Hi, this will be my first post to the forums! 
I've decided to start a small project to change from my current full-tower ATX build to a small ITX build. I'm usually pretty competent when it comes to my builds, but I've never attempted something like this before so I thought I'd ask for some advice.
Firstly, I'll start by telling you my situation. I currently have a custom water-cooled machine in a Corsair 800D. The problem is it's big, full of water and it's heavier than I can lift and I will be moving out this year to study at university so - as much as I hate to say it - I need something more practical. I really like my current computer the way it is, it runs everything and glows UV blue and is pretty much exactly how I want it. I didn't plan to change it at all, except maybe the CPU if the new Haswell chips showed promise (I nearly upgraded to Sandybridge E tbh), but now I pretty much have to do something since the system is HUGE, weighs a tonne and I'll be living in digs in a matter of months!
So, I've decided to get a mini ITX PC, but with a custom water-cooler and that's where it becomes a challenge.
My current specs are;
Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD3R Mobo
Intel Core i7 930 2.66Ghz @ 4.00Ghz
2x POV GTX 670 Ultra Charged in SLi
12GB Patriot Viper DDR3-1600Mhz
Corsair HX1050 Modular 1050W PSU
Corsair Force 3 120GB SSD
WD Caviar Black 2TB SATAIII 6GB/s HDD
The plan is to condense it all into an i7 Ivybridge mini ITX build with a GTX690 and 16GB memory, and water cool it in a black Bitfenix Prodigy. (with mayhems pastel white liquid, in case you wondered!)
The problems are;
1) I have no idea what motherboard would be best suited for my needs, I'm not very clued up on mini-ITX motherboards. I'd like to overclock my CPU but I'm not sure how well a mini-ITX mobo would overclock. Any advice? Preferably one that fits a black and white colour scheme..
2) The CPU I'm choosing is an Ivybridge, though what I really wanted was a socket 2011 (SB-E) but the smallest 2011 mobo is micro ATX and there are very few micro ATX cases with decent water-cooling options. Is Ivy bridge a good upgrade, or do I wait a month or two and get the newer chipset (assuming it comes in mini ITX)?
(Just out of curiosity, did they make 1366 mini-ITX mobos? That would be sweet!)
4) I've chosen to sell my GTX670s (with their original coolers, not with the waterblocks) and get a GTX690, since it's essentially SLi in a single PCIe slot, which is awesome and a lot of the benchmarks are saying it beats 2 670s. The main reason for the 690 is because I want to retain my current SLi performance in the smaller space. Is this a good move or a waste of money (given the lack of space)?
5) I've done many builds and some water-cooling (all full ATX), but never have I built a loop in a mini-ITX case! I've seen pictures of water-cooled ITX rigs and can't work out how they've managed to plumb it all in with such little space! I need a little advice on how I'd do it, what radiators to get and where to put them and such. The Bitfenix prodigy supports a dual 120 rad on the top and a single - I think 140? - rad on the front.
Would it fit an XTX rad or would I need a slim rad and despite the fact the case supports rads on the top and bottom, is there enough tube space for 2 rads (e.g. 1/2" ID Tubing)? I'd like to get as much surface area as possible, so any advice in this area would be great!
5.1) Following on from #5; in my current build I have a D5 pump and top, with an EK-250 tube reservoir. Obviously the res is huge and I'll need a new one, but would that big pump have to go too? Not sure if it's too big since every ITX build I've seen has a little pump/res combo and the big D5 is - to my knowledge - for big loops like the one I currently have.
6) A minor issue, but since I've started here I may as well ask here.. I want to modify the case so that it has a plexi side-panel window, so you can see all the tubing etc.. Never modded a case in my life (in that I've never cut one up, lol) where do I begin? Does anyone do it professionally, because I know I'd screw up royally! My 800D has a huge plexi window and it looks brilliant, I want something like that, but on a tiny case.
That's pretty much everything, I'm very indecisive at the moment and just need some external opinions so I can make a decision! Anybody with some experience with mini-ITX water-cooling and/or ITX motherboards, I'd love to hear your thoughts!
Thanks for taking the time to read this and many thanks in advance for any advice or tips you guys can give me!
Hope you all had a great new year, happy 2013 to you all!
WorLad
I've decided to start a small project to change from my current full-tower ATX build to a small ITX build. I'm usually pretty competent when it comes to my builds, but I've never attempted something like this before so I thought I'd ask for some advice.
Firstly, I'll start by telling you my situation. I currently have a custom water-cooled machine in a Corsair 800D. The problem is it's big, full of water and it's heavier than I can lift and I will be moving out this year to study at university so - as much as I hate to say it - I need something more practical. I really like my current computer the way it is, it runs everything and glows UV blue and is pretty much exactly how I want it. I didn't plan to change it at all, except maybe the CPU if the new Haswell chips showed promise (I nearly upgraded to Sandybridge E tbh), but now I pretty much have to do something since the system is HUGE, weighs a tonne and I'll be living in digs in a matter of months!
So, I've decided to get a mini ITX PC, but with a custom water-cooler and that's where it becomes a challenge.
My current specs are;
Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD3R Mobo
Intel Core i7 930 2.66Ghz @ 4.00Ghz
2x POV GTX 670 Ultra Charged in SLi
12GB Patriot Viper DDR3-1600Mhz
Corsair HX1050 Modular 1050W PSU
Corsair Force 3 120GB SSD
WD Caviar Black 2TB SATAIII 6GB/s HDD
The plan is to condense it all into an i7 Ivybridge mini ITX build with a GTX690 and 16GB memory, and water cool it in a black Bitfenix Prodigy. (with mayhems pastel white liquid, in case you wondered!
)The problems are;
1) I have no idea what motherboard would be best suited for my needs, I'm not very clued up on mini-ITX motherboards. I'd like to overclock my CPU but I'm not sure how well a mini-ITX mobo would overclock. Any advice? Preferably one that fits a black and white colour scheme..
2) The CPU I'm choosing is an Ivybridge, though what I really wanted was a socket 2011 (SB-E) but the smallest 2011 mobo is micro ATX and there are very few micro ATX cases with decent water-cooling options. Is Ivy bridge a good upgrade, or do I wait a month or two and get the newer chipset (assuming it comes in mini ITX)?
(Just out of curiosity, did they make 1366 mini-ITX mobos? That would be sweet!)
4) I've chosen to sell my GTX670s (with their original coolers, not with the waterblocks) and get a GTX690, since it's essentially SLi in a single PCIe slot, which is awesome and a lot of the benchmarks are saying it beats 2 670s. The main reason for the 690 is because I want to retain my current SLi performance in the smaller space. Is this a good move or a waste of money (given the lack of space)?
5) I've done many builds and some water-cooling (all full ATX), but never have I built a loop in a mini-ITX case! I've seen pictures of water-cooled ITX rigs and can't work out how they've managed to plumb it all in with such little space! I need a little advice on how I'd do it, what radiators to get and where to put them and such. The Bitfenix prodigy supports a dual 120 rad on the top and a single - I think 140? - rad on the front.
Would it fit an XTX rad or would I need a slim rad and despite the fact the case supports rads on the top and bottom, is there enough tube space for 2 rads (e.g. 1/2" ID Tubing)? I'd like to get as much surface area as possible, so any advice in this area would be great!
5.1) Following on from #5; in my current build I have a D5 pump and top, with an EK-250 tube reservoir. Obviously the res is huge and I'll need a new one, but would that big pump have to go too? Not sure if it's too big since every ITX build I've seen has a little pump/res combo and the big D5 is - to my knowledge - for big loops like the one I currently have.
6) A minor issue, but since I've started here I may as well ask here.. I want to modify the case so that it has a plexi side-panel window, so you can see all the tubing etc.. Never modded a case in my life (in that I've never cut one up, lol) where do I begin? Does anyone do it professionally, because I know I'd screw up royally! My 800D has a huge plexi window and it looks brilliant, I want something like that, but on a tiny case.
That's pretty much everything, I'm very indecisive at the moment and just need some external opinions so I can make a decision! Anybody with some experience with mini-ITX water-cooling and/or ITX motherboards, I'd love to hear your thoughts!
Thanks for taking the time to read this and many thanks in advance for any advice or tips you guys can give me!
Hope you all had a great new year, happy 2013 to you all!
WorLad
