Gaming HTPC in compact case

[NTMBK]

I'm considering putting together a mini-ITX gaming HTPC to go under my TV. It needs to be compact, understated, quiet, powerful enough to play games at 720p, capable of playing DVDs (and possibly Blu-Rays) and not being distractingly loud, and able to record live TV.

I'm looking at something like this:

-95W Kaveri APU
-Antec Antec ISK 310 with 150W PSU
-8GB DDR3-2400 (2x4GB)
-AsRock FM2A88X-ITX+
-mSATA 128GB/256GB SSD
-2TB 2.5" HDD
-PCIe Freeview HD TV-tuner (something like this http://www.amazon.co.uk/PCI-E-DVB-T2-Definition-Digital-Receiver/dp/B005JTA7TG )
-Windows 8.1, possibly with the Media Player add-on
-slim DVD or Blu-ray drive- not sure which brands are good, and fairly quiet.

The main thing I am worried about is cooling a 95W APU in a case that tiny. I can add a second 80mm case fan to the case, and I think I would probably use some sort of Scythe low profile cooler. I'm not sure if that PSU is going to handle it, and whether it will dissipate too much heat into the case- I could always buy a 160W Pico-PSU, as that would put the power brick outside the case and remove one heat source (as well as being more efficient, I hope).

Any recommendations?

 

[Stone Rain]

If you want, wait until January, the A10-7850K is coming then, bringing the most powerful integrated GPU yet.

 

[NTMBK]

If you want, wait until January, the A10-7850K is coming then, bringing the most powerful integrated GPU yet.

Yeah, I'm waiting for Kaveri... hence the word "Kaveri" in my post I'm just planning and trying to figure out what's feasible.

 

[DaveSimmons]

I know it's bigger, but why not a Silverstone SG05/06? More room, supports an intel + GPU build if Kaveri doesn't live up to expectations.

 

[NTMBK]

I know it's bigger, but why not a Silverstone SG05/06? More room, supports an intel + GPU build if Kaveri doesn't live up to expectations.

Because it's a lot bigger! I'm not after raw performance, I'm after acceptable performance in a compact form factor. I don't want to compromise on aesthetics and size, but I am willing to compromise on frame rates and resolutions.

 

[mfenn]

I wouldn't worry about overheating. Even gaming doesn't create a constant enough CPU and GPU workload to actually drive the APU to its TDP for more than brief instants. It'll also throttle if it gets too hot.

However, in all likelihood, it will be loud while gaming, much louder than a somewhat larger case.

 

[NTMBK]

I wouldn't worry about overheating. Even gaming doesn't create a constant enough CPU and GPU workload to actually drive the APU to its TDP for more than brief instants. It'll also throttle if it gets too hot.

However, in all likelihood, it will be loud while gaming, much louder than a somewhat larger case.

Hmm, not so worried about the noise levels when gaming- my PC gets pretty noisy (yay for crappy XFX coolers ¬_¬ ) but it doesn't bother me. Just so long as it's quite enough while playing back movies and TV.

 

[Charlie98]

Hmm, not so worried about the noise levels when gaming- my PC gets pretty noisy (yay for crappy XFX coolers ¬_¬ ) but it doesn't bother me. Just so long as it's quite enough while playing back movies and TV.

Sounds like you need some sort of fan controller... just pump up the fans when you are gaming and turn them down to idle otherwise. Any HTPC streaming tasks wouldn't make an APU breath hard otherwise.

A slightly bigger case would also allow you to dump the 80mm fan for a bigger one...

 

[NTMBK]

Sounds like you need some sort of fan controller... just pump up the fans when you are gaming and turn them down to idle otherwise. Any HTPC streaming tasks wouldn't make an APU breath hard otherwise.

A slightly bigger case would also allow you to dump the 80mm fan for a bigger one...

Yeah, I'm considering a fan controller. The fan that comes with the case actually has a three-way selector switch so that you can set the fan speed manually, and there's room for another switch on the chassis if you add a compatible Antec fan. I could get a 3rd party fan controller, but I'm not sure where I'd put it- there's only one PCIe slot which will be used by the tuner card, and there's no 3.5" bay on the front. There is a 4-pin fan header on the motherboard, but only the one- I guess I could try one of these splitters to control two case fans at once: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Akasa-AK-CB...id=1384352673&sr=8-33&keywords=fan+controller

And yes, I could fit a bigger fan on a bigger case. But I don't want a bigger case. If there is a case with similar proportions with a better cooling system, I might be tempted to go for that. (Say if it had a single top 140mm fan, pushing air down onto the CPU cooler.) But something which fits bigger fans, like the Coolermaster 120, is over twice the height of this thing, and 25% longer. That's just too big, for what I'm looking for

 

[Charlie98]

My Fractal cases have a single knob fan controller that goes in an expansion slot on the rear of the case... I have it split to run 3 fans. On my desktop I run it at about 50% normally, 100% when gaming; the HTPC I have set at 50% and leave it alone.

 

[mfenn]

Sounds like you need some sort of fan controller... just pump up the fans when you are gaming and turn them down to idle otherwise. Any HTPC streaming tasks wouldn't make an APU breath hard otherwise.

A slightly bigger case would also allow you to dump the 80mm fan for a bigger one...

A vaguely new system should have enough automatic fan control built into the motherboard to negate the need for a manual fan controller. ITX does limit your choices a little bit because most boards (including the OPs) only have 2 fan headers. Luckily (unluckily?) the OP's case only has a single fan plus the CPU fan to worry about.

 

[mfenn]

Hmm, not so worried about the noise levels when gaming- my PC gets pretty noisy (yay for crappy XFX coolers ¬_¬ ) but it doesn't bother me. Just so long as it's quite enough while playing back movies and TV.

To each his own I guess. If I put my SO hat on, small and loud is just as bad (maybe worse) than big and quiet.

 

[NTMBK]

A vaguely new system should have enough automatic fan control built into the motherboard to negate the need for a manual fan controller. ITX does limit your choices a little bit because most boards (including the OPs) only have 2 fan headers. Luckily (unluckily?) the OP's case only has a single fan plus the CPU fan to worry about.

Actually, the case has space for two 80mm fans. Fortunately they're both side by side, along one side of the case, so I should be able to get a PWM splitter and control both off one fan header. (I presume that a pair of slower 80mm fans will work out quieter than one fast 80mm fan.)

 

[NTMBK]

To each his own I guess. If I put my SO hat on, small and loud is just as bad (maybe worse) than big and quiet.

At the moment we use an XBox 360 for watching Netflix and DVDs, so that is my baseline for noise levels. Anything more noticeably noisy than the 360S is too noisy, but it doesn't need to be silent or anything.

 

[NTMBK]

Someone did a very similar build with an A8-3850 a few years back, which gives me hope: http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1636235 Only worrying part is that he had to mod the power cable to fit the Big Shuriken in there... But I suppose if I replace the PSU with a pico-PSU, that shouldn't be a problem.

Looks like the Big Shuriken covers a lot of the board! Hope it won't block the PCIe slot... should help cool the rest of the system with its downdraft, which will be good

 

[DaveSimmons]

Check SilentPCReview.com for heatsink reviews if the Shuriken won't fit.

 

[cbn]

I'm considering putting together a mini-ITX gaming HTPC to go under my TV. It needs to be compact, understated, quiet, powerful enough to play games at 720p, capable of playing DVDs (and possibly Blu-Rays) and not being distractingly loud, and able to record live TV.

I'm looking at something like this:

-95W Kaveri APU
-Antec Antec ISK 310 with 150W PSU
-8GB DDR3-2400 (2x4GB)
-AsRock FM2A88X-ITX+
-mSATA 128GB/256GB SSD
-2TB 2.5" HDD
-PCIe Freeview HD TV-tuner (something like this http://www.amazon.co.uk/PCI-E-DVB-T2-Definition-Digital-Receiver/dp/B005JTA7TG )
-Windows 8.1, possibly with the Media Player add-on
-slim DVD or Blu-ray drive- not sure which brands are good, and fairly quiet.

The main thing I am worried about is cooling a 95W APU in a case that tiny. I can add a second 80mm case fan to the case, and I think I would probably use some sort of Scythe low profile cooler. I'm not sure if that PSU is going to handle it, and whether it will dissipate too much heat into the case- I could always buy a 160W Pico-PSU, as that would put the power brick outside the case and remove one heat source (as well as being more efficient, I hope).

Any recommendations?

Yes, I would look at this case:

http://www.silverstonetek.com/product.php?pid=411&area=en

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811163242 ($39.99 plus $2.99 shipping at Newegg)

It is small too, (7 liters displacement just like the Antec ISK-300 or ISK-310) with plenty of potential for cooling.

 

[cbn]

Here is an inexpensive (but still respectable brand) SFX PSU you might want to consider for the case I listed in the above post:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817103075

(SPARKLE SPI300GLS-B204 300W, $29.99 with free shipping)

 

[NTMBK]

Yes, I would look at this case:

http://www.silverstonetek.com/product.php?pid=411&area=en

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811163242 ($39.99 plus $2.99 shipping at Newegg)

It is small too, (7 liters displacement just like the Antec ISK-300 or ISK-310) with plenty of potential for cooling.

That's a nice case! I really like the slot loading drive, too- much neater looking than the tray-loading type. The only thing I don't like about it is the big Silverstone logo on the front. Definitely one to consider, thanks!

 

[Charlie98]

A vaguely new system should have enough automatic fan control built into the motherboard to negate the need for a manual fan controller. ITX does limit your choices a little bit because most boards (including the OPs) only have 2 fan headers. Luckily (unluckily?) the OP's case only has a single fan plus the CPU fan to worry about.

Well, my thought was absolute control of the fan noise vs the system control... keeping with the OP's requirement of a quiet system.

 

[NTMBK]

Well, my thought was absolute control of the fan noise vs the system control... keeping with the OP's requirement of a quiet system.

I'm actually rethinking my cooling a bit... That Big Shuriken is absolutely huge, and will blow a healthy downdraft over most of the motherboard (certainly any parts that might get hot), and in a case this small will be very close to the top inlet. I'm tempted to entirely forgo case fans- remove the OEM fan and the cover over the spare fan slot, and just leave the sides open to allow more ventilation for the CPU cooler.

 

[Charlie98]

I'm actually rethinking my cooling a bit... That Big Shuriken is absolutely huge, and will blow a healthy downdraft over most of the motherboard (certainly any parts that might get hot), and in a case this small will be very close to the top inlet. I'm tempted to entirely forgo case fans- remove the OEM fan and the cover over the spare fan slot, and just leave the sides open to allow more ventilation for the CPU cooler.

This isn't quite an apples to apples conversion... but... I swapped my desktop from an open HAF922 case to a closed and insulated Fractal Define Mini... a far more confined case. I get better temperatures with the same rig parts with less fans and noise. And this was after I covered every unused port and any hole in the case I could find with the HAF trying to get positive case pressure and better airflow, the Mini just moves air more efficiently.

In that small of a case you may very well get better airflow with the big CPU fan... but I would run both fans first and see. It would be an interesting experiment.

 

[NTMBK]

This isn't quite an apples to apples conversion... but... I swapped my desktop from an open HAF922 case to a closed and insulated Fractal Define Mini... a far more confined case. I get better temperatures with the same rig parts with less fans and noise. And this was after I covered every unused port and any hole in the case I could find with the HAF trying to get positive case pressure and better airflow, the Mini just moves air more efficiently.

In that small of a case you may very well get better airflow with the big CPU fan... but I would run both fans first and see. It would be an interesting experiment.

Oh, definitely I'll give it a try with case fan first, see how my temps and noise levels compare.

I really wish I could buy the ISK 310 without a power supply... if I'm just ripping it out to replace with a pico-PSU it feels like such a waste. Not to mention that it's a custom design so it can't even be reused by someone else.

 

[TheGoat Eater]

Have you thought about giving it a lil more power and going Intel? MSI has a really nice M-ITX 1150 board coming out and an SFF GTX 760 that pairs with it (its short and compact while having good cooling)... I just just got done proofing an in progress press kit for it and it looks great. Now that I have seen that Silverstone case I want to put that inside and replace my old AM2+ htpc/media server with it. I love that case but wish it had at least 2 3.5" instead of 4 2.5"

 

[NTMBK]

Have you thought about giving it a lil more power and going Intel? MSI has a really nice M-ITX 1150 board coming out and an SFF GTX 760 that pairs with it (its short and compact while having good cooling)... I just just got done proofing an in progress press kit for it and it looks great. Now that I have seen that Silverstone case I want to put that inside and replace my old AM2+ htpc/media server with it. I love that case but wish it had at least 2 3.5" instead of 4 2.5"

It's tempting, but I want to reserve the PCIe slot for a TV tuner card. Plus going with an APU means that all the heat generation is centralised in one place, so I can just stick one big fat cooler on it instead of having a smaller CPU cooler and a noisy half-height GPU blower fan. Plus the most powerful GPU you could probably fit in a case like this is a HD7750... which is about the same power as Kaveri is predicted to be!