Need help downsizing my current rig

[treminaor]

I built my current system in 2012 and really don't have the money to start a new machine... but because of a recent move I need to recoup as much floor/desk space as humanly possible. My current case is a CoolerMaster HAF XB and although I thought it was an awesome form factor when I bought it, I see it as an awful waste of space now. Here are the relevant specs of my current rig:

 

• Coolermaster HAF XB case
• EVGA Nvidia GeForce GTX 970 4GB SC (242mm long)
• Intel i5 3570k 3.4Ghz Socket  LGA 1155
• Gigabyte Z77X-UP4 
• Hyper 212 Evo cooler (160mm tall)
• Seasonic 750W PSU X750 Gold 170 mm (W) x 150 mm (L) x 86 mm (H)

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type	Item	Price
CPU	Intel - Core i5-3570K 3.4 GHz Quad-Core Processor	$334.98 @ Amazon
CPU Cooler	Cooler Master - Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler	$19.89 @ OutletPC
Motherboard	Gigabyte - GA-Z77X-UP4 TH ATX LGA1155 Motherboard
Video Card	EVGA - GeForce GTX 970 4 GB Superclocked ACX 2.0 Video Card
Case	Cooler Master - HAF XB (Black) ATX Desktop Case
Power Supply	SeaSonic - 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply
Monitor	Asus - PA238QR 23.0" 1920x1080 60 Hz Monitor
Monitor	Asus - PA238QR 23.0" 1920x1080 60 Hz Monitor
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total (before mail-in rebates)	$364.87
	Mail-in rebates	-$10.00
	Total	$354.87
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-11-22 13:26 EST-0500

I did some research on what the smallest cases were that would accommodate most of my existing parts and found the Phanteks Evolv Shift X to be very appealing. It looks like it has the footprint of an ionic breeze and still has room for my huge amount of drives and a full size graphics card. 

 

 

The only two parts I would need to replace are my motherboard and my CPU cooler - I thought this would be a simple and economical decision since my socket type is so outdated now but boy was I wrong. I'm struggling to find find a new LGA1155 Mini ITX board for less than $220. I don't know how comfortable I feel with buying a refurb off eBay either. I had no idea what a premium these ITX boards were fetching.

 

Does anyone here have any advice on what motherboard to look for? Ideally I want one less than $150, bonus points for under $100. Is this a pipe dream? Should I try to go for mATX instead? I'm really in love with this case. 

[19_blackie_73]

What about a very small midtower out of the fractal design node series? Would be way more economical than getting a new mobo for such an old platform. I know it ain't pretty, but certainly works

 

Edit: I'm a bit outdated on the lineup they have, sth like the focus g seems small as well. Point stays the same; don't invest tons of money in such a old system

[Fasauceome]

10 minutes ago, treminaor said:

I'm struggling to find find a new LGA1155 Mini ITX board for less than $220. I don't know how comfortable I feel with buying a refurb off eBay either.

Buying new for old parts will always be a headache. The solution truly is to buy used, and it's not as bad as it's made out to be.

[treminaor]

31 minutes ago, fasauceome said:

Buying new for old parts will always be a headache. The solution truly is to buy used, and it's not as bad as it's made out to be.

It's reassuring to hear that. Are there any boards for my socket type that you would particularly reccomend as a good value used?

 

37 minutes ago, 19_blackie_73 said:

What about a very small midtower out of the fractal design node series? Would be way more economical than getting a new mobo for such an old platform. I know it ain't pretty, but certainly works

 

Edit: I'm a bit outdated on the lineup they have, sth like the focus g seems small as well. Point stays the same; don't invest tons of money in such a old system

200mm width is not a small enough footprint for my situation which is why I decided to go with a different form factor altogether. None of the mid towers I found were small enough to appeal to me. 

[Fasauceome]

6 minutes ago, treminaor said:

Are there any boards for my socket type that you would particularly reccomend as a good value used?

So I found this one

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F123505969561

Which includes a CPU which you could probably sell back (or maybe keep as backup), but I'm not sure if you're in need of an overclocking board or not. If you don't require a Z series board, the options get even cheaper, so an H77 board has more value.

[treminaor]

5 minutes ago, fasauceome said:

So I found this one

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F123505969561

Which includes a CPU which you could probably sell back (or maybe keep as backup), but I'm not sure if you're in need of an overclocking board or not. If you don't require a Z series board, the options get even cheaper, so an H77 board has more value.

Unfortunately the description says it doesn't come with the IO backplate... wouldn't that be a risk?

[Fasauceome]

7 minutes ago, treminaor said:

Unfortunately the description says it doesn't come with the IO backplate... wouldn't that be a risk?

That's a cosmetic item more than anything, but it makes sense if you don't want to buy a motherboard without the I/O shield

[treminaor]

3 minutes ago, fasauceome said:

That's a cosmetic item more than anything, but it makes sense if you don't want to buy a motherboard without the I/O shield

As long as there's no electrostatic risk I suppose I'm not concerned. If I'm not overclocking would I be okay switching back to the stock cooler or do I need to find a shorter aftermarket one that would fit in the Phasetek case? It has an 82mm clearance. 

[Fasauceome]

31 minutes ago, treminaor said:

As long as there's no electrostatic risk I suppose I'm not concerned. If I'm not overclocking would I be okay switching back to the stock cooler or do I need to find a shorter aftermarket one that would fit in the Phasetek case? It has an 82mm clearance. 

Intel stock is no good, there are better coolers like the noctua NH-L9i or the Silverstone AR06. Also, step down to an H77 board to save money.

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F183537737912

[-rascal-]

The HAF XB has the motherboard configured horizontally, so it would some space.

Have you considered moving your parts into a more conventional upright computer case?

Would that work better?

 

Say...Phanteks P350X?

http://www.phanteks.com/Eclipse-P350X.html

[treminaor]

10 hours ago, fasauceome said:

Intel stock is no good, there are better coolers like the noctua NH-L9i or the Silverstone AR06. Also, step down to an H77 board to save money.

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F183537737912

I decided to go with the Zotac ZT-H77ITX-A-E. After reading up on the chipset differences I had no issues downgrading from Z77 to H77. The extra $$ is not worth the overclock capability. I don't even think I ever utilized it on my current board. I'll order the Noctua cooler soon too. Thank you for your help, it was greatly appreciated!