First Time SFF PC?

[Chuck Finley]

Budget (including currency): under $1500 USD EXCLUDING peripherals

Country: US, it is best if most parts as possible come from Amazon

Games, programs or workloads that it will be used for: Heavy gaming of all types, video and photo editing (streaming is a possibility), music creation and editing

 

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor  ($279.99 @ Amazon) 

Motherboard: MSI B450I GAMING PLUS AC Mini ITX AM4 Motherboard  ($130.98 @ Newegg) OR B550 around the same price point (is it worth it to go to B550?)

 

Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory  ($104.99 @ Newegg) 

 

Storage: HP EX950 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive  ($119.99 @ Newegg) 

 

Video Card: EVGA GeForce RTX 2060 6 GB KO ULTRA GAMING Video Card  ($333.98 @ Newegg) OR Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER 8 GB WINDFORCE OC 3X Video Card  ($499.99 @ Best Buy) (which one would be best for my purposes?)

 

Case: Not sure, it will depend on the graphics card price and size, my picks are the Silverstone SG13P (hovers around $60) or the Sliger CL520 Console ($199.00)

Power Supply: Fractal Design Ion SFX-L 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular SFX Power Supply  ($129.99 @ B&H)  (it was the cheapest one at a wattage I thought was necessary from a 

good brand, any other suggestions?)
 

Monitor: not sure, this again depends on the graphics card price and type. Features I would like are a 1080 or 1440 resolution, fast refresh rate and response time, an IPS panel (not necessary, but nice to have) and a good price (under maybe $300? i know very little about displays)

[Chris Pratt]

The main difference between B450 and B550 is PCIe support. B550 offers PCIe 4.0 over the CPU lanes and PCIe 3.0 over the chipset lanes, whereas B450 is PCIe 3.0 over CPU lanes and PCIe 2.0 over the chipset lanes. With an mITX board, chipset lanes are mostly a moot point, as expandability is restricted. Currently, graphics cards don't use more than PCIe 3.0, and you can still get fast NVMe M.2 over 3.0. However, future graphics cards may take advantage of 4.0 and if you want the new crop of 5000Mbps+ SSDs at any point in the future, you'll need 4.0 for that as well. B450 is also going to be limited to USB 3.1 gen1, so no type C, for example.

 

In short, B550 is the way to go for "future-proofing" as much as you ever can future-proof a build. You'll at least have a better chance that future upgrades and/or external device will be compatible with B550 than B450. It's honestly entirely down to cost. The only reason to go B450, really, is if it's drastically cheaper, and you're really trying to stay under a budget. Otherwise, don't bother.

[Sorenson]

PCPartPicker Part List

Type	Item	Price
CPU	AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor	$279.99 @ Amazon
CPU Cooler	Noctua NH-C14S 82.52 CFM CPU Cooler	$74.90 @ Amazon
Motherboard	Gigabyte B550I AORUS PRO AX Mini ITX AM4 Motherboard	$179.00 @ Best Buy
Memory	Team T-FORCE DARK Za 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 CL18 Memory	$119.99 @ Amazon
Storage	Crucial P1 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive	$104.99 @ B&H
Video Card	Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER 8 GB WINDFORCE OC 3X Video Card	$499.99 @ Best Buy
Case	Cooler Master MasterBox NR200 Mini ITX Desktop Case	$79.99 @ B&H
Power Supply	Fractal Design Ion SFX-L 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular SFX Power Supply	$129.99 @ B&H
Case Fan	ARCTIC P12 56.3 CFM 120 mm Fan	$11.99 @ Amazon
Case Fan	ARCTIC P12 56.3 CFM 120 mm Fan	$11.99 @ Amazon
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total	$1492.82
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-07-28 18:50 EDT-0400

I would go with a build like this. I would throw the two extra case fans under the graphics card. I chose a quiet CPU cooler and really quiet/good air flow fans since you said you wanted to do music creation. Also, I just used a b550 since the upgrade path in the future is easier. 

 

I would suggest checking out r/sffpc since its more laser focussed on SFF pc building. 

[Chuck Finley]

22 minutes ago, Chuck Finley said:

 

Case: Not sure, it will depend on the graphics card price and size, my picks are the Silverstone SG13P (hovers around $60) or the Sliger CL520 Console ($199.00)
 

Forgot to add, the case has to be portable enough that it can easily fit in a packback or somewhat easily carried by hand.

[DailyProcrastinator]

Welcome to the forum!

 

18 minutes ago, Chuck Finley said:

Motherboard: MSI B450I GAMING PLUS AC Mini ITX AM4 Motherboard  ($130.98 @ Newegg) OR B550 around the same price point (is it worth it to go to B550?)

I'd go B550 for sure, much better VRM cooling and if you want to upgrade the CPU to a 4th gen Ryzen native support is the way to go, no messing around with a beta bios.

 

19 minutes ago, Chuck Finley said:

Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory  ($104.99 @ Newegg) 

 

Storage: HP EX950 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive  ($119.99 @ Newegg) 

Looks good here!

 

20 minutes ago, Chuck Finley said:

Video Card: EVGA GeForce RTX 2060 6 GB KO ULTRA GAMING Video Card  ($333.98 @ Newegg) OR Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER 8 GB WINDFORCE OC 3X Video Card  ($499.99 @ Best Buy) (which one would be best for my purposes?)

I'd probably learn towards a 2070S especially if you want to game at 1440p, that said it may be worth while to wait, Nvidia is likely launching next gen in a few months time, performance uplift will hopefully be pretty decent.

 

21 minutes ago, Chuck Finley said:

Case: Not sure, it will depend on the graphics card price and size, my picks are the Silverstone SG13P (hovers around $60) or the Sliger CL520 Console ($199.00)

SG13 is a good choice, especially for the cost, it's not the prettiest but it is damn good, I highly recommend it. If you go this route I recommend a 120mm AIO to cool the CPU. I have a detailed build log with this case that may help you.

 

23 minutes ago, Chuck Finley said:

Power Supply: Fractal Design Ion SFX-L 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular SFX Power Supply  ($129.99 @ B&H) 

Solid choice, if an ATX to SFX bracket is not included you will need one to mount it into the SG13.

 

24 minutes ago, Chuck Finley said:

Monitor: not sure, this again depends on the graphics card price and type. Features I would like are a 1080 or 1440 resolution, fast refresh rate and response time, an IPS panel (not necessary, but nice to have) and a good price (under maybe $300? i know very little about displays)

I recommend:

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/pGqBD3/asus-tuf-gaming-vg27aq-270-2560x1440-165-hz-monitor-vg27aq

 

[Chuck Finley]

5 minutes ago, TheDailyProcrastinator said:

Welcome to the forum!

 

I'd go B550 for sure, much better VRM cooling and if you want to upgrade the CPU to a 4th gen Ryzen native support is the way to go, no messing around with a beta bios.

 

 

 

17 minutes ago, Chris Pratt said:

The main difference between B450 and B550 is PCIe support. B550 offers PCIe 4.0 over the CPU lanes and PCIe 3.0 over the chipset lanes, whereas B450 is PCIe 3.0 over CPU lanes and PCIe 2.0 over the chipset lanes. With an mITX board, chipset lanes are mostly a moot point, as expandability is restricted. Currently, graphics cards don't use more than PCIe 3.0, and you can still get fast NVMe M.2 over 3.0. However, future graphics cards may take advantage of 4.0 and if you want the new crop of 5000Mbps+ SSDs at any point in the future, you'll need 4.0 for that as well. B450 is also going to be limited to USB 3.1 gen1, so no type C, for example.

 

In short, B550 is the way to go for "future-proofing" as much as you ever can future-proof a build. You'll at least have a better chance that future upgrades and/or external device will be compatible with B550 than B450. It's honestly entirely down to cost. The only reason to go B450, really, is if it's drastically cheaper, and you're really trying to stay under a budget. Otherwise, don't bother.

Any reccomendations for B550? I'd like good VRMS and a price under $150. Should I also switch to a 4.0 SSD?

[DailyProcrastinator]

12 minutes ago, Sorenson said:

I would suggest checking out r/sffpc since its more laser focussed on SFF pc building. 

Well the SG13 is more SFF than the NR200... 11.5L vs 20.6L. 

 

8 minutes ago, Chuck Finley said:

Forgot to add, the case has to be portable enough that it can easily fit in a packback or somewhat easily carried by hand.

SG13 will meet those needs. I use mine as portable work PC.

 

3 minutes ago, Chuck Finley said:

Any reccomendations for B550? I'd like good VRMS and a price under $150.

Nothing available, for under $150, all are good options, just get the Gigabyte board.

https://pcpartpicker.com/products/motherboard/#c=145&f=8&sort=price&page=1

[Sorenson]

1 minute ago, TheDailyProcrastinator said:

Well the SG13 is more SFF than the NR200... 11.5L vs 20.6L. 

You're right it is smaller 

 

I just personally have a preference to the design of the NR200 since its similar to the Ncase M1 which is my current build. Being able to throw two quiet fans directly under the GPU really helps reduce the GPU noise when its being hit. Also, I believe the NR200 can fit more drives than the SG13. It is also really helpful being able to side mount exhaust fans to reduce the system temps. I wasn't saying that the SG13 is bad in any way, I was just suggesting that case since its a bit more flexible and since its new and there isn't much awareness of it outside the SFFPC space. 

 

 

[Chuck Finley]

24 minutes ago, TheDailyProcrastinator said:

SG13 is a good choice, especially for the cost, it's not the prettiest but it is damn good, I highly recommend it. If you go this route I recommend a 120mm AIO to cool the CPU. I have a detailed build log with this case that may help you.

 

Solid choice, if an ATX to SFX bracket is not included you will need one to mount it into the SG13.

Will a good "big" air cooler fit in the SG13? I was thinking one of the Scythe or Noctua ones. I've heard that 120mm AIOs weren't that good. How true is this? I'll probably end up using the included cooler for a bit, anyway. Also, will a 3-fan GPU fit?
What wattage should my power supply be? Should I go with the 650W or save $30 and use a 500W?

[Chuck Finley]

Do I "need" a 2070S? I know the performance is excellent, but I need something to justify the cost. Exactly how much better is it over a 2060? None of the money being spent here is mine, this PC is a gift to me.

[Chris Pratt]

2 minutes ago, Chuck Finley said:

Do I "need" a 2070S? I know the performance is excellent, but I need something to justify the cost. Exactly how much better is it over a 2060?

The 2060 is sort of the "barely" model in Nvidia's lineup. It only just barely supports ray tracing. It only just barely supports DLSS. If you care about the extra value adds, you still get them with the 2060, but they're not fantastic. For example, you'd struggle running DLSS at more that 60 FPS. That won't be an issue for the 2070 super.

[DailyProcrastinator]

1 hour ago, Sorenson said:

You're right it is smaller 

 

I just personally have a preference to the design of the NR200 since its similar to the Ncase M1 which is my current build. Being able to throw two quiet fans directly under the GPU really helps reduce the GPU noise when its being hit. Also, I believe the NR200 can fit more drives than the SG13. It is also really helpful being able to side mount exhaust fans to reduce the system temps. I wasn't saying that the SG13 is bad in any way, I was just suggesting that case since its a bit more flexible and since its new and there isn't much awareness of it outside the SFFPC space. 

I mean the NR200 is nice, just way to big, the M1 is like 6L smaller. I agree it's a good case, but not really SFF. SG13 is not bad though, decent hardware support, tons of optiosn for HDD's (if air cooling) and lots of easy options for 2.5" drives. 

 

1 hour ago, Chuck Finley said:

Will a good "big" air cooler fit in the SG13? I was thinking one of the Scythe or Noctua ones. I've heard that 120mm AIOs weren't that good. How true is this? I'll probably end up using the included cooler for a bit, anyway. Also, will a 3-fan GPU fit?
What wattage should my power supply be? Should I go with the 650W or save $30 and use a 500W?

A 120mm AIO isn't bad, its just poor value because it competes with air cooler that cost $30 less, but in the SG13 there is no clearance for anything but a slim air cooler. A 120mm AIO is the best option here and you can set the fans to push/pull. 

[Chuck Finley]

Is the regular 2070 a good option?