980ti in micro-ATX case: what's my best bet?

[gozulin]

i'm looking to build a living room gaming pc so I'd like the form factor to be smallish (maybe cube?) but still be able to fit in a 980ti (looking at evga hybrid 980ti)

I don't need it to have a lot of drive bays. I'm planning on having 2 SSD drives in it only, and one will be m.2, so I can probably get by with only ONE DRIVE BAY. No DVD drive will be used either.

Related to this:

Is there a motherboard that supports m.2 that would fit in a mini-ITX?

(recommendations on PSU and RAM would also be appreciated if you have any insight there, but not as important, obviously).

 

[Termie]

If you are going to be using a small case, I'd recommend a blower-style reference design. I've used both blower and open-air 980 Ti models in ITX and mATX cases, and open-air models heat up pretty fast unless you have a lot of airflow (which typically means it's a big ITX or mATX case). The Hybrid will work fine, but obviously requires a more complicated installation.

Most ITX motherboards support M.2, assuming you're talking about Z170. Have a look at the Asus Z170I Pro Gaming. It's a lot of board for the price, and it's just hit the market this week. If you use an ITX board, you should use an ITX case, as you'll have a lot of empty volume inside an mATX case.

 

[vailr]

I recommend checking out this build using an Asus mATX Z170 board:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBzND3Hyk7I
Note: the GTX 980 Ti video card puts out significant heat, so a mini-ITX case with that card inside probably wouldn't be a good idea.

 

[gozulin]

If you are going to be using a small case, I'd recommend a blower-style reference design. I've used both blower and open-air 980 Ti models in ITX and mATX cases, and open-air models heat up pretty fast unless you have a lot of airflow (which typically means it's a big ITX or mATX case). The Hybrid will work fine, but obviously requires a more complicated installation.

Most ITX motherboards support M.2, assuming you're talking about Z170. Have a look at the Asus Z170I Pro Gaming. It's a lot of board for the price, and it's just hit the market this week. If you use an ITX board, you should use an ITX case, as you'll have a lot of empty volume inside an mATX case.

I recommend checking out this build using an Asus mATX Z170

I have listened to your wisdom and this is what I ended up with:


CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($267.99 @ ErwinComp)
Motherboard: Asus Z170I PRO GAMING Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard ($151.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($94.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 Pro Series 1TB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($435.98 @ Directron)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB HYBRID Video Card ($714.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Fractal Design Node 304 Mini ITX Tower Case ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Silverstone Strider Gold 500W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular SFX Power Supply ($90.10 @ SuperBiiz)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit)
Monitor: LG 34UM95 60Hz 34.0" Monitor ($915.99 @ Best Buy)
Total: $2750


note: I already had SSD and monitor so I'm reusing those.

 

[Termie]

Looks good, but don't use a Core i5-6500 with a Z170 motherboard. It can't be overclocked. Go with the 6600K when it comes back in stock.

Just FYI, PCPartPicker provides an epic amount of incorrect information, so you best click through and do your own checking around. It provides an absurd price for the Core i5-6500, suggests you can use a Superbiiz $10 coupon three times, which you can't, skips shipping costs, and doesn't note products that are unavailable.

 

[thesmokingman]

I recommend checking out this build using an Asus mATX Z170 board:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBzND3Hyk7I
Note: the GTX 980 Ti video card puts out significant heat, so a mini-ITX case with that card inside probably wouldn't be a good idea.

Dude that's a huge case.

 

[007ELmO]

It looks like you already have a monitor, so anyone else looking I would suggest the Dell 3415W which is only $700.

 

[vailr]

Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB HYBRID Video Card ($714.99 @ SuperBiiz)

Power Supply: Silverstone Strider Gold 500W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular SFX Power Supply ($90.10 @ SuperBiiz)

I've seen recommendations that say: for a single GTX 980 Ti card gaming machine, you should plan on using at least a 600W PSU. And: if also planning on using water cooling, you may need an even higher rated PSU.

 

[gozulin]

I've seen recommendations that say: for a single GTX 980 Ti card gaming machine, you should plan on using at least a 600W PSU. And: if also planning on using water cooling, you may need an even higher rated PSU.

Fingers crossed then. I'll let you know how it works out.

 

[007ELmO]

I've seen recommendations that say: for a single GTX 980 Ti card gaming machine, you should plan on using at least a 600W PSU. And: if also planning on using water cooling, you may need an even higher rated PSU.

I am using a 1000W for my single TI, but I noticed alienware's site forces you to upgrade to a 1500W if you take a single TI. I think they're trying to get you ready for SLI, but sort of strange. Wish Alienware was more competitively priced!

 

[Termie]

I've seen recommendations that say: for a single GTX 980 Ti card gaming machine, you should plan on using at least a 600W PSU. And: if also planning on using water cooling, you may need an even higher rated PSU.

Fingers crossed then. I'll let you know how it works out.

Not sure if this is yet another error spit out by PCPartPicker, but that's no 500W PSU you've linked to, it's 450W. And that simply is not enough to run a 980 Ti.

Can you provide a link to the PSU at an actual store, not PCPartPicker, so we know what you're buying?

 

[gozulin]

I ended up going with a 750w evga in the end. Just not to have to suspect power if something goes wrong.