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itx build

docetes · 2012-06-06 14:51:04

Hello there, Haven't built a PC in a long time and am looking to build a HTPC that I could upgrade in the future to play games on. Intel Core i5-3450 Tray, LGA1155 ASUS Z77E-ITX, Socket 1155, ATX Antec Cooler 920 H2O 8GB Kit Corsair XMS3 Dominator PC3-12800 CL8-8-8-24 (DDR3-1600) Lian Li PC-V354R - red, mATX without PSU be…

06-06-2012 3:51pm

#1

docetes

Registered Users Posts: 87 ✭✭

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Posts: 58

Hello there,

Haven't built a PC in a long time and am looking to build a HTPC that I could upgrade in the future to play games on.

Intel Core i5-3450 Tray, LGA1155
ASUS Z77E-ITX, Socket 1155, ATX
Antec Cooler 920 H2O
8GB Kit Corsair XMS3 Dominator PC3-12800 CL8-8-8-24 (DDR3-1600)
Lian Li PC-V354R - red, mATX without PSU
be quiet! Straight Power BQT E8-400W
ASUS ENGT440 SL/DI/1GD3 DC, 1GB DDR3, PCI Express
Seagate Barracuda 5900.3 SATA 3 Green 2TB 6Gb / s 64MB 8.9 cm (3.5 ")

What do you think?

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#2 06-06-2012 4:14pm

FlyingIrishMan

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docetes wrote: »

Hello there,

Haven't built a PC in a long time and am looking to build a HTPC that I could upgrade in the future to play games on.

Intel Core i5-3450 Tray, LGA1155
ASUS Z77E-ITX, Socket 1155, ATX
Antec Cooler 920 H2O
8GB Kit Corsair XMS3 Dominator PC3-12800 CL8-8-8-24 (DDR3-1600)
Lian Li PC-V354R - red, mATX without PSU
be quiet! Straight Power BQT E8-400W
ASUS ENGT440 SL/DI/1GD3 DC, 1GB DDR3, PCI Express
Seagate Barracuda 5900.3 SATA 3 Green 2TB 6Gb / s 64MB 8.9 cm (3.5 ")

What do you think?

Fill this out :
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=74542374

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#3 06-06-2012 5:37pm

Sholden

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Depends on how much you are willing to spend. Answer the questions above.

Item|Price
BitFenix Merc Alpha|€31.61
Intel Core i3-2120 Box, LGA1155|€107.48
ASRock H61DE/S3, Sockel 1155, ATX|€58.25
LiteOn iHAS122-18 schwarz SATA|€16.68
Seagate Barracuda 7200 500GB SATA 6GB's|€62.72
Samsung SSD 830 64GB SATA 6GB's PC Upgrade Kit|€87.14
Super-Flower Amazon 80Plus 450W|€41.80
Shipping|€18.99
Total|€424.67

Overclockable
Item|Price
BitFenix Merc Alpha|€31.61
LiteOn iHAS122-18 schwarz SATA|€16.68
Seagate Barracuda 7200 500GB SATA 6GB's|€62.72
Samsung SSD 830 64GB SATA 6GB's PC Upgrade Kit|€87.14
Super-Flower Amazon 80Plus 450W|€41.80
ASRock Z68 Pro3 Gen3, Sockel 1155, ATX|€82.61
Intel Core i5-2500K Box, LGA1155|€192.84
Shipping|€18.99
Total|€534.39

Cheap and cheerful
Item|Price
BitFenix Merc Alpha|€31.61
LiteOn iHAS122-18 schwarz SATA|€16.68
Seagate Barracuda 7200 500GB SATA 6GB's|€62.72
Samsung SSD 830 64GB SATA 6GB's PC Upgrade Kit|€87.14
Super-Flower Amazon 80Plus 450W|€41.80
Intel Celeron G540 Box, LGA1155|€45.11
MSI H61M-P20 (G3), Intel H61, mATX|€40.64
Shipping|€18.99
Total|€344.69

It would be easier to upgrade a ATX or MATX build that an ITX.
If you can't afford just remove the SSD.

EDIT:
This RAM for all of them. Wouldn't add to cart :mad:

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#4 06-06-2012 9:42pm

docetes

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1. What is your budget? €600-€900

2. What will be the main purpose of the computer? HTPC

3. Do you need a copy of Windows? No

4. Can you use any parts from an old computer? No

5. Do you need a monitor? No

5a. If yes, what size do you need. [19'/20'/22'/24'/etc.]

5b. If no, what resolution is your current monitor and do you plan to upgrade in the near future? [1920x1080/1440x900/etc.] [Yes/No]

6. Do you need any of these peripherals? Keyboard and Wireless Card

7. Are you willing to try overclocking? Not sure

8. How can you pay? [Bank Transfer/Credit Card/Laser]

9. When are you purchasing? ASAP

10. If you need help building it, where are you based? Dublin

Why would I use this RAM over another?

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#5 06-06-2012 9:45pm

docetes

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this looks interesting but not the case

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#6 06-06-2012 9:53pm

Sholden

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docetes wrote: »

Why would I use this RAM over another?

Heat sinks don't really matter. DDR3 RAM doesn't get as hot as DDR2 so heat sinks are pretty much just for show.

And do you really need that size case?

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#7 06-06-2012 10:05pm

docetes

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for the case, I'd like to go as small as possible

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#8 06-06-2012 10:17pm

Sholden

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docetes wrote: »

for the case, I'd like to go as small as possible

Item|Price
Lian Li PC-Q08B Mini-ITX Tower-Cube - schwarz|€86.34
Super-Flower Amazon 80Plus 450W|€41.80
Samsung SSD 830 64GB SATA 6GB's Paper Box|€69.18
8GB-Kit G.Skill PC3-10667U CL9|€35.93
ASRock H77M-ITX, Sockel 1155, ITX|€89.61
Seagate Pipeline 5900.2 2TB SATA|€115.62
Thermalright True Spirit 120|€23.92
Intel Core i5-3570K Box, LGA1155|€212.12
Shipping|€18.99
Total|€693.51

That is more than you need to spend on a HTPC.
If you wan't you could get a bigger SSD and a GPU but that is grand.

EDIT:
HOW THE F DID I SPELL WANT WRONG

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#9 07-06-2012 10:36am

Monotype

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You wouldn't be able to overclock with the H77. If you're going to get a "K" CPU, you might as well get a Z77 board. There was a Z68 board there a few weeks ago for about €100 but it's gone now so the only option for that range is the €131 Z77 board.
http://www1.hardwareversand.de/DDR3/59318/ASRock+Z77E-ITX%2C+Sockel+1155%2C+ITX.article

That's just thinking of the most upgradable PC for gaming at that size. But if you were to keep it as a HTPC, there's no need for anything above a celeron G530.

Alternatively, you can get a H61 for less than half the price.
http://www2.hardwareversand.de/DDR3/50896/ASRock+H61M-ITX%2C+Sockel+1155%2C+ITX.article
The downside is that you sacrifice a fair few features like SATA 6Gbps but at the end of the day, GPU and CPU performance will be essentially the same (overclocking aside).

The Q08B would be a good case to pair with a large graphics card, although you'd never fit that heatsink in on account of the PSU being right next to it. I think the best option would be one of those water cooling solutions as seen in this link:
http://www.overclock.net/t/757135/anyone-own-a-lian-li-pc-q08b

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#10 07-06-2012 11:25am

Skylinehead

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Item|Price
Intel Celeron G530 Box, LGA1155|€37.56
ASRock H61M-ITX, Sockel 1155, ITX|€62.34
8GB-Kit G.Skill PC3-10667U CL9|€35.93
Seagate Barracuda 7200 2000GB, SATA 6Gb/s|€102.46
Samsung SSD 830 64GB SATA 6GB's Paper Box|€69.18
LG BH10LS38 Blu-Ray Brenner Retail|€73.49
Lian Li PC-Q08B Mini-ITX Tower-Cube - schwarz|€86.34
Corsair Hydro Series H60 (Sockel 775/1156/1366/AM2/AM2+/AM3/FM1)|€58.84
Shipping|€18.99
Total|€545.13

Added a Blu-ray drive, might as well on a HTPC. No need for anything other than a Celeron on a HTPC, put in a liquid cooler like Monotype suggested.

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#11 07-06-2012 12:02pm

uncle_sam_ie

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I'd wait for the BitFenix Prodigy to come out if you building a Mini-iTX. http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-074-BX&groupid=701&catid=7&subcat=2279
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOi_vbyKLik&feature=g-all-u
Also, I wouldn't go for a Blue ray player. Because, you'll have to buy extra software in order to play blue ray movies and this ends up being a pain cos of the DRM updates. It's cheaper and easier to just go out and get a stand alone player.

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#12 07-06-2012 12:03pm

Skylinehead

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I wanted to include the Prodigy, but he's buying now.

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#13 07-06-2012 12:20pm

docetes

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that case looks great but if I wait for that something will come along next month that I could wait for.

I'm thinking of changing this build to a HTPC machine only. I'll build a comp for games in the new year.

Would a Intel Core i3-2120T be ok for a processor.

I think I'm going to focus on keeping this machine as small and quiet as possible

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#14 07-06-2012 12:26pm

Skylinehead

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docetes wrote: »

that case looks great but if I wait for that something will come along next month that I could wait for.

I'm thinking of changing this build to a HTPC machine only. I'll build a comp for games in the new year.

Would a Intel Core i3-2120T be ok for a processor.

I think I'm going to focus on keeping this machine as small and quiet as possible

Get the 2120, think it's a little better. Lovely processor too.

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#15 07-06-2012 1:23pm

Monotype

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If it's HTPC only, celeron G530 is plenty. Handles 1080p videos fine and despite the celeron name, it's a deceptively powerful dual core.
http://www1.hardwareversand.de/Socket+1155/50380/Intel+Celeron+G530+Box%2C+LGA1155.article

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#16 07-06-2012 2:03pm

Tea_Bag

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why no love for the thermaltake elementQ case? its allot cheaper and smaller than the lianLi, and it includes the psu in the price.

I've got it packed with a GPU ( HD6450) and 3 HDDs and the only fans are that of the stock heatsink (inaudible) and the psu, a little louder than I'd like. I might mod it at some point. nothing ever goes above 50C, even under stress tests during that summer we had last week.

www2.hardwareversand.de/Mini/31401/Thermaltake+Element+Q%2C+mini-ITX%2C+200W-Netzteil.article

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#17 07-06-2012 4:48pm

docetes

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After a bit of research this is what I've come up with so far. I'm still thinking about going with the Intel Core i3-2120T as it consumes less power and the reason I'm sticking with 8GB of RAM is at €36 I can.

Item|Price
8GB-Kit G.Skill PC3-10667U CL9|€35.93
Intel Core i3-2120 Box, LGA1155|€107.48
Scythe Kozuti, für alle Sockel geeignet|€22.98
Corsair Force Series GT 120GB SSD 6,4cm (2,5") SATA III|€122.31
ASRock Z77E-ITX, Sockel 1155, ITX|€131.01
Shipping|€18.99
Total|€438.70

Still have to source a box and PSU. I forgot how much fun this is

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#18 07-06-2012 5:21pm

Skylinehead

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http://www2.hardwareversand.de/Solid-State-Disk/56866/Samsung+SSD+830+128GB+SATA+6GB%27s+Paper+Box.article

Better, cheaper SSD.

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#19 07-06-2012 5:34pm

Tea_Bag

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I really don't see why you'd pick that 2120T over a Pentium G630.

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#20 08-06-2012 9:47am

docetes

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Tea_Bag wrote: »

I really don't see why you'd pick that 2120T over a Pentium G630.

The Pentium G630 isn't compatible with the motherboard according to hardwareversand.

Skylinehead wrote: »

http://www2.hardwareversand.de/Solid-State-Disk/56866/Samsung+SSD+830+128GB+SATA+6GB%27s+Paper+Box.article

Better, cheaper SSD.

Will definitely do that

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#21 08-06-2012 9:59am

Skylinehead

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docetes wrote: »

The Pentium G630 isn't compatible with the motherboard according to hardwareversand.

It is, they're both socket 1155

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#22 08-06-2012 10:30am

docetes

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Skylinehead wrote: »

It is, they're both socket 1155

I know you are probably right but on the site it says:

Compatible Processors Core i5, Core i3, Core i7

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#23 08-06-2012 10:46am

Serephucus

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It will work with the G530 as well. Specs can be misleading sometimes.

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#24 08-06-2012 11:46am

docetes

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Serephucus wrote: »

It will work with the G530 as well. Specs can be misleading sometimes.

cheers.

What do you guys think of this case?

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#25 08-06-2012 11:52am

Serephucus

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Personally, I wouldn't put that in my sitting room. I think it looks like something that would be more at home on a server rack.

Dunno what your budget is for it, but something like this I think is very nice. The ElementQ that Tea mentioned. If you're more budget conscious, then that would definitely get my vote.

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#26 08-06-2012 12:21pm

docetes

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You're definitely right about the look of that case. If I want it to live beside the TV, it will have to look nice. Out of all the cases I like, the Lian Li PC-Q09FB fits the bill.

I had a think about the CPU and I'll be re encoding the odd video so I'll stick with the i3 2120.

Item|Price
8GB-Kit G.Skill PC3-10667U CL9|€38.75
Intel Core i3-2120 Box, LGA1155|€108.59
Scythe Kozuti, für alle Sockel geeignet|€22.98
Corsair Force Series GT 120GB SSD 6,4cm (2,5") SATA III|€121.78
ASRock Z77E-ITX, Sockel 1155, ITX|€133.12
Lian Li PC-Q09FB Mini-ITX HTPC - black, 150W|€81.06
Shipping|€18.99
Total|€525.27

Thanks for all your help so far. I've one last question. Is the CPU fan ok?

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#27 08-06-2012 12:32pm

Skylinehead

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Apparently so

And change that damn SSD :pac:

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#28 08-06-2012 12:35pm

Serephucus

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Not the best out there, but probably as good as you're going to get to fit in that case, given that you've probably only got about 9-10cm to work with.

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#29 08-06-2012 12:41pm

docetes

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Thanks for reminding me about the SSD. Here's the final build:

Item|Price
8GB-Kit G.Skill PC3-10667U CL9|€38.75
Intel Core i3-2120 Box, LGA1155|€108.59
Scythe Kozuti, für alle Sockel geeignet|€22.98
ASRock Z77E-ITX, Sockel 1155, ITX|€133.12
Lian Li PC-Q09FB Mini-ITX HTPC - black, 150W|€81.06
Samsung SSD 830 128GB SATA 6GB's Paper Box|€112.34
Shipping|€18.99
Total|€515.83

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#30 08-06-2012 1:00pm

Monotype

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I have that heatsink. It's a little bit wide and on an itx build, you have to sacrifice either a RAM slot or the PCI-E slot, depending on how you orient it.

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#31 08-06-2012 3:26pm

docetes

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That's not good. Does anyone have any recommendations for a smaller fan? I've looked around but they all seem to around the same size. Would it be worth getting a liquid cooling solution for this? Would that even fit in the case?

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