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small form factor basic gaming rig

shawnt
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Hello friends, I am planning to build a small form factor PC for casual gaming like BF4, Titanfall. 

 

Here are the parts I have selected: PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

 
CPU: Intel Core i3-4150 3.5GHz Dual-Core Processor  ($107.98 @ Micro Center) 
CPU Cooler: Corsair H60 54.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($66.00 @ Amazon) 
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97N-WIFI Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($134.33 @ Amazon) 
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB Video Card  ($145.66 @ Newegg) 
Case: Silverstone FT03B-MINI (Black) Mini ITX Tower Case  ($138.13 @ TigerDirect) 
Power Supply: Silverstone 300W 80+ Bronze Certified SFX Power Supply  ($53.86 @ Amazon) 
Case Fan: Noctua NF-P14 FLX 65.0 CFM 140mm  Fan  ($19.38 @ Amazon) 
Total: $755.61
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
 
I chose i3 CPU because I have an iMac 21" for my daily stuff, this rig is only for gaming. From my reading, this tiny case prefers liquid cooling solution and "blower style" graphic card to match its natural airflow, Corsair H60 looks perfect and EVGA GTX 750ti matches the requirement. The graphic card should be able to run the most of the games with ultra settings at 30-60 FPS (I don't have 60hz monitor). The PSU has only 300W (good enough for 750 ti?) and 80+ Bronze is not efficient, the good thing on this guy is that the fan won't start until 55 degree (see: http://www.silverstonetek.com/product.php?pid=458). I believe this should help to reduce a lot of noise when idle since I am going to put this PC right on top of my desk. For same reason, I am planning to replace the stock case fan with a Noctua fan. Finally the case, actually I was looking at NOD304 and elite 110, then ft03 mini came to my eyes and it looks beautiful. Personally I like a case with small footprint on a desk. If you know anything smaller than that, please let me know. 
 
Questions:
1. Any components on the list look overkill for a basic gaming PC? Obviously I want to get max performance/dollar in this form factor.
2. I haven't done OC in my life, is it worth on this kind of rig? If yes, please list the components I should swap with.
3. Without storage, the price is over $750. Compare to $550 barebone Zotac EN760 and same price Alienware Alpha, I am not sure it's wise to build it rather than buy one of those. The performance should be close right? (http://gpuboss.com/gpus/GeForce-GTX-860M-vs-GeForce-GTX-750-Ti)
 
 
Thanks for any help.
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Thanks. Are you saying G3258? Make sense to me.

 

Yeah, that one.

 

Also, I made this build. It's better for the price.

 

 
Motherboard: ASRock H97M PRO4 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($84.98 @ Newegg) 
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB Video Card  ($139.99 @ Amazon) 
Case: Cooler Master N200 MicroATX Mid Tower Case  ($53.42 @ TigerDirect) 
Total: $550.59
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
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1. No, not overkill. 

2. You can't oc the i3. As for the graphics card, sure. It's free performance.

3. The parts list you chose will perform better. However, you can easily get better for the price or similar for less: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/LcQpmG

If you ever need help with a build, read the following before posting: http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/3061-build-plan-thread-recommendations-please-read-before-posting/
Also, make sure to quote a post or tag a member when replying or else they won't get a notification that you replied to them.

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Here's my suggestion:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Pentium G3258 3.2GHz Dual-Core Processor ($74.99 @ Amazon)

CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-L9i 57.5 CFM CPU Cooler ($46.99 @ Mwave)

Motherboard: Asus H81I-PLUS Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($78.79 @ Newegg)

Memory: Kingston Fury Black Series 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($72.99 @ Amazon)

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($52.92 @ Amazon)

Video Card: Asus Radeon R9 280 3GB DirectCU II Video Card ($239.99 @ Newegg)

Case: Cooler Master Elite 120 Advanced (Black) Mini ITX Tower Case ($41.98 @ OutletPC)

Power Supply: Corsair CX 500W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($54.99 @ Newegg)

Total: $663.64

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

.

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It's what I'd go with. Is your budget $750?

Was not aware of that chip, looks pretty awesome. I will definitely get that one and OC.

No, I don't have a budget cap currently. Just want to get max performance/dollar.

 

 

 

 

Yeah, that one.

 

Also, I made this build. It's better for the price.

 

 
Motherboard: ASRock H97M PRO4 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($84.98 @ Newegg) 
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB Video Card  ($139.99 @ Amazon) 
Case: Cooler Master N200 MicroATX Mid Tower Case  ($53.42 @ TigerDirect) 
Total: $550.59
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

 

The price looks fantastic, though I still much prefer ft03-mini over N200.

 

1. No, not overkill. 

2. You can't oc the i3. As for the graphics card, sure. It's free performance.

3. The parts list you chose will perform better. However, you can easily get better for the price or similar for less: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/LcQpmG

Good to know no overkill parts I've selected. Will go for G3258 for sure as AlwaysFSX recommended. I knew elite 110 has better price tag, but compare to the footprint on FT03-mini, I am still willing to pay more for its elegance. 

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Good to know no overkill parts I've selected. Will go for G3258 for sure as AlwaysFSX recommended. I knew elite 110 has better price tag, but compare to the footprint on FT03-mini, I am still willing to pay more for its elegance. 

The i3 is better than the G3258 for gaming. The pentium is more for enthusiasts playing around with oc'ing than practical performance.

If you ever need help with a build, read the following before posting: http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/3061-build-plan-thread-recommendations-please-read-before-posting/
Also, make sure to quote a post or tag a member when replying or else they won't get a notification that you replied to them.

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