Gaming Rig for Micro ATX

Plissken

Plissken

Plissken

Associate
Joined
31 Dec 2011
Posts
13
Hi Guys,

I'm looking to build a gaming rig based on a Micro ATX system. The main reason for the form factor is the wife. It needs to be small'ish and look in keeping with typical audio/video equipment.

This looks to be the best case I can find that is orderable within the UK: ** Linking to competitors is strictly prohibited - Please read FAQs regarding rules **

With this in mind I was thinking of dropping in an i7 into it. I dont want to spend a fortune. And with a case this small its unlikely I will be doing much OC. I'd really appreciate some guidance on components to build this thing up. Processor, Motherboard, memory, GPU etc.

My gaming will be done on an HD 37 inch monitor and I generally play MMOs at the highest video setting. I'm currently on an Alienware and struggling to render anything above basic.

Many thanks for all your help. And a happy new year!
 
for a gaming rig you'd be better of with an i5 rather than an i7 unless you'll also be doing video editing etc that'll make use of the hyper threading.

along with what your budget is, what are you looking for(I.e full system or just the 'tower' plus do you need hard disk and os?).
 
Sorry for the rule infringement. The budget would be £800-900 for everything. Interesting point regarding the i5. This is purely a gaming rig. Wont be using it for anything else. No video editing etc. Thanks again.
 
ati/amd option

YOUR BASKET
1 x HIS ATI Radeon HD 6950 IceQ X PLUS Edition 2048MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card **Supplied with Dirt 3 PC Game** £215.99
1 x Intel Core i5-2500K 3.30GHz (Sandybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor - Retail £184.99
1 x Gigabyte Z68MA-D2H Intel Z68 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard £104.98
1 x Silverstone Temjin TJ08B-E Midi Tower Case - Black £84.98
1 x Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-Bit - OEM (GFC-02050) £79.98
1 x XFX 650W XXX Edition Modular '80 Plus Bronze' Power Supply £74.99
1 x Samsung SpinPoint F4 320GB SATA-II 16MB Cache - OEM (HD322GJ) £69.98
1 x Kingston HyperX Genesis Grey 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (KHX1600C9D3X2K2/8GX) £41.99
1 x Samsung SH-S222AB/BEBE 22x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter (Black) - OEM £18.98
Total : £891.86 (includes shipping : £12.50).



nvidia option

YOUR BASKET
1 x EVGA GeForce GTX 560Ti 2048MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card £215.99
1 x Intel Core i5-2500K 3.30GHz (Sandybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor - Retail £184.99
1 x Gigabyte Z68MA-D2H Intel Z68 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard £104.98
1 x Silverstone Temjin TJ08B-E Midi Tower Case - Black £84.98
1 x Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-Bit - OEM (GFC-02050) £79.98
1 x XFX 650W XXX Edition Modular '80 Plus Bronze' Power Supply £74.99
1 x Samsung SpinPoint F4 320GB SATA-II 16MB Cache - OEM (HD322GJ) £69.98
1 x Kingston HyperX Genesis Grey 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (KHX1600C9D3X2K2/8GX) £41.99
1 x Samsung SH-S222AB/BEBE 22x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter (Black) - OEM £18.98
Total : £891.86 (includes shipping : £12.50).



do you need a mouse and keyboard?
 
Alternatively build this and borrow £30 of your MRS

Wait until Monday to see if the gfx card prices fluctuate in your favor - I know it's not MATX but hey you know put your foot down its a gtx 580. Or get a white case she'll love it!
YOUR BASKET
1 x Asus GeForce GTX 580 DirectCU II 1536MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card £379.99
1 x Intel Core i5-2500K 3.30GHz (Sandybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor - Retail £184.99
1 x Gigabyte Z68AP-D3 Intel Z68 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard £84.98
1 x Crucial RealSSD M4 64GB 2.5" SATA 6Gb/s Solid State Hard Drive (CT064M4SSD2) £83.99
1 x Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-Bit - OEM (GFC-02050) £79.98
1 x XFX Pro 550W Core Edition '80 Plus Bronze' Power Supply £58.99
1 x BitFenix Shinobi Gaming Case - Black £48.98
1 x Crucial Ballistix Sport 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C10 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (BL2KIT25664BA160A) £22.99
1 x Samsung SH-S222AB/BEBE 22x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter (Black) - OEM £18.98
Total : £978.89 (includes shipping : £12.50).



Upgrades:
A great case that will last for years and years http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-008-FD&groupid=701&catid=7&subcat=1556
+4gb ram
A CPU cooler
 
Last edited:
jpod said:
Alternatively build this and borrow £30 of your MRS

Wait until Monday to see if the gfx card prices fluctuate in your favor - I know it's not MATX but hey you know put your foot down its a gtx 580. Or get a white case she'll love it!
YOUR BASKET
1 x Asus GeForce GTX 580 DirectCU II 1536MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card £379.99
1 x Intel Core i5-2500K 3.30GHz (Sandybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor - Retail £184.99
1 x Gigabyte Z68AP-D3 Intel Z68 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard £84.98
1 x Crucial RealSSD M4 64GB 2.5" SATA 6Gb/s Solid State Hard Drive (CT064M4SSD2) £83.99
1 x Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-Bit - OEM (GFC-02050) £79.98
1 x XFX Pro 550W Core Edition '80 Plus Bronze' Power Supply £58.99
1 x BitFenix Shinobi Gaming Case - Black £48.98
1 x Crucial Ballistix Sport 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C10 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (BL2KIT25664BA160A) £22.99
1 x Samsung SH-S222AB/BEBE 22x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter (Black) - OEM £18.98
Total : £978.89 (includes shipping : £12.50).



Upgrades:
A great case that will last for years and years http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-008-FD&groupid=701&catid=7&subcat=1556
+4gb ram
A CPU cooler
Click to expand...

Not with a 550W PSU mate.

The recommend power for the reference card is 600W. Id go 750W if i were you!
 
jpod said:
Alternatively build this and borrow £30 of your MRS

Wait until Monday to see if the gfx card prices fluctuate in your favor - I know it's not MATX but hey you know put your foot down its a gtx 580. Or get a white case she'll love it!
YOUR BASKET
1 x Asus GeForce GTX 580 DirectCU II 1536MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card £379.99
1 x Intel Core i5-2500K 3.30GHz (Sandybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor - Retail £184.99
1 x Gigabyte Z68AP-D3 Intel Z68 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard £84.98
1 x Crucial RealSSD M4 64GB 2.5" SATA 6Gb/s Solid State Hard Drive (CT064M4SSD2) £83.99
1 x Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-Bit - OEM (GFC-02050) £79.98
1 x XFX Pro 550W Core Edition '80 Plus Bronze' Power Supply £58.99
1 x BitFenix Shinobi Gaming Case - Black £48.98
1 x Crucial Ballistix Sport 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C10 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (BL2KIT25664BA160A) £22.99
1 x Samsung SH-S222AB/BEBE 22x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter (Black) - OEM £18.98
Total : £978.89 (includes shipping : £12.50).



Upgrades:
A great case that will last for years and years http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-008-FD&groupid=701&catid=7&subcat=1556
+4gb ram
A CPU cooler
Click to expand...

do I have to say it again? wtf spend best part of £400 on old tech when new cards are due out in the next week?
 
Quote from the gfx card spec - Lower power consumption compared to GTX 480, only 244 watts

I still think the PSU will run what he brung or I will eat my RAM

lol fowler
 
This is what i'm using roughly:

myspec.png
 
YOUR BASKET
1 x ZOTAC GeForce GTX 560Ti "448 Edition" OC 1280MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card £227.99
1 x Intel Core i5-2500K 3.30GHz (Sandybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor - OEM £173.99
1 x Gigabyte Z68MA-D2H Intel Z68 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard £104.98
1 x Crucial RealSSD M4 64GB 2.5" SATA 6Gb/s Solid State Hard Drive (CT064M4SSD2) £83.99
1 x Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB SATA 6Gb/s 16MB Cache - OEM (WD5000AAKX) £79.99
1 x Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-Bit - OEM (GFC-02050) £79.98
1 x BeQuiet Pure Power L8 530W '80 Plus Bronze' Modular Power Supply - With 120mm Silent Wing Fan Built in £57.98
1 x Kingston HyperX Genesis Grey 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (KHX1600C9D3X2K2/8GX) £41.99
1 x Fractal Design Core 1000 Midi Tower Case - Black £29.99
1 x Gelid Tranquillo CPU Cooler (Socket 754/939/940/AM2/AM2+/AM3/LGA775/LGA1155/LGA1156/LGA1366) £25.99
1 x LG GH22NS70 24x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter (Black) - OEM £18.98
Total : £940.85 (includes shipping : £12.50).



that should do the job the ssd is up to you but i cant recommend them enought :).
and if you really don't think you will be overclocking


YOUR BASKET
1 x ZOTAC GeForce GTX 560Ti "448 Edition" OC 1280MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card £227.99
1 x Intel Core i5-2500 3.30GHz (Sandybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor - Retail £167.99
1 x Crucial RealSSD M4 64GB 2.5" SATA 6Gb/s Solid State Hard Drive (CT064M4SSD2) £83.99
1 x Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB SATA 6Gb/s 16MB Cache - OEM (WD5000AAKX) £79.99
1 x Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-Bit - OEM (GFC-02050) £79.98
1 x MSI H67MA-E35 Intel H67 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Micro-ATX Motherboard - (Sandybridge) **B3 REVISION** £61.99
1 x BeQuiet Pure Power L8 530W '80 Plus Bronze' Modular Power Supply - With 120mm Silent Wing Fan Built in £57.98
1 x Kingston HyperX Genesis Grey 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (KHX1600C9D3X2K2/8GX) £41.99
1 x Fractal Design Core 1000 Midi Tower Case - Black £29.99
1 x LG GH22NS70 24x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter (Black) - OEM £18.98
Total : £865.87 (includes shipping : £12.50).

 
Last edited:
fowler002 said:
ati/amd option

YOUR BASKET
1 x HIS ATI Radeon HD 6950 IceQ X PLUS Edition 2048MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card **Supplied with Dirt 3 PC Game** £215.99
1 x Intel Core i5-2500K 3.30GHz (Sandybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor - Retail £184.99
1 x Gigabyte Z68MA-D2H Intel Z68 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard £104.98
1 x Silverstone Temjin TJ08B-E Midi Tower Case - Black £84.98
1 x Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-Bit - OEM (GFC-02050) £79.98
1 x XFX 650W XXX Edition Modular '80 Plus Bronze' Power Supply £74.99
1 x Samsung SpinPoint F4 320GB SATA-II 16MB Cache - OEM (HD322GJ) £69.98
1 x Kingston HyperX Genesis Grey 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (KHX1600C9D3X2K2/8GX) £41.99
1 x Samsung SH-S222AB/BEBE 22x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter (Black) - OEM £18.98
Total : £891.86 (includes shipping : £12.50).



nvidia option

YOUR BASKET
1 x EVGA GeForce GTX 560Ti 2048MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card £215.99
1 x Intel Core i5-2500K 3.30GHz (Sandybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor - Retail £184.99
1 x Gigabyte Z68MA-D2H Intel Z68 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard £104.98
1 x Silverstone Temjin TJ08B-E Midi Tower Case - Black £84.98
1 x Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-Bit - OEM (GFC-02050) £79.98
1 x XFX 650W XXX Edition Modular '80 Plus Bronze' Power Supply £74.99
1 x Samsung SpinPoint F4 320GB SATA-II 16MB Cache - OEM (HD322GJ) £69.98
1 x Kingston HyperX Genesis Grey 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (KHX1600C9D3X2K2/8GX) £41.99
1 x Samsung SH-S222AB/BEBE 22x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter (Black) - OEM £18.98
Total : £891.86 (includes shipping : £12.50).



do you need a mouse and keyboard?
Click to expand...

I'd recommend either of these depending on your preference of GPU.
 
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