Upgrading an old system

[acolis]

Im upgrading my niece's system and need your input on the current hardware trends.

The system will be for gaming on RX470 on 1080P 60HZ monitor.

 

The items currently have(Wont be upgraded)

Seasonic 620 non modular

Sandisk SSD 64GB

 RX 470 4G D5 4GB GDDR5

DVD RW

HDD SATA

 

Items I need consultation on:(Will need a few choices due to lack of availability in my country

CPU:latest most affordable Quad core (i5) without overclock.

Motherboard: Latest cheapest mainstream motherboard, basic chipset, no fancy features needed. (Im biased towards Gigabyte due to good experience with their mobos, but feel free to suggest otherwise)

Memory: cheapest 8GB stick DDR4.

Case: Here im a bit torn, I want to upgrade to a small case as much as possible, so any suggestions from experience on small cases fitting all this hardware will be much appreciated, as before most cheap and recommended, no fancy features needed.

 

Thank you very much.

 

Disclaimer:

Fancy features: Leds, Coffee machine, Personal assistant.

[DolphinOps]

7 minutes ago, acolis said:

Im upgrading my niece's system and need your input on the current hardware trends.

The system will be for gaming on RX470 on 1080P 60HZ monitor.

 

The items currently have(Wont be upgraded)

Seasonic 620 non modular

Sandisk SSD 64GB

 RX 470 4G D5 4GB GDDR5

DVD RW

HDD SATA

 

Items I need consultation on:(Will need a few choices due to lack of availability in my country

CPU:latest most affordable Quad core (i5) without overclock.

Motherboard: Latest cheapest mainstream motherboard, basic chipset, no fancy features needed. (Im biased towards Gigabyte due to good experience with their mobos, but feel free to suggest otherwise)

Memory: cheapest 8GB stick DDR4.

Case: Here im a bit torn, I want to upgrade to a small case as much as possible, so any suggestions from experience on small cases fitting all this hardware will be much appreciated, as before most cheap and recommended, no fancy features needed.

 

Thank you very much.

 

Disclaimer:

Fancy features: Leds, Coffee machine, Personal assistant.

Are you working within any specific budget

[xephoneration]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($194.89 @ OutletPC) 
Motherboard: MSI H110I Pro Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($69.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory  ($74.99 @ Newegg) 
Case: Fractal Design Define Nano S Mini ITX Desktop Case  ($54.99 @ Newegg) 
Total: $394.86
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-11-04 17:02 EDT-0400

[acolis]

5 minutes ago, DolphinOps said:

Are you working within any specific budget

the less the merier

[xc3ll]

Mainboard: Just go to your prefered dealer and sort by price. Pick the first one, that's good enough. IMO, mATX is the best choice for budget systems, but I wouldn't care too much for the brand in your case.

For the case I would recommend the Fractal Core series. Well known quality, fairly priced and a proper internal layout.

[xephoneration]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6400 2.7GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($174.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Motherboard: ASRock H110M-ITX Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($64.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Memory: Kingston HyperX Fury Black 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2133 Memory  ($49.99 @ Newegg) 
Case: Fractal Design Define Nano S Mini ITX Desktop Case  ($49.99 @ Newegg) 
Total: $339.96
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-11-04 17:08 EDT-0400

 

 

2 more options

 

[SnowyMus]

The i5-6400 is the cheapest i5 that is compatible with DDR4.

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6400 2.7GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($174.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Motherboard: MSI H110M Gaming Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($69.21 @ OutletPC) 
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory  ($44.88 @ OutletPC) 
Total: $289.08
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-11-04 17:07 EDT-0400

 

Otherwise, you can get an i5-4460 which is slightly faster, though you'll have to drop to DDR3 and cannot upgrade to any Skylake or Kaby Lake processor, if any of these issues are problems. The RAM and motherboards cost around the same, otherwise. The motherboard is blue, but I found a matching module that will fit.

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($175.89 @ OutletPC) 
Motherboard: ASRock H97M PRO4 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($67.98 @ Newegg) 
Memory: Kingston HyperX Fury Blue 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory  ($42.88 @ OutletPC) 
Total: $286.75
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-11-04 17:09 EDT-0400

[aries757]

21 minutes ago, acolis said:

Im upgrading my niece's system and need your input on the current hardware trends.

The system will be for gaming on RX470 on 1080P 60HZ monitor.

 

The items currently have(Wont be upgraded)

Seasonic 620 non modular

Sandisk SSD 64GB

 RX 470 4G D5 4GB GDDR5

DVD RW

HDD SATA

 

Items I need consultation on:(Will need a few choices due to lack of availability in my country

CPU:latest most affordable Quad core (i5) without overclock.

Motherboard: Latest cheapest mainstream motherboard, basic chipset, no fancy features needed. (Im biased towards Gigabyte due to good experience with their mobos, but feel free to suggest otherwise)

Memory: cheapest 8GB stick DDR4.

Case: Here im a bit torn, I want to upgrade to a small case as much as possible, so any suggestions from experience on small cases fitting all this hardware will be much appreciated, as before most cheap and recommended, no fancy features needed.

 

Thank you very much.

 

Disclaimer:

Fancy features: Leds, Coffee machine, Personal assistant.

i like the thermaltake core v21 c ase, micro atx, can fit most basic things an mid tower could

[tarfeef101]

hey guys, this man wants a dvd drive. so cases without expansion slots probably won't work. To the OP, is it slimline or normal (5.25")?

Also, I prefer mATX because of the room for expansion, and one of my favorrite cases for that form factor just so happens to have 2 5.25" bays, the Arc Mini R2!

 

As for motherboards, I'm an Asus fanboy because of their UEFI, but honestly I've had decent experiences with Gigabyte as well.

[acolis]

double post

[acolis]

25 minutes ago, xephoneration said:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($194.89 @ OutletPC) 
Motherboard: MSI H110I Pro Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($69.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory  ($74.99 @ Newegg) 
Case: Fractal Design Define Nano S Mini ITX Desktop Case  ($54.99 @ Newegg) 
Total: $394.86
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-11-04 17:02 EDT-0400

 

18 minutes ago, xephoneration said:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6400 2.7GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($174.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Motherboard: ASRock H110M-ITX Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($64.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Memory: Kingston HyperX Fury Black 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2133 Memory  ($49.99 @ Newegg) 
Case: Fractal Design Define Nano S Mini ITX Desktop Case  ($49.99 @ Newegg) 
Total: $339.96
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-11-04 17:08 EDT-0400

 

 

2 more options

 

 

17 minutes ago, Kavawuvi said:

The i5-6400 is the cheapest i5 that is compatible with DDR4.

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6400 2.7GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($174.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Motherboard: MSI H110M Gaming Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($69.21 @ OutletPC) 
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory  ($44.88 @ OutletPC) 
Total: $289.08
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-11-04 17:07 EDT-0400

 

Otherwise, you can get an i5-4460 which is slightly faster, though you'll have to drop to DDR3 and cannot upgrade to any Skylake or Kaby Lake processor, if any of these issues are problems. The RAM and motherboards cost around the same, otherwise. The motherboard is blue, but I found a matching module that will fit.

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($175.89 @ OutletPC) 
Motherboard: ASRock H97M PRO4 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($67.98 @ Newegg) 
Memory: Kingston HyperX Fury Blue 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory  ($42.88 @ OutletPC) 
Total: $286.75
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-11-04 17:09 EDT-0400

 

12 minutes ago, tarfeef101 said:

hey guys, this man wants a dvd drive. so cases without expansion slots probably won't work. To the OP, is it slimline or normal (5.25")?

Also, I prefer mATX because of the room for expansion, and one of my favorrite cases for that form factor just so happens to have 2 5.25" bays, the Arc Mini R2!

 

As for motherboards, I'm an Asus fanboy because of their UEFI, but honestly I've had decent experiences with Gigabyte as well.

Summerizing your Ultra flash fast nitro infused superman power answers:

 

Cpu i5 6400

Mb: Cheapest H110 Any ITX form factor

Ram: Cheapest DDR4 2X4/8X1

Case: GOD DAMIT THOSE FRACTAL NANO CASES ARE BEAUTIFUL!

           I guess I have to tell my neice that DVDRW are dead.

[xephoneration]

Just now, acolis said:

 

 

 

Summerizing your Ultra flash fast nitro infused superman power answers:

 

Cpu i5 6400

Mb: Cheapest H110 Any ITX form factor

Ram: Cheapest DDR4 2X4/8X1

Case: GOD DAMIT THOSE FRACTAL NANO CASES ARE BEAUTIFUL!

           I guess I have to tell my neice that DVDRW are dead.

honestly you can pull off an in home streaming system with that. so really you dont need a dvd drive just get an external one instead. 

[tarfeef101]

Just now, acolis said:

 

 

 

Summerizing your Ultra flash fast nitro infused superman power answers:

 

Cpu i5 6400

Mb: Cheapest H110 Any ITX form factor

Ram: Cheapest DDR4 2X4/8X1

Case: GOD DAMIT THOSE FRACTAL NANO CASES ARE BEAUTIFUL!

           I guess I have to tell my neice that DVDRW are dead.

Yeah, as long as you don't plan on upgrading to another CPU in the next year or two, a h110 will be just fine. Nano S is a great case, but do consider other options if you want a different form factor (Nano is a kinda big case for mITX, many HTPC-oriented cases are smaller, for instance).

[xephoneration]

2 minutes ago, tarfeef101 said:

Yeah, as long as you don't plan on upgrading to another CPU in the next year or two, a h110 will be just fine. Nano S is a great case, but do consider other options if you want a different form factor (Nano is a kinda big case for mITX, many HTPC-oriented cases are smaller, for instance).

no its fine he has a big gpu that is why the nano is fine for it. plus its has excellent cooling 

[acolis]

3 minutes ago, tarfeef101 said:

Yeah, as long as you don't plan on upgrading to another CPU in the next year or two, a h110 will be just fine. Nano S is a great case, but do consider other options if you want a different form factor (Nano is a kinda big case for mITX, many HTPC-oriented cases are smaller, for instance).

H110 support a very nice range of cpus so why is that?

 

http://www.cpu-upgrade.com/mb-Intel_(chipsets)/H110.html

[tarfeef101]

1 minute ago, xephoneration said:

no its fine he has a big gpu that is why the nano is fine for it. plus its has excellent cooling 

I said it is a great case. Indicating it is fine. I'm just ensuring that size isn't a priority. Because even Dr Zaber's Sentry has adequate cooling for top end hardware, so cooling is not necessary to be absolutely stellar. Man has a 470 and locked i5. If space is a concern at all, he should be exploring smaller cases.

[tarfeef101]

Just now, acolis said:

H110 support a very nice range of cpus so why is that?

 

http://www.cpu-upgrade.com/mb-Intel_(chipsets)/H110.html

That's because if you upgrade to another CPU on this socket (which will likely only be for another year or two), it really won't be much of an upgrade unless you get an overclockable CPU. If you do that, then you would want a Z170 motherboard to be able to overclock, as that is not supported on H110.

[acolis]

Just now, tarfeef101 said:

I said it is a great case. Indicating it is fine. I'm just ensuring that size isn't a priority. Because even Dr Zaber's Sentry has adequate cooling for top end hardware, so cooling is not necessary to be absolutely stellar. Man has a 470 and locked i5. If space is a concern at all, he should be exploring smaller cases.

its not that space is concern its just that I myself have the Fractal R4, and its basicly a Tank case, you park it and dont move it, EVER!

 

So I prefer for her something more moveable.

 

The cpu: should I take BOX, or add some cheap air cooling from different company

[tarfeef101]

Just now, acolis said:

its not that space is concern its just that I myself have the Fractal R4, and its basicly a Tank case, you park it and dont move it, EVER!

 

So I prefer for her something more moveable.

 

The cpu: should I take BOX, or add some cheap air cooling from different company

For that CPU (having used it myself in a Silverstone Sugo SG-13), you don't need anything more than the box cooler. It stays quiet and boosts all the way in that small case. As for the case, can you give me a household object with the approximate shape you'd prefer the case to be? (examples include a shoebox, a DVD player, a cube, a normal tower PC case, etc.)

[acolis]

24 minutes ago, tarfeef101 said:

That's because if you upgrade to another CPU on this socket (which will likely only be for another year or two), it really won't be much of an upgrade unless you get an overclockable CPU. If you do that, then you would want a Z170 motherboard to be able to overclock, as that is not supported on H110.

ok, understood. thank you

[acolis]

21 minutes ago, tarfeef101 said:

For that CPU (having used it myself in a Silverstone Sugo SG-13), you don't need anything more than the box cooler. It stays quiet and boosts all the way in that small case. As for the case, can you give me a household object with the approximate shape you'd prefer the case to be? (examples include a shoebox, a DVD player, a cube, a normal tower PC case, etc.)

as mentioned, space is not the issue, its the overall weight, looking more into it I thought the Nano case is a cube but its just a small mid tower, but its cable management(Altough practiclly uninmportant) is very good, so cases like that would be the best fit, I will need some models to check in my country to see which is the cheapest.

 

[tarfeef101]

2 minutes ago, acolis said:

ok, understood. thank you

My pleasure.

[tarfeef101]

2 minutes ago, acolis said:

as mentioned, space is not the issue, its the overall weight, looking more into it I thought the Nano case is a cube but its just a small mid tower, but its cable management(Altough practiclly uninmportant) is very good, so cases like that would be the best fit, I will need some models to check in my country to see which is the cheapest.

 

Well, that case isn't exactly light compared to other ITX cases. It's large and steel. Feature wise it is great, however. 

 

Cases like the Silverstone RVZ-02, Fractal Node 202, Silverstone SG-13, are much lighter since their panels are thinner, and innards more bare. 

[SnowyMus]

50 minutes ago, acolis said:

Summerizing your Ultra flash fast nitro infused superman power answers:

 

Cpu i5 6400

Mb: Cheapest H110 Any ITX form factor

Ram: Cheapest DDR4 2X4/8X1

Case: GOD DAMIT THOSE FRACTAL NANO CASES ARE BEAUTIFUL!

           I guess I have to tell my neice that DVDRW are dead.

If you actually need an optical drive for any reason, might I recommend USB? There are also some microATX cases like the Fractal Design Node 804 which support a slot-loading drive, but these optical drives are almost always horribly overpriced.

 

When selecting your motherboard, note that microATX and mini ITX form factor motherboards tend to be somewhat cheaper than full-sized ATX. Also, H110 motherboards have two DIMM slots maximum, due to the chipset, so if you need four slots for whatever reason, look for B150 boards.

[tarfeef101]

2 minutes ago, Kavawuvi said:

If you actually need an optical drive for any reason, might I recommend USB? There are also some microATX cases like the Fractal Design Node 804 which support a slot-loading drive, but these optical drives are almost always horribly overpriced.

 

When selecting your motherboard, note that microATX and mini ITX form factor motherboards tend to be somewhat cheaper than full-sized ATX. Also, H110 motherboards have two DIMM slots maximum, due to the chipset, so if you need four slots for whatever reason, look for B150 boards.

Agreed, external DVD can be used on the one-off case that someone actually needs it. I pretty much only use it for windows installs (yes I know I can make a USB, I just don't want to). 

If price is paramount, mATX is generally cheaper than ITX or ATX. But it appears that OP would rather have the smaller form factor, so ITX is the direction this seems to be going. 

 

Since OP is running just a locked i5 and doesn't plan to upgrade on this platform down the line (or they do and haven't made that clear, since it was discussed), more than 2 DIMM slots isn't necessary.