Review i5 Spec

Hotwired

Hotwired

Hotwired

Soldato
Joined
17 Aug 2009
Posts
10,917
Dumped the i7 build, what I really want is a small cased performance rig, mostly oriented for games but I can live without dual cards.

Tossed the idea of modding a case as well, too much effort and there's only so much you can do before you end up spending more than if you'd bought a better case...


Anyway:

Case: Antec P180 Mini (mATX case, black inside and out)

Motherboard: Asus Maximus III GENE (mATX P55)

CPU: i5 750 (stock cooler til the Corsair H50 gets shipped with a 1156 thing)

GPU: Sapphire ATI Radeon HD 4890 Toxic (1GB)

Memory: G.Skill Ripjaw 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 C7 1600MHz

PSU: Corsair 620watt HX modular

HDD: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB

Optical: Some Sony burner/reader


Accessories:

Fans: 2 x Enermax Magma 120mm batwings

Thermal: Arctic Cooling MX-2


Delayed upgrade:

CPU Cooler: Corsair H50 with 1156 clips

Replacement fan for cooler: Scythe Ultra Kaze 2000RPM

I was wondering about this. The SUK is a high pressure 38mm thick 120mm fan which outdoes all the 25mm thick fans (meant for PCs) including the higher pressure types from Noctua and Scythe even if taken down a few volts. It's also thinner and cheaper than sticking two 25mm 120mm fans each side of the H50 rad.

Since the case is a heavy walled one designed to lower sound somewhat I think it would be a decent gamble to stuff one in and run it at reduced voltage for the majority of use. But not sure, Sandwiching it between a couple of 25mm fans could be notably quieter for the same cooling.

Oh and the H50 is to go with the general black (and bits of red) theme inside, thought a massive silver memoryslot hogging air cooler would spoil it :)


How does that fly?
 
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Sure it can.

I just don't see the need for it. But yes the board and case could take 2 cards, you can snaffle out one of the two HDD cages so it doesn't matter how long they are either.

Strictly speaking it's not a mini case...

I'd call something approximately 35-40cm square on the side a mini case, Something like a Coolermaster Elite 341. This is 43.5cm square which is romping away from a mini tower into the realms of mid-towers.

Antec 300 mid-tower: 45.8 (H) x 20.5 cm (W) x 46.5 (D) (7.2kg)
Antec Mini P810: 43.5cm(H) x 21.2cm(W) x 43.6cm(D) (9.5kg)

So um, lol it's actually fatter, heavier and only a couple of cm off the rest.

I still want it because it's got silencing features, it's black inside and I have this feeling it actually cools better than most larger cases... check out how the inside is laid out if you don't get me, two 120mm fans can blow directly across the mobo, one in line with the cards, one in line with the memory/cpu with a 20cm fan whacked directly above the board (beats any 120mm fan stuck in a PSU) and a 120mm right where I want it for the H50 rad. Airflow (when I get a H50 with the right clip) will be front+back -> roof with the g-card pushing out what it wants at the bottom.

St0rmer66 said:
This build has definitely caught my eye. I had no idea this case existed and I'm really sick of the size of my Coolermaster Stacker (Mk1). I wanted smaller AND quieter, this does both! :) .
Click to expand...

I'm copyrighting this build, you can all pay me royalties for it :D
 
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Just been doing some reading up and apparently the Enermax Modu82+ 625 Power Supply is a better choice (though the Corsair is VERY good still). It's both quieter and more efficient (price will be similar I imagine, not checked yet).

So where are you planning on mounting the H50? I'd never even heard of it until now (not upgraded my PC for about 2 years). I understand it needs cold air from outside so will it reach to the front of the case? Or do you mean it will go in the normal back position pulling air in and then the 200mm fan will be the main/only exhaust?
 
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I don't think the radiator can physically fit over a fan at the front, they're very closely placed between bays and the radiator overhangs a normal 120mm fan.

StevenG's carried out the same plan I've had: Clicky.

So yup, intakes front and back, exhaust out the 20cm fan in the roof (and whatever the g-card kicks out).
 
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In that case I believe royalties should go to him ;) .

Sounds good, you've done all the hard work of finding a good combination for me! :D . Any idea when the socket mounting for the H50 will be available? When does the motherboard get released?
 
Just one little thing change AS-5 to AC MX-3 one of the best TIM's going you can overclock straight away where as AS-5 need's up to 200HRs to settle in and then you can overclock(AS-5 IS OLD SKOOL) ;)
 
Meh, I thought of it independently, besides sounds like you want my i5 config not his i7 one :p

Anyway I think a black/red colourscheme beats black/white especially as that one isn't entirely black/white either. All the components in this are black/red :D

The motherboard is released, I just linked to the manufacturer because it's not OCUK thats selling it.

No idea whatsoever when Corsair will do a 1156 mount, that's why ill get it later and suffer on stock for now.


Only had AS5 there as I'd heard it was decent enough, could change to something else without worries.
 
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o.0

I just had a look for the AC MX-3.

None of this builds suppilers actually have AC MX-3 and what I've read suggests decimal point differences are nothing to lose sleep over. But on the other hand AC MX-2 is carried by the suppliers I'm using and as an added bonus its cheaper than a tube of AS-5. So a win there :)

After much procrastinating over what fan is worth what... still going to stick with the Scythe 120mm x 38mm 2000rpm fan for the H50. May be a noisy one but hey, someone needs to try it out, seriously lacking in reviews ^_^

Ordering the rig over the weekend, with any luck enough bits will be there Monday to get tinkering - I have a weekend delayed by 2 days :/
 
Well I'm sure in that other mobos like the standard blue P55 ASUS boards they also list were up as pre-order while they were not.

I did find the place that's selling pre-order Asus Maximus III GENE boards though. It's not that one.

I'm not sure as in phoned up and asked.
 
St0rmer66 said:
In that case I believe royalties should go to him ;) .

Sounds good, you've done all the hard work of finding a good combination for me! :D . Any idea when the socket mounting for the H50 will be available? When does the motherboard get released?
Click to expand...

the case i have been looking at for 4 weeks now :P but think credit can proberly go to bit-tech and the what hardware guide from september
 
-_-

Toxic 4890's all sold out. Everywhere but the place that slaps another £50 on it.

Sod. The risks of not buying when you see it.

Now the choice is to get a straight Vapor-X 1GB card or poke people in the hope they'll restock it.
 
*shrug*

All a point of view. I'm getting Enermax Magmas over Akasa Apaches because I think Apaches have an awful colourscheme.

Any 4890 will do pretty much what any other 4890 will, mebbe a bit better cooling, mebbe a bit quieter, mebbe able to push an overclock a smidgeon more.

I liked the look of it and thought the factory overclock would be nice.

I've pencilled in a 1GB Vapor-X instead for now. Only 3 days til the 5*** cards come out, may as well wait for them and see if prices fall now.
 
Yeah, that's what I'm doing too. I'm not bothered about having the absolute best, top of the range card, but it makes perfect sense to wait and see the prices.

Have been looking at maybe going for i7 instead of i5 now, but still mATX and in the P180 Mini. Asus Rampage Gene II seems to have very good reviews, price comes out nearly the same and I can use the H50 with no mounting issues.
 
OK, I made my order.

Core i7 920
Asus Rampage II Gene
Patriot Viper 6GB RAM 1600mhz (3x2GB)
Sapphire 4890 1GB Vapor-X
Corsair H50
Antec P180 Mini
Samsung SM2443BW 24"
Enermax Pro82+ 625W PSU
MX3 thermal compound

Mostly from OcUK, but some from a competitor because OcUK either didn't have it in stock or didn't stock it at all.

Decided the 5xxx series of cards are just a bit more than I need and am willing to pay. I just don't play games enough to warrant it. Might consider adding another hard drive for a RAID-1 soon.
 
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Wahey(ish).

Two deliveries today :D

Case
PSU
CPU
Memory
Optical Drive
HDD mounts
Thermal paste
2 x Enermax Magma fans - I swear these things are red inside the black housing but every picture including from my own camera shows them as orange, really weird. I think the bright light from camera flashes just does that to them.

So I'm waiting on the motherboard, HDD and graphics card...

In the meantime I can... install the PSU?
 
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