Gaming in Tight Spaces: Mini-ITX (featuring Gigabyte, Silverstone, and Prolimatech)

Overclockers.com · 08-16-10, 03:29 PM

Gaming in Tight Spaces: Mini-ITX (featuring Gigabyte, Silverstone, and Prolimatech)
by (MIAHALLEN)

Quote:

…things have been steadily progressing in the small form factor (SFF) world. So, I wanted to find out…Is it now possible to build a competent gaming PC, or is this market better left shrouded to the HTPC and misc PC sections?

... Return to the article to continue reading.

Discuss this article below. If you are interested in contributing to the front page (www.overclockers.com), please feel free to contact splat, mdcomp, or hokiealumnus. For the latest updates, follow Overclockers.com on Twitter (@Overclockerscom).

Aynjell · 08-16-10, 05:14 PM

Another computing community I help moderate is owned by craig brugger and is specialized for small form factor computer builds.

www.losias.net

Sorry, not really spamming but it seems kind of spammy.

MIAHALLEN · 08-16-10, 05:38 PM

I've been watching that OSIDIAS build at XS.....amazing

nd4spdbh2 · 08-16-10, 06:51 PM

i have always wanted a sweet little rig like that! awesome build!

bcsizemo · 08-16-10, 07:40 PM

In most switching power supplies efficiency increases as load increases. In reality if your system only ever pulled 300-400W then an 800W PSU is just going to be wasting a little more power in heat. (Now it might run cooler because it was designed to handle a higher heat load, but it would be using more power to do the conversion.)

Either way, excellent write up.

sno.lcn · 08-16-10, 08:17 PM

Fantastic read, great article Miah!

JonSimonzi · 08-16-10, 08:52 PM

I've always wanted a powerhouse mini ITX build. This article just makes me want one more.

MattNo5ss · 08-16-10, 10:31 PM

Great article and well worth the wait

Quote:

Originally Posted by JonSimonzi

I've always wanted a powerhouse mini ITX build. This article just makes me want one more.

Me too...

Is there a powerhouse mini ITX club?

WedgeWhacko · 08-16-10, 11:32 PM

Great Write up.
I believe it would be one great little folder.....

MIAHALLEN · 08-17-10, 02:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MattNo5ss

Is there a powerhouse mini ITX club?

SOunds good....Maybe I'll start on after the next upgrade

soldierguy · 08-17-10, 08:26 AM

Really like what you did here. I need to think small!! I've gotten stuck on large!!. I've got 2 big Coolermaster Cosmos cases haha. I'm at the opposite end. I guess I'm stuck always thinking "I might need more room"? Anyway i like what you did. Totally cool.

EarthDog · 08-17-10, 08:37 AM

Great read MIAH! The hits keep coming!

Gautam · 08-17-10, 11:16 AM

Kickass!

infam0ussteven · 08-17-10, 11:19 AM

Great read, I'm really impressed with Gigabyte for offering such a great board with a good bios at a decent price.

MIAHALLEN · 08-17-10, 11:59 AM

Yup....they totally hit the ball out of the park on this one IMO

ratbuddy · 08-17-10, 12:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bcsizemo

In most switching power supplies efficiency increases as load increases. In reality if your system only ever pulled 300-400W then an 800W PSU is just going to be wasting a little more power in heat. (Now it might run cooler because it was designed to handle a higher heat load, but it would be using more power to do the conversion.)

Either way, excellent write up.

Nope, there's a curve. Efficiency goes up to a point (around 50% or so) then goes back down.

MIAHALLEN · 08-17-10, 12:30 PM

I'm planning to rebuild this with some proper modding in the next few months to turn it into the ultimate mini-ITX rig....what do you guys think of the following upgrades?

Intel i5 750 CPU - Which I'd hope to run at 4.2GHz or more, plus it has a good IMC and 4 real cores. I'm not going to pursue an i7 because I'd turn off HT anyhow.

Corsair H70 CPU cooler - all internal. I'll have to replace the 3.5" HDD with a 2.5" and then relocate both it and the SSD.

Corsair Dominator GTX3 memory - rated at DDR3-2400 9-11-9-27, but I'll probably try to run DDR3-2000 CAS6 or DDR3-2200 CAS7.

Gigabyte Radeon HD 5870 SOC - stock clocks of 950 core and 1250 memory should give a noticable boost in GPU limited games. I'll have to mod the case a little for this to fit.

500GB Momentus XT - to replace the 1TB Green drive I'm running now.

And last but not least, I think I'd be pushing this 300W PSU a bit too hard, so I'll plan on upgrading to the new 450W SFX unit by Silverstone.

soldierguy · 08-17-10, 12:50 PM

Like I said, I like what ya did, but case this whole PC thing goes
belly-up at least with my two big Coolermasters I'll have some
really nice luggage.

WonderingSoul · 08-17-10, 01:12 PM

This makes me hungry for tiny megahertz!

madhatter256 · 08-17-10, 04:41 PM

Thats the same motherboard I plan on using for my parent's next computer build. They don't need a full-size board and large case, but common parts are a must.

08-16-10, 05:14 PM	#2
Aynjell Member Join Date: Dec 2008	Another computing community I help moderate is owned by craig brugger and is specialized for small form factor computer builds. www.losias.net Sorry, not really spamming but it seems kind of spammy. __________________ Do not break wind in the same room as a dark brother or sister; to do so is to invoke the wrath of Sithis. - Aynjell, in fond memory of Lucien LeChance
	QUOTE Thanks

08-16-10, 05:38 PM	#3
MIAHALLEN Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Northern Japan	I've been watching that OSIDIAS build at XS.....amazing __________________ THE POST COUNTER IS NOT AN INTELLIGENCE METER! Intel i3, i5 and i7 Overclocking Guides Heat "Water & Wood" computer desk build log My HWBOT Profile MAX11Lv3 - "It kind of reminds me of going to the circus and seeing a mini drive around and then 83 clowns jump out of it!" - ollien33 i7 3820 @ 5GHz \|\| 32GB G.SKILL @ DDR3-2000 \|\| GTX580 tri-SLI \|\| Corsair AX1200 \|\| Custom water cooling
	QUOTE Thanks

08-16-10, 06:51 PM	#4
nd4spdbh2 Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Camarillo, CA!	i have always wanted a sweet little rig like that! awesome build! __________________ #12 in the 4ghz core 2 duo club baby! - 52 inches of CRYSIS! - Black Belt Ubercloxx0r -- Heatware Main -- Lian Li V2000b -- i7 2700k -- MSI Z68A-GD80 -- 12gb 1600 -- GTX560Ti --Adata 128gb S510 & 2x500gb -- Seasonic S12 600w -- Dell 2209WA HTPC -- Silverstone GD05B -- E7200 @ 3.2ghz -- G41-M7 -- 4GB 800mhz -- g210 passive -- 320gb 2.5in WD -- Antec EA 430w -- 52inch Samsung LCD Server -- Antec NSK4480B -- E3300 @ 2.5ghz -- ECS G33T-M2 -- 3gb 667mhz -- Onboard Vid -- 500Gb + 1TB hatachi + 1tb WD -- Zalman 400w Netbook - Dell Mini 9 - Atom 1.6ghz - 8GB ssd - 2GB pc6400 - WIN 7 PRO! Need 4 Speed - BH
	QUOTE Thanks

08-16-10, 07:40 PM	#5
bcsizemo Registered Join Date: Sep 2009	In most switching power supplies efficiency increases as load increases. In reality if your system only ever pulled 300-400W then an 800W PSU is just going to be wasting a little more power in heat. (Now it might run cooler because it was designed to handle a higher heat load, but it would be using more power to do the conversion.) Either way, excellent write up.
	QUOTE Thanks

08-16-10, 08:17 PM	#6
sno.lcn Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Atlanta, GA, USA	Fantastic read, great article Miah!
	QUOTE Thanks

Gaming in Tight Spaces: Mini-ITX (featuring Gigabyte, Silverstone, and Prolimatech)

Internet Services

Website Development

Tech Hardware

08-16-10, 08:52 PM	#7
JonSimonzi Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Providence, RI	I've always wanted a powerhouse mini ITX build. This article just makes me want one more. __________________ Asus Maximus IV Extreme-Z - i7 2700K - Corsair H80 Diamond 7970 - 3x Dell U2412M 16GB G.Skill Sniper - 256GB Crucial M4 - 3TB Hitachi 7K3000 Corsair AX850 - Corsair 600T Heatware
	QUOTE Thanks

08-16-10, 11:32 PM	#9
WedgeWhacko Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Lakewood, Colorado	Great Write up. I believe it would be one great little folder..... __________________ Time to Harvest Join the Rosetta Team Today
	QUOTE Thanks

08-17-10, 08:26 AM	#11
soldierguy Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: California	awesome creation Really like what you did here. I need to think small!! I've gotten stuck on large!!. I've got 2 big Coolermaster Cosmos cases haha. I'm at the opposite end. I guess I'm stuck always thinking "I might need more room"? Anyway i like what you did. Totally cool. __________________ System: Win 7/64 home prem,Cosmos Cooler 1000 case,Corsair AX1200 power supply,i7 930@3.8ghz ,CoolerMaster V8 cpu fan,ASUS P6T deluxe V2mobo,CorsairVengeance 12gb ddr3 1600ram,Radeon 7970 x 2 Crossfire,WD Raptor 300gb x 2 HD ,steelseries Akari mouse, Leopold keyboard,Dell G2410H 24" 1920x1080 x 3 Eyefinity
	QUOTE Thanks

08-17-10, 08:37 AM	#12
EarthDog Senior PITA Member Overclockers.com Editor Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Stuck in Maryland...	Great read MIAH! The hits keep coming! __________________ Should I R0 my SSD? / SandyBridge / Ivybridge Overclocking Guide / AMD Overclocking Guide / Power Supply Guide SSD Reliability/Write Endurance / JOIN THE BENCHING TEAM! / Bulldozer Overclocking Guide / Forum Etiquette Want to see your writing featured on the overclockers.com Front Page? PM me, I can help! "We have more information and more ways of accessing it than ever, yet seem increasingly less inclined to do so."- Michael Wilbon
	QUOTE Thanks

08-17-10, 11:16 AM	#13
Gautam Senior Benchmark Addict Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Hillsboro, OR	Kickass! __________________ El<(')>Maxi: I still have your board...and I'm afraid I lost your address so I can't send it back...and my pm box is broken...and I can't remember where the PO is anyway
	QUOTE Thanks

08-17-10, 11:19 AM	#14
infam0ussteven Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: NYC	Great read, I'm really impressed with Gigabyte for offering such a great board with a good bios at a decent price. __________________ Samsung 55" LED TV\| Acer 23" Full HD LED monitor\| M-Audio AV40 Intel Core i7 920 D0 stepping 4.00 GHz @ 1.3Vcore\| Intel Core 2 Duo E660 3.00 GHz @ 1.15Vcore/1.0V NB Swiftech Apogee XT Water cooled setup\| Xigmatek Dark Knight Asus Rampage II Extreme x58\| Gigabyte EP45-UD3L 2x EVGA GTX 275 Superclocked edition in SLI\| XFX 1GB HD 4850 6GB Corsair Dominator DDR3 1600\| G.Skill 4GB DDR2 667 Asus Xonar Essence STX\| Creative X-FI Titanium Corsair 800D\| Cooler Master RC-690 Corsair 1000HX Power Supply\| Corsair 550VX Power Supply WD Caviar Black 2x 750GB RAID 0\| WD Caviar Black 500GB Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB Acer 13.3" 3820T i3 370M
	QUOTE Thanks

08-17-10, 11:59 AM	#15
MIAHALLEN Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Northern Japan	Yup....they totally hit the ball out of the park on this one IMO __________________ THE POST COUNTER IS NOT AN INTELLIGENCE METER! Intel i3, i5 and i7 Overclocking Guides Heat "Water & Wood" computer desk build log My HWBOT Profile MAX11Lv3 - "It kind of reminds me of going to the circus and seeing a mini drive around and then 83 clowns jump out of it!" - ollien33 i7 3820 @ 5GHz \|\| 32GB G.SKILL @ DDR3-2000 \|\| GTX580 tri-SLI \|\| Corsair AX1200 \|\| Custom water cooling
	QUOTE Thanks

08-17-10, 12:30 PM	#17
MIAHALLEN Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Northern Japan	I'm planning to rebuild this with some proper modding in the next few months to turn it into the ultimate mini-ITX rig....what do you guys think of the following upgrades? Intel i5 750 CPU - Which I'd hope to run at 4.2GHz or more, plus it has a good IMC and 4 real cores. I'm not going to pursue an i7 because I'd turn off HT anyhow. Corsair H70 CPU cooler - all internal. I'll have to replace the 3.5" HDD with a 2.5" and then relocate both it and the SSD. Corsair Dominator GTX3 memory - rated at DDR3-2400 9-11-9-27, but I'll probably try to run DDR3-2000 CAS6 or DDR3-2200 CAS7. Gigabyte Radeon HD 5870 SOC - stock clocks of 950 core and 1250 memory should give a noticable boost in GPU limited games. I'll have to mod the case a little for this to fit. 500GB Momentus XT - to replace the 1TB Green drive I'm running now. And last but not least, I think I'd be pushing this 300W PSU a bit too hard, so I'll plan on upgrading to the new 450W SFX unit by Silverstone. __________________ THE POST COUNTER IS NOT AN INTELLIGENCE METER! Intel i3, i5 and i7 Overclocking Guides Heat "Water & Wood" computer desk build log My HWBOT Profile MAX11Lv3 - "It kind of reminds me of going to the circus and seeing a mini drive around and then 83 clowns jump out of it!" - ollien33 i7 3820 @ 5GHz \|\| 32GB G.SKILL @ DDR3-2000 \|\| GTX580 tri-SLI \|\| Corsair AX1200 \|\| Custom water cooling Last edited by MIAHALLEN; 08-18-10 at 10:36 AM.
	QUOTE Thanks

08-17-10, 12:50 PM	#18
soldierguy Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: California	Like I said, I like what ya did, but case this whole PC thing goes belly-up at least with my two big Coolermasters I'll have some really nice luggage. __________________ System: Win 7/64 home prem,Cosmos Cooler 1000 case,Corsair AX1200 power supply,i7 930@3.8ghz ,CoolerMaster V8 cpu fan,ASUS P6T deluxe V2mobo,CorsairVengeance 12gb ddr3 1600ram,Radeon 7970 x 2 Crossfire,WD Raptor 300gb x 2 HD ,steelseries Akari mouse, Leopold keyboard,Dell G2410H 24" 1920x1080 x 3 Eyefinity
	QUOTE Thanks

08-17-10, 01:12 PM	#19
WonderingSoul Team 32 Folding Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Crack the Skye	This makes me hungry for tiny megahertz! __________________ Project Quick Bench i7 920 - P6T Deluxe V2 - 6gb XMS3 1600 - 2x GTX 460 1GB in SLI - Corsair AX 850 HRT Music Streamer Pro > Rockhopper Beta 22 > HiFiMAN HE-500 / Sennheiser HD650 Heatware
	QUOTE Thanks

08-17-10, 04:41 PM	#20
madhatter256 Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: CFL	Thats the same motherboard I plan on using for my parent's next computer build. They don't need a full-size board and large case, but common parts are a must. __________________ Heatware
	QUOTE Thanks

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search