Help with SFF Office Build

[Alan G]

I am planning a Small Form Factor build to replace my wife’s aging HP Pavilion computer. It will be used for MS Office applications and web browsing. The key factors are modest size and quiet performance. I’ve selected the Intel Core i3-3225 Ivy Bridge HD Graphics 4000 chip so that I will not need an additional GPU. I will be using the Gigabyte GA-Z77N-WIFI LGA 1144 mini-ITX MoBo as it has built in WiFi to connect to our home network. Storage will be handled by an SSD for the OS and a modest HD for data files.


The problem I am having is selecting the case and PSU. The three cases under consideration (in order of size displacement on the desktop) are: Fractal Designs Node 304, SilverStone SUGO SG-05, and the new Lian Li PC-Q27. I am not planning on installing an optical drive to save space (the Fractal case does not allow this anyway) but will have an external one for the rare occasion that she needs one. The Lian Li case is so new that I cannot find any build reviews on line but its size is tempting but I am concerned about the passive cooling (no fans in this unit) and there is not a lot of internal space to work with.


All three cases take ATX PSU and the Corsair CX430M (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817139049) seems to be a good choice since it is modular and I can reduce the cable stuffing in the case. Here are my issues:


1) the Fractal Designs case is probably the easiest to build, but the footprint is the largest,
2) the Lian Li case is has the smallest foot print but I’m unsure whether there would be adequate cooling and (air circulation would only come from the CPU fan and the PSU which will exhaust air because of the way it mounts in the case.
3) the SUGO SG-05 appears to be a good candidate but I’m not certain about the noise level from the fan.


I would appreciate any thoughts about passive cooling from those who have built small systems and the specifics outlined above.

 

[dma0991]

Before I give my opinions on your build, I'd like to know why is Intel NUC not under consideration? It has a SSD(sold seperately), WiFi card(sold seperately), external optical drive via USB, easily replaceable power brick and probably miles easier to setup and maintain.

It will of course lack the performance of the Core i3 3225 but it should be more than capable for MS Office applications and web browsing.

 

[T_Yamamoto]

Have you considered a dell sff? Those are a lot smaller and a lot cheaper

 

[Alan G]

Before I give my opinions on your build, I'd like to know why is Intel NUC not under consideration? It has a SSD(sold seperately), WiFi card(sold seperately), external optical drive via USB, easily replaceable power brick and probably miles easier to setup and maintain.

It will of course lack the performance of the Core i3 3225 but it should be more than capable for MS Office applications and web browsing.

I didn't know about it until I posted this request and will take a serious look at it. Thanks for the pointer.

 

[Alan G]

Have you considered a dell sff? Those are a lot smaller and a lot cheaper

Because I don't get the pleasure of building it myself!:biggrin:

 

[piasabird]

I dont particularly like the Intel NUC. It has limited capabilities and no USB3. It also uses a mobile chipset and the processor will have less power and you are locked into whatever CPU that is soldered to the motherboard. Then you also have to use SODIMM RAM which costs more. It also has a low limit for the amoung of RAM you can use. Forget using a SATA Hard Drive also. It is a good concept but not well thought out.

Now if you had a laptop that was broken and could use the RAM and the Centrino wireless Mini PCI Express card that might make it a little better choice.

You might also select a Thin Mini-ITX motherboard.

 

[T_Yamamoto]

Because I don't get the pleasure of building it myself!:biggrin:

Ah, well this is what I would do
CPU: Intel Core i3-3220 3.3GHz Dual-Core Processor ($119.02 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H77N-WIFI Mini ITX LGA1155 Motherboard ($99.24 @ Amazon)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Tactical 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Plextor M5S Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($86.99 @ Microcenter)
Storage: Hitachi Travelstar 5K1000 1TB 2.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($70.40 @ Newegg)
Case: Antec ISK 300-150 Mini ITX Desktop Case w/150W Power Supply ($77.48 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $513.12
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-05-29 16:04 EDT-0400)
This is without Win7

Extremely small case, but with this, this thing can pack a punch. Also its reasonably priced.

If the original fan is too loud, you can always replace them with other fans

 

[Alan G]

@T_Yamamoto - Thanks, I'll take a look at the Antech case and PSU.

 

[T_Yamamoto]

@T_Yamamoto - Thanks, I'll take a look at the Antech case and PSU.

Here is a review for it. It's actually a decent case and can handle quite a bit, just look at Zap's SFF build