Looking for a fairly cheap M-ITX build

[ProLogic]

I want to build a computer for my brother as his birthday is coming up in a few weeks, i have a budget of around £250-350 GBP (Less is better for me, but don't make it crap)

 

It needs to be M-ITX, Skylake, Future proof ish (PSU Wise) and it must have an SSD.

The case will be a CM HAF 915r

Don't bother with the GPU, I have a R9 380 sitting around since I upgraded my main rig.

Looks are not a problem, no fancy mobos etc, but wireless would be nice if it dosen't cost a fortune.

 

[Aytex]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor  (£164.49 @ Amazon UK)
Motherboard: MSI H110I Pro Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard  (£61.88 @ More Computers)
Memory: Crucial 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory  (£25.99 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Crucial BX100 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  (£63.57 @ Amazon UK)
Case: Cooler Master HAF Stacker 915R Mini ITX Tower Case
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12II 620W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  (£59.99 @ Amazon UK)
Total: £375.92
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-03-24 18:36 GMT+0000

 

I tried, the HAF isn't priced for some reason

[TheRandomness]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-6100 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor  (£96.99 @ Ebuyer) 
Motherboard: MSI H110I Pro Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard  (£61.88 @ More Computers) 
Memory: Crucial 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory  (£27.48 @ Ebuyer) 
Storage: Crucial BX200 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  (£53.73 @ Amazon UK) 
Case: Silverstone Sugo SG13B-Q Mini ITX Tower Case  (£46.67 @ Amazon UK) 
Power Supply: Silverstone 500W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular SFX Power Supply  (£84.59 @ More Computers) 
Total: £371.34
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-03-24 18:36 GMT+0000

 

Could've done better. Why a 915R?

[ProLogic]

1 minute ago, TheRandomness said:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-6100 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor  (£96.99 @ Ebuyer) 
Motherboard: MSI H110I Pro Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard  (£61.88 @ More Computers) 
Memory: Crucial 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory  (£27.48 @ Ebuyer) 
Storage: Crucial BX200 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  (£53.73 @ Amazon UK) 
Case: Silverstone Sugo SG13B-Q Mini ITX Tower Case  (£46.67 @ Amazon UK) 
Power Supply: Silverstone 500W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular SFX Power Supply  (£84.59 @ More Computers) 
Total: £371.34
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-03-24 18:36 GMT+0000

 

Could've done better. Why a 915R?

Stackable on top of my CM HAF 935, I would use the included 915 if it didn't have my rads in it.

[TheRandomness]

1 minute ago, ProLogic said:

Stackable on top of my CM HAF 935, I would use the included 915 if it didn't have my rads in it.

Alright, go for @Aytex's list then c:

[ProLogic]

Okay, changed the SSD to something with the same space but a bit cheaper, I own the same thing so i know it's good.

 

Also changed the power supply to a cheaper model from corsair, should work the same, as I find fully modular in a case without a window is a waste(I will never use custom sleeved cables), so Semi-modular is better for price.

 

http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/Fx3JvK

 

Any more advice?

[NumLock21]

The problem with itx builds are you either get it extremely cheap, but then you'll have to rely on usb dongles for other parts or buy the board that has every thing built in, but then it gets really expensive. The other is itx cases are not as small as many would think, some are the same size as a micro ATX case. And high-end gpus, limits the case to get even smaller, unless you're looking at the Fury X or R9 Nano or ITX size gpus.

 

 

[ProLogic]

7 minutes ago, NumLock21 said:

The problem with itx builds are you either get it extremely cheap, but then you'll have to rely on usb dongles for other parts or buy the board that has every thing built in, but then it gets really expensive. The other is itx cases are not as small as many would think, some are the same size as a micro ATX case. And high-end gpus, limits the case to get even smaller, unless you're looking at the Fury X or R9 Nano or ITX size gpus.

 

 

Its stacking on top of my current desktop, and ITX (915r) is the only option for it to stack securely. Wired is king, wireless for me is just a bonus so no problems with 1 PCI-E slot as all he should need is the GPU.

 

 

As for the build, I don't want to spend a load of money on the Mobo, PSU and case. I expect my brother to remove the good parts to move to ATX down the line, but if he dosen't, it's still a decent rig for him to game on.

[TheRandomness]

12 minutes ago, ProLogic said:

Okay, changed the SSD to something with the same space but a bit cheaper, I own the same thing so i know it's good.

 

Also changed the power supply to a cheaper model from corsair, should work the same, as I find fully modular in a case without a window is a waste(I will never use custom sleeved cables), so Semi-modular is better for price.

 

http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/Fx3JvK

 

Any more advice?

Do you want your rig to explode with that PSU? No? Avoid all CX please. 

http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/rm9HYJ

[ProLogic]

4 minutes ago, TheRandomness said:

Do you want your rig to explode with that PSU? No? Avoid all CX please. 

http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/rm9HYJ

Now I wish I had gone for the RM1000i for my main rig, then I could share the power with this, This is going to cost a lot more than I expected.

[NumLock21]

20 minutes ago, ProLogic said:

Its stacking on top of my current desktop, and ITX (915r) is the only option for it to stack securely. Wired is king, wireless for me is just a bonus so no problems with 1 PCI-E slot as all he should need is the GPU.

 

 

As for the build, I don't want to spend a load of money on the Mobo, PSU and case. I expect my brother to remove the good parts to move to ATX down the line, but if he dosen't, it's still a decent rig for him to game on.

Doesn't your case already come with one? Oh wait, you're using it for the rads. No wonder you need another one.

99% of itx boards only have just a total of 2 fan headers (1x cpu and 1x case fan). Want extra fan headers, then you'll have to get to the expensive boards like over $100+ or use fan splitters.

Here are 3 builds

Build 1:

Cheapest itx board I can find that has built in wifi/bt and 3 fan headers (1x cpu and 2x case fan)

Spoiler

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-6100 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor  (£96.99 @ Ebuyer)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B150N Phoenix-WIFI Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard  (£90.19 @ Kustom PCs)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR4-2666 Memory  (£30.59 @ Ebuyer)
Storage: A-Data Premier SP550 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  (£52.98 @ Amazon UK)
Power Supply: EVGA 600B 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  (£51.99 @ Amazon UK)
Other: Cooler Master HAF 915R (£55.00)
Total: £377.74
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-03-24 19:18 GMT+0000

 

 

Build 2

No built in wifi/bt and don't mind using fan splitters

Spoiler

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-6100 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor  (£96.99 @ Ebuyer)
Motherboard: MSI H110I Pro Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard  (£61.88 @ More Computers)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR4-2666 Memory  (£30.59 @ Ebuyer)
Storage: A-Data Premier SP550 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  (£52.98 @ Amazon UK)
Power Supply: EVGA 600B 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  (£51.99 @ Amazon UK)
Other: Cooler Master HAF 915R (£55.00)
Total: £349.43
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-03-24 19:29 GMT+0000

 

 

Build 3

Separate build. Downgrade from 8GB to 4GB and it will fall into your budget of £350.00

Spoiler

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor  (£164.49 @ Amazon UK)
Motherboard: ASRock B150M-HDV Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  (£45.48 @ Ebuyer)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory  (£27.99 @ Ebuyer)
Storage: A-Data Premier SP550 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  (£52.98 @ Amazon UK)
Case: BitFenix Nova ATX Mid Tower Case  (£24.98 @ Novatech)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  (£44.37 @ Amazon UK)
Total: £360.29
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-03-24 19:39 GMT+0000

 

 

[ProLogic]

7 minutes ago, NumLock21 said:

Doesn't your case already come with one? Oh wait, you're using it for the rads. No wonder you need another one.

99% of itx boards only have just a total of 2 fan headers (1x cpu and 1x case fan). Want extra fan headers, then you'll have to get to the expensive boards like over $100+ or use fan splitters.

Here are 3 builds

Build 1:

Cheapest itx board I can find that has built in wifi/bt and 3 fan headers (1x cpu and 2x case fan)

  Hide contents

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-6100 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor  (£96.99 @ Ebuyer)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B150N Phoenix-WIFI Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard  (£90.19 @ Kustom PCs)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR4-2666 Memory  (£30.59 @ Ebuyer)
Storage: A-Data Premier SP550 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  (£52.98 @ Amazon UK)
Power Supply: EVGA 600B 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  (£51.99 @ Amazon UK)
Other: Cooler Master HAF 915R (£55.00)
Total: £377.74
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-03-24 19:18 GMT+0000

 

 

Build 2

No built in wifi/bt and don't mind using fan splitters

  Hide contents

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-6100 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor  (£96.99 @ Ebuyer)
Motherboard: MSI H110I Pro Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard  (£61.88 @ More Computers)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR4-2666 Memory  (£30.59 @ Ebuyer)
Storage: A-Data Premier SP550 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  (£52.98 @ Amazon UK)
Power Supply: EVGA 600B 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  (£51.99 @ Amazon UK)
Other: Cooler Master HAF 915R (£55.00)
Total: £349.43
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-03-24 19:29 GMT+0000

 

 

 

 

 

Build 3

Separate build. Downgrade from 8GB to 4GB and it will fall into your budget of £350.00

  Hide contents

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor  (£164.49 @ Amazon UK)
Motherboard: ASRock B150M-HDV Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  (£45.48 @ Ebuyer)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory  (£27.99 @ Ebuyer)
Storage: A-Data Premier SP550 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  (£52.98 @ Amazon UK)
Case: BitFenix Nova ATX Mid Tower Case  (£24.98 @ Novatech)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  (£44.37 @ Amazon UK)
Total: £360.29
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-03-24 19:39 GMT+0000

 

 

I can possibly shave £50 off that, it is going to stack on my main desktop so I might be able to share my main RM850i, I am just scared it dosen't have enough wattage for under load use on both systems.

[NumLock21]

52 minutes ago, ProLogic said:

12 minutes ago, ProLogic said:

I can possibly shave £50 off that, it is going to stack on my main desktop so I might be able to share my main RM850i, I am just scared it dosen't have enough wattage for under load use on both systems.

Its stacking on top of my current desktop, and ITX (915r) is the only option for it to stack securely. Wired is king, wireless for me is just a bonus so no problems with 1 PCI-E slot as all he should need is the GPU.

 

 

As for the build, I don't want to spend a load of money on the Mobo, PSU and case. I expect my brother to remove the good parts to move to ATX down the line, but if he dosen't, it's still a decent rig for him to game on.

What is your 850i going to share with? GPU and motherboard? That won't be practical

[ProLogic]

1 minute ago, NumLock21 said:

What is your 850i going to share with? GPU and motherboard? That won't be practical

These two would be sharing

http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/NH6fYJ

http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/XhHFFT

Possibly using this:

http://phanteks.com/PH-PWSPR.html

[Brennan Price]

Why does it have to be  skylake. I did the exact same thing with less of a budget and my brother has a decent PC with older, cheaper components. He can play games too.

 

Honestly, just go into a CEX store and get a used CPU, then buy the rest brand new. That is what I did.

[ProLogic]

1 minute ago, Brennan_Price said:

Why does it have to be  skylake. I did the exact same thing with less of a budget and my brother has a decent PC with older, cheaper components. He can play games too.

 

Honestly, just go into a CEX store and get a used CPU, then buy the rest brand new. That is what I did.

Future upgradability, DDR3 is on the way out.

[Brennan Price]

Just now, ProLogic said:

Future upgradability, DDR3 is on the way out.

That is fair enough dude. I can see why you think that. However, no doubt if DDR4 hits the mainstream properly, DDR3 will be much cheaper and therefore more accessible.

[ProLogic]

2 minutes ago, Brennan_Price said:

That is fair enough dude. I can see why you think that. However, no doubt if DDR4 hits the mainstream properly, DDR3 will be much cheaper and therefore more accessible.

I don't buy used parts, and having Skylake isn't much more. If you buy new.

 

Plus I hear you can't boot from PCI storage if you don't have Skylake

[Brennan Price]

Just now, ProLogic said:

I don't buy used parts, and having Skylake isn't much more. If you buy new.

Oh, well I always buy used tbh. I have not got a PC without used parts. My gaming PC is mainly new but my case, optical drive and hard drives are all used. You should see my case, it is proper ghetto after modding it myself.

[NumLock21]

7 minutes ago, ProLogic said:

These two would be sharing

http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/NH6fYJ

http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/XhHFFT

Possibly using this:

http://phanteks.com/PH-PWSPR.html

Still not practical. That thing only gives power to the board and not the gpus. For GPU I imagine it would be, 850i, split gpu connectors to the 2 cards. When you power up your system, power is wasted by sending over to the gpu on your brother's card that's not in use. That thing cost $30 USD, for that might as well get a separate PSU, that runs independently from yours.

[ProLogic]

4 minutes ago, NumLock21 said:

Still not practical. That thing only gives power to the board and not the gpus. For GPU I imagine it would be, 850i, split gpu connectors to the 2 cards. When you power up your system, power is wasted by sending over to the gpu on your brother's card that's not in use. That thing cost $30 USD, for that might as well get a separate PSU, that runs independently from yours.

My system never turns off, when I'm not using it It will be doing a job of some sort (Rendering, F@H etc), it will probably be the same story for my Bro's computer.

 

But you are right a about the cost.

 

[demonix00]

The only problem with all of the lists with the haf stacker is that they don't include the price of the case which is going to add another £50 or there abouts onto the total cost, but the F variant can be had for £40 or there abouts, so if you take the the build by therandomness and take out the modular PSU and change it for a silverstone strider essentials bronze 600W PSU and go for the 915F instead of the 915R (you can get the 915F from scan computers but there's an extra shipping charge) and you should get under the maximum budget limit.