First SFF build - What have I missed?
###Build Help/Ready:
Have you read the sidebar and rules? (Please do)
Yup.
What is your intended use for this build? The more details the better.
Initially as a general machine, but I hope to upgrade over time (probably when Zen+ comes out) and assemble the lower end of the hardware in this SFF case as a media-box/home server. I am not picking parts in mind for overclocking as it's not something I've done in the past, but having the option in future might be nice.
If gaming, what kind of performance are you looking for? (Screen resolution, framerate, game settings)
1080p 60fps would be more than enough for me historically, but I would expect to have other things running in the background at the same time.
What is your budget (ballpark is okay)?
Less about budget, more that I want to buy quality parts that would be well-suited to either a media box/home server, or to be migrated to a future workstation/build machine. Current draft build is less than $2kNZD, but would be happy to go higher, given compelling reasons.
In what country are you purchasing your parts?
New Zealand.
Post a draft of your potential build here (specific parts please). Consider formatting your parts list. Don't ask to be spoonfed a build (read the rules!).
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
| Type | Item | Price |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | AMD - Ryzen 5 1600X 3.6GHz 6-Core Processor | $364.00 @ 1stWave Technologies |
| CPU Cooler | be quiet! - Dark Rock 3 67.8 CFM Fluid Dynamic Bearing CPU Cooler | $119.98 @ Mighty Ape |
| Motherboard | Gigabyte - GA-AB350N-Gaming WIFI (rev. 1.0) Mini ITX AM4 Motherboard | $195.00 @ 1stWave Technologies |
| Memory | G.Skill - Ripjaws 4 Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory | $258.16 @ Ascent Technology |
| Storage | Samsung - 850 EVO 250GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive | $159.84 @ PB Technologies |
| Video Card | Sapphire - Radeon RX 580 4GB NITRO+ Video Card | $409.00 @ 1stWave Technologies |
| Case | Fractal Design - Node 304 Mini ITX Tower Case | $193.40 @ Ascent Technology |
| Power Supply | FSP Group - 750W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply | $143.00 @ Paradigm PCs |
| Other | be quiet! AM4 mounting kit | $0.00 |
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts | ||
| Total | $1842.38 | |
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-10-07 16:56 NZDT+1300 |
Provide any additional details you wish below.
This will be my first SFF build, so I want to make sure I'm not missing any gotchas, noise and heat output would be my top concerns. Also, my location makes getting some parts difficult/the relative price of different parts different to other major countries, which can change what parts might be preferred.
Posted Oct 7, 2017, 4:12 AM UTC
Since you don't want to OC, don't go Ryzen.
Grab a Coffee Lake 8400 with the Asrock mITX board (https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157795&cm_re=asrock_z370-_-13-157-795-_-Product)
The CPU comes with a cooler, but if you want to play it safe you can grab a Hyper 212 for ~$20.
PSU is overkill. You can get by with 450W probably, depends on how budget you want to go. EVGA G3 650W is a crowd favorite with a 7 year warranty. If you want to go cheaper, you can, but 550W-650W is a very safe range that will let you upgrade in the future.
Can't check your prices, as I'm in US. But the rest looks solid.
Thanks for the feedback! I had forgotten to take Coffee Lake into account, thanks for the reminder. I've just checked, and according to all the various price scrapers I know of in NZ there aren't any mini ITX motherboards currently for sale here (and international shipping here is a bitch, can't wait for Australia to get proper Amazon warehousing) that support Coffee Lake, including the ASRock Z370M-ITX/ac. If this changes before I pull the trigger on the build, I'll heavily consider it.
The PSU does look like overkill, but is $55NZD cheaper ($143 vs $198) than the EVGA G3 650W while still being a recommended brand on Logical Increments, and seemed to review well for noise and airflow. Also reviews of the case indicated that fully modular PSUs could cause issues with graphics cards. Is there some other compelling reason to go for the EVGA G3 over the FSP?
On a sidenote, I had also looked into the Silverstone SST-SX500-LG, but looked like getting a SFX PSU would be more troublesome than helpful.
Jesus AUS is weird.
I need to start avoiding AUS posts, it's so hard to recommend things to The Dark World
Fully modular PSUs are always recommended and I've never heard of any issues. Semi-modular is fine as well, but it makes custom sleeving your cables a nightmare if you ever have the desire to do that. (I'm currently doing it. I can't imagine how much harder it would be on a semi-modular)
AUS is weird, NZ is even weirder. Bane of my tech existence, I swear.
The modular thing is based on the space between the PCIe slot and where the PSU ends for the Node 304 case itself.
shrugs