New SFF Gaming PC

[Skulker]

Alright so its been about 4 years and its about time for a new system. I want to put everything into a Silverstone FT03-Mini. I keep going back and forth on which I should get an i3-3220 or i5-3450 keeping in mind I'm probably going to not upgrade or build a new system again for at least 3 years. Problem with the video card is if I go with the FT03-Mini a blower style video card is suggested so I was looking at the Galaxy GeForce GTX 670 or Powercolor Radeon HD 7870. I'm open to some suggestions as I know for value/perf right now the amd 7800/7900 are pretty good but blower style coolers are hard to find for them.

1. What YOUR PC will be used for: Gaming, video transcoding, general use

2. What YOUR budget is: <$1000

3. What country YOU will be buying YOUR parts from: Canada usually use ncix.com

4. IF YOU have a brand preference: No

5. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are: Monitor, hdd/sdd, keyboard & mouse

7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds: No overclocking

8. What resolution will you be using? 1680x1050

9. WHEN do you plan to build it? this week

X. Do you need to purchase any software to go with the system, such as Windows or Blu Ray playback software? No

 

[mfenn]

A GTX 670 is way overkill for 1680x1050, so I would recommend going with something lower-end unless you are also upgrading the monitor soon.

This list is from Newegg.ca, mostly because NCIX's search is horrendous. Feel free to comparison shop.

i5 3570 $200 AP
ASRock B75 Pro3-M $80
Geil DDR3 1333 8GB $34
XFX 7870 $240 AR - I honestly don't know how important having a blower is on a lower-powered card like the 7870
Reuse HDD $0
Reuse SSD $0
No ODD because slot load slims are a ripoff $0
Silencer Mk III 500W $65 AR
FT03 $170
Total: $789 AR

You still have room in the budget if you really want a GTX 670, but I'd probably upgrade something else like the HDD or SSD first.

 

[Ken g6]

It looks like all 79XX cards are too long for that case anyway. It has a maximum card length of 10". Given that, and your video encoding needs, without knowing which software you're using, I'd suggest...an EVGA 660ti. NCIX has to special-order those, so you might as well buy from Newegg. If you insist on NCIX, they have a PNY card, but it's 10", so it might not quite fit, unless you get a different case.

Video encoding means you should go with the i5-3450, or better. When a 3570k is only $10 more, why not get it?

Mini-ITX + no OC + Ivy Bridge = this ASUS H77 for $105, apparently. I could find no better deal.

I don't know much about cases, but it looks like that case requires a small form factor PSU. I'm sure someone else can point to a better case. Maybe a BitFenix Prodigy? But you might have drive problems then. :\

Edit: @Mfenn, I think there's been some confusion about case size. I think he was looking at a SST-FT03B-MINI Mini ITX Media Center / HTPC Case.

 

[Skulker]

I figured it probably would be somewhat overkill, which is why I'm waffling on which way to go. Btw I'm looking at the FT03-Mini which is itx and the other reason I'm more concerned about silverstone's blower style recommendation. I'm just not sure about the quality of the powercolor 7870 which is why I'm even considering the 670 plus I figured it would all work out in the end with my long upgrade cycle.

 

[mfenn]

Edit: @Mfenn, I think there's been some confusion about case size. I think he was looking at a SST-FT03B-MINI Mini ITX Media Center / HTPC Case.

My bad, I saw FT03 and glossed over the mini part. Given that, :thumbsup: to the P8H77-I and GTX 660 Ti.

 

[Skulker]

i5-3450 $189.99
ASRock Z77E-ITX $178.98
Corsair 8GB DDR3-1600 $50.37
XFX Radeon 7870 DoubleD $244.99
Silverstone FT03B-MINI $129.50
Silverstone ST45SF 450W $79.99
Corsair H60 $69.99

Total: $943.81

So was fiddling with the list and here's what I've got. Haven't done any price matching yet so could shave a bit off still and then you have to add on tax. Figured if I go itx I'm not going to have room for expansion so went with slightly more expensive motherboard for better rear panel ports. I'm still not sure about the gpu. A 7870 is probably good enough for a few years if I don't upgrade my monitor, but I'm still not sure about the non-blower cooler. I could go with the Power Color, but like I said in op not sure about the quality and the warranty is better with the XFX.

 

[Skott]

Ideally you want a GPU that exhausts out the back. In the FT03 Mini's case this means blowing upward with the airflow. There have been some people using cards that blow outward and into the case and causing higher temp problems in their builds. May want to look into that.

 

[lakedude]

Ideally you want a GPU that exhausts out the back. In the FT03 Mini's case this means blowing upward with the airflow. There have been some people using cards that blow outward and into the case and causing higher temp problems in their builds. May want to look into that.

This is all true, but it also depends on the video card. For some models the dual or triple fan cards are best in spite of the heat they put back into the case. A "blower" will keep the case cooler, while a dual fan will keep the GPU cooler so it all kinda just depends on the situation...

 

[mfenn]

i5-3450 $189.99
ASRock Z77E-ITX $178.98
Corsair 8GB DDR3-1600 $50.37
XFX Radeon 7870 DoubleD $244.99
Silverstone FT03B-MINI $129.50
Silverstone ST45SF 450W $79.99
Corsair H60 $69.99

Some comments:
- CPU: Fine
- Mobo: That's a lot of money to be spending on a mobo. What specific features of the Z77E-ITX do you need that aren't also present on the P8H77-I?
- RAM: Overpriced as hell. Go with the G.Skill I originally recommended.
- GPU: As Ken so graciously pointed out, the GTX 660 Ti is in your price range and reference blower-style coolers abound.
- Case: Obviously fine, it's pretty much the point of this build
- PSU: Overpriced. Stick with the Silencer Mk III that I recommended
- HSF: Completely unnecessary for a stock clocks build, drop it.

 

[Skulker]

Honestly I mainly wanted it for the esata port and the built in wifi would have just been a bonus. The ram was mainly since it was compatible with the board. Psu is not optional since it has to be sfx, its actually one of the items that would benefit the most from price matching saving $20 or so. Dropping the HSF is fine just figured it might be quieter then stock cooler and keep things cooler with the small case and all.

I really can't make up my mind though on which way to go with the gpu. 660ti card doesn't seem like its very good value at this time but there's almost no blower style cards to choose from in the 7800 series.

 

[mfenn]

Honestly I mainly wanted it for the esata port and the built in wifi would have just been a bonus.

Do you have a lot of eSATA HDDs kicking around? USB 3.0 has pretty much completely obsoleted it for new gear.

The ram was mainly since it was compatible with the board.

The RAM I listed is compatible. The lists that mobo manufacturers put out are just the RAM modules that they've tested and are not mean to be exhaustive.

Psu is not optional since it has to be sfx, its actually one of the items that would benefit the most from price matching saving $20 or so.

My bad, you're right. My mind was still locked into the "big" FT03 for some reason.

Dropping the HSF is fine just figured it might be quieter then stock cooler and keep things cooler with the small case and all.

An H60 is pretty ungainly even in a MicroATX case. I can't imagine wrestling with it in a case as uniquely designed as the FT03.

I really can't make up my mind though on which way to go with the gpu. 660ti card doesn't seem like its very good value at this time but there's almost no blower style cards to choose from in the 7800 series.

I guess it depends on what games are important to you. In games like Crysis, Metro 2033, and Dirt, yeah the GTX 660 Ti isn't worth the money. It's a decent value in terms of FPS/$ in other games like Shogun 2 and Battlefield 3.

Overall, I wouldn't really fault you for going with the 7870 as long as it isn't an overpriced blower like the PowerColor.

 

[Skulker]

Unfortunatly I have a few esata enclosures kicking around so until I get around to changing those having an esata port is handy. Actually one of the reasons I considered the h60 is that the FT03-Mini is built so you attach the radiator to the bottom of the case where the case fan actually cools it.

Why is the power color 7870 blower version over priced I thought it was in the same price range as other 7870 cards? Just wondering since thats the only 7870 card with a blower that would work, the his iceq isn't in stock and is wider then 2 slots.

So for my current monitor resolution a 670 is a bit more then I probably need, but considering the $65 difference between Galaxy GeForce GTX 670 GC and EVGA GeForce GTX 660 Ti would I be better spending that little extra?

 

[mfenn]

Unfortunatly I have a few esata enclosures kicking around so until I get around to changing those having an esata port is handy.

IMHO, you're better off upgrading the enclosure(s) to a more modern connection than paying a "legacy port tax" on every motherboard going forward.

Actually one of the reasons I considered the h60 is that the FT03-Mini is built so you attach the radiator to the bottom of the case where the case fan actually cools it.

Routing bulky, water-filled cables through a tiny case is not my idea of a good time, so I would recommend against the H60. If you're not overclocking, it isn't really necessary to get such a big cooler anyway.

Why is the power color 7870 blower version over priced I thought it was in the same price range as other 7870 cards? Just wondering since thats the only 7870 card with a blower that would work, the his iceq isn't in stock and is wider then 2 slots.

Last time I looked at the PowerColor card, it was nearly $300 AR when other 7870's were sitting at $240 AR, thus making it overpriced. Prices change hourly and we don't necessarily know when you are going to pull the trigger, so we have to make recommendations based on pricing at the time of posting. I checked NCIX this morning and it is $235 AR, which is fine.

So for my current monitor resolution a 670 is a bit more then I probably need, but considering the $65 difference between Galaxy GeForce GTX 670 GC and EVGA GeForce GTX 660 Ti would I be better spending that little extra?

When it doubt, check the Bench. The GTX 670 is faster, but it isn't that much faster.