First custom build

[phadaphunk]

I am planning on building my first gaming rig. Last one I got was a bundle and I got disappointed on many aspects. I kinda have the necessary knowledge to successfully build a good rig, I would still like to get a second opinion before diving into such a big purchase. I want to build a compact, powerful gaming station.

The build is a Mini-ITX.

 

Let's start by saying that I will at first be keeping some of my current pieces which will be replaced later on.

I will keep the ram which is  

2 x 4GB Corsair 1333.

 

I will be keeping my GPu which is

Radeon HD 6850 (Which will be the bottleneck of my rig at first yes) but I plan on replacing it with a brand new GTX970 soon so this won't be a problem.

 

As for storage I will keep my old 2TB HDD and a samsung 840 pro SSD.

 

Now, the planned rig is as follows : 

 

Case : http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139033
Corsaird 250D which as an awesome finish and plenty of space for my PSU and the big GPU I plan to put in. Also, might put in radiator in the near future.

 

Motherboard : http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130774

I struggled a lot to find one that fits my needs and I must admit looking at motherboard reviews is always scary. For all the specs I need and the relatively low price, it feels like a best buy than the ROG boards for which 50% of reviews are negative.

 

CPU : http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819117372&cm_re=i5-_-19-117-372-_-Product

This little beast should be more than enough for what I need. I hope it fits my motherboard without any problems. It should though I think.

 

PSU :  http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139054&cm_re=corsair_rm650-_-17-139-054-_-Product

Can't go wron with gold branded corsair. Full modular which will be really helpful for my small form factor build. 650 might not the ultimate future proof PSU but the budget kept me from getting anything over that. 

 

What do you guys think? Should I rethink some of the pieces before purchasing the whole package? Am I falling into some obvious trap I do not see? Do any of these pieces sound like they would get in conflict with another?

 

Full build would look as follows : http://pcpartpicker.com/p/rZx8xr

 

Thanks much,

[mosin40]

Looks good

[Megazero]

I am planning on building my first gaming rig. Last one I got was a bundle and I got disappointed on many aspects. I kinda have the necessary knowledge to successfully build a good rig, I would still like to get a second opinion before diving into such a big purchase. I want to build a compact, powerful gaming station.

The build is a Mini-ITX.

 

Let's start by saying that I will at first be keeping some of my current pieces which will be replaced later on.

I will keep the ram which is  

2 x 4GB Corsair 1333.

 

I will be keeping my GPu which is

Radeon HD 6850 (Which will be the bottleneck of my rig at first yes) but I plan on replacing it with a brand new GTX970 soon so this won't be a problem.

 

As for storage I will keep my old 2TB HDD and a samsung 840 pro SSD.

 

Now, the planned rig is as follows : 

 

Case : http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139033

Corsaird 250D which as an awesome finish and plenty of space for my PSU and the big GPU I plan to put in

 

Motherboard : http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130774

I struggled a lot to find one that fits my needs and I must admit looking at motherboard reviews is always scary. For all the specs I need and the relatively low price, it feels like a best buy than the ROG boards for which 50% of reviews are negative.

 

CPU : http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819117372&cm_re=i5-_-19-117-372-_-Product

This little beast should be more than enough for what I need. I hope it fits my motherboard without any problems. It should though I think.

 

PSU :  http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139054&cm_re=corsair_rm650-_-17-139-054-_-Product

Can't go wron with gold branded corsair. Full modular which will be really helpful for my small form factor build. 650 might not the ultimate future proof PSU but the budget kept me from getting anything over that. 

 

What do you guys think? Should I rethink some of the pieces before purchasing the whole package? Am I falling into some obvious trap I do not see? Do any of these pieces sound like they would get in conflict with another?

 

Full build would look as follows : http://pcpartpicker.com/p/rZx8xr

 

Thanks much,

Hmm... you dont need a 650W PSU, 500W PSU is enough since you CANT go SLI with a mini ITX build anyway... BTW, why Mini ITX? And if you go with Mini ITX why not the Mini ITX GTX 970 instead of the full size 970?

If you already have a SSD why need another?

[phadaphunk]

Hmm... you dont need a 650W PSU, 500W PSU is enough since you CANT go SLI with a mini ITX build anyway... BTW, why Mini ITX? And if you go with Mini ITX why not the Mini ITX GTX 970 instead of the full size 970?

If you already have a SSD why need another?

 

Thanks for your reply.

I though I would need more than a 500W PSU since it was the minimum as recommanded on the 970 website : http://www.geforce.com/hardware/desktop-gpus/geforce-gtx-970/specifications

Also, I might go with the MiniITX version of the card yes that's a very good recommendation I shall look into that version.

As for the SSD I only placed it there so we can see what the build will look like in the future but I don't plan on adding another one.

 

Now I want mini-itx because I didn't like larger form factors I tried before. Since it is possible to get the same performance (pretty much the same) in a smaller more carriable form factor I want to try it for this current build. I've read good reviews about mini-itx and I'm always jealous of the builds I see about them online. 

I also chose the 250D for future Radiator support.

[Mistersprinkles]

Thanks for your reply.

I though I would need more than a 500W PSU since it was the minimum as recommanded on the 970 website : http://www.geforce.com/hardware/desktop-gpus/geforce-gtx-970/specifications

Also, I might go with the MiniITX version of the card yes that's a very good recommendation I shall look into that version.

As for the SSD I only placed it there so we can see what the build will look like in the future but I don't plan on adding another one.

 

Now I want mini-itx because I didn't like larger form factors I tried before. Since it is possible to get the same performance (pretty much the same) in a smaller more carriable form factor I want to try it for this current build. I've read good reviews about mini-itx and I'm always jealous of the builds I see about them online. 

I also chose the 250D for future Radiator support.

Install the radiator now. Not later. You're going to have a hell of a time trying to get the rad in the case with the case already fully populated. It's a cramped environment. Make it as painless for yourself as possible. Also, liquid cooling gives you E-Peen. Everyone loves E-Peen. Except E-Lesbians.

 

Also, Corsair's RM power supplies have been known to fail quite frequently from what I've read/heard. Pick a different power supply. Seasonic, Superflower, EVGA, Corsair.... If corsair avoid CX, GS, RM.

 

BTW a 970 and a 4690K with nothing overclocked is going to pull about 250W at the wall. Nowhere near 500W. Definitely don't go higher than 500W when you choose your power supply, unless you're one of those people that likes overkill for the sake of overkill. Nvidia is likely only suggesting 500W as a minimum so that they can make sure people have enough amps on the 12V rail(s) as lower wattage PSUs (the cheaper ones) tend not to. That's all. 

[Megazero]

Thanks for your reply.

I though I would need more than a 500W PSU since it was the minimum as recommanded on the 970 website : http://www.geforce.com/hardware/desktop-gpus/geforce-gtx-970/specifications

Also, I might go with the MiniITX version of the card yes that's a very good recommendation I shall look into that version.

As for the SSD I only placed it there so we can see what the build will look like in the future but I don't plan on adding another one.

 

Now I want mini-itx because I didn't like larger form factors I tried before. Since it is possible to get the same performance (pretty much the same) in a smaller more carriable form factor I want to try it for this current build. I've read good reviews about mini-itx and I'm always jealous of the builds I see about them online. 

I also chose the 250D for future Radiator support.

500W technically can drive up to 2 GTX 970, so for 1 970 it's fine.

Mini ITX will suffer from air flow problem mind you, so make sure you think about that.

[phadaphunk]

Install the radiator now. Not later. You're going to have a hell of a time trying to get the rad in the case with the case already fully populated. It's a cramped environment. Make it as painless for yourself as possible. Also, liquid cooling gives you E-Peen. Everyone loves E-Peen. Except E-Lesbians.

 

Also, Corsair's RM power supplies have been known to fail quite frequently from what I've read/heard. Pick a different power supply. Seasonic, Superflower, EVGA, Corsair.... If corsair avoid CX, GS, RM.

 

BTW a 970 and a 4690K with nothing overclocked is going to pull about 250W at the wall. Nowhere near 500W. Definitely don't go higher than 500W when you choose your power supply, unless you're one of those people that likes overkill for the sake of overkill. Nvidia is likely only suggesting 500W as a minimum so that they can make sure people have enough amps on the 12V rail(s) as lower wattage PSUs (the cheaper ones) tend not to. That's all. 

 

Noted for the radiator. I really don't see myself taking everything appart at the end to install the CPU cooler and radiator. 

I could look into another PSU if you say those are not to be trusted. Is there a recommanded brand for my current build? Since the case isn't extremely small I'm sure a lot of them would fit. Also is it simply corsair or the fact that they are modular because I feel like the modular part of the PSU would be really interesting in terms of cable management in my mITX. 

I plan on overclocking the CPU one day which is why I purchase the unlocked version and want a custom cooler. Isn't 650 future proof ? Is it bad to have to much watts if you don't use a certain % of it or do you simply recommend the 500W because of the price?

 

Thanks ! 

[phadaphunk]

500W technically can drive up to 2 GTX 970, so for 1 970 it's fine.

Mini ITX will suffer from air flow problem mind you, so make sure you think about that.

 

Very true. I'm currently crawling through 250D forums to see airflow builds that would fit my build. I'm totally new to this but I feel it's a nice challenge and a good occasion to learn how it works. 

 

I read recommendations for a Positive AirFlow for this type of build.

The front fan would be used as intake.

The radiator fans (H100i Corsair) would be used as intakes. 

Dunno if my GPU on the other side is set as an intake our if it pushes it out but I could add a fan there as another intake to maximize the intake. 

Do you think this would work?

[Megazero]

Very true. I'm currently crawling through 250D forums to see airflow builds that would fit my build. I'm totally new to this but I feel it's a nice challenge and a good occasion to learn how it works. 

 

I read recommendations for a Positive AirFlow for this type of build.

The front fan would be used as intake.

The radiator fans (H100i Corsair) would be used as intakes. 

Dunno if my GPU on the other side is set as an intake our if it pushes it out but I could add a fan there as another intake to maximize the intake. 

Do you think this would work?

Dont count your GPU on the whole intake/outtake of the case, it usually blow out at the end and take in from the fans you see on the GPU. But some GPU do it differently. Either way dont count it to the whole system air flow, just try to blow as much cool air at the visible fans of the GPU as you can

Using the radiator's fans as intake isnt really a good idea, cause the heat from the CPU will be blow inside the case. Also your dust filter have to be very good or else your radiator will be cover in dust in no time. Usually in normal ATX build the radiator's fans will be use as outtake along with the back fan of the case near the CPU area. The front and the belly's fans of the case will be use as intake or the belly's fans can be use as out take as well. In your case it's mini ITX, I dont remember exactly how the layout of the fans in the 250D is, but just keep the radiator as an outtakes fans, and all other available fans as intake I suppose... The GPU will have it own air flow that dont affect the system if you install it like this pic so dont worry about it.

http://benchmarkreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/corsair_250d_assemble_no_panels.jpg

[DeepFryChicken]

Checking this out (if you already didnt) might clarify things up:

[phadaphunk]

Dont count your GPU on the whole intake/outtake of the case, it usually blow out at the end and take in from the fans you see on the GPU. But some GPU do it differently. Either way dont count it to the whole system air flow, just try to blow as much cool air at the visible fans of the GPU as you can

Using the radiator's fans as intake isnt really a good idea, cause the heat from the CPU will be blow inside the case. Also your dust filter have to be very good or else your radiator will be cover in dust in no time. Usually in normal ATX build the radiator's fans will be use as outtake along with the back fan of the case near the CPU area. The front and the belly's fans of the case will be use as intake or the belly's fans can be use as out take as well. In your case it's mini ITX, I dont remember exactly how the layout of the fans in the 250D is, but just keep the radiator as an outtakes fans, and all other available fans as intake I suppose... The GPU will have it own air flow that dont affect the system if you install it like this pic so dont worry about it.

http://benchmarkreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/corsair_250d_assemble_no_panels.jpg

 

Ok yes thats exactly how the GPU will be placed. Now I get why I should keep the radiator as an OUT but do you think the rest will be enough to supply fresh air in the case? If not, I might have to fill ALL possible fan spots with intakes to make sure it stays cool enough. I think I will put on the radiator with cooler and as many fans as possible and monitor the results and then if I am confident with the results, I will overclock the CPU. 

[phadaphunk]

Checking this out (if you already didnt) might clarify things up:

 

Thanks I did watch it but 650W for the overclocked 4690K and 970GTX didn't feel like overkill to me. If it is then I might go down to the 500W since it would apparently do the job just as well. 

[Megazero]

Ok yes thats exactly how the GPU will be placed. Now I get why I should keep the radiator as an OUT but do you think the rest will be enough to supply fresh air in the case? If not, I might have to fill ALL possible fan spots with intakes to make sure it stays cool enough. I think I will put on the radiator with cooler and as many fans as possible and monitor the results and then if I am confident with the results, I will overclock the CPU.

BTW, for the radiator, for a Mini ITX build, choose either push or pull, dont do push pull since you dont have space as well as it didnt improve the performance. Push and pull is almost the same with a few advantage different. You can watch the video here to understand more about push/pull/push pull

Now for the number of fans and worry about not enough air in, watch this video

[phadaphunk]

Dont count your GPU on the whole intake/outtake of the case, it usually blow out at the end and take in from the fans you see on the GPU. But some GPU do it differently. Either way dont count it to the whole system air flow, just try to blow as much cool air at the visible fans of the GPU as you can

Using the radiator's fans as intake isnt really a good idea, cause the heat from the CPU will be blow inside the case. Also your dust filter have to be very good or else your radiator will be cover in dust in no time. Usually in normal ATX build the radiator's fans will be use as outtake along with the back fan of the case near the CPU area. The front and the belly's fans of the case will be use as intake or the belly's fans can be use as out take as well. In your case it's mini ITX, I dont remember exactly how the layout of the fans in the 250D is, but just keep the radiator as an outtakes fans, and all other available fans as intake I suppose... The GPU will have it own air flow that dont affect the system if you install it like this pic so dont worry about it.

http://benchmarkreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/corsair_250d_assemble_no_panels.jpg

 

Also I think I will change the power supply for this one : 

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817171092&cm_re=coolermaster_power_supply-_-17-171-092-_-Product

[Megazero]

Thanks I did watch it but 650W for the overclocked 4690K and 970GTX didn't feel like overkill to me. If it is then I might go down to the 500W since it would apparently do the job just as well. 

It is overkill. If you notice on PcPartPicker, estimated Wattage for your whole system is about 286W (gotta love the efficiency of the 970). Even with 2 970 it only go up to about 480W or something like that. So as per general rule of headroom for OCing and stuff, adding 100-200W to the estimated wattage and you got the W you need for your PSU.

[phadaphunk]

It is overkill. If you notice on PcPartPicker, estimated Wattage for your whole system is about 286W (gotta love the efficiency of the 970). Even with 2 970 it only go up to about 480W or something like that. So as per general rule of headroom for OCing and stuff, adding 100-200W to the estimated wattage and you got the W you need for your PSU.

 

Really interesting video thanks. Also I think this would be my best bet so far : 

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817171092&cm_re=coolermaster_power_supply-_-17-171-092-_-Product

 

Still modular, non-corsair and barely over the 500W recommended. 

[Mistersprinkles]

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817438026&cm_re=evga_supernova_650-_-17-438-026-_-Product

 

I like this PSU better.

 

I think you misunderstand, there's nothing WRONG with going over 500W. It's just overkill. There are benefits to going over- like the PSU staying passive under light loads, the ability to add another GPU, etc. 

It's just not necessary, that's what people are saying. However, the above 650W unit is very nice and will be enough for two non-overclocked 970s and a moderately overclocked CPU. 

[phadaphunk]

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817438026&cm_re=evga_supernova_650-_-17-438-026-_-Product

 

I like this PSU better.

 

I think you misunderstand, there's nothing WRONG with going over 500W. It's just overkill. There are benefits to going over- like the PSU staying passive under light loads, the ability to add another GPU, etc. 

It's just not necessary, that's what people are saying. However, the above 650W unit is very nice and will be enough for two non-overclocked 970s and a moderately overclocked CPU. 

 

Ok great thanks. Yes I think I misunderstand that a little I will go read into it a bit more. 

Also I think I should concentrate more into getting a good airflow in my small case since this could cause me more problems. Also thanks for the suggestions and very interesting price. 

I must admit I'm talking about those parts although they are the one I struggled the less to find. The motherboard is still the piece I had the hardest time choosing and I'm still not sure. Seems a bit pricey for no reason. I feel there are better deals out there but I don't know if I can trust less popular brands for such an important componant. 

[Guest]

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817438026&cm_re=evga_supernova_650-_-17-438-026-_-Product

 

I like this PSU better.

 

I think you misunderstand, there's nothing WRONG with going over 500W. It's just overkill. There are benefits to going over- like the PSU staying passive under light loads, the ability to add another GPU, etc. 

It's just not necessary, that's what people are saying. However, the above 650W unit is very nice and will be enough for two non-overclocked 970s and a moderately overclocked CPU. 

The NEX is nothing special though. The good EVGA units start at 750W. You can get the Seasonic G or XFX XTR for $90ish which are both better options.

[Guest]

Really interesting video thanks. Also I think this would be my best bet so far : 

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817171092&cm_re=coolermaster_power_supply-_-17-171-092-_-Product

 

Still modular, non-corsair and barely over the 500W recommended. 

The Seasonic G, Rosewill Capstone M and XFX XTR are very good psu's.

[phadaphunk]

The NEX is nothing special though. The good EVGA units start at 750W. You can get the Seasonic G or XFX XTR for $90ish which are both better options.

 

Nothing special but... would do the job just fine? I'm trying to cut the budget somewhere here. It has good reviews too.

[Mistersprinkles]

Nothing special but... would do the job just fine? I'm trying to cut the budget somewhere here. It has good reviews too.

 

The 650W supernova NEX isn't awesome but it is cheap... Definitely better than a Corsair CX600 and not much more expensive. 

[Guest]

Nothing special but... would do the job just fine? I'm trying to cut the budget somewhere here. It has good reviews too.

You should never cut corners with the psu though. This Seasonic will power a GTX 970 and is much better for an extra $10.

 

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151119