<$1200 SFF gaming build help

triskele81

n00b
Joined
Nov 27, 2012
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5
1. What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming (GW2 and TF2 mostly)

2. Will you be overclocking? no

3. What's your budget? <$1200 flexible

4. Where do you live? Zip is 11967. My closest computer chain was Compusa. I prefer everything to be single source though since I&#8217;ll be ordering online.

5. What exact parts do you need for that budget?
Case: undecided. Biggest unknown.
PSU: depends on build. I was thinking ~450W would be a safe bet
mobo: not sure
CPU: i5-3570
RAM: 8GB (2x4GB). type depends on mobo and space requirements of case.
HDD: 1.5T Seagate Barracuda Green
SSD: 128GB (not opposed to 256GB if it&#8217;s worth it and in the budget)
optical: BD (writer would be nice but not make or break)
video card: thinking EVGA gtx660, but it&#8217;s been a while since I&#8217;ve built or even upgraded anything
card reader (optional): all-in-one with USB 3.0 only if the case allows, but by no means a requirement
cables, fans, etc: any additional not shipped with component parts.

6. If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? All new. Won&#8217;t be reusing anything.

7. What specific features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? USB 3.0? SATA 6Gb/s? etc. USB 3.0 and SATA 6GB/s are the only things I can think of I need in a mobo. Wireless might be nice, but is by no means necessary since a USB wireless adapter is always an option if I need it down the road..

8. What resolution output do you need? Single 21.5&#8221; 1920x1080 monitor

9. Does this system need to fit into a particular space? As much as I hate to say this the only place is the tower cubby under my desk. There is a ~3&#8221; porthole in the back for cables, and it&#8217;s completely open on the front so it could be worse.
W: 11.38&#8221;
D: 17.63&#8221; to edge of (fixed)divider, 19.63&#8221; to edge of the desk base
H: 17.63&#8221; to removable shelf, 21&#8221; to keyboard tray, 25.5&#8221; to underside of desk

10. How comfortable are you with custom case design/modification and electrical wiring? I&#8217;ve done Shuttle builds so I&#8217;m not unfamiliar with how tight fitting SFF can be, but I won&#8217;t be doing any mods.

11. How important is the noise/silence of this system? The quieter the better when idle, but some noise when under heavy load is expected. Also no blinding lights that cannot be disabled or toned down.

12. How mobile does this system need to be? I won&#8217;t be taking it to lan parties or anything, but I may end up moving it between rooms from time to time.

13. Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit? retail Win 7 64bit

14. When do you plan on building/buying the PC? Sooner rather than later, but I have no real timeline.

I was originally thinking Shuttle Z77R5, but the ventilation doesn&#8217;t seem to be all that great and I&#8217;ve read that they can be noisy. I&#8217;ve done shuttle builds before. and like the ease of a barebones. I&#8217;m just not sure if it&#8217;s the right route to go this time. I also considered the Silverstone FT03Bmini, but slot loading BD drives are a pain to find. The Bitfenix Prodigy seems like it would work since the black one is full of holes making venting a non-issue. My only concern aside from the size is with the front IO ports being on the side that will likely end up against a wall since the vent is on on the opposite side. Also Considering Silverstone SG05/SG08 or Lian-Li PC-Q03B/PC-Q08. Feel free to make recommendations based on my needs.
 
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On second thought -- do you have any problems with the SG09? (besides the fact that it's ugly as sin)

It's smaller than a few ITX cases.
 
I'm not restricted to ITX per say, but I was working under the assumption that ITX would offer the best clearance for ventilation given it'll be in a cubby.

I looked at the SG09 after seeing is mentioned on forums here and elsewhere, but as you said it's ugly as sin.

The cases I mention in my OP I am interested in because I like the look of them, and for the most part they seem feasible. If the front IO ports were actually on the front of the Bitfenix Prodigy it would be a lock, but sadly that's probably a deal breaker given where the computer will be hiding.
 
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With that size hole and your front I/O requirements & desire for a larger ODD, what about going mATX and using a TJ08-E? Not exactly SFF, but still a nice small, quiet, good looking box with plenty of room, ventilation and drive bays...
 
Just got home from work, and it just occurred to me that a better location would be on my desktop in one of the cubbies of my hutch. It too has a porthole in the back for cables, but is 2". I'd just have to clean one out, and reclaim my tower cubby as a bookshelf.

Width: 13.75" (face), 15.5" (interior)
Depth: 12". Another 7" of desk space beyond the hutch, but I'd rather it not stick out too much.
Height: 11.75"

With that option an SG05B (450W) should fit nicely. It should be less dusty than being 2" from the floor too.Yes?
 
It would fit, but in either location I would cut more holes in the back for better ventilation. You don't want the exhaust just filling the cavity and then getting recirculated into the front of the case. Most of the time it is not too bad when you do it, but it certainly isn't optimal.
 
So if I don't limit myself to a single vendor and nix the BD I think I can squeeze out a pretty nice build. I just wanted to make sure everything will fit, be compatible, and make sure there aren't better component options since this'll be my first full build. I've only ever done upgrades and barebones builds so far. As you can see I'm not firm on <$1200 it's just a number that I had in my head from when I started pricing out a Shuttle SZ77R5 with BD,128MB SSD, and GTX660.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus P8H77-I Mini ITX LGA1155 Motherboard ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2133 Memory ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda Green 1.5TB 3.5" 5900RPM Internal Hard Drive ($87.27 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 830 Series 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($219.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 670 2GB Video Card ($399.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Silverstone SST-SG05BB-450-USB3.0 (Black) Mini ITX Desktop Case w/450W Power Supply ($139.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On DS-8A8SH DVD/CD Writer ($38.49 @ Mwave)
Total: $1255.69
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-11-29 10:48 EST-0500)

If I get the all clear from you guys I can hopefully put in the order tonight, and have everything for assembly next weekend.
 
Why get a 3570K if you're getting an H77 motherboard? You might as well save $40 and get a 3350P:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116782

Since you won't be overclocking, you might as well either go 1333/1600 and spend $10-15 more on 16GB:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...eactivatedMark=False&Order=PRICE&PageSize=100

or $20 less on 8GB of 1866:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231455

The Samsung 830's are currently out of stock at the Egg, plus two different ADATA models are on sale for $30-35 cheaper:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820211603
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820211597

Did you see the 670 I linked? It's $40 cheaper, plus it comes with 2 games:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814500242

Plus you can get the same case, shipped, $20 cheaper at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Silverstone-SG05BB-450-USB3-0-Mini-ITX-Computer-Certified/dp/B008J0ZQCU
 
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Better?

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77E-ITX Mini ITX LGA1155 Motherboard ($149.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda Green 1.5TB 3.5" 5900RPM Internal Hard Drive ($87.27 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial M4 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($199.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 670 2GB Video Card ($399.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Silverstone SST-SG05BB-450-USB3.0 (Black) Mini ITX Desktop Case w/450W Power Supply ($139.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On DS-8A8SH DVD/CD Writer ($38.49 @ Mwave)
Total: $1305.69
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-11-29 14:47 EST-0500)

I'm kinda hung-up on the GTX670FTW. Higher clock speeds than the one you recommended, better warranty, and comes with the same 2 games. Worth the $40 I think since I'm really not penny pinching here.

I could get the SG05B from Amazon, but it's just not showing up on pcpartpicker.
 
I'd go for normal profile memory - the large heat sinks can interfere with many CPU coolers.
 
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