Research

[Grimoire99]

Hello All,

 

1. Budget & Location

Money is no problem although I would like to keep it under 3000.00. I am from Canada.

2. Use

I am going to use this system to do hardcore gaming at times, like Fallout, Assassin's Creed, Elder Scrolls, etc., (planning on switching to all pc gaming), and home theater applications at other times. Also planning on doing boat/train/plane/rally/car simulation.

3. Monitors

I plan on running this with one monitor at a time, but I would like the option to use up to three at any given moment.

4. Peripherals

I do not need any peripherals at this time, other than a portable monitor. I do not know a lot about Linux so would be using preferably Windows 10. I've had no problems with it.

5. Why are you upgrading?

I am actually not upgrading. I am trying to build my first computer and in my research I have hit a few snags. There are a few parameters to my build.

 

1. It needs to be transportable. I travel frequently and my laptop doesn't have the power to run games. I don't want to put it under a plane while traveling so it needs to fit in a carry on bag with all the peripherals that are needed. I don't plan on using it while traveling, just at my destinations.

 

2. The parts inside must be slightly shock proof. Not that I intend to throw it around but with frequent travel the risk of an accident increases.

 

 

3. It obviously needs to be powerful.

 

Basically looking for a powerful gaming pc the size of an HTPC. Or advice on whether or not to just get a gaming laptop. I would like to have the upgrade-ability of a desktop, and the portability of a laptop. This however is a hard compromise.

 

6.

[samiscool51]

that's  a lot of dot points

 

mate the best thing is to wait till the new 10 series laptops come out and see which one fits your needs

[Grimoire99]

Accidently posted too early.

 

This is my research so far.

 

I have built this comp

 

http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/list/9dwFsJ

 

using

 

 

as reference guides. I would prefer to use the Node 202 case but there are no cpu coolers on PCPart picker that are compatible with this build. I don't know why. I didn't change the form of motherboard or CPU that I know of. If thats the issue then please advise.

 

If necessary I can use the Dancase instead, although I prefer the look of the 202. Also if anybody knows of a small, backpack sized case that would accommodate all of this and a optical drive, that would be swell. Long shot but swell.

 

Thank you all for any input on this

[Guest]

5 minutes ago, Grimoire99 said:

Accidently posted too early.

 

This is my research so far.

 

I have built this comp

 

http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/list/9dwFsJ

 

using

 

 

as reference guides. I would prefer to use the Node 202 case but there are no cpu coolers on PCPart picker that are compatible with this build. I don't know why. I didn't change the form of motherboard or CPU that I know of. If thats the issue then please advise.

 

If necessary I can use the Dancase instead, although I prefer the look of the 202. Also if anybody knows of a small, backpack sized case that would accommodate all of this and a optical drive, that would be swell. Long shot but swell.

 

Thank you all for any input on this

Your cooler is too tall for that case.

[Grimoire99]

I know. I'm trying to see if there are any coolers out there that would fit and be able to keep it cool enough to work

[brob]

Two builds occur to me, the first can be overclocked. But the case is close to carry-on baggage size limits. The second cannot be overclocked but should fit comfortably into a carry-on bag with room to spare.

 

Spoiler

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($428.94 @ Vuugo) 
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U12S 55.0 CFM CPU Cooler  ($79.95 @ Amazon Canada) 
Motherboard: Asus MAXIMUS VIII IMPACT Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($314.90 @ shopRBC) 
Memory: G.Skill TridentZ Series 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR4-3000 Memory  ($239.99 @ Newegg Canada) 
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 1TB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($399.98 @ DirectCanada) 
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 1080 8GB GAMING X 8G Video Card  ($969.99 @ Newegg Canada) 
Case: Phanteks Enthoo EVOLV ITX Mini ITX Tower Case  ($79.99 @ Newegg Canada) 
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G2 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($104.99 @ Memory Express) 
Total: $2618.73
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-09-13 23:45 EDT-0400

Spoiler

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($395.25 @ shopRBC) 
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-L9i 33.8 CFM CPU Cooler  ($44.99 @ Newegg Canada) 
Motherboard: Asus B150I PRO GAMING/WIFI/AURA Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($158.86 @ shopRBC) 
Memory: G.Skill TridentZ Series 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR4-3000 Memory  ($239.99 @ Newegg Canada) 
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 1TB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($399.98 @ DirectCanada) 
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 1080 8GB GAMING X 8G Video Card  ($969.99 @ Newegg Canada) 
Case: Fractal Design Node 202 HTPC Case  ($104.56 @ Amazon Canada) 
Total: $2313.62
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-09-13 23:44 EDT-0400

 

[JoaoPRSousa]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($428.94 @ Vuugo) 
CPU Cooler: Silverstone AR05 40.2 CFM CPU Cooler  ($49.99 @ Newegg Canada) 
Motherboard: EVGA Z170 Stinger Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($199.99 @ Memory Express) 
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (1 x 16GB) DDR4-3200 Memory  ($114.99 @ Newegg Canada) 
Storage: Mushkin Reactor 1TB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($269.99 @ Newegg Canada) 
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 1080 8GB ROG STRIX Video Card  ($919.99 @ NCIX) 
Case: Fractal Design Node 202 HTPC Case  ($104.56 @ Amazon Canada) 
Power Supply: Silverstone 600W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular SFX Power Supply  ($154.98 @ NCIX) 
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Pro OEM 64-bit  ($171.98 @ DirectCanada) 
Software: Microsoft Office Professional 2013 Software  ($448.92 @ Amazon Canada) 
Total: $2864.33
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-09-14 07:06 EDT-0400

 

This is what I'd build. Obviously it doesn't have the Xeon your build had @Grimoire99, but that wasn't even included in the 2800$ price tag of your build...

 

It's still pretty capable IMHO.

[Grimoire99]

On 2016-09-14 at 5:07 AM, JoaoPRSousa said:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($428.94 @ Vuugo) 
CPU Cooler: Silverstone AR05 40.2 CFM CPU Cooler  ($49.99 @ Newegg Canada) 
Motherboard: EVGA Z170 Stinger Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($199.99 @ Memory Express) 
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (1 x 16GB) DDR4-3200 Memory  ($114.99 @ Newegg Canada) 
Storage: Mushkin Reactor 1TB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($269.99 @ Newegg Canada) 
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 1080 8GB ROG STRIX Video Card  ($919.99 @ NCIX) 
Case: Fractal Design Node 202 HTPC Case  ($104.56 @ Amazon Canada) 
Power Supply: Silverstone 600W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular SFX Power Supply  ($154.98 @ NCIX) 
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Pro OEM 64-bit  ($171.98 @ DirectCanada) 
Software: Microsoft Office Professional 2013 Software  ($448.92 @ Amazon Canada) 
Total: $2864.33
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-09-14 07:06 EDT-0400

 

This is what I'd build. Obviously it doesn't have the Xeon your build had @Grimoire99, but that wasn't even included in the 2800$ price tag of your build...

 

It's still pretty capable IMHO.

Thank you for the advice. I just now realized that the prices weren't available for some of my items. Are there any problems with the upgrade ability of the Node 202 that you know of because I could cheap out on a few parts to bring overall costs down now and replace them later with better ones.

[JoaoPRSousa]

Just now, Grimoire99 said:

Are there any problems with the upgrade ability of the Node 202 that you know of because I could cheap out on a few parts to bring overall costs down now and replace them later with better ones.

 

Not that I know of.

[Grimoire99]

On 2016-09-13 at 9:45 PM, brob said:

Two builds occur to me, the first can be overclocked. But the case is close to carry-on baggage size limits. The second cannot be overclocked but should fit comfortably into a carry-on bag with room to spare.

 

  Reveal hidden contents

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($428.94 @ Vuugo) 
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U12S 55.0 CFM CPU Cooler  ($79.95 @ Amazon Canada) 
Motherboard: Asus MAXIMUS VIII IMPACT Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($314.90 @ shopRBC) 
Memory: G.Skill TridentZ Series 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR4-3000 Memory  ($239.99 @ Newegg Canada) 
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 1TB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($399.98 @ DirectCanada) 
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 1080 8GB GAMING X 8G Video Card  ($969.99 @ Newegg Canada) 
Case: Phanteks Enthoo EVOLV ITX Mini ITX Tower Case  ($79.99 @ Newegg Canada) 
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G2 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($104.99 @ Memory Express) 
Total: $2618.73
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-09-13 23:45 EDT-0400

  Reveal hidden contents

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($395.25 @ shopRBC) 
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-L9i 33.8 CFM CPU Cooler  ($44.99 @ Newegg Canada) 
Motherboard: Asus B150I PRO GAMING/WIFI/AURA Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($158.86 @ shopRBC) 
Memory: G.Skill TridentZ Series 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR4-3000 Memory  ($239.99 @ Newegg Canada) 
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 1TB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($399.98 @ DirectCanada) 
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 1080 8GB GAMING X 8G Video Card  ($969.99 @ Newegg Canada) 
Case: Fractal Design Node 202 HTPC Case  ($104.56 @ Amazon Canada) 
Total: $2313.62
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-09-13 23:44 EDT-0400

 

Both of these builds interest me. Thank you. As I said I am a first time builder and overclocking is not that important to me (yet) but the only thing I am worried about with the 202 build is the upgrade ability once my parts start to wear or become obsolete. Do you know anything about this?

[Grimoire99]

3 minutes ago, JoaoPRSousa said:

 

Not that I know of.

Thank you.

[brob]

3 minutes ago, Grimoire99 said:

Thank you for the advice. I just now realized that the prices weren't available for some of my items. Are there any problems with the upgrade ability of the Node 202 that you know of because I could cheap out on a few parts to bring overall costs down now and replace them later with better ones.

 

Depends on what is meant by "upgradeability". It's a very good htpc style mini-ITX case. This means that it has a limited number of drive mounts, will not host a significant cpu cooler, and one generally has to be careful about airflow.

[brob]

3 minutes ago, Grimoire99 said:

Both of these builds interest me. Thank you. As I said I am a first time builder and overclocking is not that important to me (yet) but the only thing I am worried about with the 202 build is the upgrade ability once my parts start to wear or become obsolete. Do you know anything about this?

Any parts you buy will be obsolete at the time of purchase.   By the time your parts start to wear out, you will likely find the case old fashioned.   This said, this is a good quality, mainstream case that should have no problems hosting new components.

[Grimoire99]

2 minutes ago, brob said:

Any parts you buy will be obsolete at the time of purchase.   By the time your parts start to wear out, you will likely find the case old fashioned.   This said, this is a good quality, mainstream case that should have no problems hosting new components.

Thank you again. You seem to know your stuff. Any other Cases you might suggest instead of the 202?

[brob]

4 minutes ago, Grimoire99 said:

Thank you again. You seem to know your stuff. Any other Cases you might suggest instead of the 202?

You can check out the offerings at silverstonetek.com. In particular the Raven series. Lian-Li.com also have some interesting HTPC style mini-ITX cases. The big issue with smaller cases is the length of gpu allowed and height of cpu cooler. There are short versions of several popular gpu designed for these cases. But the choices are quite limited.

[Grimoire99]

18 minutes ago, brob said:

You can check out the offerings at silverstonetek.com. In particular the Raven series. Lian-Li.com also have some interesting HTPC style mini-ITX cases. The big issue with smaller cases is the length of gpu allowed and height of cpu cooler. There are short versions of several popular gpu designed for these cases. But the choices are quite limited.

That was the issue I kept having. I have a hard time visualizing dimensions when I don't have the real thing right in front of me. I wish I knew how to CAD something up and 3d Print it.

[Grimoire99]

3 hours ago, brob said:

You can check out the offerings at silverstonetek.com. In particular the Raven series. Lian-Li.com also have some interesting HTPC style mini-ITX cases. The big issue with smaller cases is the length of gpu allowed and height of cpu cooler. There are short versions of several popular gpu designed for these cases. But the choices are quite limited.

Silverstone was a good steer. I have a new build and have actually kept track of everything in it so that all items have prices. I toned it down a lot and would like any opinions on it. Says the only compatibility issue is that I will need to get a Slimline SATA to SATA power adapter. Open to anyone who would like to comment. I want to know if there is anywhere I could tone it back more or anything I should go a little more crazy on.

 

http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/list/TKfZJV

 

I guess the biggest question is... Will this be a good enough gaming rig to limp me through the next few years while I save up more money to get better parts?

[brob]

3 minutes ago, Grimoire99 said:

Silverstone was a good steer. I have a new build and have actually kept track of everything in it so that all items have prices. I toned it down a lot and would like any opinions on it. Says the only compatibility issue is that I will need to get a Slimline SATA to SATA power adapter. Open to anyone who would like to comment. I want to know if there is anywhere I could tone it back more or anything I should go a little more crazy on.

 

http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/list/TKfZJV

 

I guess the biggest question is... Will this be a good enough gaming rig to limp me through the next few years while I save up more money to get better parts?

The cpu cooler is not going to allow much, if any overclock. If you stay with a slim case I would suggest giving consideration to abandoning overclocking. If it fits in the budget, pick an i7 instead. Otherwise, go with a locked i5. Will not give the highest performance in gaming, but it should be more than enough to drive a high-end gpu.

 

Going with a locked cpu means one does not need to invest in a high-end z170 motherboard. A B150 or H170 based motherboard will be fine. This might provide enough savings to improve the gpu.

 

Instead of the 600W psu, go for the 450W model. Much more power than needed. Remember, mini-ITX system power requirements can not grow that much because upgrade possibilities are rather limited. An SF-450 is more than enough power for a GTX 1080.

 

Unless there are features in Windows 10 Pro that you need, you can probably stick with the standard edition.

 

Depending on budget, I would consider a faster memory kit. But it is not worth spending a great deal on.

[Grimoire99]

On 2016-09-15 at 9:24 PM, brob said:

The cpu cooler is not going to allow much, if any overclock. If you stay with a slim case I would suggest giving consideration to abandoning overclocking. If it fits in the budget, pick an i7 instead. Otherwise, go with a locked i5. Will not give the highest performance in gaming, but it should be more than enough to drive a high-end gpu.

 

Going with a locked cpu means one does not need to invest in a high-end z170 motherboard. A B150 or H170 based motherboard will be fine. This might provide enough savings to improve the gpu.

 

Instead of the 600W psu, go for the 450W model. Much more power than needed. Remember, mini-ITX system power requirements can not grow that much because upgrade possibilities are rather limited. An SF-450 is more than enough power for a GTX 1080.

 

Unless there are features in Windows 10 Pro that you need, you can probably stick with the standard edition.

 

Depending on budget, I would consider a faster memory kit. But it is not worth spending a great deal on.

I have no plans of overclocking as of yet. The biggest change on this build that I can think of are the cooler fan and GPU. Will these work or do I need to go back to the original cooler?

 

http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/list/6JJ34C

[brob]

The systems are not comparable. What is the thinking behind the various changes?

[Grimoire99]

 

3 hours ago, brob said:

The systems are not comparable. What is the thinking behind the various changes?

I just tried to follow your tips but I believe I went a little overboard. I went as cheap as I could go and still keep the parts. Also went on YouTube and looked at a few mini its builds under $1000. Did I completely blow up the build?

[brob]

36 minutes ago, Grimoire99 said:

 

I just tried to follow your tips but I believe I went a little overboard. I went as cheap as I could go and still keep the parts. Also went on YouTube and looked at a few mini its builds under $1000. Did I completely blow up the build?

No, but the choices are not clear. I also have some particular problems with the build, most notably the change from an excellent psu in the SX-450 to a not great psu like the FSP 450W.

 

I also wondered at the cpu cooler change and move to a much more powerful gpu. Also, are you comfortable with just 250GB of storage?

 

The Artic Freezer cpu cooler is not much better than the stock Intel. You might consider going back to the Silverstone unit or, better yet  Noctua NH-L9i 33.8 CFM CPU Cooler.

 

The gpu will ultimately decide the budget. Or vice-a-versa. Pick a budget number and that will give you an idea of the gpu that should be considered.

[Grimoire99]

2 hours ago, brob said:

No, but the choices are not clear. I also have some particular problems with the build, most notably the change from an excellent psu in the SX-450 to a not great psu like the FSP 450W.

 

I also wondered at the cpu cooler change and move to a much more powerful gpu. Also, are you comfortable with just 250GB of storage?

 

The Artic Freezer cpu cooler is not much better than the stock Intel. You might consider going back to the Silverstone unit or, better yet  Noctua NH-L9i 33.8 CFM CPU Cooler.

 

The gpu will ultimately decide the budget. Or vice-a-versa. Pick a budget number and that will give you an idea of the gpu that should be considered.

Ok. I may have misunderstood then. I thought a monster gpu was what I was encouraged to get. Ok. I will remake the old one with fewer tweaks

[Grimoire99]

9 hours ago, brob said:

No, but the choices are not clear. I also have some particular problems with the build, most notably the change from an excellent psu in the SX-450 to a not great psu like the FSP 450W.

 

I also wondered at the cpu cooler change and move to a much more powerful gpu. Also, are you comfortable with just 250GB of storage?

 

The Artic Freezer cpu cooler is not much better than the stock Intel. You might consider going back to the Silverstone unit or, better yet  Noctua NH-L9i 33.8 CFM CPU Cooler.

 

The gpu will ultimately decide the budget. Or vice-a-versa. Pick a budget number and that will give you an idea of the gpu that should be considered.

With a budget of 1500 this is what I came up with.

 

http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/list/hcJKXH

[brob]

9 hours ago, Grimoire99 said:

With a budget of 1500 this is what I came up with.

 

http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/list/hcJKXH

Very good.

 

You can reduce costs and improve performance slightly with a different memory kit.  Mushkin Blackline 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory  or  G.Skill NT Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory are good options.