ATX to ITX - Zotac Mini ITX Build Log

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Joined
1 Aug 2007
Posts
1,065
Hi all,

To create more space I decided to move my main PC to an ITX system. The only game I tend to play is Counterstrike Source so graphics aren’t that important and mainly use the PC for music, internet and email.

I didn’t really have a budget for this so needed to use as much as my existing hardware as possible. Luckily the Lian Li PC-Q07B Mini-ITX Case allowed me to do this.

OLD PC

HAF 932 – For Sale on MM
Asus M3N78 - Sold
4GB Geil Black Dragon – Reusable
8800 GT 512Mb - Sold
AMD Phenom 550 @ 3.1 – Sold £50
500w Jeantec PSU – Reusable
Sata DVD Drive - Reusable

There aren’t that many ITX choices available for AMD so I decided to move to Intel for the first time in years. I ended buying a Zotac 9300 PCB version 4 (£120) and an E5200 for £35 off the members market. The Lian Li PC-QO7B allowed me to re-use my existing ATX, 5.25 Sata Drive and Black Dragon memory which has large heat spreaders on there.

New ITX PC

Zotac 9300 PCB 4 Ver
E5200
4GB Geil Black Dragon
Lian Li PC-QO7B
Jeantec 500watt PSU
Sata DVD

Probably not to everyone’s taste but I really like the simplicity of it and the size.

frontnd.jpg


Full Size Optical Drive

front2we.jpg


Full Size Optical Drive and PSU

Note: Because of large ATX power supply there is only room for a 70mm Heatsink.

A modular PSU would have been better for airflow.

insidecase.jpg


There is also space under the hard disk for a 2.5 drive.

insidea.jpg


I have read posts about people overclocking the 5200 in the Zotac so im hoping to achieve 3Ghz on almost stock volts. If I could reach 3.4 that would be brilliant.

At the moment I cant overclock as i'm using the Low Profile Akasa cooler and the temps just aren't good enough.

Idle Temp - 31/39c

Max Temp Running Prime95 40 mins - 79c

My current thermal compound is Akasa AK-455.

I plan to improve temps by using the Revoltec Profile CPU cooler which is a budget cooler but is only 63mm high. I also like this cooler as I find the push pin coolers horrible. I am also going to use some decent MX-2 compound and lap my e5200.

That's my build.
 
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OP
Joined
1 Aug 2007
Posts
1,065
Well I lapped my processor last night. Not something ill do again unless I see good improvements, it took ages and was pretty boring. Didn't have time to test last night so I will later.

I did have a quick look and the temps idle seemed similar but that's probably normal. I ran prime95 for 5 mins and the temps certainly didn't go as high in that short amount of time. Fingers crossed.
 
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