Hi All, I'm finally getting a mini-itx build going after a long time out of the loop so to speak. I would appreciate any input/advice on the below specs. I'm not 100% sure if it will all fit together given the space restrictions etc or maybe I am missing something as well? ------------------------------------------------ Case Obsidian 250D: http://www.scan.co.uk/products/corsair-obsidian-series-250d-mini-itx-pc-case-w-o-psu @ £73.50 PSU Corsair 650W modular: http://www.scan.co.uk/products/650w...-modular-80-plus-gold-1x135mm-fan-atx-v24-psu @ £75 RAM Corsair 8gb DDR 3 1600mhz: http://www.scan.co.uk/products/8gb-...3-12800-(1600)-non-ecc-unbuffered-cas-10-10-1 @ £43.67 Mobo MSI Z97i AC: http://www.scan.co.uk/products/msi-...-sata-raid-pcie-30-(x16)-dp-dvi-hdmi-mini-itx @ £89.96 CPU Intel i5 4690K: http://www.scan.co.uk/products/inte...z-base-39ghz-turbo-1200mhz-gpu-84w-cpu-retail @ £179.35 GPU Nvidia 970: http://www.scan.co.uk/products/4gb-...u-1114mhz-boost-1253mhz-1664-cores-dp-dvi-hdm @ £289.98 HDD 2TB: http://www.scan.co.uk/products/2tb-...am-sata-iii-6gb-s-intellipower-rpm-64mb-cache @ £70.42 Total cost £833.36 --------------------------------------- Main uses - Photoshop editing, gaming (not heavy gaming on max settings mind you), media centre for the living room Overclocking - I probably won't be doing a great deal of overclocking due to my lack of knowledge really, but it would be nice to have that option further down the line. Budget - around £850 for the base unit, not including monitor or software/peripherals etc. Would be great if I can get it cheaper but at the same time I'd want this to be able to last a good 5 years or so. Few issues: 1) I'm not sure if the motherboard is a "good" choice, it was the cheapest I could see on scan for a Z97 and I'm not really up to date on motherboard news. 2) Is the Nvidia 970 a bit overkill? 3) I've read that the Nvidia 970's are very efficient so would I need additional cooling, e.g. an all in one liquid cooler? 4) Would I need a better CPU cooler than the generic one it comes with? Many thanks for all your input and help and apologies for all the questions Jhen
In my opinion a SSD (even a cheap relatively low capacity one) is pretty much vital these days. Having your OS and programmes on it rather than a HDD will give a value for money performance/overall feel boost way beyond any other component.
agreed, a SSD is a must. You can get 130GB drives second hand from here for like £20 now. totally worth it.
Hi All, Many thanks for all your replies and advice I have a little experience in overclocking but I wouldn't think I'll be the type to push a cpu/gpu to it's limits, more like a moderate overclocker to get a little more juice but also not affect the lifespan of the components. Forgot to mention I already have an SSD I picked up on Cyber Monday a long time ago so that will be used for the OS drive. Apart from lowering the PSU specs as I'll likely keep the Nvidia 970 and i5 4690k and getting a decent cpu cooler would the listed spec be ok and fit alright? thanks again!
IMO with a case that large you might as well go matx and save a few quid. I would suggest a small AIO water cooler with quite fans if it is to be in the living room. Like these amazing ones:Deep silence 120mm
FYI, that PSU is pretty overpowered for your setup. I have a very similar rig, and I draw less than 300W.
