- Joined
- Jul 4, 2010
- Messages
- 42
- Motherboard
- H87N-WIFI
- CPU
- i5 4430
- Graphics
- 970 GTX
- Mac
- Classic Mac
- Mobile Phone
eRz's Build "Mini Gaming Series" : i5-4430 - GA-H87N-WIFI - 16Gb RAM - 760 GTX
Yeah, it's tiny ! So let's fill basket for this build :
Yeah, it's tiny ! So let's fill basket for this build :
Components
Fractal Design Node 304 Mini-ITX Hybrid Computer Case FD-CA-NODE-304-BL
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009LHF4FO/
Gigabyte GA-H87N-WIFI LGA 1150 Intel H87 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Mini ITX Intel Motherboard Mini
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00D94X4DO/
Intel Core i5-4430 Quad-Core Desktop Processor 3.0 GHz 6 MB Cache LGA 1150
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CO8T9VC/
Noctua Low-Profile Quiet CPU Cooler for Intel 115x Based Retail Cooling NH-L9I
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009VCAJ7W/
Crucial Ballistix Elite 16GB Kit (8GBx2) DDR3 1866 MT/s (PC3-14900) CL9
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006YG9D0M/
MSI NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760 OC 2GB GDDR5 2DVI/HDMI/DisplayPort PCI-Express Video Card N760 TF 2GD5/OC
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DIH8OW8/
Intel 530 240GB 2.5-Inch Internal Solid State Drive
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DTPYSEM/
Seagate Barracuda 3 TB HDD SATA 6 Gb/s NCQ 64MB Cache 7200 RPM
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005T3GRLY/
Atheros AR9280 AR5BHB92 half size mini PCI-E Wireless Wlan Karte 2.4GHz -5GHz
on eBay
Already Owned
CORSAIR Enthusiast Series CMPSU-550VX 550W ATX12V V2.2 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139004[/noparse][/code]
Comments
I want to share with you a build that could interest those are looking for a compact and silent build to play under OS X. The main goal when i start my quest for an OOB-working-kext-less-reliable-build was to put everything in a tiny and looking great case that could fill an empty space under TV either on a desk.
About components
This case is great for holding GPU up to 300mm length and to hold 6 3,5 HDD. A versatile, well build, case for a decent price. What you need more ? Nothing. Check around the Internet, this case is a way better than recommended cheap-look BitFenix case. With this board you have 4 SATA, up to 16Gb ram, built-in WIFI, Haswell support and flawless compatibility with OSX.
An alt choice could be a GA-Z87N-WIFI but choose this one only if you plan to overclock. This is not a big i5 CPU but it's 84W TDP, 1150, affordable, and enought for most games and applications. Save money. If you plan to overclock choose a K computer and review the cooling for more air (EVO 212 and many tower designed aircooler will fit up to 150mm). Many "big" cooler works and will let you add a GPU just keep in mind the mother board is 17*17cm only and a too large cooler will obstruct PCIe or memory banks. Yeah it's a low profil cooler. The main point is this cooling delivers +13% performance than Intel stock cooling and provides silence ! I chose this cooling because it fully fit the motherboard without obstruction and i can even play hungry games without noise. The other advantage is to left empty space above CPU to keep a good airflow.
I got a rebate on RAM it so it worth the price, you can choose any 16Gb kit in DDR3 at least 1600Mhz. This one has aggressive timing and give you more power than painting your car in red. Get the best offer and save money ! The MSI 760 GTX is A good card considering its price tag. You will get silent gaming as Twin Frozr system has proven their benefits. It works OOB with GraphicsEnabler=No and delivers great performance. You can upgrade this up to 300mm. You have to ban triple slot card. The VX550 came from a previous computer. You can even choose a modular PSU. The only limitation will be the size (16mm max to hold the case). Modular PSUs can block some GPU because of their layout. You have enough space in case to fill every SATA port or add a SATA PCI-e card to turn it into a NAS or a Steam box. ( D4600 will achieve Steam's local game streaming ).
I bought SSD and HDD at their best price. 128GB is a minimum requirement for a system disk. The motherboard has built-in WIFI. I read some motherboard can work OOB but i preferred to avoid any risks and i chose to replace it. It works OOB ! Not so much extras to add, the case will be full and you can add an Apple keyboard, a mouse, a good screen...
SSD mount trick
Installation Notes
There is no particular instructions for installation, just follow the Tonymacx86's 10.9 Installation Guide.
UEFI settings
1. To access UEFI Setup, press and hold Delete on a USB Keyboard while the system is booting up
2. Set to Optimized Defaults.
3. Disable VT-d
4. Set X.M.P. Memory Profile to Profile1 (1600Mhz)
5. Save and exit.
Update to 10.9.2
Follow the guide, use MultiBeast to install ALC892 + Trim if needed. Reboot. Repair. Enjoy.
MultiBeast Settings
Post installation is very easy, as this board doesn't require a DSDT. Use the following settings or download the .mb file then reboot following a successful installation.
Geekbench
Runs tryout 32 bits.
Unigine Heaven
Quality is set to Ultra in 1680*1050 (system resolution).
With Extreme Tessellation
With Normal Tessellation
Cinebench R15
Wifi performance benchmark with MBP 2011 late.
GA-H87N-WIFI's antenna works really great don't forget to plug it !