My experiences while building my first mini-ITX rig.

[gamefreakgcb]

Edit: Yes I know, The shots only show 1 SSD, I installed the second one yesterday. I also had to disconnect the front e-SATA port.

I love Intel's Quicksync. Really really fast conversions of my videos.

My experiences building a powerful (but not a gamer) Mini-ITX rig

Just thought I’d share my results and experiences assembling a mini-ITX rig.

My initial component list:

Antec ISK 300-150. Internal 150 Watt PSU and expected Antec quality. Perfect case for me.
Gigabyte H67N-USB3-B3 motherboard. Horrible layout which I also found in most of the mini-ITX motherboards, because the layout doesn’t mesh well with the case cables and such. Putting all the internal I/O ports right next to the lone exhaust fan.
Intel Core i5 2500k (overkill for me, but I got a good deal on it.)
Corsair XMS3 2 x 4GB
Intel 510 SSD.
Laptop Slot Load DVD-RW (Matrsushita something or other)

PSU Specs

This config didn’t last long. The motherboard was defective (I swapped everything but mobo and it still kept crashing) So I returned the motherboard and bought the only motherboard with a layout I liked enough to hold me over till a mini-ITX Z68 comes out. The Foxconn H67S. Under $70 shipped. Is surprisingly faster at bootup than the Gigabyte motherboard and uses fewer watts as well.

The only caveat would be that there are only 3 SATA ports, I need 4. There are also no voltage options in the BIOS. Using the gigabyte motherboard I was able to drop load Watts from 125 to 92 Watts.

I also bought a Scythe Shruiken Rev. B heatsink for the CPU (disliked the stock HSF) and now I can manage 68C at full load in a mini-ITX case but modification to the HDD/DVD-RW holder tray was needed to make it fit. The PSU extension that comes from outside the case to plug into the PSU also had to modded slightly because it was hitting the heatsink’s edge.

The top tray is supposed to be from front to back like so:

But I cut it in half. You can also see the PSU input near the heatsink is bent and has electrical tape on it. It had heatshrink and there is something there that I bent slightly (after taking off the heatshrink) and then applied electrical tape to cover it up.

I also replaced the included Tri-Cool 80MM exhaust fan because it was bothering me and I’m the type of guy who isn’t easily bothered by noise. Put in 2x Noctua 80MM Fan running at full speed (doesn’t bother me)

I also returned the Intel SSD since I wasn’t really noting a real-life increase in speed and instead put 2x Kingston V100+ 96GB SSD’s in RAID 0.

Currently my build is as follows

Antec ISK 300-150 (internal 150 Watt PSU, most likely a Flex ATX with an 80MM exhaust fan) - $96
Foxconn H67S mini-ITX motherboard - $70
Intel i5 2500K - $180 (New Retail)
Scythe Shruiken Rev. B (Fan running at full speed) $32
Corsair XMS 3 2x 4GB Ram - $70
2x Kingston 96GB v100+ SSD in Raid 0 (64kb block size) $119 x 2 = $238
Slim 5.25” Slot Load DVD-RW - $45
Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit - 3 User Upgrade pack that I bought for $100

Total comes out to $731 before OS costs.

It is running good so far, 35C idle with 33 Watts at the outlet (measured using a kill-a-watt) and load goes upto 124 Watts and 69C.

I’d be happy to answer any questions. Thank you AT for all the help you’ve provided so far.

I'll also be putting up some comparison shots later (how it looks compared to my old build and such I think).

 

[bart1975]

I have that same case but I ended up upgrading it to a Sugo SG05 because I needed a better psu for my video card. I am still keeping my isk 300 -150 around for when I decide to upgrade my current system in a year or 2. I also cut down the drive cage like you did. The only other mod I did to it was to drill some holes directly above where the cpu fan is about 3 inch squared. The holes are the same size as the vent holes on the sides of the case. The cpu fan was really loud on mine until I did the mod.

 

[gamefreakgcb]

I have that same case but I ended up upgrading it to a Sugo SG05 because I needed a better psu for my video card. I am still keeping my isk 300 -150 around for when I decide to upgrade my current system in a year or 2. I also cut down the drive cage like you did. The only other mod I did to it was to drill some holes directly above where the cpu fan is about 3 inch squared. The holes are the same size as the vent holes on the sides of the case. The cpu fan was really loud on mine until I did the mod.

I've been thinking about it. Still not too sure on that yet. I looked at the Sugo SG05 but I disliked cuboid style cases.

 

[Zap]

Very nice!

Laptop Slot Load DVD-RW (Matrsushita something or other)

Is it a Matsushita UJ-875A? :sneaky:

Matsushita = Panasonic

There are also no voltage options in the BIOS. Using the gigabyte motherboard I was able to drop load Watts from 125 to 92 Watts.

I wouldn't bother. Most systems spend more time NOT under load than under load. The Intel CPUs do really well on their own while idling.

 

[CurseTheSky]

Your total is off by $100. You SSD total cost should be $238, not $138.

Looks like a really nice system though. I really want to build a Mini-ITX rig now.

 

[bart1975]

You will probably be fine as long as you don't need to add a video card to that setup.

 

[gamefreakgcb]

Your total is off by $100. You SSD total cost should be $238, not $138.

Looks like a really nice system though. I really want to build a Mini-ITX rig now.

Heh, yeah, I was wondering why it was coming out so cheap.

Very nice!



Is it a Matsushita UJ-875A? :sneaky:

Matsushita = Panasonic



I wouldn't bother. Most systems spend more time NOT under load than under load. The Intel CPUs do really well on their own while idling.

Yes cheeky guy, thank you for selling me those. I was thinking the system would go under load when video converting but I was surprised when it didn't. I love intel's quicksync. It made mince meat of my videos.


I am now thinking of getting 2 of the Crucial C300's and RAID'ing them. They area $99 a pop on newegg till 12 PST.

 

[ascorbic]

gamefreakgcb, how hot is your system running?

I just put together

-Antec ISK 300-150
-Intel Core i3 2100T (35 Watt Model).
-Asus P8H67-I DELUXE
-WD Blue 1TB Drive
-LG BluRay drive
-All stock fans/heatsinks

And my system is hot to the touch. I think it is the antec power supply. I am considering swapping it out for a high powered PICO unit.

 

[Ns1]

sounds pretty damn expensive @ 700 ^_^

 

[Zap]

And my system is hot to the touch. I think it is the antec power supply. I am considering swapping it out for a high powered PICO unit.

Hello ascorbic, and welcome to AnandTech Forums.

Before throwing money at the problem, you will want to find out the source of the heat and why it isn't exhausting. Are the fans all spinning? You will have the CPU fan, PSU fan and one exhaust fan. There's room for a second exhaust fan - maybe that will help? Is the heat localized to a certain spot like near the PSU? Can you put a temperature to it? For instance 45°C (113°F) will feel pretty warm to most people, but is perfectly fine for normal computer operation.

sounds pretty damn expensive @ 700 ^_^

Not really. Core i5 2500K, 8GB DDR3, 200GB worth of SSDs in RAID... sounds about right.

 

[ascorbic]

Before throwing money at the problem, you will want to find out the source of the heat and why it isn't exhausting. Are the fans all spinning? You will have the CPU fan, PSU fan and one exhaust fan. There's room for a second exhaust fan - maybe that will help? Is the heat localized to a certain spot like near the PSU? Can you put a temperature to it?

Thanks. After leaving the machine on for a few days the entire box just feels warm to the touch, warmer than my experience makes me feel comfortable with. I have an infrared thermometer but I haven't gotten around to actually measuring anything. All three (cpu/case/power supply) fans are spinning and are free of obstruction. I have experimented with the Asus BIOS settings for fan speeds (silent/performance/balanced) and the machine "feels" to be the same temp after some time. This machine should also be idle most of the time, eventually it will be my main HTPC/Torrent box.

I think the 35 watt CPU *should* be generating very little heat, and the exhaust fan plus all the mesh holes should be plenty enough ventilation. The box seems warmest to the touch around the power supply and being exhausted from the power supply. But of course that is all subjective to my touch.

Even if the temp ends up being perfectly safe and in the normal operating temperature I still feel a low power machine like this should be very quiet and cool to the touch.

 

[gamefreakgcb]

gamefreakgcb, how hot is your system running?

I just put together

-Antec ISK 300-150
-Intel Core i3 2100T (35 Watt Model).
-Asus P8H67-I DELUXE
-WD Blue 1TB Drive
-LG BluRay drive
-All stock fans/heatsinks

And my system is hot to the touch. I think it is the antec power supply. I am considering swapping it out for a high powered PICO unit.

As mentioned it was 34C idle but now Summer is here and at 80F ambient (when I'm not home) it runs 37-39C idle. When I get home and get the room cooled down it hovers at about 35 or so. It doesn't feel "warm" to the touch until I put the CPU under load. Also notice that I have 2x Noctuas running full speed and an aftermarket HSF. Before that I was getting around 40 or Idle and 70+ on load. Now my Load temps are under 68C.

sounds pretty damn expensive @ 700 ^_^

Well, it feels like that but it really isn't. All my parts were bought on specials and the like. Except the case/heatsink/fan.

I paid $170 for my CPU after selling the 1TB it came bundled with ($220 Total).

 

[Zap]

I think the 35 watt CPU *should* be generating very little heat, and the exhaust fan plus all the mesh holes should be plenty enough ventilation. The box seems warmest to the touch around the power supply and being exhausted from the power supply. But of course that is all subjective to my touch.

This is why you need to use your IR thermometer.

A couple more things... Do you have all the power management enabled for the CPU? The 150W PSU in these Antec boxes aren't super high efficiency. Not a big deal at such low outputs, but just FYI the efficiency peaks around 70%. If Antec tunes these for low noise, then they will naturally get pretty warm.

Even if the temp ends up being perfectly safe and in the normal operating temperature I still feel a low power machine like this should be very quiet and cool to the touch.

It all depends. I tried unplugging the noisy fan on my home server's Atom CPU (Gigabyte D510 ITX board) and it got REALLY HOT REALLY FAST. You'd imagine that a CPU with a 13W TDP would run really cool, right? I'm talking BURNING hot, not just warm. Burning as in red spot on finger. This happened probably within minutes, with the system idle. My point is that temperature is all how fast the fans move the air through it, and how much noise is produced depends on how fast the fan/air is moving.

 

[joetekubi]

I recently built a Mini-ITX Sandy Bridge - Sugo 05 case, Gigabyte H67 mb, i3 2100 cpu, 2 laptop sata drives. Went together pretty easily, I had all the cables routed for good air flow - but the system ran a bit hot (42C at idle), and it was a little too loud.

So I ordered a Zalman 8700 chiller, and took everything apart. Put it all bakc together, and the MB was dead. No lights, no nothing. PS checked out good, so I RMAed the mb back to NewEgg. New one is due to me today, so we'll see how it goes from here.

BTW, the SG05 was a bit bigger than I wanted, but the primary goals were a small, quiet, cool system for my wife. Nice big, quiet case fan on the SG05. Silverstone 300w PS seems pretty cool and quiet also.

 

[gamefreakgcb]

I recently built a Mini-ITX Sandy Bridge - Sugo 05 case, Gigabyte H67 mb, i3 2100 cpu, 2 laptop sata drives. Went together pretty easily, I had all the cables routed for good air flow - but the system ran a bit hot (42C at idle), and it was a little too loud.

So I ordered a Zalman 8700 chiller, and took everything apart. Put it all bakc together, and the MB was dead. No lights, no nothing. PS checked out good, so I RMAed the mb back to NewEgg. New one is due to me today, so we'll see how it goes from here.

BTW, the SG05 was a bit bigger than I wanted, but the primary goals were a small, quiet, cool system for my wife. Nice big, quiet case fan on the SG05. Silverstone 300w PS seems pretty cool and quiet also.

I think the stock HSF for us in ITX rigs is very problematic. My stock temps were over 40 also. I replaced it with Scythe Shruiken HSF and its now according to my liking.

 

[Zap]

You guys have unrealistic expectations of temperature. gamefreakgcb, do you realize that 40°C is just 2.5°C over your body temperature? That is NOT very hot. Don't you guys realize that stock Intel CPUs can easily handle over 80°C? I know that's not what the crazy enthusiasts in the CPU/Overclocking forum says, but those guys are not running the CPU at stock speeds.

If the CPU runs too hot, it will throttle. Simple as that. For a stock clocked CPU there is no need to get all obsessive over temperatures.

 

[gamefreakgcb]

You guys have unrealistic expectations of temperature. gamefreakgcb, do you realize that 40°C is just 2.5°C over your body temperature? That is NOT very hot. Don't you guys realize that stock Intel CPUs can easily handle over 80°C? I know that's not what the crazy enthusiasts in the CPU/Overclocking forum says, but those guys are not running the CPU at stock speeds.

If the CPU runs too hot, it will throttle. Simple as that. For a stock clocked CPU there is no need to get all obsessive over temperatures.

Yes ZAP I know. . We all have some quirks. I wanted to initially build a very lightweight and cheap system. That plan was shot to shred within 2 days. I even had the i3 2100 in my hands but I returned it. So if I'm ready to go the extra mile here, aftermarket cooling, which is better then stock, and can fit in a mini-ITX case, was another extra mile.

 

[Zap]

I wanted to initially build a very lightweight and cheap system. That plan was shot to shred within 2 days.

It's a slippery slope, just like trying to build a "quiet" system. Get quiet fans and your graphics card becomes "noisy" because now there aren't case fans to drown it out. Then your CPU fan. Then your PSU fan. Eventually you have all your fans super quiet or removed due to using ginormous heatsinks, and then you hear your HDDs. After some SSDs, you hear some coil whine and you have to replace the motherboard. After all that, you still hear some high pitched noise... and realize it is coming from your own ears. :$

 

[joetekubi]

You are right, it is (or can be) a slippery slope.
I don't aim for, or need total silent operation.
It's always a balance of size, power, cool running, and noise.

I could have purchased a cheap i3 laptop for my wife,
but if anything broke out of warranty it would cost $$$ to
repair. By using a box a little larger than I originally wanted,
I can easily swap out anything that breaks, and have the space
to run large fans at low rpm.

BTW, I got the box running this morning. CPU idles at 25C.
Pretty quiet, but not silent. Ultimate goal is to be pretty quiet
running Seti at Home at about 50% cpu.

 

[gamefreakgcb]

It's a slippery slope, just like trying to build a "quiet" system. Get quiet fans and your graphics card becomes "noisy" because now there aren't case fans to drown it out. Then your CPU fan. Then your PSU fan. Eventually you have all your fans super quiet or removed due to using ginormous heatsinks, and then you hear your HDDs. After some SSDs, you hear some coil whine and you have to replace the motherboard. After all that, you still hear some high pitched noise... and realize it is coming from your own ears. :$

Hehehe. Too true. Thank goodness noise isn't a bother to me, otherwise I would've hated all my setups. Background noise (city apartment, fishtank water filter, etc.) help drown out the noise.

 

[Seraphimcaduto]

I know this is an old thread, but I wanted to thank gamefreakgcb for the pics of how he got around the problem with the psu extension cable and the top rack blocking the CPU fan. That was exactly what I needed to see someone had done! That's why I like AT forums so much, so useful.

 

[holden j caufield]

is there some reason to use this form factor instead of using a laptop in it's place?

 

[dave_the_nerd]

is there some reason to use this form factor instead of using a laptop in it's place?

If you want a big 1080p monitor, or 1440p, or you're an input device snob that HAS to have their IBM Model M keyboard and Kensington Trackball (me) and if portability isn't an issue, then yes. Or any other situation where the peripherals are more important than the computer they're plugged into, and gaming isn't on the table. (you'll see a lot of mITX or SFF rigs working as POS systems, office workstations, audio/video/graphics editing/design, data collection with external sensors in a lab...)

And the CPU, RAM, etc., are desktop parts, so they're a bit more bang for your buck than you'd get with a laptop.

 

[holden j caufield]

just wondering, I'm transitioning to a totally quiet energy efficient mini rack at my place and was thinking about one of these but in end I went with a workstation laptop. Granted I bought mine from employee/friends family discount so I got a great deal (900ish range last year) and this is what I got. Though I did have to shell out another $200 for the 32gb of memory.

1). Quad core i7 sandy bridge mobile, 32gb ram can run my htpc, domain, fileserver, email etc

2). 15 screen can do 1080p with vga and display port for bigger screen or htpc, pretty sure it can do 1440p

3). Really low power consumption, 30ish watts. Low noise. Built in UPS

This project looks really fun and I was going to build one and put freenas or openfiler on it. Do any of these mini itx have support for 4 sodimm slots for 32gb ram. I'm wondering what db the exchaust fans are.

Thanks

 

[cbn]

I'm wondering what db the exchaust fans are.

17dB @ 1800 rpm

http://www.noctua.at/main.php?show=productview&products_id=9&lng=en