'll be sticking with m-ITX from here in...it's amazing the power you can cram in the smaller space. Cable management is that bit harder, but it's not a deal breaker.

Did you overclock the 7700k?

Not yet, I've not had to so far. I wanted to go with the 'K' option anyway incase it becomes necessary in the future, but for now, the stock speeds are more than adequate.